Trade and Affordability
Canadians and Americans engage in bidirectional electricity trade over an integrated grid. Around 70 TWh of electricity crosses the border annually, representing a trade relationship of about 3 billion dollars. Trade allows supply to meet demand in the most efficient manner and for economies of scale – meaning more affordable electricity for both countries to power everything from laptops to hospitals, to the industries that keep our economies running.
Reliability and Resilience
An integrated grid means a more reliable and resilient grid, especially in the face of a changing climate and more extreme weather. Interconnections allow for supply diversity, a more flexible grid and for different resources to work together. For example, during extreme winter weather events in the U.S. in 2021, Canadian electricity companies were able to help keep the lights on by sending extra electricity to regions that needed it.
Canadians and Americans also work together to keep the grid reliable and secure. They do this through forums such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) which sets reliability and cybersecurity standards that are mandatory and enforceable in both countries. This co-operation means working in unity of effort, to ensure Canadians and Americans can count on electricity
Did You Know?
The lineworker who is helping to restore power in the aftermath of a major storm may be from across the border. Canadians and Americans often participate in Mutual Assistance. Electricity companies in both countries send help to restore power in times of need so that electricity is restored faster to the people who need it.
Clean Connections
Both Canada and the U.S. have ambitious climate and clean energy goals, and clean electricity is only going to become more important as people begin to use more electricity to power their lives. By working together, both countries can get there faster, and more reliably and affordably. For example, due to its storage capability and other reliability benefits, Canadian hydropower can enable the development and deployment of even greater quantities of variable U.S. renewables like wind and solar. This means more clean and reliable electricity to power a brighter future for everyone.