As we move into 2025, Canada Powered by Women (CPW) is reflecting on the lessons and insights from a pivotal year in Canada’s energy landscape.
In 2024, Canadians grappled with significant shifts in energy policy, rising costs, and the urgent need for sustainable solutions. We captured these developments through our Perspectives articles that explored how energy transformation impacts our economy, communities, and environment. This reflection not only underscores the challenges faced but also highlights the opportunities for innovation, inclusivity, and progress.
The past year revealed the intricacies of energy policy and its intersection with daily life, from affordability to technological advancements.
Women across the country shared their perspectives, underscoring the importance of balanced approaches to energy policy that prioritize both economic and environmental goals.
Here’s a look back at 2024 and the issues shaping Canada’s energy future.
Exploring Canada’s evolving energy system
One of the consistent messages we heard in 2024 is that balancing innovation and practicality is vital for Canada’s energy transformation.
In Evolving Canada’s energy system: A transition or transformation? we examined how Canada can leverage both fossil fuels and renewables to maintain energy security while reducing emissions.
Similarly, Why a diverse energy mix is key to energy security in Canada emphasized the importance of including nuclear, hydro, oil, and gas to ensure reliable and affordable energy for Canadians.
In Energy in Ontario: How the province plans to meet growing needs, we explored how Ontario is working to address its growing energy demands through investments in nuclear energy and plans for small modular reactors (SMRs). These regional strategies are critical components of Canada’s broader energy landscape.
Policy impacts on affordability and prosperity
Throughout 2024, affordability remained a central theme.
Articles like Unpacking the growing cost of home heating bills detailed how rising energy costs, amplified by the carbon tax, are affecting Canadian households.
This sentiment was echoed in As prices surge, a thriving oil and gas sector can help maintain access to affordable living, which examined how oil and gas production remains a key factor in keeping energy affordable.
Agriculture was another sector deeply impacted by energy policy. In Food for thought — how the carbon tax is impacting Canada’s agriculture sector, we highlighted how farmers face rising operational costs due to the carbon tax, sparking conversations about balancing environmental goals with economic realities.
The overarching question of fairness also emerged in The carbon tax: Is it fair for Canadians?. This article explored regional disparities and how policies like the carbon tax disproportionately affect certain communities and industries, reinforcing the call for more equitable energy solutions.
Indigenous leadership and inclusive energy dialogue
Indigenous communities are demonstrating exceptional leadership in Canada’s energy transformation. Indigenous involvement in the energy industry powers prosperity showcased how projects like Cedar LNG are not only advancing energy innovation but also fostering economic reconciliation. These initiatives exemplify how Indigenous-led solutions can align prosperity with environmental stewardship.
Inclusive conversations were also a major theme this year.
In Giving women a voice in the national energy transformation conversation, we reflected on how CPW’s advocacy is creating safe spaces for Canadian women to engage in energy discussions.
Additionally, this International Women’s Day we want to inspire inclusion in energy transformation discussions highlighted the importance of amplifying diverse voices in shaping energy policy.
Technology and innovation as solutions
Innovation and technology featured prominently in our discussions about achieving net-zero goals.
Articles like Canada’s opportunity to capture emissions while also enabling a prosperous economy delved into the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reduce emissions while supporting economic growth.
Similarly, Understanding the role of nuclear power in energy transformation explored nuclear energy’s essential role in providing reliable, low-emission energy.
Another innovative perspective came from Building for the future: Exploring and understanding the net-zero home, which took a pragmatic look at the pros and cons of net-zero homes. While energy-efficient housing can reduce emissions and save costs for homeowners, the article also highlighted how the upfront costs of building or retrofitting for net-zero present significant obstacles for most Canadians.
Together, these articles underscore how Canada’s energy transformation is rooted in practical, forward-thinking solutions.
What we’ve learned and what comes next
The past year has reaffirmed the importance of balanced, inclusive energy policies that prioritize both environmental goals and economic prosperity.
From the rising cost of living to Indigenous leadership and technological innovation, Canadian women have shared their priorities and concerns with clarity and passion.
As we move into 2025, it’s crucial to keep these conversations alive and evolving.
By fostering open dialogue, supporting innovative solutions, and amplifying diverse voices, we can shape policies that work for everyone.
CPW remains committed to being a platform for these discussions and a champion for balanced energy policies that reflect the values and needs of engaged women and all Canadians.