Canada Has the Clean Energy the World Needs, so What’s Stopping Us From Delivering?

June 1, 2026

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As published in the Hill Times, an English-only outlet.

Canada’s clean advantage is not adequately discussed, even when the opportunity could not be more apparent.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has brought renewed momentum and urgency to discussions around conventional and clean energy. On one hand, it calls on countries rich in oil and gas, like Canada, to step up and support allies overdependent on Middle-Eastern energy. On the other hand, it has strengthened the case for clean energy to lower exposure to external supply disruptions and bolster energy security. Unlike many countries, Canada can respond to both.

We have the potential to simultaneously position ourselves as a reliable supplier of conventional energy, and as a global leader in the technologies that will advance the future energy system. That dual capability is an enormous strategic asset.

We are the fourth largest producer of crude oil, the fifth largest producer of natural gas, and the fourth largest producer of renewable energy in the world. We are also the third largest exporter of electricity, with around 80% of the electricity we produce coming from clean energy. That is an attractive feature to many global partners — especially Europe, but also south of the border. New England has been eyeing the immense wind energy potential of Atlantic Canada for many years.

Atlantic Canada is home to the highest tides on earth in the Bay of Fundy, and to wind speeds that rival the North Sea. Whereas offshore wind farms in the North Sea have been powering grids in Europe for more than 25 years, not a single offshore wind farm has been deployed in Canada to this day. Our track record with tidal power is no better. Projects have come and gone, and turbines have been installed without ever producing energy. The passage has been characterized by endless regulatory processes and a lack of investment leading to technical, financial, and execution failures — and even bankruptcies. Yet, the La Rance Tidal Power Station has been supplying electricity to France since the late 1960s and the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant in South Korea has been functioning since 2011. Countries with fewer options and less energy potential have been spearheading clean energy infrastructure development, even as we repeatedly fail to reach the execution stage. 

Recent government efforts on permitting and regulatory reform are important and deserve recognition, but success depends on whether we can build at the speed the moment demands. Though much of the discussion has focused on pipelines, these reforms are just as critical for clean energy projects like offshore wind, tidal power, geothermal, transmission, hydrogen, carbon management, and small modular reactors.

Exporting clean technologies and infrastructure would create high-value jobs, expand this country’s industrial base, increase GDP, and reinforce long-term competitiveness in sectors expected to grow substantially over the coming decades.

Today, with two major global energy crises in the span of four years, Canada’s stability has become a competitive advantage, and the government must marshal all resources to capitalize on the opportunity. Canada can help meet the needs of allies seeking to diversify away from unstable suppliers and secure affordable low-carbon energy sources while strengthening our own economy. Equally important is preserving our first-mover advantage from technologies like small modular reactors to carbon management to much more. In carbon direct removal alone, Canada — with our 78 active companies and enormous geological storage capacity — is well-positioned to capture a share of a global market projected to exceed $1 trillion USD by 2050. Helping other countries decarbonize their grids and industrial systems would amplify this country’s contribution to global emissions reductions far beyond our domestic footprint.

Rather than treating conventional and clean energy as competing priorities, Canada should recognize that both are central to establishing ourselves as a true energy superpower capable of delivering energy security, economic growth and emissions reductions simultaneously.

We won’t just do this in one fell swoop with one innovation. It’s going to take coordination and determination across the board. Canada must also take a more strategic approach to supporting its clean energy industry by attracting foreign direct investment, strengthening domestic supply chains, and helping Canadian firms scale globally. In particular, small- and medium-sized companies developing promising technologies need support to move beyond pilot projects into large-scale deployment and exports.

We can do it and cement it as our national advantage — but will we do it in time before the next crisis emerges?

Bryan Detchou, Senior Director, Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Visit the Decarbonization & Clean Technology Council to learn more about the Canadian Chamber’s advocacy.