Energy Briefs

• Full electrification of residential space heating by 2050 substantially increases electrical grid capacity requirements • Hybrid heating systems that switch from electric to gas heat during cold weather events reduce peak electricity demand • Hybrid heating systems using renewable gas avoid grid infrastructure expansion while meeting emissions limits

• Energy models are important tools for decision making, but the communication gap between stakeholders and energy modelers limits their potential value • A visualization dashboard has been developed to address this gap and facilitate dialogue • Expansions and applications for the dashboard have been uncovered from stakeholder feedback, widening the impact and user range of the dashboard

• Future capacity requirements are driven by electrification of heating and road transportation. • Hybrid heating systems switching from electric to gas heating operations during cold weather events reduce electricity demand for residential space heating. • Electric vehicle charging control can significantly limit capacity requirements of the electricity grid.

• Electrification of end-uses changes the shape of electricity demand. • Shape of electricity demand drives electric grid infrastructure needs. • Future ramping rates are driven by electrification of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. • Electric vehicle charging control can limit capacity and flexibility requirements of the grid.

• Transmission should be seen as much as an adaptation initiative as a mitigation initiative • Interprovincial transmission provides significant reliability improvements to the system • The value of transmission cannot be quantified purely through export revenues

• News media coverage on net zero and across key stakeholders is increasingly polarized • Policy design should consider the interests of different stakeholders • Tailored communications strategies can help build consensus • Researchers and policymakers should engage with media outlets to promote balanced narratives

• Size of government is studied as a new country-level contextual factor determining citizen support for climate policy • Larger size-of-government is associated with lower climate policy support • GDP-per-capita and emissions are positively associated with policy support • High-tax countries have an aversion to environmental tax increases

• Grid composition plays a significant role in residential DR program effectiveness • Amount of VRE resources on grid impacts how DR potential is utilized • DR program effectiveness may increase with improved building stock efficiency

• Focus group participants identify funding from provincial and federal governments as adequate and as enabling alongside staffing interactions • Staffing resources, the legislative, regulatory and political environment alongside governance and information and data management were identified as both barriers and enables • Political will and information exchange enable existing climate action, but municipalities lack of autonomy over the most effective policy instruments