RC124 MayJun 2026 - Magazine - Page 20
ENERGY
TWO PATHWAYS
Choosing an approach to tackle Ontario’s
electrical demand constraints by Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller, FCIP, is a
senior associate with the
Canadian Urban Institute,
and a frequent contributor
to ReNew Canada.
N 2025, the Boltzmann Institute released a report critical of
Ontario’s climate policies aimed at reducing greenhouse
gas emissions within the buildings sector. What We’ll
See Down Two Pathways to Zero Emissions from Buildings,
charged that the government’s policies—based on a
2016 climate action plan—focused on an “electri昀椀cation
pathway” (relying principally on air-source heat pumps) are
“una昀昀ordable” and “essentially unworkable.”
Given that the 2016 plan was initially praised by
industry and climate activists alike as a sensible way to
wean consumers o昀昀 natural gas, encompassing all sectors
of the economy, why is this approach problematic in 2026?
I
20—RENEW CANADA –JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026
Answering this question is especially important in
today’s volatile public environment, and amid signs the
government is taking steps to course-correct its energyintegration policies.
An aspiration with a long history
The explanation dates to the 1970s, when the search
for a昀昀ordable ways to reduce harmful greenhouse
emissions (GHGs) began in earnest. Back then, electricity
was widely seen as an attractive option by institutions
like the powerful International Energy Association. In
Ontario, the buildings sector is estimated to account for
RENEWCANADA.NET
