Canadian Energy Policy

Abstract

The history of Canadian energy policy is traced and arguments are presented to show that, since there was no basis for the sudden shifts in government and industry opinion, policy initiatives were adopted without adequate assessments of the alternatives. The author also faults recent policy formation for emphasizing adequate energy supplies rather than looking for a least-cost way to balance energy demand with supply. The time lags due to environmental and economic constraints have tended to soften the impact of policy shifts in the face of supply shortages, but the multiplicity of government roles can put Federal and provincial governments in conflict with each other. These questions, when applied to several selected issues, raise the further question of whether energy self-reliance is a valid goal. Although vagueness brought superficial public acceptance, it is difficult to apply the concept of self-reliance to specific policies dealing with efficient energy use and equitable cost/benefit distribution. 82 references.