Ottawa, ON — The results are in for which province or territory is the most energy efficient.
British Columbia finished first, with an energy efficiency performance of 54 out of 100 points. The province’s CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 plan, high-performance building codes, and transportation electrification all contributed to its top position.
The full rankings are as follows:
- British Columbia (54 out of 100)
- Prince Edward Island (45 out of 100)
- Quebec (45 out of 100)
- New Brunswick (43 out of 100)
- Nova Scotia (40 out of 100)
- Ontario (33 out of 100)
- Yukon (32 out of 100)
- Manitoba (30 out of 100)
- Saskatchewan (16 out of 100)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (14 out of 100)
- Alberta (8 out of 100)
Alberta, which finished last place, dropped two spots since the release of the 2022 scorecard. The province scored only eight points out of 100, and the report highlighted that Alberta is one of the few North American jurisdictions that doesn’t allow utilities to engage in demand-side management (DSM) activities.
The scorecard highlighted each province/territory’s strengths and growth opportunities:
Alberta’s strength was its municipal energy efficiency, while its growth opportunities included demand-side management and building codes.
British Columbia’s strengths include its highest efficiency equipment standards (HEES). Its growth opportunities include building energy labelling and disclosure, a clear mandate for all cost-effective energy efficiency, and a clean heat standard.
Manitoba’s strength was its electric vehicle (EV) incentives and the development of national standards, while its growth opportunities include developing an energy poverty strategy.
New Brunswick’s strengths include its energy efficiency programs and addressing energy poverty, while its growth opportunities include building codes and energy rating and disclosure.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s strength was its EV charging infrastructure, while its opportunity for growth was electrification.
The strength of Nova Scotia was its energy efficiency programs, while its growth opportunities include adapting high-performance building codes, demanding flexibility, and mandatory building performance.
Ontario’s strengths were its electricity and capacity savings, while its growth opportunities include natural gas DSM and energy rating and disclosure.
The strength of Prince Edward Island was its efficiency programs, while its growth opportunities include building energy performance labels and minimum standards and net-zero building codes.
Quebec’s strengths were transportation electrification and existing building performance, while its growth opportunities include electricity savings, heating equipment mandates, and low-income energy efficiency.
The strength of Saskatchewan was its building codes, while growth opportunities include energy efficiency programs.
Yukon’s strength was its PACE programs, while its growth opportunities include energy management programs.
As a whole, Canada’s energy savings hit a record high in 2023, increasing by 25 per cent over the previous year and setting a new benchmark.
Efficiency Canada also documents how the annual spending on energy efficiency programs surpassed $1.5 billion, reflecting growing investment in reducing energy demand and emissions.
Conducted by Efficiency Canada, the Canadian Energy Efficiency Scorecard measures the energy efficiency of each province and territory across 45 different metrics, including relevant policies and programs, buildings, transportation and industry.
To view the full scorecard, visit the 2024 Canadian Energy Efficiency Scorecard.