Studies and Reports

Canada’s natural gas system offers affordable, reliable, and low emission energy. This report looks at the main indicators for Canada’s natural gas market as we enter the 2024-25 winter heating season. A summary of these key indicators helps readers understand where market fundamentals sit as the colder months approach, furnaces are turned back on, and demand for natural gas peaks.

(December 2024)

The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) is pleased to announce the release of Bettering Canadian Lives: Harnessing the Canadian Gas Energy Opportunity. This document outlines a vision for gas energy and its infrastructure, aligned with policy recommendation that set the table for Canada to succeed in harnessing the enormous opportunity presented to Canada by gas energy.

(December 2024)

When you think of using your stove top safely, you probably think about methods to prevent fires and burns — and those are important considerations! However, did you know that another crucial part of cooking safety is related to ventilation provided by your hood vent? That’s right! Because all cooking — no matter what type of stove you have (natural gas, propane or electric) — creates airborne emissions from the cooking process. Therefore, it is important to use your hood fan to remove airborne emissions from the home.

(September 2022)

The Canadian Gas Association’s (CGA) Health and Safety Committee prepared the following document as a guide to assist its membership in conducting natural gas utility field work during a pandemic. The document includes general considerations and guidance for ongoing essential work and non-essential work for companies to build upon. The information is current as of the date of writing, but to keep the information current, it may be necessary to update its contents periodically.

As the COVID-19 crisis has continued, CGA members have identified a number of discussion points around both the physical and mental health of workers in our industry. This guidance document will specifically consider the mental health aspect.

The CGA Health and Safety Committee has developed considerations around how personnel can return to working out of their organization’s office(s), when it is appropriate to do so.

The final decision for staff to resume working out of any organization’s office(s), versus working remotely and/or in isolation, will be made by the senior management group of that organization in consultation with their Health and Safety and Human Resources professionals and in compliance with all federal, provincial and/or municipal guidance and edicts.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, natural gas utilities continue to be recognized as providers of an essential service, including by the Government of Canada. Utility workers may need to enter various premises to perform critical work functions such as responding to odour calls and performing appliance relights. You may find them wearing a form of face mask for your protection and theirs.

The Canadian Gas Association (CGA), on behalf of its operator and manufacturer member companies and in cooperation with Measurement Canada, has undertaken a review of the process of acquiring the authorization to use a measuring instrument in trade.  The aim of this review was to identify opportunities for the applicant to streamline the process as much as possible.

As the Canadian federal code now includes traceability requirements, the Canadian Gas Association initiated a task force to develop minimum guidelines to address code requirements. The task force was made up of both operators and suppliers to bring alignment across all stakeholders. The task force developed a guidance document which covers steel and plastic pipelines with components, along with assemblies.

The fifth edition of the newsletter has been produced by Concentric Energy Advisors. This document summarizes the latest information available on authorized ROEs and common equity ratios for over 40 Canadian gas and electric utilities. For comparison purposes, the newsletter also presents the average and median authorized ROEs and common equity ratios for U.S. gas and electric distributors, as reported by SNL Financial’s Regulatory Research Associates.

For more information on this publication, contact one of the representatives from Concentric Energy advisors noted at the bottom of the newsletter.

Liquefied Natural Gas: A Marine Fuel for the Great Lakes and Canada’s East Coast is a condensed version of the Transport Canada report TP 15347 E, Canadian Marine Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Supply Chain Project, Phase 2/3 – Great Lakes and East Coast.

Of the work carried out in Phase 1 – West Coast, many of the findings and related aspects of the work were transferable to the Great Lakes and East Coast regions of Canada. New work was required to update regulatory and policy changes since the first report and also for aspects that were found to be unique to these new regions (economic modelling, implementation scenario options based on local infrastructure, and aggregate regional environmental and economic benefit analysis). While following the same layout as the original Phase 1 – West Coast report and retaining much of the same information, this report reflects the distinct differences between the regions and the revised scope of the project (Phase 2/3 considers compressed natural gas (CNG) as an additional option for some applications).

Investment in transmission and distribution systems and access to an affordable, plentiful supply has dramatically changed the role of natural gas in the Canadian and continental market over several decades. At a national level, natural gas provides 32% of the energy used in Canada on an annual basis and plays a critical role as affordable energy for the Canadian economy.

Approximately 200,000 people live in nearly 300 remote communities spread across Canada that are disconnected from central energy supplies. These remote energy markets are ‘off-grid’ regions of Canada that are not connected to the North American electrical grid or to natural gas distribution pipelines. In these remote regions, reliable and cost-effective energy supply are a challenge for communities and industry, and serve as a barrier to economic development. Remote communities and industry typically rely on diesel, propane, or other fuel oils for heating and to generate their own power, all of which have to be shipped in by truck, rail, or marine vessel.

In many remote regions of Canada, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is increasingly being considered as an option to meet energy requirements. Advances in the technology used to liquefy, transport, and re-vaporize natural gas, have made LNG a viable option for remote customers. ICF worked with the CGA and Canadian natural gas distribution utilities to define the scope of expansions and type of customers that would be reached.