Online engagement results
Generation Energy is your opportunity to shape Canada’s energy future.
Through events, submissions, our idea forums, polls and quizzes, we’re hearing from you in many ways. This is where we’ll be reporting back on what we’ve heard:
Table of Contents:
1. Month One: Scoreboard (May 21, 2017)
2. Your Energy Values
Poll
Your values play an important role in setting the tone of this conversation. It helps us understand your perspectives and keep asking the questions that are meaningful and relevant. Our next poll is based on popular ideas that we’ve read on our website.
Our poll asked questions about your values regarding energy choices. So far, we’ve heard from 324 Canadians.
Participation by province
Key Findings
Canadian Values for our Energy Future
We wanted to find out what Canadians value the most in their energy choices. The values were ranked:
Canadians' Energy Concerns
We asked:
- How concerned are you about the cost and affordability of the energy you use every day (e.g. in your home, your vehicle)?
- How concerned are you about the environmental impact of the energy we make and use in Canada?
- How concerned are you about the reliability of the energy you use every day (e.g. electricity, heating/cooling, fuels)?
Importance of Energy to the Economy
We asked how important you believe our energy industries are to the Canadian economy today, and in the future.
Overall, you rated them as being very important to the economy now (3.75/5) and slightly more important in the future (3.85/5).
Those of you in Alberta and Saskatchewan placed a higher importance on energy to the economy than any other province or territory. Interestingly, you also thought that the industries play a bigger role in the economy now than they will in the future.
N.B. The sample used for these results is not statistically representative and represents a self-selected sample
Results for NB, NS, NU, NT, YK each represent <5% of total respondents.
Examples of Energy Mixes
Canada’s energy comes from many sources that can vary by region. Participants were asked to choose a mix of energy sources to meet Canada’s energy needs. This mix can look vastly different from different individuals and regions. There can be quite a variety of choices! This is what we heard:
Here are some of the examples of energy mixes chosen by a sample of participants. Each bar is the mix chosen by an individual participant.
Energy Mixes can look quite diverse!
Power-Up Quiz
The Power-Up Quiz challenged Canadians to test their energy knowledge. In the first month, the majority of the 686 of you who took the quiz knew the answers to 4 out of 5 of our questions. The one that stumped most of you was about the purposes of the first electrical appliances in homes (such as toasters, fans, etc.).
75% of you thought it was to make housework easier. According to the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology, their main purpose was to consume electricity during the day. For the most part, electricity has to be used instantaneously when produced. Electric utility companies work hard to generate the right amount of electricity to meet demand. Without these appliances, electricity production would have to stop during the day or risk becoming overloaded with excess power, both of which would be detrimental for the grid and for consumers. Want to learn more? Check out Let’s Talk Energy!
3. Ideas Forum
You have been posting your ideas and comments about our shared energy future for the last month. You’re interested in how changes in energy use will affect the way we live, travel and impact the environment. Energy is an important source of prosperity and employment, and you want to keep it that way while Canada transitions to a low carbon society.
Some of the things we’ve heard:
How do we make our living spaces more efficient?
- More electric vehicles on our roads
- Increased reliance on solar power for our homes. Solar roofs are an up and coming technology that can be harnessed
- Clean renewable technology to improve our urban infrastructure and increased green spaces
- Behavioural change towards increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption
A mix of energy sources can be the solution and to do so, we need to invest more into those sources and energy storage systems.
- Make Canada energy self-sufficient by promoting more internal use of our natural resources
- Encourage community programs that use renewable sources of energy
- Next generation nuclear power use to aggressively pursue our climate change commitments
Diversify our energy markets and invest in promoting Canadian energy reserves abroad.
More funding for Academic research into energy alternatives and implementation of their findings.
Top tags
Interesting ideas
4. Event Summaries
Throughout Generation Energy, we will be partnering with organizations across Canada to engage with diverse groups of energy experts and stakeholders through various opportunities, including dedicated GenEn Workshop Series. Find out what was discussed at each event here.
Renewable Cities Global Learning Forum – Vancouver (May 17- 19, 2017)
Reps from the Office of Energy Efficiency supported and engaged participants on Generation Energy in the Renewable Cities “Showcase Space” and during the event. Approximately 300 energy leaders, practitioners and champions from 105 different municipalities across 12 different countries and 22 provinces and states participated in a solutions-focused dialogue on the transition to 100% renewable cities.
Important topics discussed include:
- Visionary futures of low carbon and connected cities.
- Blockchain and smart technologies - enabling communities to serve their own energy needs.
- Financing Deeper Energy Efficient Retrofits in Buildings – new ways of leveraging the capital across sectors.
- Renewable Cities Need Renewable Buildings – smart grids need smart buildings.
- How Cities can get Smart(er) and Prepare for Disruptive Technologies - ensure upgrades to building codes and infrastructure are adaptable.
- Addressing EV Charging Infrastructure in MURBs - new business models approach energy infrastructure as a service.
- Cities and Communities as Low Carbon Leaders – the need for action position municipalities as primary actors.
- The Increasing Competitiveness of Renewables – renewables may grow exponentially, not in a linear fashion.
Science Odyssey FunFest – Ottawa (May 13, 2017)
The event brought together youth of all ages, teaching them about science in a fun and engaging way.
Generation Energy was there as a participant, asking Canadians the question: “What does Canada’s energy future look like to you?”. And did we get answers! Over 75 participants recorded a video telling us their energy futures. You’ll be able to see them through our Twitter and Facebook streams soon!
We got to see youth of all ages tell us how they see the future changing and how we should implement them. We’re in good hands.
Generation Energy Workshop – Regina (May 08, 2017)
Officials from NRCan joined the Energy Council of Canada in welcoming 70 attendees from universities, energy companies, indigenous organizations, provincial governments, and utilities. Opening remarks were provided by Kim Rudd, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources.
Key workshop themes were:
- Canada’s energy future is not just about achieving our emissions targets but also ensuring that energy is affordable, reliable and accessible.
- Canada’s long-term energy future should be informed by the values of respect, openness, transparency, affordability, innovation and equality.
- All levels of government need to cooperate to achieve our common results and objectives.
- A future vision for energy in Canada includes one where Indigenous communities have no more energy poverty, are active in decision-making and the economy, and have equal access to programs and information.