Canada should ensure its ‘project of national interest’ designation is helping build competitive clean industries, not just individual projects, starting with four key focus areas, according to a new report from the One Canadian Clean Economy Task Force.
These focus areas—clean electricity transmission, critical minerals refining, electric vehicle charging, and sustainable modular homebuilding—present opportunities to draw out the greatest possible value from our natural resources, build high-productivity industries, expand export opportunities, and leverage our domestic market.
The task force’s new report, Connecting the Dots, also highlights potential ‘projects of national interest’ within these four sectors that could be realized in Canada today:
- A transmission line connecting Nova Scotia’s massive offshore wind project, Wind West, to manufacturing hubs in Ontario and Quebec.
- Battery materials refining in the Central Alberta Corridor to create more value from our critical minerals mining.
- A national EV charging network to support Canada’s EV and charging industry and better leverage private capital.
- And modular housing hubs in Ontario and B.C. to drive the construction of more affordable homes with Canadian construction materials.
In all these cases, there is a role for the federal government to play, both by addressing project-specific needs and by ensuring the connective infrastructure and policies are in place to spur activity and private investment.
These projects are also extremely popular with Canadians, with support levels ranging from 68% to 81%, according to a new poll from Abacus Data and Clean Energy Canada also released today (polling results for all four projects below).
Connecting the Dots includes more details on these opportunities, their many benefits, the barriers they presently face, and how government leadership and a strategic use of the “project of national interest” designation could make them real—and major assets for Canada.
The One Canadian Clean Economy Task Force is made up of members representing companies across critical minerals, batteries, clean transportation, clean buildings, forest products, clean electricity, and clean technology.
Report
Report | Connecting the Dots
The One Canadian Clean Economy Task Force members
Vittoria Bellissimo, President and CEO, Canadian Renewable Energy Association
Daniel Breton, President and CEO, Electric Mobility Canada
Mark Chapeskie, Vice President of Programs, Electricity Human Resources Canada
Lynn Côté, Executive Director, Canada Cleantech Alliance
Corey Diamond, Executive Director, Efficiency Canada
Sean DeVries, Executive Director, Battery Metals Association of Canada
Rachel Doran, Executive Director, Clean Energy Canada
Peter McArthur, Board Chair, Canada Cleantech Alliance
Eric Johnson, Vice President, Federal Government Relations, Forest Products Association of Canada
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