Pathways to Regional Electricity Integration in Atlantic Canada

We are excited to share a new research report developed by Dunsky titled Pathways to Regional Electricity Integration for Atlantic Canada.

As utilities, system operators and governments across Atlantic Canada look for ways to expand electricity affordably and reliably through expanded regional integration, this research provides critical learnings and pathways for integration, drawing on lessons from U.S. regional transmission organizations (ISO-NE, CAISO, SPP).

Specifically, our research showed that:

• Momentum is real. From the Federal Government’s Powering Canada Strong strategy to recommendations in NB Power’s review report, to premiers actively talking about coordination and the recently-launched Atlantic Electricity Cooperation Initiative, the recognition of the value of regional integration is growing, and so is the call to act.
• “Integration” doesn’t have to mean a regional market or a single system operator. That’s the common assumption, but our research shows regional integration is usually approached incrementally across:
  • Planning — coordinating system planning and infrastructure build-out
  • Procurement & markets — coordinating investment, procurement, and trading
  • Operations — coordinating system operations for reliability and efficiency
• The right path for Atlantic Canada must be provincially led, grounded in clear mutual benefits, and start with practical near-term opportunities. Across every jurisdiction we studied, we found that integration begins with incremental coordination that builds trust before deeper structures follow.

Thanks to our client, the Ecology Action Center, for supporting this research.

Figure 1

Options for regional electricity integration in Atlantic Canada.