Energy Efficiency in Alberta - Canadian Provincial Energy Efficiency Scorecard

Canadian Energy Efficiency Scorecard:

Provinces and Territories

Alberta

Alberta ranks ninth in the 2022 Scorecard, having earned 19 points out of 100. The province has fallen two places from its rank last year.

19/100 Points

Needs solutions for rising energy costs and dirty electricity

Alberta ranks ninth in the 2022 Scorecard, having earned 19 points out of 100. The province has fallen two places from its rank last year.

Alberta remains one of the only jurisdictions in North America that does not allow its utility providers to undertake ‘demand-side management’ activities to lower energy system costs and reduce customer bills. A report released in May showed that such a program would create $11 billion in net benefits over 20 years within the province.

The need for energy efficiency is urgent, particularly since Alberta’s fossil fuel-heavy electricity system needs to reach net-zero emissions by 2035 under a federal Clean Electricity Standard.

As energy costs rise, Alberta is also the only province without energy efficiency programs for low-income households. Alberta has had industrial energy management programs in place since 2018, with more than 130 participants over time.

Strengths

Building codes

Alberta automatically adopts national model codes 12 months after their publication date, which means the province is scheduled to adopt the new 2020 codes earlier than most provinces.

The province’s next step is to establish a date for all new buildings to be net zero energy ready.

Opportunities for improvement

Low-income energy efficiency

The Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is developing an Energy Poverty Reduction and Home Upgrades Program that will focus on energy-poor households in Edmonton and Calgary.

This program should be taken province-wide.

Energy labeling

Residential energy labels give homeowners information on their properties and give potential buyers information on a home’s performance.

Alberta Ecotrust is piloting a way to make receiving an energy score easy through a digital process.

This program could also be taken province-wide and supported by requiring energy information be provided when properties are sold.

Policy Area Scores

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Alberta



National median

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Points possible

Programs

2 points

11.25 points

40 points

Enabling Policies

7 points

9 points

16 points

Buildings

2 points

4 points

19.5 points

Transportation

3 points

6 points

17.25 points

Industry

5 points

4 points

7 points

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2022 Scorecard ranking

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