Wind turbine Energy plays a large role in the lives of Canadians. Our vast country means that great amounts of energy are used to transport goods, not to mention, the distances we Canadians travel to get around. Because of our climate, we need sizeable amounts of energy to heat or cool our homes. Energy is also an important part of our economy from the number of Canadians employed in the energy sector to the export of energy to other markets. So it makes sense that many Canadians would want to know more about what the future holds in terms of energy supply and demand.

The National Energy Board has a mandate to not only provide Canadians with energy information, but to also monitor the outlook of energy supply and demand in Canadian markets. This is the focus of the Energy Futures Report.

The Report is a comprehensive energy supply and demand outlook for the years 2005 to 2030. In the past, the Energy Futures Report has taken on many formats. The upcoming report will consist of a reference case analysis from 2005-2015 and an analysis of three scenarios, which extend out to the year 2030. The reference case is the most likely case and therefore the most appropriate in the short term. The scenarios are less certain and therefore these are most appropriate in the longer term.

The key objectives of the report are:

to provide Canadians with unbiased, relevant, comprehensive, expert analysis on energy supply, demand and its economic and environmental implications;
to provide discussion with and amongst stakeholders, both during and after the completion of the report on emerging issues of national importance; and
to inform decision makers of key risks and uncertainties facing the energy future and advise them of regulatory and other issues that need to be addressed.

In advance of this report, the NEB is involved in a number of activities to gather information such as an energy speaker series and a cross-Canada tour to speak with energy experts. Much of this information is available to Canadians on this Web site.

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Energy Futures Report Timeline

There are four phases to this project.

Planning and information gathering (Fall 2005 - Summer 2006)
This phase includes the speaker series presentations, consumer demand panel discussion, and the initial consultation meetings with stakeholders across the country.
Analytical phase (Summer 2006 - Spring 2007)
During this phase, the information gathered will be used as an input into the development of the NEB's reference case and scenarios. There will be a second round of consultations where preliminary results will be presented for comment.
Delivery phase (Summer - Fall 2007)
This phase of the report involves the translation, design and printing of the final report.
Final delivery (Fall 2007)
The Energy Futures report will be released in October 2007.

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Energy Futures Speaker Series

Listening to what others have to say about the future of Canadian energy is a major component of the Energy Futures report. Through the Energy Futures Speaker Series, experts are invited to share their views and insights on current and future market trends. This information helps to develop comprehensive and realistic long-term outlooks.

In the Energy Futures Speaker Series, 19 experts were asked to provide a presentation to NEB staff members on key areas of interest. Summaries of the presentations as well as the actual presentations are listed below. It is our hope that the information contained in these presentations will help make the development of the Energy Futures Report more transparent, while better sharing the information obtained with the Canadian public.

Speaker Series Summary (coming soon)
Speaker Series Presentations (coming soon)

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Cross-Canada Consultations

In developing the Energy Futures report, the NEB wanted to hear the views of Canadians who are involved in the energy industry. The Board visited eight cities across Canada in May 2006 where they met with over 100 groups and individuals representing industry, government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and academia.

Annapolis Royal Tidal Generating Station

Source: Nova Scotia Power Inc.

These discussion meetings provided the NEB with valuable information and feedback on the approach the NEB was taking to the report as well as the scenarios being used and the reference case assumptions.

Another round of meetings will be held in early 2007 to obtain feedback on the preliminary results of the report.

Energy Futures Project: Backgrounder for Consultation Sessions [PDF: 323 KB]
Energy Futures Project: Consultation Sessions Presentation [HTML]
Energy Futures Project: Consultation Summary Report (coming soon)

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Consumer Demand Panel

In April 2006, the NEB hosted a panel discussion looking at the issue of consumer response to high energy prices. Energy prices have been rapidly increasing over the last few years, which have given rise to questions about how consumers are going to respond to prices that are much higher than they have been in the recent past. To help understand this topical issue the NEB hosted a panel discussion with the theme "Why will energy demand in the next 10 years be any different than the last 10 years?"

Consumer Demand Panel Summary (coming soon)
Panel Member Presentations (coming soon)

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Send Us Your Comments

(coming soon)

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