Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My name is Francis Bradley and I'm the chief executive officer of Electricity Canada.

Electricity Canada is the national voice of the power sector. Our members generate, transmit and distribute electricity to every province and territory in Canada.

Thank you for inviting me to speak to Bill C-5. Today I’ll be focusing my comments specifically on the building Canada act.

We believe that this bill represents an important step towards accelerating the approval of major projects in Canada, which will help to build the infrastructure that Canada needs to bolster our economic sovereignty and security.

Electricity is central to Canada's economic success. Available, affordable power was key to building a prosperous country for our parents and grandparents. The electricity infrastructure that we build today will do the same for our children and grandchildren.

Demand for clean, reliable and affordable electricity is predicted to as much as double in some jurisdictions. This is being driven by population growth, rising industrial demand and new technologies like electric vehicles and data centres. This need will only grow greater as Canada pursues industrial strategies to make itself more globally competitive.

We need to build more generation, more transmission and more distribution infrastructure over the next two decades than we have built in generations. Unfortunately, Canada's approval process for major projects has not been up to the task. We've been ranked second to last in the OECD on the time it takes to get construction permits, for example. Streamlining regulatory approvals is a necessary step to get building at pace and at scale. Faster approvals can help get energy projects like new nuclear projects, hydro dams and transmission lines in operation faster. It reduces costs and project risk.

The building Canada act is a key step toward building important things faster. It focuses on how to move a project of national interest forward, not whether it should move forward. We can move faster while forging strong indigenous partnerships and adhering to environmental protections. The act has the potential to provide greater certainty for investors. It mirrors key recommendations that we've made to government, which are included in the annual state of the industry report we've provided to you.

Electricity Canada has long advocated for a two-year time limit on project approvals and for the government to adopt a “one project, one review” approach. We also believe a central major projects office can help coordinate between departments and act as the main point of contact for industry as we navigate an often cumbersome federal system. Beyond approvals, such an office could also help coordinate funding and financing support.

While this bill will have a primary impact on designated projects of national interest—I don't know what is of greater national interest than a strong electricity grid—the lessons learned from these could kick off a needed culture shift in our regulatory agencies and allow for broader improvements. Integrating these lessons more broadly should be an explicit goal of the bill.

Ultimately, it is essential that the regulatory environment for all projects is improved. Delay in getting permits and approvals adds costs for industry, no matter the size of the project. Those costs all end up on customers' bills.

The government must look at how we can better support existing infrastructure. If demand is going to double, we'll have to preserve and optimize what we already have. Too often, federal rules make it difficult to maintain or expand electricity infrastructure, even if it has been in place for decades. The Fisheries Act is the best example. Changes made in 2019 have complicated even the most straightforward maintenance.

We also need to make sure that operating rules don't hinder reliability. The clean electricity regulations will add significant costs and add reliability risks in several Canadian jurisdictions while not meaningfully reducing emissions.

Building the system will also require significant investment that will likely be too great for the ratepayer alone. Parliament must pass the clean electricity investment tax credit to support projects. It should also expand coverage to include all transmission and support distribution investments.

Electricity is a Canadian advantage. We have one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world, at 84% non-emitting. It is reliable and it is competitive. It is a key foundation for Canada's future economic success.

Thank you.