Energy Magazine Category: From the Editor

This issue of ENERGY marks my final edition as Editor after nearly 16 years with the Canadian Gas Association and almost as long with this magazine, which we created in 2013. The gas industry in Canada has grown remarkably during that time and ENERGY has given witness to it, as it does again with this issue. 

We open with our regular political feature:  Liberal, Conservative and NDP commentators each offering us a perspective on a current issue. This time the topic is how Canada should leverage its natural gas advantage in an increasingly uncertain North American landscape. The analyses reveal the range of policy issues involved from export expansion, to climate policy, to Indigenous engagement.  

That North American landscape is the focus for the next big piece – Fortress North America? – which examines the evolving dynamics between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in an age of tariffs, energy nationalism, and the pressing need for more energy infrastructure and supply-chain effectiveness.  As demand for energy services – gas and electric – continues to surge across North America, this piece offers a timely look at both the risks and the opportunities before us. 

Our Facts and Developments section examines the continued rise in energy efficiency in homes across Canada. Despite a growing customer base, residential natural gas consumption has remained remarkably steady, a testament to high-efficiency equipment, longstanding DSM programs and sustained investment in technologies that support both affordability and lower emissions. 

In our Industry Profile, we spotlight David Morton, who has had a wide-ranging and fascinating career – including serving as a leading Canadian energy regulator. His story reflects a lifelong interest in thinking about how things affect everyday Canadians – balancing cost and reliability, innovation and practicality, and immediate needs and long-term resilience. 

This issue’s Supplier, Manufacturer and Contractor (SMC) profile features Viega, a global leader with a 125-year history in piping technology that continues to support safe, reliable natural gas delivery across North America. With a growing presence and advanced manufacturing capabilities, Viega shows how suppliers are helping the sector modernize and adapt to emerging multi-fuel, lower-emission needs. 

Together, these articles highlight a sector well-positioned to meet emerging demands with expertise and purpose.  

In closing, let me say that working on this publication has been a real privilege.  I’ve had the chance to collaborate with expert researchers, industry leaders, and many others who care deeply about the future of our energy system, and I have learned a great deal. I’m especially grateful to you – our readers – for your continued interest and support. 

Thank you to the incredible CGA staff who have done so much in making this magazine, and all that CGA does, so successful.  

It’s been an honour to serve – through our member companies – the millions of Canadians who use natural gas every day to make their lives better. My wish is that Canadians keep benefitting from gas and gas infrastructure for generations to come.  

The recent federal election put energy security in the spotlight—and rightfully so. Global uncertainty and shifting geopolitical dynamics are underscoring the rationale: access to reliable, affordable, and acceptable energy is more critical than ever, both here at home and around the world. 

Our new government no doubt recognizes that there’s a real opportunity and growing expectation for Canada to lead on energy – the term superpower was used widely during the campaign.  

Canada is already part of the integrated North American gas system – one of the most secure natural gas networks in the world – and natural gas remains the fuel of choice for heating homes, fuelling industry, and supporting commercial buildings across the continent. Why? Because it works, offering a proven advantage in its affordability and reliability. But Canada stands at the threshold of a major opportunity to do more with gas energy.  With the right policy alignment, we can unlock even more benefits from our natural gas advantage—broadening the affordability advantage, boosting competitiveness, and delivering the economic growth that creates jobs. 

This issue of ENERGY explores what’s possible. We examine the political, economic, and technological forces shaping Canada’s energy future—and what needs to happen to ensure we don’t fall behind. 

We begin with a thought-provoking feature that brings together political commentators from across the spectrum—Conservative, Liberal, and NDP—to answer one critical question: How can Canada leverage its natural gas advantage to become a key player in North American energy security? Their insights highlight both the opportunities and the tensions at play in today’s policy environment. 

We head south of the border with the story Boom times for U.S. gas? Once thought to be on the decline, natural gas demand in the U.S. is rising fast, driven by AI fuelled growth in data centres and a historic surge in LNG export capacity. It’s a powerful reminder of how fast markets are shifting, and why Canada can’t afford to sit still. 

Back home, our Facts and Developments section examines how natural gas once again delivered through a challenging Canadian winter. From coast to coast, our systems kept homes warm and businesses active—something worth reflecting on as the energy debate continues to evolve. 

Innovation is also front and centre. Gas heat pumps: Advancing energy efficiency in heating and cooling takes a closer look at a promising technology that combines efficiency with performance in cold-weather climates. 

From the global industry, we bring you a conversation between Andrea Stegher, Senior Advisor at SNAM and – effective end of June 2025 – President of the International Gas Union and Paul Cheliak, Vice President Strategy & Delivery at the Canadian Gas Association. Together, they reflect on global energy trends, Italy’s resilience strategy, and Canada’s evolving role in the gas market. 

Finally, in our industry profile, we introduce An Energy Champion: Jacob Irving, the new President of the Industrial Gas Users Association. With a strong track record of leading some of the country’s most important energy organizations, Irving brings both insight and energy to a sector that underpins Canada’s manufacturing and industrial strength. 

Wherever you are in the energy conversation—a policymaker, a business leader, a customer—we hope this edition offers meaningful insights and fresh perspective on the path ahead. 

The critical role of natural gas in Canada is most apparent when the snow starts falling. Almost 7 million Canadian homes depend on the country’s most reliable and affordable fuel choice to meet critical heating needs, as fall gives way to winter.

We are seeing more than seasonal change these days though – it is happening in politics, too. Donald Trump’s return to the White House, alongside Republican gains in the US Congress, point to a significant re-direction in American energy policy. As of January 20th, the implications of a plan for ‘U.S. energy dominance’ will begin to be revealed, and natural gas is expected to be a big beneficiary. The once and future President has said his administration will deliver more energy reliability, economic growth, and geopolitical strength. Policies aimed at easing infrastructure restrictions, streamlining regulations, and boosting gas production are all expected.

For Canada, this shift brings both opportunities and challenges. If there is material economic growth and gas sector expansion in the U.S. it will deliver derivative benefits for Canada as it always does. Living next to the world’s biggest economy has its privileges. However, a lack of similar energy sector support in Canada will mean investment will be more attracted to the US, compounding existing affordability challenges in Canada.

Our political commentator discussion on this issue speaks to this point. We have asked our contributors to provide their assessments of how political parties are positioning themselves to address energy affordability in Canada.

In our spotlight interview, we profile our new Board Chair, Roger Dall’Antonia, President and CEO of FortisBC. Dall’Antonia has led FortisBC with a clear focus on the reliability and sustainability of energy delivery. Since assuming the role, he has emphasized a customer-centric approach, and he talks about what that means for British Columbia.

Natural gas is overwhelmingly methane, and methane has been front and centre in many domestic and international policy discussions of late. This issue includes a piece discussing the vital role methane plays and how the Canadian gas industry is working to effectively manage methane emissions with both existing and emerging practices and technologies.

We also had the opportunity this issue to speak with Imad Khaled, CGA’s 2023 Young Business Leader of the Year and Director of Engineering and Construction Services at Apex Utilities Inc. He reminds us that, as the world’s sixth-largest energy producer, Canada is well-positioned to meet growing global energy demand. With supportive policies, Canada’s innovative energy sector is equipped to deliver responsibly produced energy for our customers here and those around the world.

And finally, our SMC profile with EWI reinforces natural gas as an essential part of the energy mix, helping to ensure a reliable and sustainable energy future.

Keeping Canadians warm and keeping our economy running smoothly 24/7 is what the natural gas industry is all about, and we in the industry are thankful for the opportunity we have to serve Canadians by meeting these needs.

In a troubled world, we have much to be thankful for as Canadians, something we all reflect on at this time of year – may there be “peace on earth, goodwill towards men,” and may all our readers have a safe and happy holiday season.

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

In the month of May, CGA hosted the world in Banff, Alberta, over four days of discussion on energy innovation – broadly defined – at the IGRC2024 conference. It was a very insightful symposium for the over 500 attendees from 30 countries who joined us. Each panelist, speaker, and delegate contributed to a wide-ranging discussion on how important the gas energy industry and gas energy innovation are to human flourishing. In this issue, we bring you a series of stories that underscore that importance.

In our conversation with Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, Minister Rebecca Schultz, we delve into the importance of reducing emissions – but not gas energy use, noting that the two are not the same.

Building on that provincial engagement, in our political commentators discussion, we ask our three contributors to address the question of how much influence federal policy should have on provincial energy decisions.

In our spotlight interview we profile Executive Vice President and President, Gas Distribution and Storage at Enbridge Gas, Michele Harradence, about how she’s been leading Enbridge’s gas distribution and storage business, ensuring their four – a number growing to seven as we write this – million customers, have safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable access to energy.

In line with said access to energy, Graham Chandler writes on the significance of energy as a means to supply food and meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal regarding food security by 2030 in his piece, “Feeding a growing and hungry world.”

Still thinking beyond our borders, we discuss how our American industry friends are dealing with the various challenges posed by natural gas bans and the rush to forced electrification.

And looking forward to this year’s COP29 meeting, our interview with Professor of Practice at Azerbaijan’s ADA University Damjan Krnjević Mišković, gives our readers a glimpse into what we can expect on deck for that event in November in Azerbaijan.

We hope you find the content informative and helpful!

A second year of the pandemic and lockdowns is drawing to a close, and with its passing we all hope for a more open 2022.

Taking a moment to reflect on the last 12 months reminds us that there was much more than COVID to life in 2021. This issue looks at various aspects of what has been going on over the last 12 months.

The year saw new governments in Canada and our nearest neighbour, the US. While Canada’s result was a re-election, the US saw a change, with Joe Biden replacing Donald Trump as President. In this issue of ENERGY Magazine, we take a look at President Biden’s Build Back Better infrastructure legislation and its implications for the U.S. natural gas industry. And on the Canadian side, our Commentators section looks at what the Trudeau re-election means for climate change measures in Canada.

The need for affordable energy was made clear throughout 2021, as Canadians saw prices rise on the back of supply constraints, increasing regulatory burdens, and faster than expected market rebounds. Affordability in general is more and more an issue for Canadians perhaps most evident in housing markets — the Canadian Home Builders Association gives their take.

The energy debate in the UK was increasingly in the news in 2021, culminating with the hosting of COP26 in November, We took the opportunity to contact UK MP Steve Baker to discuss some of the energy and environment policy issues on the ground there and how they are influencing the political environment.

And as always we focused on customers in 2021, and this issue includes an interview with Mayor Jennifer Murphy of Eganville, Ontario whose residents recently obtained gas delivery thanks to Phase Two of the Ontario Natural Gas Expansion Program, dramatically reducing their energy bills and improving energy reliability for them.

And finally 2021 saw the appointment of a new Chair to our CGA Board of Directors, Cynthia Hansen. Cynthia took time to chat from her busy Enbridge schedule where she serves as Executive Vice President, and President Gas Distribution and Storage at Enbridge Gas.

All of us at CGA hope you find issue of ENERGY informative and insightful. We wish a Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you and look forward to being in contact again in 2022.

2019 marks the fifth anniversary of ENERGY Magazine’s launch. When we first started this publication, our intent was to move away from the typical trade association magazine and bring our members and readers a publication that was fresh and modern, offering content that situates natural gas in the broader energy context – as part of the bigger picture of demand and supply that makes up the energy system. While we have maintained a strong natural gas focus in all our issues, the articles we have published over the last five year have delved into a variety of important energy policy topics and have featured a number of key energy players in Canada and abroad, in order to offer our readers the most up-to-date content on issues and debates around energy.

The energy policy landscape has changed since we first started ENERGY and we have made adjustments to adapt to these changes.  What have not changed, in fact what have become even more definitive, are several energy realities in our country:   Canadians demand safety, they expect reliable delivery, they are intrigued by innovation, they aspire to minimal environmental impacts, and they consider affordability essential.  These realities should inform all energy conversations for all fuels and all technologies. Certainly for us in the natural gas industry, they are guideposts for our actions.

In this first 2019 issue, the articles  address topics such as women in leading executive roles in the natural gas sector; the “Green New Deal” proposal in the U.S.; the transformative potential of liquefied natural gas for Canada; the role governments can play regarding rising energy cost for consumers; and a look at cross-continental energy relations from the perspective of Canadian Ambassador to the United States, David MacNaughton.

I hope that over the years you have enjoyed the articles we have presented, and I hope you enjoy the current issue. As we continue with ENERGY Magazine, I encourage you to contact us and provide your comments, queries, or suggestions: our success is measured in our usefulness for you, the reader.

Welcome to our third and final issue of 2018. This year has been a busy one for CGA and at present it looks as though 2019 will mean more of the same: energy is front page news and natural gas is top-of-mind energy.  Next year will be particularly interesting as energy is shaping up to be a major issue for the fall 2019 election campaign. In preparation for that, much of our focus at CGA will be on engaging the politically active on how energy affects constituents’ interests. Affordability in the face of rising costs, reliability in the face of outages, sustainability in the face of aggressive emission reduction targets, innovation in the face of ever-changing technology – all of these issues are on the minds of Canadians. We believe natural gas has a great story to tell on each of them and we want to make sure it is well understood.

Recent reports from the NEB on the domestic front, and the IEA on the international front, speak to just how important that natural gas story continues to be for our country and the globe. The articles that follow offer interesting perspectives on this importance. I hope that you find this issue of Energy informative and thought-provoking and, as always, I encourage you to get in touch with us with your feedback. From all of us at CGA we wish you a Merry Christmas and the best for the holiday season, and may your 2019 be filled with Energy!