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By Susanna Zagar, President and CEO, Canadian Gas Association

At a time of trade uncertainty, shifting global relationships and growing energy demand, Canada has an advantage few countries possess: abundant natural gas and the infrastructure to deliver it. As we look to strengthen our economic resilience and competitiveness, we need to make greater use of what we can produce, build, and control here at home.

New data from Statistics Canada tells a compelling story: Canada’s demand for natural gas is growing. Canada has an abundant natural gas resource, growing production, and an extensive infrastructure system already serving households, businesses and industry across the country. At a moment when Canada is looking for ways to strengthen its domestic economy, this is an advantage we should further leverage for Canadians.

In 2025, Canada’s marketable natural gas production reached a record high of 8.2 billion gigajoules. That’s enough to supply approximately 82 million homes with natural gas for an entire year. Domestic demand also increased to a new record of 5.3 billion gigajoules, up by 2.7 per cent, while exports, namely to the United States, increased by 6.4 per cent.

These energy statistics reflect a practical reality: Canadians are relying on natural gas more than ever because it is available, affordable and dependable when households, businesses and essential services need it most.

That reliance shows up every day. Natural gas heats homes, fuels industry, supports hospitals and schools, and helps meet peak energy demand during Canada’s coldest winters and hottest summers. Energy security increasingly means having greater control over the resources and infrastructure that underpin our economy.  For Canadian families, energy security is not an abstract policy concept. It means being able to heat a home during a winter cold snap, keep energy bills manageable, and have confidence that essential services remain available when they are needed most.  In that regard, Canada operates from a position of strength.

Natural gas meets 40 per cent of the country’s energy needs and serves more than 7.6 million customer locations, representing roughly two-thirds of all Canadians. It’s currently delivered through nearly 600,000 kilometres of critical underground infrastructure built to operate safely and reliably in rugged Canadian conditions.

This is Canadian energy, delivered through Canadian infrastructure, supporting Canadian communities, businesses and jobs. Canada’s natural gas pipeline and utility companies alone directly employ more than 13,000 people.

This infrastructure does more than deliver energy to homes and businesses. It strengthens Canada’s entire energy system. In 2025, natural gas fuelled electricity generation reached a new record high, backed by 948 billion cubic feet of underground storage capacity, enough to supply more than 50 days of average winter demand. That stored energy can be called upon when electricity demand surges, weather becomes extreme, or other energy sources are constrained.

This abundance and vast infrastructure matter because Canada’s energy needs are growing. Meeting that growth will require more energy of all kinds, not less. It will require new generation, stronger electricity systems and continued investment in natural gas, storage and the infrastructure connecting them. Canada’s natural gas industry stands poised to deliver.

At a time when governments at all levels are focused on strengthening Canada’s economic resilience and improving productivity, energy policy should reinforce the advantages we already possess. The expansion of domestic natural gas infrastructure can only happen when strong policy signals, regulatory clarity and favourable conditions inspire investor confidence.

We need a shared, “more is more” energy vision to position Canada for success in the decades ahead. Ensuring that our energy system is diverse, adaptive and plentiful does just that. The data and the determination of Canadians tell a clear story. Now it is time for domestic energy policy to do the same.

For media inquires, contact:
Meeta Singh
Director, Communications
MSingh@cga.ca

At CERAWeek, the message was clear: energy security is national security, and countries that enable and optimize their reliable, affordable energy with resilient delivery systems, like natural gas infrastructure, will lead at home and in the new economy.

CERAWeek may not be widely known outside the energy sector, but it should be. Now in its 44th year, this premier global gathering in Houston brings together more than 10,000 participants from nearly 90 countries. The conference brings together the most influential figures in industry, policy, technology, finance, and government.

In conversation after conversation this past week, some key themes stood out. Energy is no longer considered narrowly as a commodity, an enabler, an environmental or market issue. It’s discussed as a matter of security and competitiveness, with an economic and social bottom line: the jurisdictions best positioned to attract investment, support industrial growth and strengthen resilience will be those that can deliver for the people and economies they serve at home and around the world.

That is as true for Canada as it is anywhere else. Canada’s ability to deliver for our allies starts with our ability to deliver at home. And if we are going to meet the moment, a clear and comprehensive natural gas strategy will be necessary to attract capital with scale and urgency.

What is also clear is that the conversation has moved beyond “all of the above” to something more urgent: we will need MORE of the above. Demand is not waiting. Every credible pathway points to the need for more supply, more infrastructure and more capacity across the system, starting with what we can deliver here at home.

In that context, natural gas is not peripheral. It is central to the prosperity of Canadians.

Across our country, the natural gas delivery industry meets 40 per cent of Canada’s energy needs through a network that serves more than 7.6 million customer locations. This is a system built for Canadian conditions, one that provides scale, storage, and reliability, and positions Canada to meet both domestic and global energy security needs.

What I have also heard this week is that pressure on the broader North American energy system is only increasing, which means we must permit and build faster to meet consumer demand. All of this is part of a much more practical conversation than the one we were having a few years ago. The question is not simply what kind of energy future we aspire to. It is whether our systems can deliver affordability, reliability and resilience while that future is being built.

As Minister Hodgson and others have underscored, “energy security is national security.” His recent message is also a welcome signal of ambition: “We will win this race. We will only win it with natural gas.” That clarity is important and worth recognizing. Natural gas is a great enabler—powering AI, supporting onshoring and delivering affordable, reliable energy. It cannot be treated simply as an export opportunity. Canada must align domestic policy to unlock existing resources and infrastructure to support affordability, economic growth and system resilience.

Canada has an opportunity to approach this moment with confidence and pragmatism, supported by its abundant natural gas and critical delivery infrastructure already in place. If the conversations at CERAWeek are any guide, the decades ahead will demand more from every part of the energy system, and Canada has what it takes to deliver.

Susanna Zagar
President & CEO, Canadian Gas Association