After an emergency hearing held last Thursday, May 18, a Wisconsin judge said he will not force Enbridge to shut down Line 5, despite claims from an Indigenous band that the pipeline was at risk of being exposed by erosion and rupturing on reservation land.

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa says spring flooding has heightened the risk of a rupture, which prompted the hearing.

For the propane industry in the U.S. and Canada, Enbridge’s Line 5 is a critical link for transporting natural gas liquids (including propane) from Western Canada to final markets in Michigan, Canada, and surrounding U.S. states. Line 5 moves 540,000 barrels of western Canadian oil and natural liquids per day from Wisconsin and Michigan to Ontario. It provides 53% of Ontario’s gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel and serves Quebec’s only two refineries and fuels economies in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Line 5 provides the only supply of propane via pipeline into Southern Ontario. Over 100,000 homes in Ontario, Québec, and Atlantic Canada depend on propane as their primary home energy source to heat their homes and cook their meals.

The CPA and members traveled to Victoria to meet with leaders and raise awareness of propane in B.C. Meetings took place with Minister Eby, Minister Osborne, Minister Kang, Minister Brar, the BC United Caucus, representatives from the Green Party, as well as bureaucrats from key ministries. The goal of these meetings is to highlight the importance of propane in the province, especially regarding the 150,000 homes still relying on diesel and wood for their primary home heating needs. The CPA also highlighted the substantial role the export market continues to play, with propane displacing high emissions sources in SE Asia.

The CPA thanks the participating members for their outstanding contributions and continued dedication to the sector. A third lobby day is being planned for Alberta in the fall of 2023, following the provincial election. If you have any questions about the BC or Alberta lobby days, please contact VP Government Relations West, Katie Kachur (katiekachur@propane.ca).

The CPA encourages all members to regularly reach out to their local MP and MLAs to establish local relationships and highlight the importance of propane with their elected officials.

The Government of B.C. has announced a new multi-stakeholder initiative to reduce diesel consumption for generating electricity in remote communities by 80% by 2030. In addition to reducing GHG emissions, the CleanBC initiative promotes economic development in remote communities and furthers the province’s reconciliation commitments with Indigenous peoples.

There are almost 50 remote communities in B.C. that are not connected to the provincial electricity supply grid, the largest number of any province in Canada. Most are Indigenous communities that depend on diesel fuel to generate power and heat.

The CPA has reached out to the government to confirm that propane is eligible for the program. Although zero-emission sources are prioritized, the government has confirmed that some lower-emitting sources may be approved for funding on a case-by-case basis. The CPA encourages those members active in B.C. to apply for funding if other program criteria are met. For further information, please visit CleanBC Remote Community Energy Strategy or email Katie Kachur.

Effective May 1, 2023, the BC Building Code (BCBC) will require 20 per cent better energy efficiency for most new buildings throughout the province.

The higher energy-efficiency requirements are a progression of the BC Energy Step Code, introduced in 2017. The province is now coordinating templates and best practices to facilitate these building code changes for local governments, Indigenous communities, and the construction industry.

The BC Energy Step Code is a mandatory energy-efficiency requirement in the BCBC for most new buildings. More stringent requirements are expected in 2024 and 2027, and eventually, all new buildings will be required to be zero carbon by 2030. Several South Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland municipalities have already committed to beating the 2030 timeline and a common theme among them is natural gas being responsible for more emissions than other fuel types.

For smaller residential buildings – known as Part 9 structures – the zero carbon mandate will apply to primary heating, cooling, hot water, and ventilation systems, but gas will still be allowed for uses like cooktops, dryers, and fireplaces. Part 3 buildings – generally four storeys and above – will still be able to use gas for certain elements if they meet emission limits. The CPA will continue to engage with the provincial government to include propane as a low-emission energy source for buildings.

Premier Moe has announced that Saskatchewan’s electrical grid will reach net zero by 2050, which pushes back against the 2035 goal set by the federal government. The Saskatchewan government says it must ensure an affordable, reliable power supply while continuing to reduce GHG emissions within realistic timelines. Saskatchewan says it faces significantly more challenges to moving to net zero than many other jurisdictions due to customer density and its significant reliance on fossil fuel – 40% comes from natural gas, 16% from goal, and 16% from hydro sources.

Saskatchewan’s plan to reach net zero by 2050 incorporates nuclear power as part of the energy mix, continues to incorporate renewable sources, and leverages natural gas generation to ensure reliability.

The CPA has asked to engage with the provincial government on provincial grid conversations. Further details on the announcement can be found here. For any questions, please contact VP Government Relations, West, Katie Kachur.

In 2022, Ontario’s Minister of Energy, Todd Smith, mandated a special panel headed by David Collie, former head of Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority, to examine electrification and energy transition. The recommendation for this panel is intended to help inform the Ontario government on the way forward as it maps out its energy plan for the province. As a result, the CPA has been very active on this file, including CPA’s President and CEO Shannon Watt meeting with Collie.

Other activities include participation in a March 15 meeting with other fuels-oriented entities such as the Canadian Fuels Association in a virtual discussion with the panel. David Karn of Dowler-Karn/MacDougall Energy, along with Keith Maracle of Tyendinaga Propane spoke with Collie and fellow panelist, Ottawa University professor Mary Gattinger about the importance of propane to their customers, many of whom live in rural areas with little or no access to natural gas.

Participation in the work of the panel is ongoing throughout May with discussions focused on two key themes. The first meeting held on May 17 examined Energy Planning and looked at opportunities to improve long-term, integrated energy planning between the electricity and fuels sectors.

On May 30, the CPA will participate in discussions around the theme of Community & Customer Perspectives, Affordability and Energy Sector Objectives. This will be an especially important discussion for the CPA. The panel will look at opportunities to balance energy system costs, energy reliability and climate objectives while considering the needs and interests of Indigenous communities and the general public that should be considered through the energy transition.

The CPA expects to have an opportunity to file a written submission to the panel some time in June. It will highlight how propane can play a significant role in the transition by providing low-emission and affordable energy that will ensure energy choice for many Indigenous communities and rural Ontarians.

Since a meeting in the summer of 2022 with Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, Andrew Parsons, some headway has been made around the introduction of propane school buses in that province.

On December 7, the CPA met with senior provincial officials from the minister’s departmental office, explaining the advantages of propane school buses. The CPA was joined virtually by Derek Whaley from Roush CleanTech and Max Bouchard from Blue-Bird.

Through the coordination of Minister Parson’s Deputy Minister John Cowen, the CPA met on April 5 with Terry Hall, Superintendent of Schools NL English School District, and his senior transportation procurement officials to discuss the propane advantage in school bus transportation. The CPA was joined at the in-person meeting by CPA members from North Atlantic and Superior Propane as well as Whaley and Bouchard.

Various scenarios were discussed, including the introduction of propane school buses through a pilot project. There was also discussion about how school buses in more remote communities could be served by auto propane.

The CPA has reached out to the province’s regulator to discuss any additional training requirements for auto propane in that province.

Once the CPA hears from the regulator it will follow up with NL English School District and report back to the province to review possible next steps should the concept of a pilot project take shape.

In April, the Government of Prince Edward Island announced that it is asking Islanders to provide input on a reliable, affordable, and accountable energy future for the province. The PEI Energy Blueprint Discussion Paper, which has been developed to show the status of energy in P.E.I., highlights a public engagement process as the province looks to develop an updated energy strategy.

In a press release announcing the discussion paper, Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers noted, “We need to make big changes to how and where we generate energy in P.E.I., and how we can improve the resiliency of our electrical grid over the long term…We need feedback from Islanders so that we can design a plan that works for all of us and helps our province meet our net zero goals.”

The public has been asked to provide feedback through an online survey. According to the province, Community Conversation sessions will also be held for the public to provide input, and dates and locations for those sessions will be announced soon.

The government is reaching out to key sectoral stakeholders such as utilities, industry, and academia to get their feedback as well. The CPA will be looking to meet with senior government officials to ensure that propane is part of this review.

Transport Canada provided an update on all the projects they are working on at their semi-annual General Policy Advisory Council held on May 11.

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