PM Carney Announces National Electricity Strategy Thursday: Key Details

Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to announce a federal clean electricity strategy, titled the National Electricity Agenda, on May 14, 2026. According to senior federal sources, the strategy aims to double Canada’s electricity grid capacity by 2050, representing the largest expansion of the national grid in the country’s history.

The federal government’s plan intends to keep energy reliable and affordable in the short-term as Canada shifts to cleaner fuels over time.

The strategy includes a target to reduce the total amount paid for energy in 70 per cent of households by 2050. The government claims that doubling the electricity grid will generate nearly 30,000 new jobs by the end of 2028, with that number increasing to 100,000 by 2050.

Four Pillars of the National Electricity Agenda

Federal sources indicate that the new plan is built upon four primary pillars designed to modernize and expand the energy infrastructure:

• Developing the infrastructure required to double the grid’s capacity.
• Connecting regional grids through the expansion and creation of new transmission lines.
• Hiring the necessary personnel to construct and maintain the expanded grid.
• Increasing the domestic production of the technologies and components required to power the grid.

Climate and Infrastructure Context

The announcement follows research released in April 2026 by the Canadian Climate Institute. In that report, CCI chair Peter Nicholson stated that Canada may need to double or triple the size of its power grids to meet emission goals.

That need will become increasingly urgent as more and more people switch to highly efficient, electric technologies — like electric vehicles and heat pumps — to shield themselves from energy price shocks as they get around their communities, heat their homes, or run their businesses

Peter Nicholson, Canadian Climate Institute chair

The federal government’s strategy arrives after Prime Minister Mark Carney stated in March 2026 that the plan was imminent. On May 8, 2026, the prime minister met with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Ottawa prior to the formal release of the strategy.