Resource Works at RNNR: Why Canada's Energy Strategy Needs Flexibility, Not a Template

Resource Works Managing Director Margareta Dovgal appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources (RNNR) for its study on electrification, energy self-sufficiency, and domestic energy security. Drawing on British Columbia's experience, her submission makes a straightforward case: growing the economy, strengthening national security, and meeting environmental goals are complementary priorities, not competing ones. But getting there requires a national approach that respects how different every province's energy mix really is. Key points from the briefing: B.C. is on track for roughly 19.4 Mtpa of LNG capacity in operation by the end of the decade, with another 28.5 Mtpa in development, anchoring thousands of jobs and long-term investment. The electricity needed to power upstream gas production is enormous, and BC Hydro's own planning shows a growing gap between supply and demand. Infrastructure like the proposed North Coast Transmission Line will help, but industry self-generation using natural gas remains essential. In 2025, natural gas reached its highest share of Canada's electricity mix in recent memory. That wasn't a failure of climate policy. It was firm, dispatchable power keeping the lights on while the grid transitions. Electricity planning is constitutionally provincial. What works in hydro-rich B.C. differs from a wind-rich prairie province or nuclear-capable Ontario. The federal role should be coordination on transmission and regulatory efficiency, not prescribing provincial generation mixes. Indigenous ownership in energy is accelerating, from Haisla-owned Cedar LNG under construction to the Nisga'a partnership in Ksi Lisims LNG. The Energy Future Initiative, led by the Hon. Barry Penner, former B.C. Minister of Environment, examines the intersection of energy policy, economic competitiveness, and environmental stewardship. Read more at resourceworks.com #BCPoli #Energy #LNG #NaturalGas #CdnPoli #Electrification