Evaluation of the Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue

Expectations

Progress

The Action Plan was to include a longer-term vision for the development of a leading clean energy economy in North America.

While there is no explicit vision statement in the Action Plan, there was an agreement by leaders that environmental protection and clean energy are inextricably linked and there is a commitment for Canada and the U.S. to work together to build a new energy economy. Similarly, the Action Plan also presents elements of a vision statement for each Working Group.

The Action Plan was to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with moving forward towards this vision.

The evaluation found that challenges and opportunities are presented in the Action Plan at the working-group level.

The Action Plan was to include recommended next steps for collaboration and implementation, including further joint projects and areas for policy and regulatory alignment.

The CED Action Plan clearly articulates 20 recommended next steps across three activity areas.

Key areas

Progress

Working Group reports were to include the identification of potential longer-term project areas that would contribute to the advancement of a North American clean energy sector.

Multiple project areas were identified by the Electricity Grid, R&D and CCS Working Groups in the Action Plan and the specific White Papers produced by each Working Group.

Working Group reports were to identify key barriers or challenges to advancing the clean energy sector that would need to be addressed in order to accelerate the development and/or diffusion of clean energy technology.

Key barriers or challenges were identified by the Electricity Grid, R&D and CCS Working Groups in the Action Plan and the specific White Papers produced by each Working Group.

Working Group reports were to propose actions needed to advance the commercialization of identified technologies.

Proposed actions to demonstrate technology solutions were included only in CCS Working Group projects (e.g., CO₂ injection and storage testing; collaboration on large-scale CCS demonstrations; next-generation technologies). The commercialization of technologies is not relevant to the other working-group areas.

Specific outputs

Progress

Outputs were expected relating to “Policy and research papers, negotiating positions and advice.”

• The First Report to Leaders, together with the Action Plan, was completed and delivered. However, in many cases, the Action Plan lacks detail in terms of timelines and specific targets for projects and collaboration agreements.
• The Interim Report to Ministers was converted to a Canada-only report. It was delivered on time to the Minister of the Environment in March 2010.
• The Second Report to Leaders was due in Spring 2010. It has been approved by the Canadian and U.S. ministers and was submitted to the leaders in August (and is expected to be publicly released this fall).
• A variety of research papers—preliminary, draft and final—have been produced.

Outputs were expected relating to “Partnerships and processes.”

• The June 2009 CED Roundtable in Washington was held and attended by all expected participants.
• Three major events/conferences were held along with 16 Secretariat calls/meetings with the U.S. and approximately 30 working-group calls/meetings with the U.S.

Outputs were expected relating to “Consultations with domestic stakeholders.”

• The Washington Roundtable included representation from the provinces and the private sector. Some Working Groups also held pre-meetings or conference calls.
• The Bilateral National Conference (CCS focus) in May 2010 was a consultation process with industry, provinces, and academia from both Canada and the U.S. Also, for the development of the knowledge sharing paper by Carbon Management Canada, Canadian industry was consulted extensively.
• The Electricity Grid Working Group held two major conferences to discuss human resource challenges in the electricity sector as well as barriers to increasing the trade in clean electricity. Both of these conferences drew from provincial government and stakeholder audiences and provided a consultative function.
• Private-sector and other external stakeholder consultation was extensive during the launch of the CED but has been curtailed as the dialogue moves into the realm of government-to-government discussion. (Refer to Section 4.3.5 for more detailed discussion.)