The future of Canadian energy policy /

It requires governments to take the lead in areas outside the remit of regulators.” Few in the Canadian energy sector – and the many Canadians who depend on it – are sad to see 2015 move into the history books. [...] The Global Competitiveness of the Canadian Energy Industry Top of mind for most stakeholders in the Canadian energy industry in 2016 will be the global competitiveness of its oil and gas and electricity sectors, and the effects of changes to federal tax policy. [...] The high cost of electricity in Ontario is the result of many factors, the main one being generous fixed contracts for electricity generators, the root cause of which is the lack of an effective electricity market due to provincial directives that dictate market outcomes. [...] Federal Tax Policy The other emerging competitiveness issue for the energy sector in 2016 is the potential fallout from the new government’s campaign commitment to phase out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. [...] Before making changes to the federal tax code for the energy sector, however, the new government should determine the objectives of the current tax system and whether current polices are achieving these objectives; only then should it judge whether a current policy is a subsidy.