Natural Resources committee  Thank you. From the supply and some of the issues facing us there, I'm going to talk about demand, the use of electricity, and what we can do about that. We will be starting on slide 18, which is a picture of electricity consumption in Canada by sector. We see that electricity use has risen 22% over the past decade and a bit.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  I think it's safe to say that when you're reducing energy usage in a province that relies more heavily on carbon-based fuels, you will have a greater benefit to the environmental picture. You'll be creating fewer of all the pollutants that the carbon-based fuels deliver. In my view, those were apt comparisons.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  That's right. It depends on the energy form you're using; you're saving whatever pollutants are associated with the energy used, so if you're using a low-polluting source, you won't be saving the same amount of pollutants.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  It's unusual to put a numeric standard in an act, and it's unusual to have a numeric standard with no consultation and analysis. From my perspective, I saw this an hour or so ago and I haven't been able to do an analysis of what 60 watts per lumen means in any detail. I can give you three reference points that between my colleague and me we were able to dig up to inform the committee in that lapse of time.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  No. We only have a budget for four years, so our intent was to do the entire plan of work that we proposed within four years.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  I would prefer to have “best efforts”.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  When we do a plan of work and seek budget and authorities to implement that plan of work, we don't generally put a lot of padding in. We have experience since 1992, my colleague has reminded me, in developing and implementing energy efficiency regulations. If we thought it took four years to do a body of work, and it's now being made more substantive by this amendment in some ways, then I don't like to say we can do it in three years.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Yes.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Again, I can't, without any consultation with the people who do the detailed work, see if a whole year was just a resource issue or whether part of the whole year was an issue with respect to the capacity of the Standards Association of Canada or the provinces and territories and so forth.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Correct.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  I've been focusing on the English text, and it refers to the levels of energy consumption provided for by the standards. Perhaps that's missing in the French. Let's be clear. We are exercising existing authorities to regulate standards for energy-using equipment. We are not attempting to regulate provincial production or distribution of energy.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  I don't think it's my job to agree or not to agree. I'm here to provide you with a technical analysis of the amendment and to discuss from my perspective problems or advantages.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  I said the amendment is feasible except in one important regard, and that is in the first paragraph. In terms of the magnitude of regulations, it says the quantity covered by the words “significant in increasing energy use” could be implemented within one year. I don't believe it could be implemented in one year.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Let's be clear that Canada is a leader in a great number of classes right now, so it's not as though we have to hurry to play catch-up on a very large number of products. That's not true. We are the world leader in many products, and with this amendment we will, vis-à-vis that second part of it, ensure that we stay on top and ahead of North America.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  The answer is relatively straightforward: the Energy Efficiency Act confers upon the federal government powers to restrict importation and shipment of products that don't meet a certain standard. There is no question that this act has been in place for seven or eight years and that this is an authority we currently have.