Evidence of meeting #16 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was evas.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Bruce Fanjoy Liberal Carleton, ON
Thank you.
Thank you, witnesses.
I'd like to go back to what Ms. Sinasac talked about in terms of the supply chain for components to help electrify our grids and our communities, and the impact of government policy signals on the development or the contraction of that supply chain.
Could you please elaborate on how that would impact the pace, whether we're talking about rural communities, like the one I represent, or urban communities? How would that impact Canada?
Director of Standards and Government Affairs, Electro-Federation Canada
I'm sorry. Is it a question about how it would impact the supply chains if EVAS were retracted?
Liberal
Bruce Fanjoy Liberal Carleton, ON
Yes. What signal would that have for the development of our supply chains in Canada and globally?
Director of Standards and Government Affairs, Electro-Federation Canada
It's crucially important. We saw, obviously with COVID, what happens when the whole world has a demand for something. We saw the price of PPE go up because we weren't prepared with the supply chain. We know the impact of not preparing your supply chain.
Right now, there are significant investments being made in the electrical industry here in Canada, trying to manufacture more transformers here in Canada. We have PTI Transformers, which is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, sourcing 85% of its raw materials from Canadian suppliers. It has just made a major expansion to produce more transformers here in Canada. I could go on and on, and I will, if you'll let me.
There's $150 million in battery production in Oakville. When you produce more electricity, you attract investment. It's an economic tool. You see the battery production facility in Oakville. They chose Canada instead of the U.S. because we have clean and affordable electricity. There's a reason why a company is located in Quebec: clean and affordable electricity.
This is the economics behind electrification and making sure that our supply chains.... We have the supply here in Canada, so that we don't have to compete with the rest of the world, driving up those costs and delaying projects. We want that investment here. They can choose to say, “Where are we going to allocate this year? Let's allocate to France, because we know France is going electric,” but then Canada doesn't get those investments. We lose out on jobs and investments when we don't send the policy signals.
Liberal
Bruce Fanjoy Liberal Carleton, ON
One of the things we talk about a lot here in the House of Commons is affordability. It's a matter that all of my colleagues care about. The total cost of ownership of an electric vehicle, even without subsidizing the upfront cost, is a clear win for electricity due to the reduced maintenance costs and, in particular, more plentiful electricity, which we can produce ourselves through renewable energy projects here in Canada.
What are the obstacles that are preventing faster adoption? Is there something we can do through smart public policy to help advance this process more quickly?
Director of Standards and Government Affairs, Electro-Federation Canada
I feel like Evan is going to be the best person to answer this question. Even though I could, I want Evan to answer it.
Senior Climate Policy Manager, The Atmospheric Fund
Very quickly, we need to align with the safety regulations of the EU to bring more models in. That's number one.
Examine the tariffs on the Chinese EVs up front to increase the number of EVs coming in early. That would absolutely impact the health benefits as well. Think of this as compound interest. You can't make this up on the back end by investing more. You have to invest early and continue that investment.
Additionally, at the municipal level, there's a lot of red tape that impacts being able to deploy charging. You could do another study on that. Provincial strategies, like B.C.'s and Quebec's, are notable in how effective they've been, largely because of the intensive charging strategies they've deployed. While Ontario has invested money recently in ChargeON—it's a great program and we love to see it—there needs to be a more comprehensive strategy to help address range anxiety as part of the education.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Angelo Iacono
Thank you, Mr. Wiseman.
Mr. Bonin, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Could you send us the main points of your report on health benefits, costs and repercussions?
Senior Climate Policy Manager, The Atmospheric Fund
Yes. The overview would be that.... Prior to the delay the Prime Minister announced—
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
I'm sorry, but I really don't have much time.
Can you send that report to the committee?
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Okay.
You talked about 11,000 premature deaths if the ad was removed. Is that correct?
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
That is huge.
Ms. Sinasac, I'd like to talk more about job and investment losses. Have you costed that? How many jobs would be lost? How much investment would be lost?
Can you also send the committee something in writing?
Director of Standards and Government Affairs, Electro-Federation Canada
I don't have the numbers currently. It would all depend on the strength of EVAS. If we can keep the strength of EVAS, as I said earlier, that 83% will allow people to have a choice, but it will send the proper policy signals for investment. If we don't achieve that strength.... I don't have the exact numbers now. It will all depend on where we land.
Bloc
Director of Standards and Government Affairs, Electro-Federation Canada
We don't, because the EVAS just came out, the 60 days.... Our scenarios are all about projections to prepare.
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Are you aware of any scenarios? Did any organizations come up with some that we can study?
Senior Climate Policy Manager, The Atmospheric Fund
I'm on the board of Electric Mobility Canada. We've partnered with Ernst & Young, and there's a report.
Currently, the EV ecosystem employs about 130,000. We expect it to grow to about 600,000, in an optimistic scenario, with EVAS.
It's an Ernst & Young report. I will provide that as well.
Director of Standards and Government Affairs, Electro-Federation Canada
Yes, and I believe the low end was 300,000 jobs, so that's over 300,000 jobs that we could miss out on.
