Energy supply and demand

Every year, Statistics Canada releases its annual survey of Canada’s overall energy production and consumption. Chalk full of percent increases and petajoules of energy consumed, the survey highlights important energy trends. In 2007, one overarching trend emerged.

Canada – and one province in particular – used more energy than ever before!

As a result of increased consumption in the industrial, transportation, residential and commercial sectors, Canada’s thirst for energy rose 5.5 per cent in 2007. Use of the three main fossil fuels (natural gas, oil and coal) rose even more – 7 per cent.

Canada’s biggest single energy consumer is the transportation sector, which accounts for around 31 per cent of the total national demand. Its consumption rose 5.1 per cent. Coming in at a distant second is the industrial sector, which consumed a further 6.6 per cent.

Demand for all refined petroleum products, including fuel oil and motor gasoline also rose – 4.1 per cent. Sales of motor gasoline also increased, up to 42 billion litres, or up 3.8 per cent.

One province made a gargantuan leap in consumption. Alberta’s increased consumption of energy increased 13.5 per cent. The increase was attributed to higher demand by the mining and oil and gas industries. Alberta accounted for a fifth of total national consumption.

Increases in energy consumption were slower than the national average of 5.5 per cent in six provinces: Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Consumption increased 1.6 per cent in Ontario. It accounted for over 32 per cent of the country’s entire energy demand.

As temperatures drop coast to coast, one can’t help but wonder how 2008 stats will stack up.