Vers un réseau plus abordable et fiable grâce à la modulation de la consommation

The document advocates for demand-side flexibility in Canada to manage increasing electricity demand from electrification and AI data centers. It highlights that relying solely on new production capacity is costly and inefficient. By using tools like smart thermostats, EV charging management, and virtual power plants, the grid can reduce peak loads (peak shaving) or shift consumption to off-peak hours (load shifting). This approach benefits utilities by delaying infrastructure upgrades and benefits consumers through lower bills. The text cites successful pilot programs in Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario, while urging federal and provincial governments to integrate demand flexibility into clean energy policies and regulations.

• Canada's electricity demand is increasing due to electrification and the growth of AI-powered data centers, leading to more pronounced 'peaks' where the gap between maximum and average demand widens.
• Demand-side flexibility reduces costs for both utilities and consumers by employing 'peak shaving' (reducing consumption during peaks) and 'load shifting' (moving consumption to off-peak hours).
• Technological solutions for demand flexibility include smart thermostats, night-time electric vehicle (EV) charging, and virtual power plants that aggregate small energy sources like home batteries and solar panels.
• Specific Canadian programs demonstrate the potential of demand management: Hydro-Québec's Hilo program saved 2,330 MW and provided participants an average of $205 in 2024-2025; BC Hydro's Peak Saver rewards smart device registration; and Ontario's Peak Perks aimed for over 200 MW in summer 2025, though it is far below a modeled potential of 2.8 GW.
• The document recommends that federal and provincial governments increase ambitions for demand flexibility in clean electricity policies and update regulations to require utilities to assess and implement these measures, citing British Columbia's Clean Energy Act as a model.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2026). Vers un réseau plus abordable et fiable grâce à la modulation de la consommation. https://institutclimatique.ca/vers-un-reseau-plus-abordable-et-fiable-grace-a-modulation-consommation/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Vers un réseau plus abordable et fiable grâce à la modulation de la consommation. 2026. https://institutclimatique.ca/vers-un-reseau-plus-abordable-et-fiable-grace-a-modulation-consommation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Vers un réseau plus abordable et fiable grâce à la modulation de la consommation |date=12 January 2026 |url=https://institutclimatique.ca/vers-un-reseau-plus-abordable-et-fiable-grace-a-modulation-consommation/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianclimateinstitute2026vers, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Vers un réseau plus abordable et fiable grâce à la modulation de la consommation}}, publisher = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://institutclimatique.ca/vers-un-reseau-plus-abordable-et-fiable-grace-a-modulation-consommation/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }