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Majority of Canadians support carbon capture, energy corridor projects: poll

Two in three Canadians support the establishment of “energy corridors,” according to a recent Montreal Economic Institute-Ipsos poll released last week.

“People all across the country understand that a prosperous Canada involves our ability to trade and access energy resources nationwide,” said Renaud Brossard, senior director of communications at the MEI. “Whether it is to transport electricity, oil, or natural gas, Canadians support the idea of having established rights-of-way to streamline the process.”

The concept of “energy corridors” refers to a right-of-way for interprovincial energy transportation projects such as pipelines and power lines.

Alberta and the Prairie provinces had the highest level of support for energy corridors, at 73 and 71 per cent respectively. In all regions of the country, support was above 60 per cent.

The survey also found broad support for carbon capture and underground storage among Canadians.

“Canadians rightly recognize that taking CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it deep underground can be a tremendously useful tool for reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brossard. “And while these technologies are relatively new, as people discover what they can achieve, they understand just how important such innovations can be.”

Once the technology is explained to them, six in 10 Canadians agree that carbon capture and underground storage can make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change. Support is highest in the Prairie provinces, at 67 per cent.

There is work to be done in educating the public about such technologies, as one in two Canadians say they are unfamiliar with them.

Other findings from the survey include:

• More than half of Quebecers support restarting the GNL Québec liquid natural gas export pipeline project, with only three in ten opposed.
• Over seven in 10 Quebecers support building more dams and wind farms to address the looming electricity shortage.
• Quebecers are split on restarting or building new nuclear facilities to address the province’s expected electricity shortage.

The poll was conducted among a representative sample of 1,161 Canadians aged 18 years and over, between Oct. 18 and 21, 2023. The results are accurate to within plus or minus 3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

You can consult the MEI-Ipsos poll results here: www.iedm.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/energy-projects-survey-2023.pdf.