Lifelines Power North America
Every day, the equivalent of more than four million barrels of oil, eight billion cubic feet of natural gas, and enough clean electricity to power millions of homes flows south across the world’s longest undefended border. In 2024, this invisible river of energy was worth approximately US$126.6 billion — making energy by far the most valuable commodity traded between Canada and the United States.For Americans, Canada is not just a neighbor; it is the single largest, most reliable, and most secure source of imported energy. For Canadians, the U.S. market is essentially the only buyer for the vast majority of the country’s oil, natural gas, uranium, and surplus hydroelectricity. The relationship is less a “trade” in the classic sense and more a deeply integrated continental energy system.
| Energy Source | Volume Exported to U.S. | Value (2024) | U.S. Market Share Supplied by Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Oil | 4.1 million barrels per day | ~$84 billion | 62% of all U.S. crude imports |
| Natural Gas | 8.5 billion cubic feet per day | ~$29 billion | 99% of all U.S. natural gas imports |
| Refined Products & NGLs | ~300,000 barrels per day | ~$11 billion | — |
| Electricity (mostly hydro) | 36.1 terawatt-hours (net) | ~$2 billion | 85% of all U.S. electricity imports |
| Uranium (U₃O₈) | ~3,500 tonnes | ~$600 million | ~25% of U.S. reactor fuel |
| TOTAL | ~$126.6 billion |
- Saskatchewan: Home to the world’s highest-grade uranium mines (McArthur River, Cigar Lake) and growing heavy-oil production.
- British Columbia: Fast-rising natural-gas exporter (thanks to LNG Canada and Coastal GasLink) plus significant hydro from the Peace and Columbia rivers.
- Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba: The hydroelectric trio. Together they sent about 24 TWh south in 2024, with Ontario alone exporting more electricity than the next five provinces combined.
- Newfoundland & Labrador: Offshore oil (Hebron, Terra Nova, Hibernia) and growing hydro exports via the Maritime Link.
- New Brunswick: The Irving refinery in Saint John is a major supplier of gasoline and diesel to the U.S. Northeast.
- Energy Security
Canada is the only foreign supplier that shares a 5,500-mile integrated pipeline and transmission grid with the United States. No tankers, no straits, no geopolitical choke points. - Economic Scale
Energy exports to the U.S. represent about 21% of Canada’s total merchandise exports and directly or indirectly support roughly half a million Canadian jobs. - Clean Energy Dimension
Every kilowatt-hour of Canadian hydroelectricity that crosses the border displaces higher-carbon generation in New England, New York, and the Midwest. In 2024, those 36 TWh avoided approximately 20 million tonnes of CO₂ — equivalent to taking four million cars off the road for a year. - Nuclear Fuel Security
Saskatchewan uranium powers about one in five U.S. nuclear reactors, and new U.S. policy is explicitly encouraging even deeper reliance on non-Russian sources.
- Further growth in Canadian oil exports as the Trans Mountain Expansion reaches full capacity (~890,000 b/d additional).
- A surge in British Columbia natural-gas exports once LNG Canada Phase 1 starts up (14 million tonnes per year, most of it destined for Asia, but freeing up U.S. supply).
- Recovery of hydroelectric exports as reservoirs refill after the 2023–2024 drought.
- Continued strong demand for Canadian uranium as the U.S. and its allies diversify away from Russia and Kazakhstan.
Canada and the United States do not merely trade energy. They share it.
Article suggested by Mack McColl, Written by Grok by xAI, Produced and Prepared for Publication on McColl Magazine
