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Electricity transmission in Canada Canada’s bulk transmission network consists of more than 160,000 kilometres of high voltage lines. This is enough to cross the entire country roughly 27 times. These lines carry electricity at voltages above 50 kilovolts to move electricity in bulk over long distances. Because of Canada’s vast geographic size, its electricity systems require different types of high voltage lines (typically at 115 kilovolt, 230 kilovolt and 500 kilovolt levels) to deliver electricity safely, reliably and economically to customers. Grids Most of Canada’s provinces and territories are part of interconnected electricity “grids,” networks of power plants, substations and transmission lines that cross international, provincial and territorial borders. These networks provide electric utilities with alternative power paths in emergencies, and allow them to buy and sell power from each other and from other power suppliers. Canada has three power grids: the Western grid, the Eastern grid, and the Quebec grid, which includes Atlantic Canada. The border between the Eastern and Western grids is the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Canadian grids are also tied into the U.S. grids (the Western Interconnection, the Eastern Interconnection and the Texas Interconnection). For example, the electricity grid in Alberta and British Columbia is part of the Western Interconnection in the United States. North-south pattern There is a predominantly north-south pattern to Canada’s transmission high voltage lines. This has emerged over time as utilities develop generation sites in northern areas of the country to produce and transmit electricity to urban markets in the south. Hydro-Québec’s system, for example, extends more than 1,100 kilometres from Churchill Falls in Labrador to Montreal, and from James Bay to southern load centres, which include U.S. markets. In Manitoba, a large 500 kilovolt DC system brings hydropower from the Nelson River to customers in the Winnipeg area. In Ontario and British Columbia, major 500 kilovolt systems bring electric power from northern generating sites to markets in the south.
 
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Canadian electricity trade 
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