Survey of Canadian energy policy: 1974-1983

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Energy J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol6-No4-5· OSTI ID:6207967

McRae, R N

Two levels of government are involved in determining Canadian energy policy: the federal government and the governments of the oil- and gas-producing provinces (which own the mineral rights). Of the latter, the province of Alberta is the most important, as it produces about 85% of Canada's oil and gas. During the past decade the federal government, as investigator of most energy policy changes, has played an increasingly active role in influencing energy prices, energy exports, and the distribution of energy rents through tax measures. The major Canadian energy policy initiatives of the last decade are described to demonstrate that they were set either to respond to external events or set to internally redistribute petro-rents. The survey covers the following Canadian energy policy programs: the self-sufficiency policies contained in the 1976 federal government energy document, the National Energy Program (NEP) of 1980, the federal-provincial stalemate that followed in the aftermath of the NEP, the energy agreements of 1981, and subsequent modifications. The economic consequences of most of these energy policies are documented using several different types of measures: the microeconomic effects on the demand for and supply of oil and natural gas (mostly as a reaction to changes in taxation and pricing); the macroeconomic impact on aggregate output, prices, employment, investment, balance of payments, and the exchange rate; and the economic rent values to show distribution of net benefits among the provincial governments, the federal government, the oil and gas producers, and the consumers. It is important to examine the full range of economic responses to energy policies since the adjustments are so broadly based throughout the economy. The second section of the paper examines Canadian energy policies during the period from 1973 to 1980, and the next section does the same for the post-1980 period. 19 references.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Calgary, Alberta
• OSTI ID: 6207967
• Journal Information: Energy J.; (United States), Journal Name: Energy J.; (United States) Vol. 6:4; ISSN ENJOD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
021000* -- Petroleum-- Legislation & Regulations
03 NATURAL GAS
031000 -- Natural Gas-- Legislation & Regulations
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
294002 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
294003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Natural Gas
CANADA
DEMAND
ECONOMIC IMPACT
EMPLOYMENT
ENERGY DEMAND
ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SUPPLIES
FLUIDS
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
INVESTMENT
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
NATIONAL PROGRAM PLANS
NATURAL GAS
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM
PRICES
PRICING REGULATIONS
PRODUCTION
REGULATIONS
STATE GOVERNMENT
TAXES