Energy statistics, July 2024
Released: 2024-09-27
25.3 million cubic metres
July 2024
2.5% 
(12-month change)
11.1 million cubic metres
July 2024
2.3%
(12-month change)
646.3 million gigajoules
July 2024
-2.1% 
(12-month change)
51.9 million megawatt-hours
July 2024
5.9%
(12-month change)
Primary energy production rose 0.8% in July, with increases from all but two subsectors. Secondary energy production (+0.7%) also posted an increase with gains from the refined petroleum products (+0.4%) and secondary electricity (+3.6%) subsectors.
Chart 1
Year-over-year contribution to change in primary energy production, July 2023 to July 2024
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Electricity consumption reaches monthly high as hydroelectric generation picks up
Canadian demand for electricity reached the highest level for the month of July since this series was redesigned in 2016. To meet this demand, generation from all sources of electricity increased year over year in July 2024, with hydroelectricity being the greatest contributor to the overall increase. Many parts of Canada have been struggling with prolonged dry conditions since early 2023, resulting in suppressed hydroelectric generation, Canada's main generation source. However, in June and July 2024, parts of the country saw rainfall that improved drought conditions and in July, Canada's hydroelectric generation increased year over year for the first time since March 2023.
Chart 2
Canadian electricity generation and consumption, July, 2016 to 2024
Total electricity generation in Canada rose 5.9% year over year to 51.9 million megawatt-hours (MWh) in July 2024. Hydroelectric generation (+6.8%) drove the overall increase, and hydroelectricity in British Columbia (+29.6%) was the biggest contributor. All other generation sources were also up year over year in July: wind (+23.3%), combustible fuels (+3.6%), solar (+19.2%), and nuclear (+0.5%).
Chart 3
Canadian hydroelectricity generation
Dry conditions have reduced Canada's electricity exports and increased its reliance on imports since early 2023. While exports remain lower and imports remain higher than normal, the increase in electricity generation in July 2024 allowed Canada to record the first year-over-year increase in exports since April 2023 and reduced its imports.
Canadian consumption of electricity climbed 3.3% year over year to 48.5 million MWh in July 2024. In addition to this representing the highest level of national consumption for the month of July, Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia also recorded their highest levels for July since the 2016 series redesign. Alberta (+7.2% to 7.2 million MWh) saw the most significant increase in July 2024, due in part to above-average temperatures.
Crude oil production and movements up
Production of crude oil and equivalents rose 2.5% to 25.3 million cubic metres in July. This was the tenth consecutive monthly year-over-year increase as production remained elevated following the completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in May 2024.
Oil sands extraction rose 2.5% to 16.7 million cubic metres in July, driven by higher production of crude bitumen (+6.3%). Meanwhile production of synthetic crude fell 2.8%.
Pipeline movements of crude oil from Alberta to British Columbia continued to rise, reaching 2.1 million cubic metres in July. This was nearly four times higher than the same month one year earlier.
Chart 4
Movements of crude oil from Alberta to British Columbia
The newly expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline began operation in May 2024, transporting crude oil and refined petroleum products from Edmonton, Alberta, to the port of Burnaby, British Columbia. This expansion nearly triples the capacity of the existing pipeline built in 1953, opening more Canadian crude oil for export to the global market.
Consumption of natural gas climbs amid increased industrial demand
Production of marketable natural gas was down 2.1% year over year to 646.3 million gigajoules in July.
Total deliveries of natural gas to Canadian consumers climbed 3.1% year over year to 357.7 million gigajoules in July. This was the highest level of consumption for July since this series began in 2016. The main contributor to the increase in July 2024 was Alberta's industrial sector (+3.0% to 226.3 million gigajoules). Alberta's industrial consumption includes natural gas used for electricity generation and crude oil production.
Chart 5
Canadian natural gas consumption, July, 2016 to 2024
Production of finished petroleum products reaches series high
Production of finished petroleum products rose 2.3% year over year to 11.1 million cubic metres in July—the highest production level since this series began in 2019. The previous high was in August 2019 (11.0 million cubic metres), before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chart 6
Production and consumption of finished petroleum products
Consumption of finished petroleum products edged up 0.6% year over year to 9.4 million cubic metres in July 2024. This increase was driven by distillate fuel oil, which surpassed 3 million cubic metres for the first time since the start of the series in 2019.
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Note to readers
The Energy statistics program relies on data collected from respondents and administrative sources.
The consolidated Energy statistics table (25-10-0079-01) presents monthly data on primary and secondary energy by fuel type (crude oil, natural gas, electricity, coal, etc.) in terajoules and supply and demand characteristics (production, exports, imports, etc.) for Canada. For more information, please consult the Consolidated Energy Statistics Table: User Guide.
Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
The survey programs that support the "Energy statistics" release are:
- Crude oil and natural gas (survey number 2198; tables 25-10-0036-01, 25-10-0055-01 and 25-10-0063-01).
- Energy transportation and storage (survey number 5300; tables 25-10-0075-01 and 25-10-0077-01).
- Natural gas transmission, storage and distribution (survey numbers 2149, 5210 and 5215; tables 25-10-0057-01, 25-10-0058-01 and 25-10-0059-01).
- Refined petroleum products (survey number 2150; table 25-10-0081-01).
- Monthly Renewable Fuel and Hydrogen (survey number 5294; table 25-10-0082-01).
- Electric power statistics (survey number 2151; tables 25-10-0015-01 and 25-10-0016-01).
- Coal and coke statistics (survey numbers 2147 and 2003; tables 25-10-0045-01 and 25-10-0046-01).
Revisions
Energy survey data and administrative sources are subject to revisions to reflect new or updated information. Historical revisions will also be processed periodically.
With this release, the following survey programs have processed revisions:
- Pipeline data from the Monthly Energy Transportation and Storage survey (tables 25-10-0075-01 and 25-10-0077-01) have been revised for June 2024 due to new information provided by survey respondents.
- Crude oil and natural gas data (table 25-10-0063-01) have been revised for June 2024.
- Consolidated energy statistics data (table 25-10-0079-01) have been revised for June 2024.
Occasionally, data from Environment and Climate Change Canada are referenced by the Energy Statistics Program using Cooling Degree Days (CDDs) or Heating Degree Days (HDDs) as a measure of temperature. CDDs reflect the relationship between outdoor temperatures and the need to cool indoors to maintain room temperature. As temperatures outside rise, the number of CDDs increases. HDDs are the opposite and reflect the need to heat indoors to maintain room temperature. As temperatures outside fall, the number of HDDs increases.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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