Minister Tim Hodgson announces $4.2 million in funding for project aimed to take interconnected grids from "ambition to action"

• Western Transmission Catalysts (WTC) is a multi-year collaborative initiative launched by Indigenous Power Coalition to expand interprovincial transmission across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba 
• WTC unites leaders across industry, academia, Indigenous Nations, and civil society to overcome historic hurdles to interties

CALGARY, AB, July 4, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, on stage at the University of Calgary with the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Kwatuuma Cole Sayers (Indigenous Power Coalition) announced the launch of the Western Transmission Catalysts (WTC).

"Interprovincial transmission in Western Canada represents a generational opportunity for Indigenous Nations as well as for Canada's economic, energy, and climate goals," said Sayers, executive director of Indigenous Power Coalition, the organization which initiated the new project.

"In the past, there was little incentive to overcome the real hurdles to grid connectivity, but the stakes have changed," said Sayers. "There is now strong momentum to get new infrastructure built. We're here to clear that path, to complete the shift from If to How," Sayers explained.

"As Canada works to build a stronger, more sovereign economy and meet growing electricity demand, strengthening connections between provincial grids has never been more important. Our forthcoming National Electricity Strategy shares many of the goals of this project: bringing more affordable and reliable electricity to consumers, growing Indigenous partnership, advancing clean growth, and building greater national resilience. The federal government is proud to support projects like this, which are laying the groundwork for long-term prosperity and energy security across Canada," said the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

In March, provinces across the country including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, agreed to work together to advance new electricity transmission projects and strategic interties. The Federal Government's National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy further underlined this ambition, citing increased regional integration as critical to the resilience and affordability of Canada's electricity systems.   

Blake Shaffer, an electricity expert at University of Calgary with a 15-year career in energy trading, will lead the WTC project with partners from Indigenous Power Coalition, the Transition Accelerator, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, University of Victoria, ProACTIVE Planning, and First Nations Major Projects Coalition.

"Interprovincial transmission isn't a new idea, but getting it done will take new approaches," said Shaffer.

Siloed provincial electricity mandates and markets have historically positioned provinces as competitors, not collaborators when it comes to transmission. Further, Indigenous Nations have often been treated as afterthoughts or obstacles in these projects–a practice that not only fails Canada's commitment to Indigenous rights, but that also increases development risk and leads to projects taking longer and costing more.

The WTC initiative is designed to address these challenges directly by (1) centering Indigenous leadership (2) delivering independent, decision-useful modelling and analysis and (3) facilitating interprovincial collaboration. 

"We're working to derisk projects and advance economic reconciliation, create a common basis for discussions and decision-making grounded in independent modelling, and help turn competing interests into collective wins for provinces, Nations, and Western Canadians," said Shaffer.

Over the next three years, as part of its work, WTC will:

• Support Indigenous Nations to identify and form proponent coalitions to lead interprovincial infrastructure projects;
• Quantify the costs and benefits of expanded transmission in Western Canada and identify financing models and policy structures to enable expansion;
• Lead regional discussion tables with utilities, provincial governments, regulators, Indigenous Nations, and private sector participants to stress-test and co-develop project pathways.

"The ultimate aim of WTC's work is to get shovels moving on projects that will create a strong, secure interconnected electricity system," said Shaffer. "For Canadians, this means more affordable and reliable electricity that unlocks economic development, enhances our energy sovereignty, and positions industries to thrive in an increasingly electrified global economy."

For more information:
www.WesternTransmissionCatalysts.ca

About Indigenous Power Coalition
Indigenous Power Coalition is a non-profit organization that advances economic reconciliation by flipping the conventional script on Indigenous involvement in electricity projects, from consulted Rights-holders to project proponents and leaders. The organization identifies potential projects and convenes Nations around clean electricity infrastructure opportunities, creating the collaborative space for coalition building. It also supports decision-making by bringing technical, legal and financial expertise to the table, providing Nations with critical information about project benefits and risks.  Indigenous Power Coalition launched WTC, an expert driven initiative, to advance progress on Indigenous-led transmission projects in Western Canada. Learn more:  www.IndigenousPowerCoalition.ca    

SOURCE Indigenous Power Coalition