November 23, 2020 – The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) have signed a partnership agreement to enhance Canada’s electricity sector, saying this partnership creates new opportunities to promote efficient and effective strategies in standards development.

“Participation in standards development gives our sector access to defining industry best practices,” said Francis Bradley, president & CEO, CEA. “From integrating renewable energy and storage, to facilitating smart grid technologies, and to protecting utility assets from cybersecurity attacks.”

Through this cooperation agreement, SCC and CEA will work to promote awareness of their organizations, facilitate an exchange of knowledge and research, and support engagement within each other’s recruitment programs.

“As Canada’s respected voice for standards on the world stage, SCC can leverage its global networks and resources to support Canadian utilities in shaping the national and international standards that impact their work,” said Chantal Guay, SCC’s CEO, acknowledging the two groups have worked together for several years to promote the value of standardization in the electrical sector.

“Updated standards are crucial as the industry enters an intensive capital replacement program—estimated to cost $1.7 trillion—to replace legacy devices with current technologies,” said Guay during the signing ceremony. “Involvement in standards development is an opportunity for electricity companies to lead at a time when major changes are underway.”