Nation Building with Energy Retrofits Could Generate $48 billion in Economic Activity and Energy Security

Source: David Dodge | · LINKEDIN · | September 1, 2025

Monica Curtis of the Pembina Institute wants us to think differently about nation-building. In an era of political instability, energy transition and the climate crisis, she says what Canada needs is a Renovation Wave to retrofit buildings to be super energy-efficient, use less energy, and make life more affordable for homeowners.

When Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced his nation-building bill C-5 to fast-track nation-building mega projects, people’s minds seemed to gravitate to energy, transportation, and utility corridors.

“We do recognize that Canada is in a critical moment, and we need a sense of urgency as a country that we haven’t seen in generations,” says Curtis. Curtis has worked for utility companies, is an expert in energy efficiency, and even helped design PACE programs in the US to help building owners retrofit their buildings.

“Great big single projects and megaprojects have their place, and they are important, but we do want to make sure that we’re thinking about nation-building as more than megaprojects. So those smaller, less time-intensive projects that can have more direct impact on a broader range of Canadians,” she says.