In recent months, trade relations between the United States and Canada have been marked by new tensions, and one of the most unexpected points of conflict has been electricity. Although many believe that the United States is energy self-sufficient, in reality it imports a significant portion of its electricity from Canada, especially in border states such as New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.
In 2024, the United States imported more than 33 million megawatt-hours of electricity, of which 27 million came from Canada. While this accounts for less than one percent of national consumption, that energy is essential for maintaining grid stability in certain areas. In some regions, Canadian electricity is not a luxury or convenience. It is necessary to prevent blackouts or overloads.
The conflict began when the U.S. government decided to raise tariffs on key Canadian products like steel and aluminum. In response, the province of Ontario, one of the main electricity exporters to the United States, imposed a 25 percent surcharge on exported electricity. Ontario’s governor, Doug Ford, even stated that if the United States continued escalating its actions, he would not hesitate to completely cut off the electricity supply. Although this has not happened, the threat alone was enough to raise concern in several U.S. states.
At the national level, cutting off Canadian electricity would not be a catastrophe for the United States, but it could cause serious problems in specific regions. It is also expected that measures like this could raise electricity prices, destabilize the energy market, and force costly investments to strengthen local infrastructure.
For now, the situation remains tense. Electricity has shifted from being a shared resource to becoming a tool of political and economic pressure. This episode shows that beyond manufactured goods, energy can also become a strategic instrument in a trade war. It highlights how deeply both countries depend on one another, even in essential sectors like power supply.