Canada is home to 210 remote communities located in nearly every province and territory in the country. These communities rely heavily on diesel fuel for heat and electricity.
Our research tracks diesel reduction in these communities and provides governments, policy makers, and media with credible information about the role clean energy is playing to address this long-standing challenge.
Diesel Reduction Progress
Canada’s most comprehensive analysis on diesel reduction and clean energy development in remote communities.
Our most recent analysis
Remote communities are in the midst of their most significant energy transition since the introduction of diesel generators in the mid-twentieth century.
Our most recent analysis, published in 2026, provides an overview of the past decade of clean energy deployment and diesel reduction and highlights the impact of policy and local, Indigenous leadership since 2016.
Read the reportArticles and research
Our research
The Pembina Institute is one of few organizations focused on the clean energy transition in remote and northern communities. Diesel reduction progress is a flagship and ongoing research effort that supports this work.
Through this research effort, we gather cumulative data on diesel reduction and clean energy development to better understand how energy is evolving at the local level. We have released two volumes of this work focused on clean energy progress since 2015.
Reports:
Our impact
Diesel Reduction Progress is Canada’s most comprehensive body of research on diesel reduction efforts in remote communities. It provides unique and credible analysis at a nation-wide scale and is designed to tell the story of evolving remote energy systems.
We do this work by tracking the impact and nature of government policy and local leadership. This has helped spur action, reform, and necessary discussion and focus on the part of communities, governments, and industry.
Our approach
Our research draws on publicly available data provided by a range of academic, government, and industry sources.
We also work in partnership with communities, governments, and other credible sources to provide a comprehensive analysis on remote energy systems.
“
Electric school buses are a great way to rapidly reduce harmful transportation-related air pollution for children, for school bus drivers and for community members. The air pollution from diesel school buses contributes to more ER visits for respiratory illnesses, more asthma in both children and adults, and more frequent flare-ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among many other harmful health impacts. Cleaning the air keeps both kids and adults healthier, reducing pressures and costs on the healthcare system. Electric school buses are an investment to keep our kids and our communities healthy!
Eugenie Waters
MD CCFP Family Physician
Contact our Renewables in Remote Communities team
Program Director
Lynne Couves
c: 403-483-3850
e: lynnec@pembina.org
Media Contact
Bhan Gatkuoth (Mountain Time)
c: 587-742-0818
e: bhang@pembina.org
Get our Pembina Perspectives
Pembina Perspectives provides thoughtful, evidence-based research and analysis to support action on climate — in your inbox every two weeks.
We endeavour to protect your confidentiality; read our full privacy policy.