Crux Energy's Principles of a Rational Energy Future

At Crux Energy, we help clients navigate energy strategy questions across Canada and the U.S. Along the way, we often share reflections on LinkedIn, in our blog and at conferences about issues shaping the energy landscape.

Individually, these reflections range from big-picture questions like energy poverty and offshore wind development to more prosaic thoughts on internal process improvements. But taken together, they express a consistent belief: our energy future must be built on rational systems.

Building a Rational Energy Future

We believe our energy systems should be designed with reason, evidence and balance, utilizing the full scale of the resources we have, expanding thoughtfully in anticipation of need, and doing so with transparency, respect, and balance.

Energy is not just infrastructure or technology. It is the foundation of social stability, economic competitiveness, and environmental responsibility. As we face new challenges and transitions, our collective capacity for reasoned, evidence-based design is being tested.

Our Guiding Principles

We see the future of energy through five interlocking pillars:

Efficiency and Resource Stewardship

Every energy system should make the best possible use of the resources it has. That means prioritizing energy efficiency, demand management, and systems optimization before reaching for costly expansions. Rational energy systems reduce waste and invest where the marginal value is highest.

Planned Expansion in Advance, But Not Wildly

Reliable energy systems anticipate demand. They plan and build with foresight: not in reaction to crisis, but also not so far ahead that resources are stranded or misallocated. Rational energy systems use disciplined, scenario-based planning to balance security of supply with fiscal and environmental prudence.

Respect for Land and Indigenous Rights

Energy development must proceed with respect for the land it occupies and the people it affects. Indigenous rights and traditional knowledge are not afterthoughts; they are integral to legitimate, lasting energy solutions. Rational energy systems are not only technically sound but socially grounded.

Clean, Reliable, and Affordable

Clean energy must not come at the expense of reliability or affordability. The pursuit of decarbonization should be pragmatic, leveraging existing infrastructure where possible, and incorporating innovation to deliver on climate goals. Rational energy systems optimize the use of existing gas infrastructure while steadily reducing overall emissions.

Transparency and Nimbleness

A rational energy system is one the public can understand and trust. Decision-making should be transparent, data-driven, and open to course correction as technology and needs evolve. Rational energy systems prioritize physics and economics over politics and rhetoric.

How These Principles Shape Our Work

Our clients’ needs shape our day-to-day work: the analyses we run, the advice we give, the strategies we help build. But these principles shape how we think. They frame the questions we ask and the way we approach every energy challenge.

If you’d like to engage in a discussion about these ideas, or anything we publish, we’d love to hear from you. We sometimes change our minds on specific issues as new information emerges, but our underlying principles remain steady.