Will You Lose Power if Canada Stops Sharing Electric With the U.S.?

In previous administrations, Canada and the U.S. have been close allies. But, after Donald Trump's second time in office, that partnership has become strained, and the two countries have begun engaging in a trade war, assessing steep tariffs on the products that pass across either country's borders.

And while it's likely that both countries will be paying more when they purchase certain goods, people are beginning to wonder what will happen with Canada's energy supplies.

That's because Canada supplies certain states in the U.S. with electricity, natural gas, and oil. But, with tensions rising and things looking poised to get worse, some U.S. citizens wonder if their electric supplier will get caught up in the fight. Keep reading to find out which states get power from Canada and what it could mean if the country to our north turns the switch off, leaving parts of America in the literal dark.

According to Newsweek, several states in the country receive large amounts of electricity from Canada, including New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.

New England also benefits greatly from the relationship with Canada's electric, and the states in the northeasternmost corner of the U.S. almost all see some of their juice flow through Canadian powerlines.

These are not the only states that benefit from Canada's energy supplies. In fact, there are multiple states on the list that receive some part of their energy supplies from Canada, which includes everything from crude oil to fuel ethanol.

As for the amount of electricity that Canada sends across the border and into our country, that answers a bit more tricky. According to Minnesota Public Radio's Marketplace, some states rely more heavily on Canada than others. For example, Vermont Electric Co-op receives about 19 megawatts of energy from Canada, making up approximately 40 percent of the region's usage.

Additionally, the whole of New England received about 14 percent of its energy from Canada in January 2025.

But that's not to say that electricity is all we get from our neighbors to the north. According to Newsweek, we receive about 59 percent of the crude oil we import from Canada, as well.

As for whether Canadian officials plan to shut off service to the U.S., well that's a bit unclear.

According to Newsweek, one Canadian official said that he would happily block the country's energy from going to the U.S. if Donald Trump delivered on his promise to add a 25 percent tariff to Canadian imports — something that happened within 24 hours of the Canadian's remarks.

But, even if the Canadians do follow through and stop exporting electric to the U.S., we're unlikely to see the lights go out completely. Instead, what will happen is that the cost of that electricity will increase for customers, both commercially and residentially.

And, in a time when people are feeling the pinch every time they hit the stores, an increase to a necessary utility like this is going to be felt by almost everyone, no matter which side of the political aisle they stand on.