Our History

Energy Probe was founded in 1969 as a project of the Pollution Probe Foundation, and soon became one of the country’s most influential voices on energy policy.

Energy Probe was first to recognize that nuclear power was uneconomic, in a report produced in 1974, and has been successful in stopping the construction in Canada of all nuclear plants proposed since then. Energy Probe was also first to recognize — again in 1974 — that market prices were necessary to induce energy conservation, and succeeded in convincing the federal government to let oil prices rise to the World Oil Price.

Energy Probe also helped create the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry (the Berger Commission), which led to the scrapping of uneconomic and unenvironmental Arctic pipelines. For achievements such as these, The Canadian Encyclopedia singled out Energy Probe among environmental groups for being effective in influencing our country’s policies. The Canadian Encyclopedia added: “despite its low budget, Energy Probe is respected for its scrupulous research.”