Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A Sankey diagram is a visualization used to represent flows and quantities between different stages or categories. It is characterized by bands whose widths are proportional to the “flow” rate, making it easy to see the magnitude of different flows. Sankey diagrams are designed to be read from left to right. The flow components are referred to as ribbons or pipes.
These diagrams are particularly useful for visualizing energy flow, material flow, or any process with multiple stages and significant movement among them.
Robert Lyman, retired energy economist and former federal public servant, has taken a look at the Canadian Centre for Energy Information Sankey diagram which depicts Canadian energy flows. This video walks through his insights.
The Sankey diagram shows how important oil and natural gas are to our homes, agriculture and industry, and how important they are for export revenues. Contrary to popular belief, wind and electricity play a small role in Canada's energy mix, suggesting caution is advised in thinking we could 'decarbonize' or 'electrify everything' to reach the goals of Canada's Clean Electricity Regulations by 2030 or even 2035, and that Net Zero targets are very unlikely. You can go to the website and tinker with the Sankey diagram yourself - there are some interactive elements.
energy-information.canada.ca/en/resources/canadian-energy-flow-sankey-diagram
A Sankey diagram is a visualization used to represent flows and quantities between different stages or categories. It is characterized by bands whose widths are proportional to the “flow” rate, making it easy to see the magnitude of different flows. Sankey diagrams are designed to be read from left to right. The flow components are referred to as ribbons or pipes.
These diagrams are particularly useful for visualizing energy flow, material flow, or any process with multiple stages and significant movement among them.
Robert Lyman, retired energy economist and former federal public servant, has taken a look at the Canadian Centre for Energy Information Sankey diagram which depicts Canadian energy flows. This video walks through his insights.
The Sankey diagram shows how important oil and natural gas are to our homes, agriculture and industry, and how important they are for export revenues. Contrary to popular belief, wind and electricity play a small role in Canada's energy mix, suggesting caution is advised in thinking we could 'decarbonize' or 'electrify everything' to reach the goals of Canada's Clean Electricity Regulations by 2030 or even 2035, and that Net Zero targets are very unlikely. You can go to the website and tinker with the Sankey diagram yourself - there are some interactive elements.
energy-information.canada.ca/en/resources/canadian-energy-flow-sankey-diagram
