The low-carbon transition in North America

North America will be at the heart of the global low-carbon transition and the governance challenges it will bring to the fore. The United States is the world's biggest economy and the biggest producer and consumer of both oil and gas. Canada is also a top five producer of both oil and gas. And these two countries have the fastest growing populations in the G-8 so they are a key testing ground for the crucial global question of how to provide energy for a growing population while achieving a transition to cleaner energy sources such as renewable power. Mexico also is a petroleum powerhouse with a growing population but inconsistent policies have thus far frustrated efforts to better coordinate markets and policies across North America. This chapter will unravel the tangled multi-jurisdictional energy policy struggle unfolding across these three federal republics and explore how these countries can manage their resource wealth to help clean up the energy system in North America and in the increasing number of countries reliant on North American natural gas exports.