Electric Grid Managers Expect ‘Bumpy Ride’ If Canada Tariffs Imposed

WASHINGTON—If President Donald Trump imposes 25 percent tariffs on imported goods from Canada on March 4, as he pledged to do on Feb. 27, drivers across the Midwest and utility ratepayers in the Pacific Northwest will be among the first to see prices at the pump and in their electric bills increase. That consensus was among potential tariff-related impacts identified by the 2,200 public utility commissioners, regional transmission operators, and state regulators who attended the Feb. 23–26 National Association of Regional Utility Commissions’ (NARUC) Winter Energy Policy Conference in Washington. Trump’s vow to place 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and an additional 10 percent on goods from China, raising the levy to 20 percent, was an ambient topic that filtered into many presentations and discussions during the annual NARUC event....