Registration Opens – Coffee and Refreshments Available

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-chairs

Noreen Farrell
Director, Sustainability & Reporting
Capital Power Corporation

Shanelle Sinclair
Manager, Regulatory and Policy
Heartland Generation Ltd.

Keynote Address

Hon. Nathan Neudorf
Minister
Affordability and Utilities, Government of Alberta

How the Power Sector in Alberta is Responding to Federal Decarbonization Targets and the 2035 Transition Goal

Daniel Jurijew
Vice President, Government Relations, Regulatory & Environmental Policy
Capital Power Corporation

Mark McGillivray
Director, Public Policy and Government Relations
ENMAX

Evan Wilson
Senior Director, Western Canada
Canadian Renewable Energy Association

Sharonne Katz
Senior Director, Electricity Resources Branch
Natural Resources Canada

Moderator:

Jay Wilson
Director of Net Zero and Electrification
Electricity Canada

The federal government has announced a net zero grid by 2035 but the grid systems are provincial jurisdiction.  Learn about plans from the federal government and implications for industry.

• How is the sector responding to the targets of a net-zero economy by 2050, including constraints, limitations, and long-term system-level planning?
• Views on electrification and meeting potential demand growth
• What is the expected load growth in the near term and over the next 20 years as natural gas becomes the primary fuel source over coal?

Networking Refreshment Break

NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION:

Exploring Commercial Applications of CCUS and Carbon Conversion in the Drive to Net Zero

Derek Ebeling
Carbon Capture Manager – Genesee
Capital Power Corporation

Greg Maidment
Director CCS
Deep Sky

James Millar
President and CEO
International CCS Knowledge Centre

Moderator:

Noreen Farrell
Director, Sustainability & Reporting
Capital Power Corporation

• Updates on the Alberta Carbon Hub and the Genesee Carbon Capture Project (in collaboration with Enbridge) to capture 3MT of CO2
• Exploring commercial applications of carbon conversion technologies to enable near-zero emissions from natural gas generation
• Assessing the federal tax credit for capital invested in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage
• How is industry collaborating with technology developers to advance and deploy new technology solutions to decarbonize?

Networking Lunch for Delegates and Speakers

NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION:

Storage Solutions for Renewable Energy

Robert Tremblay
Policy Manager
Energy Storage Canada

Jason Wang
Senior Analyst, Electricity
Pembina Institute

Akira Yamamoto
Manager, Regulatory & Market Policy
TransAlta Corporation

Moderator:

Jaimie Graham
Legal Counsel
Alberta Utilities Commission

• Highlighting the integration of energy storage into the Alberta market and overall implications of growing energy storage resources connecting to the grid
• Exploring the latest advancements in energy storage, particularly as the AESO  embarks on a specific tariff to enable storage
• Opportunities for energy storage technologies with long-duration batteries
• How distribution utilities will need to look at the two-way flows of power and effects on planning

NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION:

Developments in Hydrogen in the Drive to Net Zero

Greg Caldwell
Director, Utility Hydrogen Strategy & Decarbonization
ATCO Gas and Pipelines

Mark Lea-Wilson
Hydrogen Hub Lead
The Transition Accelerator

• Highlighting plans to integrate hydrogen into the power system 
• Exploring Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap and Clean Hydrogen Centre of Excellence; how will it move from development to marketplace?
• Achieving scale through improved technologies and commercialization
• Exploring CCUS as an integral piece of the development of clean hydrogen
• Plans for a hydrogen hub in Edmonton to develop a local hydrogen economy: timelines and next steps
• Exploring how to best produce and sell hydrogen

Networking Refreshment Break

NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION:

Propane as an Alternate Fuel Source

Katie Kachur
Vice President, Government Relations West
Canadian Propane Association

Propane as part of a climate change solution that is produced in Canada and available now: exploring propane as a low carbon energy source that can complement renewables.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION:

Opportunities for Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS)

Jamie Stephen
Managing Director, TorchLight Bioresources/Project Commercial Director
Rocky Mountain Carbon

The Canada Energy Regulator has stated that the requirements of the Clean Electricity Regulation – Net Zero electricity by 2035 – cannot be met without BECCS.

This session will discuss the opportunities for BECCS development in Alberta, including fuel switching existing thermal generation assets, adding CCS to forest products facilities, and greenfield biopower/CHP developments. Rocky Mountain Carbon, a co-development of West Fraser, Vault 44.01, and TorchLight Bioresources in Hinton that will permanently remove 1.3 Mt CO2/yr from the atmosphere, will be profiled. Examples of BECCS facilities in other jurisdictions will also be provided.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION:

The Role of Geothermal Energy as a Resource

Dr. Catherine Hickson
CEO, General Partner
Alberta No. 1

Brian Senio
Corporate Development/Government Relations
Eavor Technologies Inc.

• Assessing the role of geothermal generation in Alberta’s power sector
• Highlighting current geothermal projects underway from Eavor and Alberta No. 1
• How would geothermal projects contribute to baseload electricity? How can geothermal compete with other sources of clean energy?

Closing Remarks and Day 1 Adjourns

Registration Opens – Coffee and Refreshments Available

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-chairs

Noreen Farrell
Director, Sustainability & Reporting
Capital Power Corporation

Shanelle Sinclair
Manager, Regulatory and Policy
Heartland Generation Ltd.

Keynote Presentation

Francis Bradley
President and CEO
Electricity Canada

Financing the Energy Transition

Patrycja Drainville
Director, Sustainable Finance
Scotiabank

Bill Gilliland
Partner
Dentons Canada LLP

• What is the role of sustainable finance to attract capital?
• How ESG is changing the dynamics of power finance
• Natural gas and nuclear powered generation within transition and green taxonomies

Networking Refreshment Break

Harnessing the Economic Potential of Indigenous Power Project Partnerships

Jauvonne Kitto
Chief Executive Officer
Saa Dene Group of Companies

Clayton Stafford
Senior Partner, 3NE (Three Nations Energy) Project Manager
Greenplanet Energy Analytics

Moderator:

Shanelle Sinclair
Manager, Regulatory and Policy
Heartland Generation Ltd.

This session will look at partnering with Indigenous communities as an essential strategy for energy transition, lessons learned and examples from successful partnerships.

• Highlighting the rapidly growing indigenous presence in renewables – solar, wind, hydro, storage
• Successful partnerships with Indigenous communities as an essential strategy for energy transition
• Insight into the market realities, requirements for investment and infrastructure for indigenous communities
• How socially responsible investing from the private sector can support Indigenous-led clean energy projects

American Approaches to Reliability, Emissions Policy and Affordability

Jeff Turcotte
Assistant Vice President, Government Affairs
Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA)

As the landscape of emissions policy and reliability shifts in the U.S, what can we expect to see in the future and what lessons can we learn for Canada and Alberta?

Networking Lunch for Delegates and Speakers

Exploring the Role of Demand Side Management to Mitigate Future Costs Towards the Net Zero Pathway

Kari Hyde
Program Manager, Grid Innovation and Demand Side Management
ENMAX

Leanne Kubiseski
Senior Advisor, Emerging Customer Solutions
FortisAlberta

Lee Wood
Director
Alumbra LLC

Moderator:

Jesse Row
Executive Director
Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance

• Highlights from the provincial government’s Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan
• Exploring the role of DSM to mitigate future costs towards the net zero pathway
• A closer look at the pilot projects currently underway at utilities and potential impacts to how distribution systems will change over the coming decades given expected technology developments

Addressing the Workforce Challenge of Navigating to Net Zero: Developing the Skilled Labour Requirements in the Electricity Sector

Mark Chapeskie
Vice President of Program Development
Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC)

Megan Gill
Regulatory Manager
Capital Power
Chair
EmpowHER

This session will discuss the challenges and explore solutions to finding the talent and skilled workers required for the net zero economy.

A skilled and trained workforce is an essential component to decarbonization and while we still need to manage the legacy systems, the electricity sector in Canada will require significant hiring. The current grid infrastructure was not designed or built to handle the significantly increased demand for electricity. Some studies have put Canada’s electrification requirements at 2 to 3 x times current generation.

In this context, the importance of fostering diversity and inclusion in the workforce becomes even more pronounced. Embracing a diverse range of talents, backgrounds, and perspectives will not only address skill gaps but also infuse fresh insights and innovation into the energy sector. Our commitment to net zero should extend beyond emissions reductions – it should encompass creating an inclusive and dynamic workforce that drives sustainable change.

Closing Remarks and Conference Concludes