Tuesday, June 19th at the Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto
More than two hundred business leaders, entrepreneurs and policy makers who are shaping Canada’s energy future gathered at the fourth annual National Energy Roundtable in Toronto for discussions on The Future of Utilities.
Canada is uniquely positioned to be an energy power, yet to achieve its potential, it must manage energy transition, including implementing new energy systems and technologies and establishing norms for inter provincial energy cooperation. As the country’s energy needs evolve and expand a thoughtful path forward is needed that includes an energy mix that provides grid integrity, affordable electricity, heating and transportation, while keeping pace with the technological innovations that consumers demand.
With carbon regulations rolling out across Canada, the business case for technological innovation and energy management is stronger than ever. Canada’s electricity generation alone, 80% of which is GHG free, requires $350 billion in investment over the next twenty years to replace aging infrastructure and develop the next generation of energy systems.
The National Energy Roundtable explored the role of power and utilities in facilitating innovation and economic growth, while addressing the impacts of climate change. The conference convened prominent members of the energy ecosystem for discussions on the following topics:
Now in its fourth year, a principal goal of the National Energy Roundtable conference is to promote thoughtful dialogue between stakeholders from across the country on the responsibilities, challenges and opportunities in this space to assist the development of sound public policy and business decision-making.
Tuesday, June 19th at the Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto
| MC | Sandra Pupatello, President, Canadian International Avenues; former Chair, Hydro One | |
| 8:00 am | Registration opens. Breakfast served | |
| 8:30 am | Welcome by Julie Shin, Director, Listed Issuer Services, Toronto Stock Exchange | |
| 8:40 am | Session I: The modern utility
20% of Canada’s energy needs are powered by electricity and complex work is ongoing with rate-focused regulators to spur innovation and growth. However, organic expansion can be challenging and larger utilities are seeking growth by swallowing up smaller companies outside their home regions. In so doing, utilities can gain a competitive edge through M&A but will have to convince regulators that the transactions will produce meaningful efficiencies and synergies that deliver benefits for ratepayers and investors, while improving transmission and distribution networks. The panel will explore key trends and developments underlying the electric and natural gas utility sector, including drivers of M&A activity (and insights into what recent deals reveal about the future of the sector), transition and integration planning, helping to meet climate targets, supporting shifts in types of transport and in the development of remote regions and cross border energy trade.
Session chair: Andrew Teliszewsky, Senior Director, Strategic Growth & Policy, Opus One Solutions |
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| 9:25 am | A conversation with Ed Krapels, Founder & CEO, Anbaric Development Partners and Chris Ireland, Director, Greenfield Investments and Renewables, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Led by Ailish Campbell, Chief Trade Commissioner & Assistant Deputy Minister, Global Affairs Canada | |
| 10:00 am | Address by Dawn Farrell, President & CEO, TransAlta | |
| 10:25 am | Networking break | |
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10:50 am |
Session II: The innovation dividend: Disruption in the power and utilities sectors We live in an age of disruption where new technology and behavioral shifts are transforming the way we live.The increasing evolution and integration of high tech solutions is creating rapidly growing markets for new products, including energy storage, advanced buildings/cities and smart grids. Digital technologies are making energy systems more intelligent, triggering new business models and regulatory frameworks. Data collection and exchange are growing exponentially and competition for customers is shifting to the online channel where the Internet of Things promises new product and management options. Panelists will discuss the implications of technical advances and the new business models and policy frameworks needed to contribute to a lasting transformation of the energy sector.
Session chair: Sandra Pupatello, President, Canadian International Avenues |
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| 11:40 am | Session III: Blockchain could change everything for energy Historically, we’ve had a pretty one-sided relationship with energy. We use energy from the grid, we pay the bill, and the cycle continues. With the application of Blockchain, the energy we use may soon be much cleaner and more diverse. Consumers of energy services are quickly becoming “prosumers,” participating in markets and changing the rules. As the energy transition continues and the era of large-scale power generation winds down, will supply be replaced by electric vehicles acting as mobile power plants for the vertical city or solar gardens serving communities or developing nations? What is the evolution of the regulator, operator or utility in this dynamic new marketplace? Blockchain, an immutable distributed ledger that verifies and records transactions without a central authority, promises more efficient transactions with lower costs based on its ease of identity verification and automation of contracts. When applied to the energy sector, Blockchain can enable distributed systems where people trade energy among themselves, seamlessly connecting producers with investors who are willing to pay upfront for the right to consume energy. This session will explore the concept of an incentive based energy marketplace in support of the shift to renewables. We’ll show how a diverse set of participants from energy, financial services and manufacturing sectors have come together on Blockchain to offer wide ranging benefits for industry and consumers, not to mention the planet.Live presentation of the MVP project and discussion to include:
Session chair: Peter Patterson, Blockchain Market Leader, IBM |
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| 12:30 pm | Luncheon and fireside chat with Margaret Kenequanash, Chief Executive Officer of Wataynikaneyap Power and Gary Smith, Executive Vice President, Eastern Canadian and Caribbean Operations, Fortis Inc. who will share details on the partnership between Fortis Inc. and 22 remote First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario. Wataynikaneyap means “line that brings light” – the project will connect 17 remote communities to the main electricity grid for the first time. Margaret and Gary will talk about what the project means for communities, and their shared vision to create a viable business, providing long term, sustainable benefits. Interviewed by Tom Clark, Chair, Public Affairs & Communications, Global Public Affairs | |
| 1:45 pm | Jeffrey Lyash, President & CEO, Ontario Power Generation. Interviewed by Tom Clark | |
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2:10 pm |
Session IV: The impact of electric vehicles Electric vehicles are coming to Canadian cities sooner than you think. And their adoption is already having massive implications for our local power and utility companies. Demand patterns are changing; distribution models are shifting; significant commercial opportunities are being created. Are municipal power and utility companies ready for the massive changes that are about to come? Are investors aware of the commercial opportunities that exist? And are policy makers and infrastructure planners making the right choices today to protect our power capabilities in the future? In this session, we will explore the challenges and opportunities that the adoption of EVs will create for Canadian cities.
Session chair: Anurag Gupta, Partner and Global Sector Head, Power and Infrastructure, KPMG |
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| 3:00 pm
3:20 pm |
Networking break
Armchair discussion on Industry-First Nations partnership strategies with Dale Swampy, Aboriginal Equity Partners and Joe Muhall, Past President, Canadian Union of Skilled Workers. Interviewed by Jason Langrish, President, The Energy Roundtable
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| 3:50 pm | Session V: Consumer driven energy systems
The electricity sector lags the progress that other sectors have made in customer engagement and the everyday use of advanced analytics to generate value from data. But change is coming quickly, and it’s clear that the sector will look dramatically different in a decade or so. As utilities pursue these opportunities, the effects are already being felt by retail customers, including mobile applications for bill notification, presentment, and payment, as well as for outage management. Applications are also extending into smart homes and connected buildings and the grid is evolving to integrate intermittent generation from the consumer. Gaining an understanding of consumer adoption of new technologies such as solar and electric vehicles is essential as these and other distributed energy resources introduce increased variability in the supply and demand relationship for energy. The panel will explore how to unlock technological benefits and encourage investment and innovation in areas that will forever change the way consumers use energy.
Session chair: Lisa DeMarco, Senior Partner, DeMarco Allen LLP |
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| 4:40 pm | Close by Jason Langrish, President, The Energy Roundtable |
Photos from the 2018 National Energy Roundtable
