Time to Build

Welcome

Presented by

Corey Hogan MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

Keynote Address: The opportunity

By 2050, Canada must more than double its electricity supply to power a growing economy. Achieving this requires a new funding model beyond ratepayers, with new approaches to public-private partnerships. Federal and provincial government must cooperate on stronger transmission links and streamlined permitting, while partnering meaningfully with First Nations. All this isn’t simply a challenge—it’s a call to action to build something important on a national scale.

Presented by

Chris O'Riley, Past President, BC Hydro

Talk: Building together and advancing major projects through Indigenous Partnerships

Discover the key factors such as shared vision, inclusive governance, and deep community engagement that drive the success of Fortis’s work with our Indigenous partners, including the landmark Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission System.

Presented by

Karen McCarthy, Vice President, Communications and Government Relations, Fortis Inc.

Panel: Overcoming the bottlenecks

Canada is facing the interconnected challenges of regulatory approvals, permitting delays, labour constraints, supply chain pressures, and financing gaps. All these obstacles collectively stifle the pace and cost of building Canada's clean electricity future. This panel will look at the barriers to building—and explore possible solutions.

Presented by

Brian Bentz, President and CEO Alectra Inc.

Professor Monica Gattinger, Founding Chair, Positive Energy, University of Ottawa

Philippe Dunsky, Founder and President Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors

Carla Vicente, Country Managing Director, Hitachi Energy, Canada

Moderator: Jay Khosla, Executive Director, Economic and Energy Policy, Public Policy Forum

Talk: Preserving the grid against wildfires

Wildfires are becoming one of the biggest risks being faced by electricity companies everywhere. What are the strategies that can be used, and how can advanced technologies be employed, to mitigate the effects of wildfires on Canada’s grid.

Presented by

Damien Quentin, Vice President of Strategy, Engineered Intelligence

Panel: Load growth and economic development

Surging electricity demand—driven by industrial growth, AI, and advanced manufacturing—is reshaping the grid and redefining the relationship between load growth and economic development. This panel will look at the key drivers for this growth, and what this means for the future economy.

Presented by

Laura Arnold, Vice President, External Affairs, Regulatory and Market Policy, TransAlta

Heather Ferguson, Senior Vice President, Business Development & Corporate Affairs, OPG

Pauline Martin, Leader, Government Industry Advisory, Americas – Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft

Matthew Jackson, Vice President, Indigenous Relations Partnerships & Business Development, Hydro One

Moderator: André Bernier, Director General, Natural Resources Canada

BREAK

Armchair discussion: Taking the lead on Indigenous projects

Pituvik Sarvaq Energie Inc. is an Indigenous-led company that identified a project and found partners from the sector as well as financing. What was involved in accomplishing this? And what can the electricity sector, government and other stakeholders learn from this about engaging Indigenous-led companies on major projects?

Presented by

Eric Atagotaaluk, Director, Pituvik Sarvaq Energie Inc.

Francis Bradley, President and CEO, Electricity Canada

Panel: The Pan-Canadian electricity grid

For decades, Canada’s electricity grid mostly travelled North-South. Given the disparate nature of Canada’s electricity system, how do we begin building more East-West connections and secure our energy sovereignty?

Presented by

Pat Dalzell, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Market Development, Bruce Power

Jeff Mocha, Chief Operations and Electrification Officer, Oakville Enterprises Corporation

Chris Milner, President and CEO, Yukon Energy

Martin Rovers, Director of Strategic Initiatives. Nova Scotia Power

Moderator: Julia Muggeridge, Vice President Communications and Sustainability, Electricity Canada

Close

Reception

Venue: The Metropolitan – 700 Sussex Dr, Ottawa

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