Public Confidence in Energy Decision-Making: How is Canada Doing?


Apr 2, 2018 — All day

This major conference was the final conference marking the first three years of the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy initiative. It reflected on lessons learned, progress made and the challenges that still remain when it comes to strengthening public confidence in Canadian energy decision-making. This cutting-edge discussion featured political, corporate, ENGO, Indigenous and public sector leaders as keynote speakers and panelists.

Session themes featured a mix of the completed research streams of the first three years of Positive Energy (The Role of Public Authorities in Energy Decision-Making; The Role of Communities in Energy Decision-Making) as well as big-picture reflection on Canada’s progress towards resolving public confidence challenges. The conference also looked to what’s next for Positive Energy as we turn attention to the low-emission energy transition file. Analysis of the potential for new federal energy policy and regulatory measures to address public confidence and investor confidence challenges were high on the agenda.

Speakers

Welcome remarks

  • Dr. Monica Gattinger, Chair, Positive Energy
  • Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research, University of Ottawa

Keynote Speakers

Session 1: Armchair In Energy Decision-Making – How Far Have We Come? What Still Needs to Be Done? Discussion: Public Confidence

Moderator

  • Dr. Monica Gattinger, Chair, Positive Energy
     

Speakers

  • Kim Baird, Senior Advisor, Hill & Knowlton Strategies
  • Bruce Cameron, former Executive Director, Nova Scotia Dept of Energy
  • Louis Legault, Chair, CAMPUT, Canada’s Energy and Utility Regulators
  • Nik Nanos, Chair and CEO, Nanos Research
  • David Runnalls, Board President, Pembina Institute 
  • Doug Suttles, CEO, Encana 

Session 2: Canadians' Attitudes and Confidence In Energy Decision-Making

Speaker

  • Stephen Bird, Positive Energy, Associate Professor, Clarkson University 
     

Session 3: The Role Of Public Authorities In Energy Decision-Making – Is Canada Getting The Balance Right?

Moderator

  • Dave Collyer, Advisory Council Positive Energy

Opening speaker

  • Dr. Monica Gattinger, Chair, Positive Energy


Speakers

  • Chris Bloomer, President and CEO, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
  • Michael Cleland, Senior Fellow, Positive Energy
  • Elisabeth DeMarco, Senior Partner, DeMarco Allan LLP
  • Ralph Torrie, Senior Associate, Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research initiative (CESAR), University of Calgary
  • Stéphanie Trudeau, Senior Vice-President, Regulatory, Customers and Communities, Énergir
  • Bob Watts, Vice President, Indigenous Relations, Nuclear Waste Management Organization

Session 4: Armchair Discussion with Positive Energy Donors

  • Dr. Monica Gattinger, Chair, Positive Energy

Speakers

  • Chris Bloomer, President and CEO, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
  • Richard Dunn, Vice-President, Government Relations Canada, Encana
  • Jeff Gaulin, Vice-President, Communications, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
  • Ian Jarvis, Chief Operating Officer, British Columbia Utilities Commission
  • Yiota Kokkinos, Director General, International Energy Division, Energy Branch, Natural Resources Canada
  • Barbra Korol, Executive Director, Strategic Policy Branch, Alberta Department of Energy
  • James Cameron, Vice-President and Chief Communications Officer, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Session 5: The Role Of Communities in Energy Decision-Making: Are We Getting the Balance Right?

Moderator

  • Stephen Bird, Positive Energy, Associate Professor, Clarkson University


Opening speaker

  • Michael Cleland, Senior Fellow, Positive Energy 

Speakers

  • Catherine Abreu, Executive Director, Climate Action Network
  • Roxanna Benoit, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Communications, Enbridge
  • Ted Gruetzner, Vice-President, Corporate Relations and Communications, Ontario Power Generation
  • Guy Lonechild, CEO, First Nations Power Authority
  • Louis Simard, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa, Positive Energy

Session 5: On The Horizon: Trust in Energy Transition Decision-Making

Moderator

  • Bryson Robertson, Positive Energy, Professor, University of Victoria


Opening Speaker

  • Allan Fogwill, President and CEO, Canadian Energy Research Institute

Speakers

  • Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy
  • Chris Henderson, President, Lumos Energy
  • Robert Hornung, President, CanWEA
  • Ian Jarvis, Chief Operation Officer, British Columbia Utilities Commission
  • Vicky Sharpe, former CEO of SDTC, Board Member, QUEST, Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow

Concluding Remarks and Next Steps

  • Dr. Monica Gattinger, Chair, Positive Energy
Monica

Monica Gattinger

Moderator

Stephen Blank (BA, Dartmouth; MA, Cambridge; MA, PhD, Harvard), serves as Senior Fellow for the Institute for Science, Society and Policy at the University of Ottawa.

Date and time
Apr 2, 2018
All day
Format and location
Institute for Science, Society and Policy
Language
English
Audience
Watch the Official Videos of the event

Contact us

Positive Energy

Institute for Science, Society and Policy

120 University Private
Social Sciences Building
15th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1N 6N5

Tel.: 613-562-5800, ext. 3911
issp@uOttawa.ca