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
- The Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources
- Corrina Leween, Chief, Cheslatta Carrier Nation, Vice-Chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC)
- The Honourable Rachel Notley, Premier of Alberta (Youtube video link)
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 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.
- The Conference Program (PDF, 2.8MB)
- Who Decides? Balancing and Bridging Local, Indigenous and Broader Societal Interests in Canadian Energy Decision-Making (PDF, 1.1MB), by Dr. Stewart Fast
- The Policy-Regulatory Nexus in Canada's Energy Decision-Making: From Best Practices to Next Practices, (PDF, 3MB)by Dr. Stephen Bird
- How to Decide – Engagement: Information and Capacity (PDF, 1MB)by Dr. Louis Simard
- Durable Balance: Informed Reform of Energy Decision-Making in Canada (PDF, 2.7MB) by Mike Cleland and Monica Gattinger, with Rafael Aguirre and Marisa Beck
- The Official Videos of the event (Facebook link)
- Event photos (Facebook album)
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