2023 Program
Sunday, November 5, 2023 | 5:00-6:00 pm
Storytelling Gathering
Join us and Stephen Kakfwi, residential school survivor and former Premier of the Northwest Territories, to hear how he transforms politics into philosophy and sheds light on a history that too many Canadians have long ignored, in the deeply personal and unapologetic memoir, Stoneface.
“In Stoneface quiet waters run deep. Stephen Kakfwi stares down the past, doing equal justice to the evil and the good. The remarkable result is something important and rare: a passionately even-handed memoir packed with great storytelling and hard-won wisdom.”
—Elizabeth Hay, author of All Things Consoled
Pipestone Room, Chateau Lake Louise
All Welcome, No Registration Required
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023
Mount Temple Room
8:00 AM | Breakfast
Breakfast and networking.
9:00 AM | Welcome
Brian Keating, Master of Ceremonies
Tim Carwell, Dene-Zaa Beaver First Nation, Acknowledging the Land
9:15 AM | Opening Keynote
Anouk Kendall, President, Decentralised Energy Canada
We don’t know what we don’t know. Many are not yet aware of the deep and rapid transformation our energy systems are undergoing. Energy systems that are integrated into buildings and communities are paving the way to a resilient and affordable energy future but many are getting lost in the deluge of new terminology, new business models, and ever-increasing diversity of energy ownership models. The Forum will open with an overview of our changing energy landscape.
9:30 AM | The Rise of Prosumers
Prosumers generate energy onsite to meet some or all of their needs. Grid-connected prosumers are becoming more prevalent as more jurisdictions design and adopt new tariff structures that reward electrical energy systems located closer to the consumer, especially if they demonstrate reduced congestion on the grid. Microgrids, battery-to-grid, demand response and efficiency valuation innovations are empowering prosumers.
Panellists:
Jana Gerber, Microgrid President – North America, Schneider Electric
Glen Gordon, CEO, Unico Power
Jesse Row, Executive Director, Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance
Denis Tanguay, Executive Director, Efficiency Valuation Organization
10:30 AM | Coffee Break
Join your peers for coffee and networking.
11:00 AM | Virtual Power Plants
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network of decentralised electrical energy systems (e.g., generation and storage) that are aggregated and managed through a cloud- based controller but remain independent in operation and ownership. Emerging incentives and revenue opportunities are driving adoption of VPPs.
Panellists:
Brent Harris, Founder & Executive VP, Eguana Technologies
Julie Kennett, Director General, IRAP Prairies Region, National Research Council
Hamid Zareipour, Professor, Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, the University of Calgary
Han Stegeman, Head of Grid Innovation, TenneT
12:00 PM | Lunch & Nature Walk
Enjoy lunch followed by a nature walk through beautiful Lake Louise, led by Brian Keating, Head Naturalist at Going Wild.
1:30 PM | Game Changer Pitch Competition
Hear about breakthrough innovations and entrepreneurs.
2:30 PM | The Workforce Revolution
By 2050, Canada is looking to double or even triple electricity generation to meet the needs of the energy transition. There is an urgent need to develop a highly skilled workforce to meet this unprecedented change for the industry and this requires close collaboration between educational and industry stakeholders.
Keynote: Kristin Baetz, Dean of Science, University of Calgary
Panellists:
Mark Chapeskie, VP of Program Development, Electricity Human Resources Canada
Tamara Connell, Chief Executive Officer, Academy for Sustainable Innovation
Luisa Da Silva, Executive Director, Iron and Earth
Kristin Baetz, Dean of Science, University of Calgary
3:30 PM | Sustaining Innovation
Climate instability is the biggest challenge of this generation… and the next. Navigating this challenge starts by acknowledging that our economy needs high-impact and deeply transformative innovation that values sustainability. Corporations in the microgrid space don’t always effectively communicate their sustainability value proposition. We can improve this communication and leverage the unique and powerful role that sustainable tourism plays in leading by example. This session explores how technology developers and prosumers are collaborating to enable energy security, reliability and affordability.
Keynote: Frederick Morency, VP Sustainability, Strategic Initiatives & Innovation, Schneider Electric
Panellists:
Nancy Foran, President & Founder, ESG Partners
Loreto Duffy-Mayers, Project Manager, Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association
Frederick Morency, VP Sustainability, Schneider Electric
4:30 PM | Business to Business Matchmaking
Meet every person at the event at this dynamic matchmaking session.
6:00 PM | Cocktail Reception
Held in the Fairview Lounge, enjoy networking, food & cocktails, and music performed by Peter and the Wolves.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023
Mount Temple Room
8:00 AM | Breakfast
Breakfast and networking.
9:00 AM | Welcome
Brian Keating, Master of Ceremonies
Stephen Kakfwi, Dene Leader, Prayer
9:05 AM | Opening Keynote
Stephen Kakfwi, President & CEO, Kakfwi & Associates
Stephen Kakfwi is one of Canada’s most visionary and accomplished indigenous leaders. He was born in Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories and was the ninth premier of the Northwest Territories. He was past president of the Dene Nation and is a lifelong Indigenous rights activist. Kakfwi has spent decades working to balance protection of the mostly pristine areas of this landscape with sustainable economic development for First Nations communities. In 2014, he founded Canadians for a New Partnership, a coalition with a goal to build a new partnership between First Peoples and all Canadians.
Fireside Chat:
Maureen Kolla, Co-Project Lead, Energy Futures Lab
Stephen Kakfwi, President & CEO, Kakfwi & Associates
9:30 AM | Energy Resilience
The ability to operate energy services, such as heating, cooling, ventilation, and critical loads during and in response to a major disruption is what defines a community’s energy resilience. The steps that are needed to create energy resilience varies depending on the unique challenges of each community. This panel will explore a diverse range of challenges faced by communities and the benefits that microgrids bring.
Panellists:
Maureen Kolla, Co-Project Lead, Energy Futures Lab
Desmond Bull, Grand Chief of Confederacy of Treaty No. 6, Chief and Council Member, Louis Bull Tribe
Owen Lewis, Operations Manager, Global South, RMI
Robert Tremblay, Policy Manager, Energy Storage Canada
10:30AM | Boozy Brunch
Enjoy a little something special with your coffee break.
10:45 AM | Rethinking Natural Resources
How will the energy transition affect the sustainability of natural resources on the planet? What practices and principles can we adopt to meet the energy demands of a growing global population using fewer resources and leaving a smaller footprint. Innovations in critical minerals procurement, renewable fuels, and heat pumps are just a few areas of active innovation.
Keynote: Jonathan Blundy, Royal Society Research Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University
Panellists:
Natasha Kostenuk, Founder & CEO, Ayrton Energy
James Bererton, Principal Energy Innovator, Stantec
Chris Perry, Founder, Grow the Energy Circle
Jonathan Blundy, Royal Society Research Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University
11:45 AM | Lunch
Enjoy lunch and networking with your peers.
1:00 PM | Game Changer Pitch Competition
Hear about breakthrough innovations and entrepreneurs.
2:00 PM | The Power of Data
Digitalisation is critical to robust and reliable energy infrastructure. Extraordinary innovation opportunities are inherent in the generation, management and consumption of energy. The benefits that can be gained from digital solutions such as predictive analytics, controllers, and automation will create more connected, intelligent, efficient, reliable and sustainable energy systems.
Panellists:
Jonathan Neufeld, Partner, GNO-SYS
Myrna Bittner, CEO & Co-Founder, RWI Synthetics
Dan Erhardt, CEO Arcus Power Corp
3:00 PM | Investing in Sustainability
A net zero future offers one of the greatest economic and environmental opportunities for Alberta. Decentralised energy plays a pivotal role in expediting our transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future. In this session, we delve into the intricacies of funding within the province of Alberta and underscore the essential role of policy and regulatory frameworks in fostering the acceleration of decentralised energy initiatives. Our panel of experts will share their experiences, including the challenges they've overcome in their respective projects, shedding light on the path forward.
Panellists:
Justin Reimer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta
Jan De Wolde, General Manager, Calgary District Heating
Kevin Noble, Director, Distribution Planning, Fortis Alberta
Ted Vogel, Governing Council, Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism
4:00 PM | Special Announcement
4:15 PM | Closing Remarks
CHANGES OR CANCELLATION OF OUR PROGRAM. Circumstances beyond our control may necessitate substitutions, alterations, postponements, or cancellations to the content, format, themes, name, hosts, moderators, venue, timing or dates of DEF. We reserve the right to do so at any time and will not be liable to you for any cost incurred by you as a result.