Sunday, March 10, 2024
16:00 – 19:00
Registration Desk Open
2nd Floor, Conference Centre, The Fairmont Banff Springs
17:00 – 19:00
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by Fasken and Analysis Group
Trade Show Hall, 2nd Floor, Conference Centre, The Fairmont Banff Springs
Host bar. Dress: business casual
19:00 – 21:00
Women+Power Networking Reception
Sponsored by Dentons
The Riverview Lounge, Mezzanine 2, Main Building, The Fairmont Banff Springs
All conference attendees welcome
Monday, March 11, 2024
07:00 – 08:00
Registration Desk Open
Continental Breakfast sponsored by Capital Power
Early Morning Coffee sponsored by FortisAlberta
08:00 – 08:15
Opening Remarks
For 30 years IPPSA has been convening sophisticated dialogue for the electricity industry in Alberta and through the work of its members completed significant groundwork to prepare Alberta to transition into the future. Join our Chair to celebrate the successes over the past 30 years.
Dustin Owens, Managing Director, Government and Regulatory Policy, Heartland Generation and IPPSA Chair
08:15 – 09:15
Opening Keynote
Alberta’s electricity industry is ever changing and in the spirit of our entrepreneurial history we will continue to innovate and evolve. Join Minister Neudorf to hear how the Affordability and Utilities Ministry will work with industry and consumers to deliver his mandate through the next phase of change in Alberta’s electricity market.
Moderator:
Dustin Owens, Managing Director, Government and Regulatory Policy, Heartland Generation and IPPSA Chair
Keynote:
The Hon. Nathan Neudorf, Minister, Affordability and Utilities, Government of Alberta
Q & A
09:15 – 10:30
Session 1: Energy/Climate Trade Offs
All forms of energy impact the environment, and all forms of energy have societal benefits. Contrary to some political narratives, there are no binary, clean and dirty solutions, there are just trade-offs. The challenge facing a world of over 8 billion people, living from extreme poverty to extreme wealth, is how to increase human flourishing while also protecting the environment.
Moderator:
Lisa Mueller, President and CEO, FutEra Power Corp
Speaker:
Scott W. Tinker, Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee sponsored by EDC Associates Ltd
11:00 – 12:15
Session 2: The Scales of an Electricity System – Affordable and Reliable
When times are tough, we turn to our friends for advice. This panel will feature experts from around the world who are also transitioning new generation into their existing grids while keeping a close eye on the impacts on reliability and the costs to implement. What lessons can we learn and what pitfalls can we avoid.
Moderator:
Derek Olmstead, Administrator and CEO, Market Surveillance Administrator
Panelists:
Chuck Farmer, Vice President, Planning Conservation and Resource Advocacy and Chief Energy Transition Officer, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), Ontario
Victoria Mollard, Executive General Manager, Economics and System Security, Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Anna McKenna, Vice President, Market Design and Analysis, California ISO
Q & A
12:15 – 13:30
Lunch sponsored by AltaLink and Heartland Generation Ltd
13:30 – 14:45
Session 3: The Reliability Challenge
Representatives from prominent companies in Alberta’s electricity sector offer insights into the technological advancements they are promoting. These innovations are designed to uphold the reliability of the Alberta system for consumers, especially as the transition towards achieving net-zero emissions and electrification gains momentum.
Moderator:
Tim Boston, Vice President, Public Policy and Compliance, ENMAX
Panelists:
Darin Watson, President, Alta Solutions Inc
Blain van Melle, Executive Vice President, Commercial and Customer Relations, TransAlta
Jason Comandante, Senior Vice President, Head of Canada, Capital Power
Dale Friesen, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Government Affairs Officer, ATCO Group
Q & A
14:45 – 15:15
Coffee sponsored by Power Advisory
15:15 –16:30
Session 4: The Evolving Role of Transmission
As global electricity systems undergo transformation, the significance of transmission and distribution systems grows in managing evolving grid use. Coping with dynamic flows and ensuring reliability becomes more challenging due to changing user characteristics. Evaluating, adjusting and adding standards for grid connections is essential. Furthermore, enabling cross-jurisdictional exchanges becomes crucial for achieving reliable decarbonization mandates. This panel will address what will be required to meet the challenges.
Moderator:
Amir Motamedi, Director, Customer Grid Access, Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)
Panelists:
Sanjeet Sanghera, Head, Grids & Utilities, BloombergNEF
Rob Gramlich, President, Grid Strategies LLC
Cayla Saby, Vice President, Government Relations and Commercial, AltaLink
Q & A
16:30 – 16:45
IPPSA AGM
18:30 – 22:30
Conference Dinner sponsored by Black & Veatch and EY
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
07:30 – 08:45
Registration Desk Open
Continental Breakfast sponsored by Burns & McDonnell
Early Morning Coffee sponsored by TC Energy
08:45 – 10:00
Session 5: Clean Electricity Regulation; the reality of implementation
This panel will explore the reality of implementing the Clean Electricity Regulation in Alberta. Hear from experts with diverse opinions on which technologies Alberta should focus on for the transition to net-zero and what would need to occur to allow the adoption of these technologies such as, market rules to create investment certainty, overcoming supply chain constraints, and resolving labour needs.
Moderator:
Lisa Doig, Managing Director, O’Doig Consulting Services Inc.
Panelists:
Judy Chang, Managing Principal, Analysis Group
Sara Hastings-Simon, Associate Professor, Dept of Earth, Energy, and Environment, and School of Public Policy, University of Calgary
Scott Wilmot, Vice President, Power & Renewables Intelligence, Enverus
Morgan Rodwell, Executive Director, Process Technology, Fluor Canada Ltd
Q & A
10:00 – 10:30
Coffee sponsored by ENMAX Corporation
10:30 – 11:45
Session 6: Politics of Power
Decisions regarding the organization of electric utilities are highly political, affecting ratepayers and voters. Municipal and provincial governments have historically dominated political debates concerning electrical systems. However, the introduction of the proposed federal Clean Electricity Regulations adds another level of government into the political fray. Join this panel to discuss the major political strategies of the Liberal Party of Canada and a Conservative Party of Canada pertaining to Canada’s electricity sector.
Moderator:
Kimberly Howard, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault
Panelists:
Zita Astravas, Vice President, Federal, Wellington Advocacy
Brad Tennant, Vice President, Alberta, Wellington Advocacy
Q & A
11:45 – 12:15
Session 7: AESO and AUC Updates
The Alberta government has tasked each of its electric energy market agencies with reviewing various aspects of the energy only market operations and efficiencies to signal where changes may be necessary to advance the goals of achieving reliability and affordability during the industry’s transition to a lower carbon footprint and ultimately reaching net-zero GHG emissions. The AESO and AUC will give their high-level view of the industry in Transformation.
Moderator:
Jason Beblow, President and Founder, URICA Energy Management Corp
Panelists:
Mike Law, President and CEO, Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)
Carolyn Dahl Rees, Chair, Alberta Utilities Commission
Q & A
12:15 – 13:30
Lunch sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright and Nextracker
13:30 – 14:45
Session 8: CEO Panel: The Never-ending Transition
Chief Executive Officers from across Alberta’s electricity industry share their vision for the future of the industry in Alberta. Hear from these leaders about the impacts of the Clean Electricity Regulation on their organizations and how they will use technology to create success in this latest transition of the market.
Moderator:
Jason Markusoff, Producer and Writer, CBC
Panelists:
Avik Dey, President and CEO, Capital Power
Gary Hart, President and CEO, AltaLink
Janine Sullivan, President and CEO, FortisAlberta
Mark Poweska, President and CEO, ENMAX
Q & A