2023 CCRE Energy Leaders Roundtable Banff, Alberta

CCRE Annual Energy Leaders Roundtable, May 15-17 at The Rimrock Resort Hotel, Banff, Alberta

The Council for Clean and Reliable Energy and its partners welcomed leaders in the energy sector to the 2023 CCRE Energy Leaders Roundtable held in Banff, Alberta. The Roundtable built on its 9-year success by delivering several keynote addresses and expert panels introduced by brief presentations at the beginning of each session organized around a variety of timely and important topics.

From the perspective of the CCRE, there does not yet appear to be an obvious solution to Canada’s energy policy dilemma or a defined road to identify common ground for moving forward toward a national energy vision for Canada. The topic continues to remain top of mind as collaboration on infrastructure development, the economy, decarbonization and reaching our climate goals remains critical.

As a broad and inclusive organization, with a governance and policy mandate, the Council hosted this Roundtable with the theme “The Long Canadian Winter in Energy: Will Spring Ever Come” focused its keynote addresses and presentations around this topic.

The Roundtable organizers and participants express their sincere appreciation to Elder Eldon Weasel Child, former Leader of the Siksika Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy for bringing his cultural message of wisdom as a spiritual leader and caretaker of the land to open the Roundtable.

We were pleased to have had Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Michael Rencheck, President and CEO, Bruce Power, Dennis McConaghy, former Executive Vice-President Corporate Development, TransCanada Corporation, and Greg Lyle, President, Innovative Research Group deliver keynote addresses.

The keynote addresses and presentations included the following sessions:

  • Energy in the Age of Pragmatism
  • Energy Policy and Climate Change: Federal and Provincial Alignment
  • The regulatory and policy environment for investment in energy sector infrastructure
  • Can bi-partisanship return to energy/environmental policy?
  • Carbon Change: Canada on the Brink of Decarbonization
  • Building Infrastructure and Collaboration
  • Investment Strategy in New Technologies
  • Building a clean energy future: Infrastructure, policy development and sustainable growth
  • Promises, Politics, and Polls
  • Policy and the Energy Sector

As part of the Politics and Energy Sector panel, William (Bill) Harris, Managing Partner of the Mita Group, joined the Roundtable from Washington, DC. The organizers and participants appreciated the opportunity to receive the presentation on the views of the current political climate in the USA and in particular the position on climate change, the environment and the energy sector.

The Council is a group of volunteers who have an interest in promoting open debate about energy issues. We do not represent a particular interest group and attempt to bring together a broad range of stakeholders who share an interest in promoting good governance and public policy for Canada’s energy sector. The Council remains committed to continuing to facilitate these important conversations and helping to shape the dialogue on energy policy for the benefit of all Canadians.

Glen Wright
Glen Wright
Chair
Council for Clean & Reliable Energy
Gerry Protti
Gerry Protti
Roundtable Co-Chair
Chariman, Blacksquare Inc.
Aaron Engen
Aaron Engen
Roundtable Co-Chair
Vice-Chair, BMO Capital Markets

Welcome Message

Presenters

Keynote Speakers

Heather Exner-Pirot
Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot
Senior Fellow and Director
Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Mike Rencheck
Michael Rencheck
President and CEO
Bruce Power
Dennis McConaghy
Dennis McConaghy
former Executive Vice-President
Corporate Developement TransCanada Corporation
Greg Lyle
Greg Lyle
President
Innovative Research Group

Presentations

Thank you to our Speakers and Presenters

As an expression of appreciation to the speakers and presenters, the CCRE has donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada and directed the funds to the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor Legacy Project.

Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor Legacy Project

“I would say that at the heart of every conservation achievement, at the heart of every park, every mountain range, every wetland, every river valley in the country that has ever been preserved, there is always a person – an individual who is at the start of that, whose passion has brought other people to the table and has led to a major conservation achievement.”

Jim Prentice

In recognition of the public service of Jim Prentice and to create a legacy that honours his personal and professional passion toward conservation across Canada, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is proposing to complete the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor Legacy Project in the Crowsnest Pass region of southwestern Alberta. This is a landscape that Jim lived and worked in and that helped in and that helped shape his love and respect for nature.

The Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor Legacy Project will conserve and connect one of the last internationally significant wildlife corridors in the Crowsnest Pass.

Launched in October 2018, the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor Legacy Project has seen great momentum. Together, all the generous donations to the corridor have allowed NCC to carry out this important work. We hope you will continue to spread the word about this project, helping us to continue building on this incredible momentum.

Upon completion of this project, a wildlife corridor over five kilometres wide will be conserved for the long term. This will support critical animal movement between the newly created Castle Crown Provincial Park, Waterton and Glacier International Parks and areas to the south, including Montana, to parks and protected areas north of Highway 3. When the corridor is completed, NCC will enter into discussions with the Government of Alberta to consider the construction of a wildlife crossing structure across Highway 3 and the railway line, similar to those completed within Banff National Park.

Supporters

CCRE Council for Clean & Reliable Energy
Ivey Energy and Policy Management Centre
Bruce Power-Innovation at Work
Innovative Research Group
EPCOR
Power Workers' Union