A constant debate with one answer - conservation and alternatives

The question of Nuclear and its Alternatives - debated TED style.

300 second history of 300 year energy legacy

OSEA Webinar Series - The Smart Grid October 25th

Presenters:

Marion Fraser, Fraser & Company

With 30 years of experience in the Ontario energy sector, Marion has worked for and consulted with a wide range of energy companies, associations and energy consumers.  She understands the Ontario energy sector, its recent evolution and future challenges.  She has earned a reputation as a leader in the sector with a strong record of participation on boards and committees at the national, provincial and municipal level.

Marion is considered one of the foremost practitioners of sustainable energy policy and programs in Ontario.  With 30 years of experience in the energy sector, she pioneered conservation programs at Ontario Hydro contributing to saving over 1200 MW of electricity from 1989 to 1993.  She applied this experience to an active consulting practice until she was recruited to head Enbridge Gas Distribution's conservation efforts where she spearheaded programs saving customers $700 million over three years and delivering a shareholder incentive of $13 million under an innovative regulatory framework which she helped establish.  When the McGuinty government was elected in 2003, although she had not been active politically, it hired Marion to ensure that sustainability was a key element in energy policy.

Joe Mulhall, Canadian Union of Skilled Workers (www.cusw.ca)

Joe brings over 40 years experience in the energy sector.  With a Masters Degree in Labour Studies from McMaster University, he is an electrician by trade. As President and the only full-time representative of Canadian Union of Skilled Workers, Joe has been successful in seeing CUSW celebrate its 10th year of being a strong and truly democratic union in 2009.

The ongoing restructuring of the Canadian economy with its emerging industries and technology propelled, constantly changing work environment simultaneously creates many new career opportunities, and changes the scope of skills necessary for workers to participate in the workplace. In response to the changing environment around us, members of CUSW have kept pace through involvement, training and education.  

CUSW members are educating themselves to be and are committed to working towards a safe and sustainable future.

Jatin Nathwani, PhD, P.Eng., Professor and Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy and Sustainable Energy Management, Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo. Executive Director WISE  (http://www.wise.uwaterloo.ca/)

Dr. Nathwani has extensive experience in the energy sector at the corporate level focusing on strategy and policy development, business planning for long term initiatives, contributions to the evolution of industry structure, management of regulatory affairs and environmental issues and timely integration of strategic R&D into business practice. Recently, he has been a contributor to the development of Ontario Power Authority's 'Integrated Power System Plan' focusing on the environmental and sustainability issues relevant to the planning process.

In support of the government policies on energy conservation and demand management and to create a true conservation culture in Ontario, he spearheaded the first major conservation and demand management initiative, including the largest North American pilot test of consumer propensity to conserve energy, and subsequent large scale deployment of the technology that enables reduction in energy use through "real time-feedback" of energy consumption.

Dr. Nathwani is also a member of the Ontario Smart Grid Forum, with members from Ontario's utility sector, industry associations, public agencies and universities.  The Forum's most recent report was released in May 2011 and makes a series of recommendations that focus on removing barriers to smart grid development and taking full advantage of its intended benefits. 

Moderator:

Chris Chopik (http://www.chrischopik.com) is a trusted writer, speaker and leader. A career in sales and communications combined with a passion for technology and the environment contribute to Chris' unique framework for profitable thinking about sustainability. Chris' recent pioneering work in the green real estate marketplace have provided a strong understanding of the confluence of issues facing the economy and ecology that underpin our quality of life.

Chris offers dynamic perspectives of conventional business challenges in the hyper-evolutionary space of sustainability, energy-efficiency, and commercialization. Chris consults with many organizations to overcome obstacles, achieve commercialization milestones, and to tackle emerging markets. (http://evolutiongreen.com/speakers/chris-chopik/)

OSEA FIT Webinar Series: OPA FIT Review – Discussing the Future of the Feed-in Tariff progam and wind power development in Ontario

When: Thursday, July 14, 1:00 - 2:30 pm Where: Online webinar. Log-in information provided upon registration.

Register: http://oseawebinars.eventbrite.com/

Description:

The Ontario Power Authority is expected to begin its review of the Feed-in Tariff programs within the next several weeks. To get the sector engaged we have created an exciting webinar series on the future of the FIT.

Join our panel of experts, on Thursday, July 14, for an engaging discussion.

The panel will address a series of important questions, including the following:

• Has the Feed-in Tariff program helped to increase wind power development in Ontario?
• What challenges and barriers is the wind industry faced with today?
• Should Ontario introduce a tariff for small wind?
• What can developers do to engage the public and overcome local opposition to developments?
• Why should communities consider developing their own or partnering with commercial partners to develop wind projects?
• How does political uncertainty impact the wind sector?

Panelists:

Cherie L. Brant, Associate, Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP (www.willmsshier.com)

Cherie is an associate with Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP with a practice in planning, structuring and implementing renewable energy and real estate projects.  She also builds the business agreements to create partnerships and joint ventures in generation, transmission, mining and other infrastructure projects and is frequently called upon to advise band counsels and non-profit organizations on corporate governance and structure matters.

Recently, Ms. Brant completed the first 100% First Nation owned wind power project in Ontario and is active in providing both on-going advocacy and project development counsel to other First Nations and community based renewable energy and transmission development proponents across the province.      

An important aspect of Cherie's transaction based practice is her ability to advise clients on the unique perspectives of working on lands governed by the Indian Act (Canada), as well as addressing Aboriginal consultation and land claim matters.  

Mike Crawley, President, International Power Canada (www.iprcanada.com)

Paul Gipe, Author, Advocate and Renewable Energy Industry Analyst, WindWorks.org

Paul Gipe has written extensively about renewable energy for both the popular and trade press. His most recent book, Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Home- and Community-scale Wind Energy Systems is available from Chelsea Green Publishing. In 2004, Gipe launched a campaign to bring electricity feed laws back to North America. The campaign has grown into a continent-wide grassroots movement that has put renewable energy feed-in tariffs on the political agenda in Canada and the US.

John Kourtoff, President and CEO, Trillium Power Wind Corporation

With over 20 years' experience in renewable energy, John is a member of several regulatory and standing national and bi-national committees pertaining to green energy and sustainable solutions, with a particular focus on offshore wind, advanced transmission solutions, hydro-electric and hydrokinetic generation and cutting edge geothermal technologies. John is President, CEO, and a founder, of Trillium Power Wind Corporation (www.trilliumpower.com), a Toronto-based pioneer of offshore wind development in North America and The Great Lakes. Trillium Power is planning to develop the four most optimal Great Lakes offshore wind sites, which combined will generate 3,500 MW of clean, perpetual and reliable electricity. John is a Director with Unified Clean Power Inc., a Toronto based clean energy investment and development company focused on global clean energy and sustainable development initiatives.

John was the Canadian delegate for a low-carbon economy at the G8 Environment Conference in Siracusa, Italy, continues to be a keynote and/or invited speaker at numerous international conferences and is a former co-chair of the Ontario Government Finance Advisory Committee and member of the Government Energy Advisory Committee. Formerly, John was the founder, and served as President, of a noted high-tech company, was VP and part owner of a Canadian Mutual Fund Management Company and was an advisor at a large Canadian Investment Company.

Judith Lipp, Executive Director, TREC Renewable Energy Co-op

Judith is the Executive Director of TREC (www.trec.on.ca), a position she has held for the last 18 months. In this time she has overseen the development and growth of four new programs at TREC, namely: Our Power -TREC's residential solar program; a Green Collar Careers pilot program for high school students; the Kids' World of Energy Education program for grades 5, 6, 7 and 9 students; and TREC's annual Kids' World of Energy Festival. She has also involved in the management of the Lakewind Energy project, the SolarShare project, Windshares new turbines project and she led TREC in defining a five-year strategic plan and budget. She also played a supporting role to the Green Energy Act Alliance in its campaign to introduce a Green Energy Act for Ontario.

Prior to joining TREC Judith completed her PhD at Dalhousie University in 2008 where she examined the role of public policy in promoting renewable electricity, drawing lessons from other jurisdictions for the Canadian context. She has more than nine years research and consulting experience in sustainable energy issues, spanning four continents. She has served as a consultant on both energy demand and supply-side issues. Since returning to Canada in 2003 she has helped prepare several energy-related studies at the national, regional and provincial levels, including work on community-based renewable energy development.

Justin Rangooni, Ontario Policy Manager, Canadian Wind Energy Association (www.canwea.ca)

Justin W Rangooni currently serves as Legal Counsel and the Ontario Policy Manager for the Canadian Wind Energy Association. Prior to joining CanWEA, Justin served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Ministers of Energy and Government Services. Justin graduated from the University of Western Law School in 2004 and was called to the bar a year later.

Moderator:

Chris Chopik (http://www.chrischopik.com) is a trusted writer, speaker and leader. A career in sales and communications combined with a passion for technology and the environment contribute to Chris' unique framework for profitable thinking about sustainability. Chris' recent pioneering work in the green real estate marketplace have provided a strong understanding of the confluence of issues facing the economy and ecology that underpin our quality of life.

Chris offers dynamic perspectives of conventional business challenges in the hyper-evolutionary space of sustainability, energy-efficiency, and commercialization. Chris consults with many organizations to overcome obstacles, achieve commercialization milestones, and to tackle emerging markets. (http://evolutiongreen.com/speakers/chris-chopik/)

Green Living Show TD Energy Stage Presentations

Chris Chopik Farhaneh Haque		Saturday, April 16, 2011              11:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. Chris Chopik, Realtor and Home Energy Expert Farhaneh Haque, Regional Sales Manager, TD Real Estate Secured Lending Q&A: Renewable Energy and Home Resale Value Farhaneh Haque and Chris Chopik will tackle important questions about financial benefits associated with renewable energy upgrades, including their impact on residential real estate. Sunday, April 17, 2011                12:00 P.M – 12:30 P.M. Chris Chopik, Realtor and Home Energy Expert Renewable Energy and Home Resale Value Join Chris Chopik as he examines the financial benefits associated with residential renewable energy upgrades, particularly what impact renewable energy has in the residential real estate market.