| Pierre Alvarez Pierre Alvarez is Vice Chair of Global Public Affairs, a Canadian firm with global reach, providing integrated government relations, strategic communications and issues management consulting services that enable clients to successfully navigate increasingly complex business, public policy and media environment. Mr. Alavrez is a seasoned energy executive with over thirty years of senior management experience in the Canadian oil, natural gas, pipeline and electricity sectors. He has been directly involved in many of the most significant policy and project developments in the energy field as an Executive Leadership Team member at Nexen Inc., President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), Chairman and CEO of the NWT Power Corporation, Deputy Minister to the Premier of the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife and as a political staffer and public affairs consultant in Ottawa. Pierre joined Global Public Affairs in early 2015. He had previously been Vice President, Corporate Relations with Nexen Energy for five years. In this role, Pierre strengthened Nexen’s reputation as a responsible energy developer and top employer. He was specifically accountable for government relations, communications, and Nexen’s community investment program. He led Nexen’s government approvals process of the CNOOC Limited acquisition of Nexen in 2013, as well as the resulting internal and external communications. Prior to joining Nexen, Pierre spent nine years as President and Governor of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). Over that period, Pierre advocated on behalf of energy producers in provincial capitals, Ottawa and Washington. For more than a decade, Pierre worked in Canada’s far north in senior executive positions including Deputy Minister to the Premier, Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources for the Government of the Northwest Territories and Chairman and CEO of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. From 1984 to 1988, he worked in Ottawa with the federal Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and then served as a government affairs consultant with Public Affairs International. Pierre holds a Master of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. He also completed the Director’s Program at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Pierre is bilingual (French and English). Pierre is active in numerous government, community and charitable organizations including the Board of Directors for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Alberta Economic Development Authority and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. He has been a Director in Residence for the Institute of Corporate Directors for the past two years. Pierre is married and has three university-age children. | |
| John Betkoski, III John “Jack” Betkoski III is Vice Chairman of Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). Mr. Betkoski has served on Connecticut’s utility regulatory authority since 1997 when he was named a Commissioner of the Department of Public Utility Control. He was elected Vice Chairman of that body in 2007. When PURA was established on July 1, 2011 as the state’s new regulatory authority, Mr. Betkoski was appointed a Director by Governor Dannel P. Malloy and elected as Vice Chairman of the new authority. He is the former President of the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners (NECPUC) and is the 2nd Vice President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). In addition to his NECPUC and NARUC responsibilities, Mr. Betkoski is currently Chairman of the Connecticut Water Planning Council. Mr. Betkoski is also a member of the American Water Works Association Research Foundation’s Public Council on Drinking Water Research. He was also a member of the EPA National Drinking Water Advisory Council, serving on its Water Security Working Group. Mr. Betkoski is past Chairman of the Board of Directors for Griffin Hospital in Derby, and serves as Chairman of the Board of Director for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter. He is on the board of Waterbury Youth Services, and VARCA, Inc. of Derby, a private non-profit agency which provides work opportunities to individuals with special needs. He also is a member of the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army of Waterbury. Mr. Betkoski served as a member of the Connecticut General Assembly, representing the 105th District (Ansonia, Beacon Falls, and Seymour) as a state representative from 1987-1997. He was co-chairman of the legislature’s Commerce Committee from 1993 to 1997. His experience in the legislature and in working with issues affecting the underprivileged, through various human service agencies, gives him a unique perspective on the needs of all segments of Connecticut's population. Mr. Betkoski was the Waterbury Salvation Army’s Director of Human Services from 1989-1997, and held various administrative positions in human services agencies from 1974-1989. He served on Beacon Falls’ Board of Selectmen from 1981-1987 and Board of Finance from 1979-1981. He presently serves as Chairman on the Beacon Falls Economic Development Commission. Vice Chairman Betkoski was born in Waterbury and is a lifelong resident of Beacon Falls, Connecticut. He received his B.A. from Sacred Heart University, and his M.S. and Sixth Year Diploma in Advanced Studies in Administration and Supervision from Southern Connecticut State University. | |
| Chris Bloomer Chris Bloomer has over 30 years of experience across a range of upstream, downstream, domestic and international energy businesses. He began his career at Shell Canada and moved with increasing responsibility from exploration and production to economics and corporate planning, oil sands development and operations, pipelines and oil and NGL marketing. Following his tenure at Shell, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Castle Energy where he was responsible for the Canadian crude oil marketing business and US exploration, natural gas production and pipeline operations. Subsequently, he was a Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer at Talon Resources Ltd., a Latin American-focused midstream/pipeline project development and crude oil marketing company. Chris then went on to spend ten years as a senior executive with Petrobank Energy & Resources, providing leadership throughout a period of significant corporate evolution for the company. Here he held the roles of Vice President Heavy Oil, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Director. Immediately prior to joining CEPA, he was Chief Executive Officer and Director at Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd. Throughout his career, pipelines have been an integral aspect of all his business activities in Canada, the United States and Latin America, involving operation of existing pipelines and pioneering new pipelines and access to new markets for both oil and natural gas. Mr. Bloomer has a degree in Geoscience from the University of Toronto, has served on several public and private Canadian energy company boards and is a member of The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). | |
| Gaétan Caron Gaétan Caron joined the School of Public Policy of the University of Calgary as an Executive Fellow in July 2014. He writes and lectures on energy policy and regulation and contributes to international partnerships, notably with Mexico. He speaks publicly and responds to media queries on a range of policy matters on behalf of the School. In addition to his work at the School, he provides independent consulting services on energy and regulatory matters. This follows his seven-year tenure (2007 to 2014) as Chair and CEO of the National Energy Board (NEB) of Canada. Prior to his role as Chair and CEO, he served as Vice-Chair (2005 to 2007), Board Member (2003 to 2005) and member of the executive in various staff functions throughout the NEB. Mr. Caron has a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (Rural Engineering) from Laval University and an MBA from the University of Ottawa. He is a member of the Quebec Order of Engineers. He is Honorary Lifetime Member of the Canadian Association of Members of Public Utility Tribunals (CAMPUT) and Commissioner Emeritus with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). | |
| Paul Cassidy Paul Cassidy is a partner in the Vancouver office of McCarthy Tetrault. A former prosecutor, his practice has focused for almost 30 years on environmental law, providing legal services and strategic advice to proponents in the natural resource extraction sector, including domestic and international in the mining, energy and forest industries. | |
| Paul Cheliak Paul Cheliak is the Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs with the Canadian Gas Association in Ottawa, Ontario. The CGA is the national voice for Canada’s natural gas distribution companies who deliver natural gas to over 20 million Canadians in all sectors of the economy. Prior to joining CGA, Paul worked with Natural Resources Canada – Canada’s federal resource department – providing natural gas market and policy advice to the Department’s senior management. Paul lives in Ottawa with his wife and two daughters and is an avid cook and fisherman (with marginal success in the latter). | |
| Michael Cleland Michael Cleland is a private consultant with extensive experience in energy and environment policy. He is at present Senior Fellow with the University of Ottawa’s Collaboratory on Energy Research and Policy, Chair of the Board of Directors at the Canadian Energy Research Institute and a member of the Board of Directors of QUEST (Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow) He is formerly President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association. Prior to joining CGA, he was Senior Vice President Government Affairs for the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA). Before joining CEA, he was Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Energy Sector in the Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), formerly Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR) and before that, Director General of the Energy Policy Branch. From 1987 to January 1990, he was Assistant Director, Resource Policy Division in the Department of Finance. Before joining the federal government in 1987, Mr. Cleland worked in Nova Scotia where, he was a lecturer in business/government relations at the school of Public Administration at Dalhousie University and academic editor of Plan Canada, the journal of the Canadian Institute of Planners. From 1982 to 1985, he was Associate Director of the Centre for Development Projects at Dalhousie University where he was responsible for various management training projects in Zimbabwe and the countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Prior to joining Dalhousie University, he occupied a number of positions at the Nova Scotia Departments of Development and Municipal Affairs. Mr. Cleland was born in Quesnel, British Columbia, and educated at the University of British Columbia (BA in political science 1972) and Queens (MPL urban and regional planning 1974). | |
| Paula Conboy Paula Conboy was appointed as the full-time state/territory member and Australian Energy Regulator Chair in October 2014. Ms. Conboy has extensive experience in developing and implementing energy market reform and utility regulation. Prior to her appointment to the Australian Energy Regulator, she served as a full-time board member of the Ontario Energy Board. Before that Ms. Conboy was the Vice-President of Regulatory and Government Affairs at PowerStream. She holds a MSc (Agr) from Guelph University in Canada. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. | |
| James M. Coyne James M. Coyne is an energy industry expert who provides financial, regulatory and strategic support services to clients in the power and gas utilities industries. Drawing upon his industry and regulatory expertise, he regularly advises utilities, public agencies and investors on business strategies, investment evaluations, cross-border trade, rate and regulatory policy, capital cost determinations and energy markets. He is a frequent speaker and author of numerous articles on the energy industry and regularly provides expert testimony before federal, state and provincial jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada. He testifies on matters pertaining to the cost of capital, capital structure, business risk, alternative ratemaking mechanisms and regulatory policy. Prior to Concentric, Mr. Coyne worked in senior consulting positions focused on North American utilities industries, in corporate planning for an integrated energy company, and in regulatory and policy positions in Maine and Massachusetts. Mr. Coyne holds a B.S. in Business from Georgetown University with honors and an M.S. in Resource Economics from the University of New Hampshire. | |
| Lisa DeMarco Lisa DeMarco is a senior partner at DeMarco Allan LLP with over two decades of experience in law, regulation, policy, and advocacy relating to energy and climate change. Ms. DeMarco was previously a partner at Macleod Dixon LLP from 2002 to 2012, partner at Norton Rose Canada LLP from 2012 to 2013 and partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP from 2013 to 2014. She represents several governments and leading energy clients in a wide variety of natural gas, electricity, pipeline and energy storage matters before various regulatory agencies, including the OEB and the National Energy Board. She has been an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and lectures regularly. Ms. DeMarco also assists leading Canadian energy companies on domestic and overseas power project development, renewable power projects, alternative fuel projects, cleantech development and finance, energy storage, carbon capture and storage, corporate social responsibility, environmental disclosure, clean energy finance, and sustainable business strategy. She is ranked by Chambers Global as one of the world’s leading climate change lawyers and regularly attends and advises on related United Nations negotiations. She is ranked and repeatedly recommended by LEXpert, Expert Guide, International Who’s Who, and Chambers Canada as a leading energy (oil and gas) and environment lawyer. Ms. DeMarco has worked for multilateral development banks and energy companies on deals and projects in India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Argentina, Chile, Ireland, Africa, Mexico, China, Russia, California, Alberta, Ontario, and Québec. She plays an ongoing and active role in the development and drafting of energy and greenhouse gas emissions policy, regulation, and law throughout Canada, and in various countries around the world. Ms. DeMarco was also lead counsel on all aspects of the successful sale of an Ontario power distribution company. She is an appointed member of Ontario’s Clean Energy Task Force and Climate Action Group. Ms. DeMarco is a member of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund Investment Committee. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (BSc Hon. – 1990), the University of Toronto (MSc. – 1992), Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (LLB – 1995) and the Vermont Law School (MSEL, summa cum laude – 1995). | |
| Murray Doehler Murray E. Doehler was appointed as a Member of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board in September, 2005. Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Doehler had been a Partner with Deloitte's and subsequently practiced as a management consultant with Syntel Consultancy Inc. and Gaia Corporation, where he was President. As a management consultant, he has worked with a variety of public and private sector clients, both in Nova Scotia and internationally in Vietnam, Thailand, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, Samoa, and Cook Islands. An active participant in the community, Mr. Doehler has had significant involvement with the City of Halifax (Alderman), Halifax District School Board (Chair), Red Cross, Neptune Theatre, Cathedral Church of All Saints (Warden), the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Symphony Nova Scotia, Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Network, the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia. Mr. Doehler holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia (Dalhousie) and Mount Allison University and has his designation as a Chartered Accountant. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia, life member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia, member and Chair of CAMPUT: Canada’s Energy and Utility Regulators and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (US) and a Fellow of Engineers Canada. | |
| Joseph Doucet Joseph Doucet became Dean of the Alberta School of Business on July 1, 2013. He joined the School in 2000 and, from 2005, was the Enbridge Professor of Energy Policy. He has held faculty or visiting appointments at Université Laval, the University of Florida, and Université Montpellier (France). He earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Under Dean Doucet’s leadership, the Alberta School of Business continues to build on its globally recognized research excellence and outstanding learning environment while growing its impact in the areas of energy and the environment, entrepreneurship, and international business. The School’s vision is “Leaders from Alberta for the World.” Mr. Doucet’s research interests are in the areas of energy and regulatory economics and policy. He regularly provides strategic advice to firms and governments in these areas. His research has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Regulatory Economics, the Canadian Journal of Economics, Energy Economics and The Energy Journal. He is a past President of the Canadian affiliate of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE). He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Regulatory Economics and, between 2000 and 2006, he was Editor of the journal Energy Studies Review. Mr. Doucet currently sits on the boards of the Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), the EPCOR Community Essentials Council (ECEC), the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Alberta (CMC-Alberta) and La Fondation franco-albertaine. He is also a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Energy and Natural Resources Policy Council, and the City of Edmonton’s Mayor’s Taskforce on the Elimination of Poverty. In November 2015 Premier Rachel Notley appointed him Chair of the Premier's Advisory Committee on the Economy. Mr. Doucet and his wife Karen are the proud parents of four adult sons. | |
| Philippe Dunsky Philippe Dunsky has spent the past quarter century helping his clients build a sustainable energy future. He has had the honour of leading a first-rate team of professionals, and the privilege of supporting forward-looking governments, utilities, businesses and non-profits throughout North America. Mr. Dunsky’s experience spans the full array of demand-side energy resources: from building efficiency and demand response, through renewable energy and storage, as well as clean mobility. He has designed plans and programs, developed leading-edge policies, assessed the potential of solutions across vast markets, and advised on an array of related issues. He is currently Vice Chair of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance, among other positions. | |
| Carole Dupuis Carole Dupuis, is an experienced strategist and manager, she is a specialist in planning, marketing and communication. As a consultant during the major part of her career, she advised the leadership of large organizations, mainly in the financial services sector, and orchestrated high impact programs. She was also communications director and marketing vice-president of Laurentian General Insurance Company, which was then the second largest P&C insurance company in Canada. After thirty years in the private sector, she engaged in municipal politics in 2009 and then became the first general manager of a young party which proposes to the population of Montreal another way of urban living, focused on sustainable development, sound management and quality of life. Now established in the area of Lotbinière, she works full-time, as a volunteer, as general coordinator and spokesperson for the Regroupement vigilance hydrocarbures Québec (RVHQ). The RVHQ includes 130 citizens groups from all regions of Quebec, mobilized against the development of the oil & gas sector and for a fast transition towards a sustainable economy. | |
| Jonathan Erling Jonathan Erling is a Partner in the Infrastructure Group of KPMG’s Toronto office, where he focuses almost exclusively on the energy and regulated utility sectors. Mr Erling provides business planning, rate design and cost allocation services for a variety of utility clients. He has prepared policy analyses for government and for utility regulators on issues related to market design, performance-based regulation, and incentives for new infrastructure investment. He has provided expert testimony at the Ontario Energy Board and at the Manitoba Public Utilities Board and prepared expert evidence on behalf of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. His project experience covers the electricity, gas, district energy, and water and wastewater sectors. Mr Erling graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Engineering Science (Mechanical Option). He also has an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Toronto. Mr Erling has 28 years of advisory experience with KPMG. | |
| David Gray David Gray is Chairman of the UK Gas & Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA), the governing board of Ofgem. He was appointed to this role in October 2013 and was previously an executive director of Ofgem from 2003 - 2007 in charge of the Networks Division. He is also a non-executive director of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. In 2008 he advised the UK government on a review of economic regulation of airports and in 2011 he led a review of Ofwat, the water sector regulator. Before 2003, he worked for HSBC where he was head of the Energy and Utilities investment banking team and advised the UK government on the privatizations of the gas and electricity sectors. | |
| Meghan Harris-Ngae Meghan Harris-Ngae is a Market Leader in EY's Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice for the Americas, serving a broad range of clients in areas relating to sustainability advisory and assurance services. Ms Harris-Ngae has over 15 years of combined international experience in sustainability, government relations and providing climate change and broader sustainability advisory, reporting and assurance services to clients in the oil & gas, mining, power & utilities, aerospace & defence, financial, and consumer products sectors. | |
| Kevin Heffernan Kevin Heffernan has more than 35 years of broad experience in resource development industries. Although a geologist by education, his experience spans exploration and development, industry analysis and strategic planning, regulation, and stakeholder and government relations. Mr. Heffernan is the past-President of the Canadian Society for Unconventional Resources (CSUR) where he had a focus on the not-for-profit organization’s technology-related communication and external engagement activities. The Society encourages informed, fact-based and responsible decision making by industry, governments, regulators and stakeholders with respect to the development of shale gas, tight oil and other unconventional hydrocarbon resources. Mr. Heffernan joined CSUR as Vice President in mid-2008 and was appointed President in 2012, retiring from the organization in 2016. While at CSUR he was actively involved with communities, governments, regulators and multi-stakeholder groups in several Canadian jurisdictions, and was frequently consulted by international governments and organizations including the International Energy Agency as it began to consider the global implications of evolving technologies for oil and gas development. Prior to joining CSUR, he held management positions in regulatory, stakeholder, and government relations from 2002 to 2008 at a private company developing coalbed methane, tight sand and shale gas resources in western Canada, working closely with communities where the company operated. His other experience includes technical, advisory and management positions with pipeline companies, as well as several years with an international resource development consulting firm. Mr. Heffernan is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Energy Research Institute. | |
| Laura Hussey Laura Hussey is NERC’s director of International Relations. In this role, she is responsible for working with NERC’s international stakeholders, including federal and provincial governments as well as industry in Canada and Mexico, to facilitate and maintain a consistent North American framework for electric reliability. Ms. Hussey joined NERC in 2010 and prior to assuming responsibility for working with international stakeholders, she held progressively responsible positions managing NERC’s standard development activities. Ms. Hussey’s previous electric industry experience includes positions as director of cyber security policy at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and various positions at Edison Electric Institute. In addition to her electric industry experience, Ms. Hussey has 15 years experience as an information technology consultant, including six years running her own training firm. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in information science and has completed graduate coursework in public policy for network industries at Georgetown University. | |
| Thomas Isaac Thomas Isaac is a nationally recognized authority in the area of Aboriginal law and leads Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP’s National Aboriginal Law Practice. He has extensive cross-Canada experience advising energy, oil, gas, pipeline, mining and forestry companies, lenders/investors, and federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments and agencies. Mr. Isaac has represented industry and government clients before the Supreme Court of Canada, Federal Court of Canada, Ontario Court of Appeal, Ontario Divisional Court, BC Court of Appeal, BC Supreme Court, NWT Supreme Court, Yukon Supreme Court, Yukon Court of Appeal, National Energy Board, Ontario Energy Board and BC Environmental Appeal Board. He has published extensively in the area of aboriginal law, including 12 books on aboriginal legal matters, including the 5th ed. of his text Aboriginal Law. His published works on Aboriginal law have been cited with approval by Canadian courts. He is a former Chief Treaty Negotiator for the Government of British Columbia and former Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for establishing Nunavut for the Government of the Northwest Territories. He also served in a senior capacity with the Government of Saskatchewan dealing with Aboriginal issues. Mr. Isaac has served as the Minister’s Special Representative to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs regarding a Section 35 Métis Rights and Reconciliation Framework and a reconciliation approach for the Supreme Court of Canada’s Decision in Manitoba Métis Federation v. Canada. His report –– A Matter of National and Constitutional Import: Section 35 Métis Rights and the Manitoba Métis Federation Decision - was released by Canada in July 2016. Mr. Isaac is currently serving as the Minister’s Special Representative to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs and the Premier of the NWT regarding the South Slave Region of the NWT. Mr. Isaac is also serving as the Minister's Special Representative to conduct exploratory discussions on the Gottfriedson class action lawsuit against the Government of Canada relating to residential day schools. Mr. Isaac is a member of the law societies of British Columbia, Alberta, NWT, Nunavut and Yukon. | |
| Philip B. Jones Commissioner Jones was appointed by Governor Chris Gregoire in March 2005, re-appointed in January, 2011 and confirmed unanimously by the Washington State Senate. Commissioner Jones served as President of NARUC (National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners) in 2012-13, and presently serves on its Board of Directors. He previously chaired and served on the Board of Directors of NRRI (National Regulatory Research Institute). Commissioner Jones has served on the Telecommunications Committee and the International Relations Committee since 2005. He also served as Co-Chair of the Washington Action Committee. He previously served on the Advisory Council of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which is the public interest council to advise electric utilities on R&D priorities. Prior to his commission appointment, he served as managing director of Cutter & Buck (Europe), BV in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for five years. From 1983 – 1988 he served as senior legislative assistant to Senator Daniel J. Evans, the former U.S. Senator from Washington State, and staffed him on energy policy issues before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, as well as international trade policy. He was responsible for a broad range of energy issues, including hydroelectric re-licensing, nuclear waste management, energy conservation and renewables, and the Bonneville Power Administration. Jones is a native of Spokane, Washington. He graduated from Harvard College with honors with a degree in East Asian Studies in 1977. | |
| Eugene Kung Eugene Kung is a staff lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law Association, his areas of focus include Tar Sands, Tankers and Pipelines, as well as Revitalizing Indigenous Laws for Land Air and Water (RELAW) – a partnership with UVic Law School’s Indigenous Law Research Unit. Mr. Kung was born and raised in Burnaby, BC. He holds a BA from UBC and a JD from Dalhousie, and was called to the BC Bar in 2008. He has appeared before energy regulators for nearly a decade, including the BC Utilities Commission and the National Energy Board. Prior to joining West Coast, Mr. Kung worked as a staff lawyer at the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre, where he represented a coalition of low and fixed income residential customers at BCUC proceedings, and engaged in systemic test-case litigation on human rights issues. Mr. Kung also worked for the Legal Resources Centre in Durban, South Africa on constitutional law cases involving access to housing, water, education and a healthy environment. Mr. Kung has taught principles of energy regulation and energy literacy at UBC Law school and at the Law Foundation of BC Legal Advocacy Training Course. | |
| Dr. David B. Layzell Dr. David B. Layzell is a Professor at the University of Calgary and Director of the Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) Initiative. In CESAR, he studies the energy systems of Canada and models the costs, benefits and tradeoffs of technologies and policies driving energy systems transformation. Between 2008 and 2012, he was Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE), a cross-faculty, graduate research and training institute at the University of Calgary. Before arriving in Calgary, Dr. Layzell was a professor at Queen’s University (Kingston) and the Executive Director of BIOCAP Canada, a research foundation focused on biological solutions to climate change. While at Queen’s, he founded an scientific instrumentation company called Qubit Systems Inc. and was elected ‘Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada’ (FRSC) for his research contributions. | |
| Stanford L. Levin Stanford L. Levin joined the Department of Economics in the School of Business at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1972, became Professor of Economics in 1985, and was Chairman of the Department of Economics from 1986 to 1994. He became Professor Emeritus in 2002. In November, 1984, he was appointed Commissioner of the Illinois Commerce Commission, the state utility regulatory agency, by Governor James R. Thompson, serving until March, 1986, when he returned to the University. From 1996 until 2002, Dr. Levin was Director of the School of Business’ International Exchange Programs. In addition, Dr. Levin is President of the Resource Group, Inc., an economic consulting firm, and he has served as a member of Bellcore's Advisory Board. He was a consulting economist to the Chicago Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission from 1979 to 1983, and he spent a sabbatical leave in 1978 at the Energy Service of Data Resources, Inc., in Washington, D.C. Dr. Levin has a B.A. in Economics from Grinnell College and a Ph. D. in Economics from the University of Michigan. He has published numerous articles, papers, reports, and monographs, including articles in the Southern Economic Journal, The Review of Economics and Statistics, the Review of Industrial Organization, the Journal of Energy Law and Policy, Telecommunications Policy, and the International Review of Economics and Business. He is also a co-editor of a book on antitrust and a book on telecommunications. In addition, he has presented papers at professional economics meetings, served as an expert witness in antitrust and regulatory proceedings, and testified before federal and state regulatory commissions in the U. S. and in Canada and in U. S. federal and state courts. Dr. Levin consults in the areas of telecommunications, energy, antitrust, and economics, and his clients have included companies and public agencies in the U. S. and in several countries around the world. He has organized economics conferences and has spoken to a variety of professional and trade groups. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Telecommunications Society, has been a trustee and president of the Illinois Economic Association, and is a member of several professional economics organizations. | |
| Honorable Sergio Marchi The Honourable Sergio Marchi was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) in February 2015. As President of CEA, Mr. Marchi acts as spokesperson on issues of national concern to the electric utility industry. The Honourable Sergio Marchi was elected as a Toronto City Councillor in 1982, and was subsequently elected as the Member of Parliament representing the Toronto riding of York West in 1984. During his time in the federal government, he served as Cabinet Minister in three key portfolios: International Trade; Environment; and Citizenship and Immigration. After voluntarily leaving the political arena in 1999, Mr. Marchi was appointed Canadian Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN) Agencies in Geneva, where he served for five years. In 2003, he was nominated by the Canadian government and the UN Secretary General to serve as Commissioner on the UN Global Commission on International Migration, a position he held until 2005. Prior to joining CEA, Mr. Marchi held a number of positions in the private sector, and was a frequent public speaker and commentator on international issues, including global migration, international economy, trade, and investment. Mr. Marchi is also a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Mr. Marchi graduated from York University with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Planning. He is married, with two children. | |
| Sharon Mascher Sharon Mascher is a Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Western Australia. Sharon has previously held positions at Thompson Rivers University's Faculty of Law and the University of Western Australia's Faculty of Law. Her research is focused at the intersections of climate change law, environmental law, property law and laws affecting Indigenous peoples. Sharon is co-editor of the Journal of Environmental Law and Practice and is currently conducting research on the effect of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions relating to Aboriginal title and rights on environmental impact assessment processes in Canada. | |
| Michael McDonald Today, there exists tremendous potential for Aboriginal Peoples to realize commercial success. Over the course of his 28+ year career, Michael McDonald has been a principal proponent of Aboriginal economic growth, leading many of Canada’s most intricate and complex precedent-setting Aboriginal development projects totaling more than $20 billion. A member of the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, Mr. McDonald couples vast business experience with distinct cultural understanding to serve clients from a holistic perspective, crafting solutions that unite legal, commercial, governance and social interests. | |
| Jack Mintz Dr. Jack M. Mintz is the President’s Fellow of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary as of July 1, 2015 after serving as the Palmer Chair and Director since 2008. He also serves on the boards of Imperial Oil Limited, Morneau Shepell and is chair and Vice-President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. As of September 1 2015, he has been appointed as the National Policy Advisor for the accounting firm EY. Dr. Mintz became a member of the Order of Canada in 2015 as well as receiving the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for service to the Canadian tax policy community. Widely published in the field of public economics, he was touted in a 2004 UK magazine publication as one of the world’s most influential tax experts. Alberta Venture magazine has recognized him as one of the fifty most influential Albertans in 2008, 2010 and 2013. The Financial Post named him one of the five most influential Canadians in regulation in 2012. | |
| Michal Moore Michal Moore is a Distinguished Fellow at the School of Public Policy in the University of Calgary. He retired as Professor of Energy Economics at the School in 2016, and is currently a Visiting Professor of Economics and Systems Engineering at Cornell University in New York. Professor Moore earned his doctorate in Economics at the University of Cambridge in the UK, and served two terms as Commissioner for the California Energy Commission and held the position of Chief Economist at the United States Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado before moving to Canada. He has previously served as an elected County Supervisor in Monterey, California and director of the Governor's Office of Local Government. He is currently engaged in the creation of a pan-North American energy strategy, and a project to identify finance incentives that will enhance grid stability in high voltage transmission systems in the US. | |
| David Morton David M. Morton is Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the BC Utilities Commission, since December 31, 2015. Prior to his appointment as Chair, he served as Commissioner from November 2010 - December 30, 2015. Mr. Morton also has over 25 years of experience in the Information Technology sector. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science, University of Toronto; Professional Engineer (British Columbia); Licentiate in Accounting, Society of Management Accountants Canada; and is certified with the ICD.D designation in 2013 by the Institute of Corporate Directors. | |
| David J. Mullan David Mullan is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington (LL.B. and LL.M.), where he commenced his academic career as a Junior Lecturer, and also has an LL.M. from Queen’s University. He taught at Queen's from 1971 to 1973 and again, after four years at Dalhousie University, from 1977 to 2003. At the time of his early retirement, he was the holder of the Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt Professorship in Constitutional and Administrative Law. From 2004 until 2008, Mr. Mullan was the first Integrity Commissioner for the City of Toronto, and now is a consultant and researcher. Mr. Mullan has published many articles in the field of Administrative Law as well as prepared reports for various governments, agencies, and Law Commissions, including a 2010 report for Correctional Service Canada on inmate grievance processes. He is the author of Administrative Law in the Essentials of Canadian Law Series (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2001) as well as one of the editors (along with Gus Van Harten, Gerald Heckman and Janna Promislow) of the seventh edition of Evans, Janisch, Mullan and Risk, Administrative Law: Cases, Text, and Materials, published by Emond Montgomery Publications in 2015. From 1983 to 1994, he was editor of the Administrative Law Reports, from 1998 to 2006 a part-time member of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and, until 2015, a part-time Vice-Chair of the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. He is currently a member of the NAFTA Chapter 19 Canadian Panel. He is also a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars and workshops for members of courts, tribunals, and agencies. | |
| Nancy Olewiler Nancy Olewiler est professeure à la School of Public Policy de l'université Simon Fraser. Avant de se joindre au département des sciences économiques de l'université Simon Fraser en 1990, elle a été professeure au département des sciences économiques à l'université Queens. Son doctorat en sciences économiques a été obtenu à l'université de la Colombie britannique. Les domaines de recherche de Nancy, incluent l'économie des ressources naturelles et de l'environnement avec une spécialisation en politique publique, y compris des études en politique de l'énergie et du climat, le capital naturel et les écoservices ainsi que la politique fiscale fédérale. Elle a été publiée dans des journaux universitaires, a écrit des livres et deux manuels, employés couramment (The Economics of Natural Resource Use and Environmental Economics), et a produit des rapports pour les gouvernements canadiens (fédéral et provinciaux). Nancy est commissaire à la Commission de l'écofiscalité du Canada et a fait partie de l'équipe sur la conduite du climat 2015 en Colombie-Britannique. Elle a fait partie du conseil d'administration de BC Hydro, de Powerex, de Powertech, et de TransLink. Elle est membre du Conseil national de la statistique et est présidente de son Comité consultatif des comptes macro-économiques. | |
| Martin Olszyinski Martin Olszynski joined the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary in July 2013. Professor Olszynski holds a B. Sc. (Biology) and an LL.B., both from the University of Saskatchewan, and an LL.M. (specialization in environmental law) from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to joining the University of Calgary, Professor Olszynski was counsel with the federal Department of Justice, practicing environmental and natural resources law in the legal services unit at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2007 - 2013). During this period, he also spent some time on secondment as a policy analyst with Environment Canada. Professor Olszynski's primary research interests are in environmental, natural resources, and water law and policy. He is a co-editor of the Journal of Environmental Law and Practice, and his own articles have been published in various journals both in and outside of Canada. | |
| Pierre-Olivier Pineau Pierre-Oliver Pineau (PhD, HEC Montréal, 2000) is a professor at the Department of Decision Sciences of HEC Montréal and holds the Chair in Energy Sector Management since December 2013. He is an energy policy and management specialist, with a focus on electricity reforms. His research focuses on electricity market integration and on optimal approaches to balance energy production and consumption. He worked in Canada, Africa, Latin America and the Nordic countries and has published papers on all these regions. He is a member of CIRODD (Interuniversity Research Centre for the Operationalization Sustainable Development), of the institute EDDEC (environment, sustainable development and circular economy) and of CRÉ (Ethics research center). He held positions in Canada at the University of Victoria (School of Public Administration, 2001-2006) and at Concordia University (Economics Department, 2000-2001). He sits on the Board of directors of the Canadian Association for Energy Economics. | |
| Robert Powelson Commissioner Robert F. Powelson is a highly respected leader in the power and energy regulatory industry in both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and on a national level. Mr. Powelson has served as a Commissioner at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission since 2008. During his tenure as Chairman from 2010-2014, Mr. Powelson helped transform the Commission into one of the most dynamic regulatory agencies in the nation. Pennsylvania has been widely recognized as a national success story for its competitive electricity markets, which Mr. Powelson has steadfastly supported since joining the Commission in 2008. Mr. Powelson also played an integral role in helping to transform Pennsylvania into an energy export state by supporting the responsible development of natural gas, innovative coal production, nuclear power development and renewable energy investment. In November 2016, Mr Powelson was elected by his colleagues to be the President of the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC). From 2010-2013, he also served on the NARUC Board of Directors and as Chairman of the NARUC Water Committee. In addition to his participation with NARUC, Mr. Powelson served as President of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners (MACRUC) from June 2014 to June 2015. | |
| Shahrzad Rahbar Shahrzad Rahbar is the President of the Industrial Gas Users Association. Dr Rahbar obtained her PhD in mechanical engineering from the UK and owns two patents in her name. She has extensive gas industry experience. Prior to joining IGUA, Dr Rahbar served as Senior Vice-President with the Canadian Gas Association during which time she actively contributed to the development of energy, technology and regulatory policy in Canada. Shahrzad served on the Executive Committee of the International Gas Union, on the Board of the Natural Gas Technology Centre, and as Vice-Chair and founding director of QUEST. She is also a graduate of the Director’s Education Program from the Institute of Corporate Directors taken at the Rotman’s School of Management, University of Toronto. | |
| Anda Ray Anda Ray serves as the Senior Vice-President, External Relations and Technical Resources, and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), responsible for international and government relations, member engagement, marketing and communications, laboratories, and corporate safety. Ms. Ray received a degree in Nuclear Physics from Auburn University, and an advanced degree in Solid State Physics from Emory University. Prior to EPRI, Ms. Ray spent over 30 years in the electric utility business, primarily with the Tennessee Valley Authority. She served in several executive positions whose scope of responsibilities spanned most aspects of the electric utility’s operations, including nuclear power. Ms. Ray has testified before Congress on various topics; appeared on U.S. syndicated news shows “60 Minutes”, “World Business Review” and National Public Radio (NPR); recognized by the Harvard Business Review for efforts on corporate performance; and served as the recovery Executive for a major U.S. coal plant accident; She also collaborated with the U.S. Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture on delivering the first U.S. “Vision and Roadmap for Bioenergy and Biobased Products in the United States” and led the establishment of the first renewable energy premium program in the southeastern U.S. She served on several Boards of Directors, and is currently serving on the Board of a regional American Red Cross; the Leadership Council for the College of Science and Math at Auburn University and is active supporting teens in the community. | |
| Merran Smith Merran Smith is the executive director of Clean Energy Canada and a fellow at the Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue. For decades, she has worked to unite industry, government, and civil society organizations to solve pressing social and ecological challenges. Her leadership in the landmark Great Bear Rainforest conservation agreement helped ensure the protection of thousands of kilometers of British Columbia’s coastal ecosystem. She is the founder of Clean Energy Canada, the nation’s leading climate and energy think tank on clean energy solutions. Ms. Smith is currently one of Canada’s representatives on the International Clean Energy Ambassador Corps, and served on BC’s Climate Leadership Team in 2015. She is also a 2016 recipient of the Vancouver Board of Trade ‘Wendy McDonald Award’ for community leadership, and a 2014 recipient of the Clean 16 Award for Leadership in Clean Capitalism. | |
| Douglas Stout Doug Stout is Vice President, Market Development & External Relations at FortisBC, involved in both natural gas and electricity businesses in BC and responsible for the development of new business opportunities as well as negotiations with municipal, provincial and governments of Aboriginal Peoples. He also oversees the corporate communications group. Mr. Stout has led the development of the Tilbury and Mt. Hayes LNG projects for FortisBC, the repatriation of customer service activities to the business, and the development of natural gas for transportation activities in BC. He has held several board positions with various industry organizations, including Chair of the Board of the CNGVA and a Board member of the Northwest Gas Association. Most recently, Mr. Stout is a member of the BC LNG Alliance Board. | |
| Peter Watson Peter Watson was appointed Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the National Energy Board in August 2014. Mr. Watson earned a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta in 1983. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Watson spent more than fifteen years with the Alberta government in senior leadership positions, including service as the Deputy Minister of Alberta Environment, the Deputy Minister of Alberta Energy and the Deputy Minister of the Executive Council. Mr. Watson also served as the President of the Alberta Water Council from 2005 to 2008, and as the President of the Clean Air Alliance from 2005 to 2011. Mr. Watson is a member of the Association of Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He was named Alberta’s Resource Person of the Year in 2011. | |
| Jennifer Winter Jennifer Winter (PhD, Calgary) is an Assistant Professor and Scientific Director of the Energy and Environmental Policy research division at The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary. Her research is focused on the effects of government regulation and policy on energy development and the associated consequences and trade-offs. Current research projects are the prospects for Canadian LNG exports to Europe, social impacts of hydraulic fracturing, and comparing provincial emission-reduction policies. Dr. Winter is actively engaged in increasing public understanding of energy and environmental policy issues; recognition of her efforts include a 2014 Young Women in Energy Award and being named one of Alberta Oil Magazine’s Top 35 Under 35 in 2016. Dr. Winter serves on the Future Leaders Board of Directors, World Petroleum Council Canada. | |
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