Michelle Fay, partner at Guidehouse, leading their Global Solutions team for the Energy, Sustainability and Infrastructure segment, and partner Andrea Roszell, leader of the Canadian Power and Utilities team, joined the podcast in early September 2023 to talk about the current state and future of the electricity sector. Drawing from Guidehouse’s 2023 State and Future of the Power Industry, we dig into issues from aging infrastructure to extreme weather and the energy transition to investment priorities. Through interviews with utility leaders and Guidehouse’s Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure experts, as well as an eight-question survey of industry stakeholders, the State and Future of the Power Industry examines what’s next for energy companies as they navigate upgrading aging infrastructure, ongoing supply chain bottlenecks, increasing storm intensity, and new Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance mandates.
John Stackhouse, Senior Vice President in the Office of the CEO at RBC joined the podcast in mid-August 2023 on Zoom, to talk about the state of climate policy just after the Government of Canada released draft Clean Electricity Regulations for comment. Francis and John discuss where banking and climate actions intersect, the evolution of Canadian climate policy, Canadian response the US Inflation Reduction Act, supply chain challenges, attracting the highly skilled labour needed for the transition, and Canadian competitiveness. They also discuss the need for regulatory flexibility, and the imperative of advancing Indigenous inclusion in the energy transition. The podcast closes with John’s recommendation for three additions to the Flux Capacitor Book Club.
Mark Rubenstein, litigation lawyer focused on regulated sectors, representing consumer and stakeholder interests, joined the podcast in July, 2023 on Zoom, to talk about the intersection of rate setting, affordability, and the costs of GHG emissions reduction targets. We discuss the role of intervenors in rate-setting, touch on affordability and the ability versus the willingness to pay for electricity service. As well as the use of benchmarking, the future challenges due to the costs of investments in decarbonization, and the need for better and more inclusive planning. Mark also gives Francis a book recommendation, for an on-theme addition to the Flux Capacitor Book Club.
Recorded in early July, 2023 on Zoom, Jane McDonald of Climate and Nature Solutions joins the podcast to discuss climate change, the Paris Accord and the dynamics of international climate negotiations, the urgent need to ramp up production of renewable electricity internationally and in Canada, the real impacts people are now feeling due to climate induced extreme weather, and how to stay positive and motivated in the face of alarming extreme weather. Jane also gives Francis a book recommendation, for a very timely addition to the Flux Capacitor Book Club.
Recorded on May 10, 2023, at Electricity Canada’s Regulatory Forum, held in conjunction with the annual CAMPUT Conference, the association of Canadian energy regulators. EY Canada’s Executive Director of Energy Transition Craig Sabine sat down with Francis for a fireside chat to launch the event, where they talked about the transition to a net zero future and the importance of electrification, challenges of current supply chain delays and how they might play out as electrification ramps-up, and the role the regulation will play in the energy transition. The conversation also touches on the pace of change, and affordability for customers. Links:Craig Sabine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-sabine-mba-3487945/?originalSubdomain=ca