By Shaun Penner

Energy Futures

Energy Futures Roadshow coming to Grande Prairie

Mar 28, 2019 | 12:26 PM

Peace Country residents can get a look into the future of energy next week during a two-day workshop being held in Grande Prairie.

The session is known as the Energy Futures Roadshow, put on by The Energy Futures Lab on April 3 and 4, with the goal of the session being to present what the transition in the energy industry may look like in the near future, as well as the role Grande Prairie would play in that specifically. The EFL is inviting municipal government, local businesses, economic development authorities, schools and the public to attend.

“I would say, in short, (this is) not your typical conference. It will be very engaging and interactive,” – Alison Cretney

This will be the fourth stop of the roadshow, says Alison Cretney, Managing Director of the EFL, after previous stops in the Crowsnest Pass, Hinton and Devon. Communities are chosen through an application process. Cretney says the City of Grande Prairie made a very compelling case.

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The sessions will be split up over the two-day workshop.

“I would say, in short, (this is) not your typical conference. It will be very engaging and interactive,” said Cretney. “On day one, part of the experience is a simulation of what an energy transition will feel like. Participants get to be immersed in a fictional region that is undergoing an energy transition and they get to play stakeholder roles. It’s a way of experiencing what about 20 years of an energy transition would feel like over a few hours.”

The second day of the conference will feature speakers from the EFL, who will lead sessions on energy futures in the Grande Prairie area, identifying the challenges that exist and how citizens, business and government can work together to change the future of energy.

Unsure what an energy transition might mean? Cretney gives a few examples of what those could be:

“For example, transitioning towards hydrogen powered freight transport, or producing electricity using geothermal energy… or what the role of hydrocarbons might be in a low carbon future.”

Registration for the event can be done through the organization’s website. Both days will go from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and registration closes on April 2. The workshop is free to attend, but registration is mandatory. There will also be a follow-up session on May 31 for anyone interested, and registration for that event will open on April 4.

The Energy Futures Lab is run by The Natural Step Canada, which is a non-profit organization that looks to accelerate the transition of the energy system to a more sustainable one. It was started back in 2013 and works in collaboration with several different partners:

• Suncor Energy Foundation
• Energy Efficiency Alberta
• Alberta Real Estate Foundation
• Shell Canada
• ATB Financial
• RBC Foundation
• JWN Energy
• Government of Alberta
• Pembina Institute

Click here to learn more about the EFL, or The Natural Step Canada.