Personnes invitées: Julia McNally; Tim Eckel; Moe Kabbara
Ontario’s electricity demand is forecasted to increase 75% by 2050, illustrating the increasingly large role electricity is expected to play in Canada’s future. Meanwhile, the province’s recent $10 billion investment in energy efficiency, including smart thermostats and heat pumps—the largest in Canada to date—reflects the growing consensus that an electrically-powered future needs to be affordable. While some claim this shift to electricity will be universally beneficial, a strategic approach is needed to make sure all Canadians can benefit from an expanded electricity system, according to new analysis from the Transition Accelerator’s Electrifying Canada initiative.
As demand for reliable and affordable electricity grows, what are the challenges and opportunities to scaling electricity systems? How can we maintain support for grid investments while keeping affordability a top priority? This webinar will explore these and other issues in depth, as we look at broad implications for the economy and affordability in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. We’ll take a clear-eyed look at projected electricity demand and the nuances of how this will affect household energy wallets and impact different regions, and explore which policies or support mechanisms must be in place to deliver the most widespread benefits to consumers.
Presented with
Julia McNally is the Director of Climate Action at Toronto Hydro. In this role, Julia leads a team focused on helping Toronto Hydro’s customers to decarbonize.
Julia practiced administrative law for 14 years prior to joining the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) in January 2006, where she held the role of Director of Market Transformation. With the merger of the OPA and the IESO in 2015, Julia became the Director of Strategic Engagement & Innovation in Corporate Relations, and then led the Internal Audit division where she provided regular assessments of controls through assurance, as well as consulting services to management and the Board of Directors. Julia’s last role at the IESO was Director of Planning Projects & Sustainability, in this role Julia lead the IESO’s Pathways to Decarbonization, looking at how to make Ontario’s electricity grid zero emissions.
Currently, Julia is on the Board of Toronto District 2030, is the co-director of the Energy and Infrastructure LLM program, is on the Steering Committee of the Building Decarbonization Alliance and a volunteer Board member of the Toronto Windsurfing Club.
Mx. McNally has an MSc from the School of Oriental and African Studies, an LLB from The University of Toronto and an LLM from Cambridge University.
Mr. Eckel is a consulting engineer focusing on the areas of utility energy transitions and asset management. He has spent more than 40 years in the electricity industry, most of which was with SaskPower, the provincial electric utility in Saskatchewan.
During his time at SaskPower he led the implementation of an asset management business model for the Generation, Transmission and Distribution divisions. He was also responsible for the Corporation’s sustainment and long-term planning, including the plans for net-zero, the generation supply plan and inter-regional transmission expansion. He led the Grid Modernization initiative which included the Advanced Meter Infrastructure, Advanced Distribution Management System and the Bulk Energy Storage programs.
He has been a member of several council/committees with a number of provincial, national and international organizations including Electricity Canada (EC), North American Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Technological Innovation (CEATI) and the Saskatchewan Electric Reliability Authority (SERA) and was the Saskatchewan representative on the Canadian Electricity Advisory Council. He presently is a member of the Electrifying Canada Advisory Panel.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Regina. He is a professional engineer and member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. Tim also has the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation.
Mr. Eckel and his wife Bernie have two adult children and call Regina, SK home.
Moe Kabbara est un professionnel expérimenté de l’énergie et du climat avec près de dix ans d’expérience professionnelle à l’intersection de la technologie, de la stratégie et des marchés. Moe apporte son expertise dans les domaines tels que l’électrification des transports, les énergies renouvelables, le stockage de l’énergie et l’efficacité énergétique. Il est également un interlocuteur recherché sur les questions de chaînes d’approvisionnement des véhicules zéro émission et il a dirigé la création d’Accelerate, l’alliance canadienne de chaîne d’approvisionnement des véhicules zéro émission. Cette alliance réunit des acteurs des secteurs privé et public pour tirer parti des opportunités que le Canada présente pour la fabrication mondiale de VZE.
Avant de rejoindre l’accélérateur, Moe était consultant en gestion chez Dunsky Energy + Climate. Il a également été agent principal de placements au ministère de l’Innovation, des Sciences et du Développement économique Canada. Moe a également été co-fondateur et PDG d’une start-up de stockage d’énergie thermique au Canada atlantique.