Alberta is the seat of the Canadian oil & gas industry, as well as a major coal producer, so it has historically struggled to align with the energy transition - focusing more on pipelines than turbines. But Alberta is changing. Now, the province has implemented numerous policies designed to support the transition, installing a significant amount of wind and solar power generation capacity. According to the Alberta Electric System Operator, 14% of the province’s electricity generation in 2020 was from renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro and solar.
In this episode, we are joined by energy expert Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon to discuss the challenges and opportunities for energy transition in Alberta. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, where she directs the Masters of Sustainable Energy Development program. She is an expert in energy, innovation, and climate policy, and her work is focused on understanding how energy and industrial transitions happen within different sectors of the economy, and how policy responses can improve outcomes. She is also the co-host of the Energy vs. Climate podcast, which will run this conversation on their podcast feed as well.
We talk about the recent history of the various efforts to build pipelines and LNG facilities to export more Canadian oil and gas; the outlook for exports of hydropower; the progress of Canada’s coal phase-out; and the potential for expanding renewable generation in the province, including geothermal. Sara also shares her perspective on how Canada’s carbon tax regime has played out.
Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary where she directs the masters of sustainable energy development program. She is an expert in energy, innovation, and climate policy; her work is focused on understanding how energy and industrial transitions happen within different sectors of the economy, and how policy responses can improve outcomes. She is also the co-host of the Energy vs. Climate podcast.
Previously, Sara was the Director of Clean Economy at the Pembina Institute where she founded Business Renewable Centre Canada. She was also the practice manager for Clean Technologies at McKinsey & Company, where she worked as a management consultant on topics of cleantech, energy, and sustainability.
On Twitter: @S_HastingsSimon
On the Web: https://www.hastingssimon.com/
Podcast: Energy vs. Climate
Recording date: June 24, 2022
Air date: August 31, 2022
Geek rating: 5