Pacific Energy Innovation Association

Charting Our Energy Future

Breakfasts 2005-2006 -  "Energy On the Line"

1. Wednesday, October 5^th, 2005 - KEN PETERSON, former President & CEO, Powerex

The Evolution of Electricity Trading in BC

Ken Peterson is a resource economist with more than 25 years’ experience in energy policy and market development.  He has consulted internationally in energy pricing, competitive power supply arrangements, and institutional design.  He was a member of the Negotiating Team appointed to maximize the value to BC of Downstream Benefits from the Columbia River Treaty.

Ken joined Powerex, the electricity marketing subsidiary of BC Hydro, in 1994.  Powerex buys, sells and exchanges electricity products and services outside of BC, primarily in western Canada and the western USA.  Its trade partners include other utilities, large industrial customers, independent power producers, co-generators and marketers.

 Ken was instrumental in expanding the sales of Powerex, and active in industry initiatives which helped to shape the western North American electricity marketplace.  He participated in the development of regional transmission groups in the western USA, and is a former President of the Western Regional Transmission Association.  He recently retired from the helm of Powerex, and will provide an historical overview on the development and importance of electricity trading in British Columbia.  

2. Wednesday, November 9^th, 2005 - BOB EVANS, Director, Clean Energy Research Centre, UBC

Fuelling the Future

Dr. Robert Evans is Director of the Clean Energy Research Centre at UBC, and a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  He is a former head of that department, and a former Associate Dean of Applied Science.  His book, “Fuelling the Future: Towards a Sustainable Energy Supply”, is to be published by Cambridge University Press in 2006.

Bob’s presentation will provide an overview of the “energy problem”, and look at the long-term future of sustainable energy.  He will stress the need to examine the entire energy conversion chain, from primary source to end-use, and will describe some of the challenges to be faced in moving from a fossil-based energy system to a clean, sustainable energy future.  He will compare the “Hydrogen Economy” and the “Electricity Economy” for transportation energy supply, and will discuss a possible sustainable mix of primary energy sources lasting for the next 100 years.

 3. Wednesday, December 7^th, 2005 - RUPERT MERER, Power Generation Consultant

Advances in Coal Combustion Technology and Emission Control

Rupert Merer is an independent consultant in the power generation field, specializing in thermal power.  He worked for a major equipment supplier (GEC, now part of Alstom) for over 25 years.  Since 1988 he has consulted on a wide variety of thermal projects in Canada, the USA and overseas.  He has completed several studies of coal-fired generation in the USA and Canada, and has recently worked on the conceptual engineering and preliminary permitting of two large coal-fired projects in Western Canada.  He is enthusiastic about the future outlook for coal.

Rupert will provide an overview of recent advances in coal combustion technology and emission controls.  He will compare the cost, efficiency, emissions and maturity of alternative technologies, including advanced pulverized coal combustion, fluidized bed, and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC).  He will briefly review the economics of carbon capture, offsets and trading. 

The efficiency of North American coal-fired power plants has not advanced in over 40 years, partly because coal is so abundant and cheap.  However, Kyoto’s targets and the potential cost of carbon emissions now provide the economic stimulus to use more advanced technologies.

4. Wednesday, February 1, 2006 - MALCOLM METCALFE, Sempa Power

Strategies for Controlling Commercial Energy Costs

Malcolm Metcalfe is a Professional Engineer with over 30 years’ experience.  He attended UBC in the 1960s, earning Bachelor and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering, the latter in Power Systems.  After a short stint in Toronto he working with BC Hydro in Vancouver until he joined Shell Canada in Toronto in 1981.  He was seconded to a charity for 18 months, and then worked in the strategy area for one of Shell Canada’s business units.  In 1985 he joined CP Air in Vancouver and was responsible for starting and managing a new Environment department.  Malcolm struck out on his own in 1999.  In that year he was recognized by Queen Elizabeth, who made him a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order (LVO) in recognition of his charitable work.

In 2003 Malcolm and two colleagues started an energy company with a priority on saving money rather than energy.  This has resulted in some interesting projects.  His company now has one patent pending, two others in progress, and a backlog of work.  Focusing on conserving costs instead of energy (the gas or electricity used) results in solutions that are often a little different.  As cost and payback are the drivers for a business case, there is generally a much shorter approval cycle needed for implementation.  World energy systems are changing rapidly, leading to dramatic changes in pricing.  This provides opportunities for many new projects which were previously considered to be infeasible.

5.Thursday, March 2^nd, 2006 - STEPHEN HALL, Stephen F. Hall and Associates

Energy Efficiency – The California Experience

Stephen Hall is a consultant with twenty- six years’ experience in sustainable energy implementation, climate change policy and green building design.  He currently works with the Pembina Institute to write an Energy Efficiency Strategy for Ontario, and with the Valley Energy Efficiency Corporation in Davis, California to implement a market transformation initiative called SEGWHAI – the Super-Efficient Gas Water Heater Appliance Initiative.

While there is general acceptance that using energy more efficiently is cost-effective, much can still be done to expand this energy “resource”.  California is often referred to as the leading jurisdiction in the world in implementing energy efficiency.  Stephen will take you behind the scenes to describe California’s successes and highlight its future energy directions. The lessons of California are highly relevant and instructive for future Canadian energy policy and planning.

6. Wednesday, April 19^th, 2006 - PAUL WILLIS, Willis Energy Services Ltd.

A BC Surplus Power Pool

Paul Willis is President of Willis Energy Services Ltd., an engineering consulting firm that works with large energy users to improve their energy efficiency, with utilities and government agencies to promote energy conservation and with Independent Power Producers in the implementation of power projects.  His technical expertise is in the areas of heat transfer, combustion, industrial process systems, and in the optimization of large power and heating systems.

The BC Transmission Corporation or, as in other jurisdictions an Independent Market Operator, could operate a BC Power Pool.  Independent Power Producers could sell into the Pool, and transmission customers, BC Hydro, Fortis, independent marketers, and municipalities could purchase from the Pool. Powerex would establish a floor-clearing price at the Low Load Hour Mid-C price, with a ceiling established on that price.  Powerex purchases Low Load Hour Mid-C power on an ongoing basis at the present time.  It would seem beneficial to both BC Hydro and the IPP community if some of these purchases could be made in BC rather than at Mid-C.

7. Wednesday, May 24^th, 2006 - EUGENE HODGSON, Sea Breeze Power Corporation

BC Wind Power – An Update

Eugene Hodgson is Vice President of Government Relations with Sea Breeze Power in Vancouver.  Sea Breeze Power is an independent power producer involved in wind energy project development, run-of-river project development, and energy storage projects.

Wind power is the fastest growing energy sector worldwide.  At the end of 2004, global wind power production approached 48,000 megawatts.  This is four times BC's current capacity to generate electricity.  The World Energy Council has rated BC's wind resources as the best in the world – yet, no wind power is produced.  Combined with its rich hydro resources, wind energy presents BC with a tremendous opportunity for consistent, cost effective and reliable power production in the years ahead.

Sea Breeze Power Corporation has eight wind farm projects at various stages of study and development.  Several of their sites are at the north end of Vancouver Island, where wind conditions are ideal.  Sea Breeze Power has also secured preliminary permitting on several locations in the Okanagan, in the south-central region of British Columbia. 

Eugene’s presentation will include discussion about the effect of the recent cancellation of the federal wind power production incentive program on BC wind energy projects, and what can be done about it.

8.  Wednesday, June 7^th, 2006 - STAN RIDLEY, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

The Case for Large-Scale Hydro

Stan Ridley is an international electric power executive with more than 30 years of experience in engineering, policy/planning, operations, environmental studies, project management, contract development and negotiations, as well as in project financing, construction and commissioning of hydro-electric, thermal & alternative fuels generation and transmission facilities.

Currently he is a Senior Vice-President in the Power Division of SNC-Lavalin.  In this position he is responsible for various aspects of power development, with a particular focus on electricity generation and transmission, independent power producer (IPP) projects, and on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract development.

With the increased public concern about global warming and the depletion of the world’s oil reserves, renewable large-scale hydroelectric power resources are being increasingly viewed as viable alternatives for those countries so endowed. Stan Ridley will draw from his broad international experience of hydroelectric power developments to describe the benefits and challenges involved in undertaking projects of such massive scope in the current global environment.