ARC ENERGY IDEAS

This week our guest is the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources.  The Government of Canada is working on some key energy policies, such as the clean energy incentives in the 2023 federal budget and a Sustainable Jobs Plan.  Peter and Jackie asked Minister Wilkinson these questions: How has the Sustainable Jobs Plan been received so far? Which provinces are joining the regio...

This week our guest is Jana Mosley, President of ENMAX Power. Headquartered in Calgary with operations across Alberta and Maine, ENMAX Corporation is a leading provider of electricity services, products and solutions. Jana is responsible for ENMAX’s regulated transmission and distribution business in Calgary. She also directs ENMAX’s power infrastructure, engineering and maintenance services.  Her...

This week our guest is Stewart Muir, founder and CEO of Resource Works ,.  Resource Works is a public-interest advocacy and communications not-for-profit based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their mission is to reignite the promise of Canada's economic future by leading respectful, inclusive and fact-based dialogue on natural resource development.   Here are some of the questions that Peter...

This week Peter and Jackie catch up on the latest news and topics of interest including:  Russia to cut oil production by 500,000 B/d in March  BP scales back their target to reduce their oil production by 2030   The collapse in North American and International natural gas prices  Waiting for the Canadian Federal Government’s spring budget to learn about clean energy incentives policy  The concern...

This week on the podcast our guest is John Graham, President and CEO of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investments . The mandate of CPP Investments is to invest the assets of the CPP Fund with a view to achieving a maximum rate of return without undue risk of loss.  Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie asked John Graham: What is the history of why Canada created the CPP and CPP Investments?...

In September 2022, Enbridge and 23 First Nations and Metis communities announced that the Indigenous groups would buy an 11.57% non-operating interest in Enbridge operated pipelines in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta for $1.12 Billion – it has been called the first of its kind and an historic announcement.  This week, Justin Bourque, President of Athabasca Indigenous Investments and Colin...

This week on the podcast our guest is Blake Shaffer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary.    We cover a range of topics about Alberta and Canada’s electricity markets.  Including revisiting the tight power market that Alberta experienced during the  December 2022 cold spell, the issues and opportunities that come from the ramp...

Carbon credits are coming under increasing scrutiny. The Guardian ran an article last week that alleged that 90% of rainforest carbon credits issued by Verra, manager of the world’s leading voluntary carbon markets program, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, did not represent genuine offsets.  And, comedian John Oliver made the entertaining case that carbon offsets do not deliver the emis...

This week, Yvan Cliche, Fellow at CERIUM (Center for International Studies and Research) at Université de Montreal talks about the opportunities and issues for Canadian energy, including his perspective from Quebec.  Here are some of the questions that Peter and Jackie asked Yvan: Will renewables lessen the dependence on oil and gas any time soon? Is Canada doing enough to help our allies during t...

Peter and Jackie start the year off by introducing nine topics that are likely to dominate energy and climate discussions in 2023.  China – Zero-COVID policy relaxation consequences  Ukraine war outlook  Inflation outlook  Commodity price outlook – Which way? Up, down or both?  Year of the EV pickup truck  Canada’s response to the US IRA and other climate policy  Green-on-green competition begins ...

On this week’s podcast we look back on the key themes that shaped the past year.  First, we review our predictions from early January. How well did we predict the issues that would dominate the discussion in 2022?  We also review some of the big stories of the year that we did not foresee twelve months ago.   Content referenced in this podcast:   Jackie’s commentary: Learnings from building Canada...

This week Alexis von Hoensbroech, Chief Executive Officer at WestJet joins as our guest.  The last few years have been very difficult for airlines. COVID restrictions caused the industry to shrink overnight, then in the summer of 2022 people started traveling again but the airports and airlines were collectively challenged by the surge in demand.  On top of all that pressure and change, airlines a...

This week Daniel Breton, President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada (EMC) joins as our guest.  Prior to joining EMC, Daniel was an environmental activist and politician in Quebec.  Here are some of the questions that Peter and Jackie asked Daniel: What percent of new cars in Canada are EVs now? Are you concerned about cost inflation and the lack of cars?  Which Canadian provinces are EV leaders...

This week our podcast was recorded at the Bennet Jones Lake Louise World Cup Business Forum . Our podcast guest  is the Honourable A. Anne McLellan , who was a speaker at the event and is currently Senior Advisor, Public Policy Group at Bennet Jones .  Ms. McLellan joined Bennet Jones after a distinguished career in federal politics.  Ms. McLellan served four terms as the Liberal Member of Parliam...

This week on the podcast our guest is Dr. Bassam Fattouh, Director of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES).  OIES is a world leading independent energy research institute specializing in advanced research into the economics and geopolitics of energy.  Dr. Bassam Fattouh is an expert on oil markets, including OPEC, the energy transition, and the economic environment of the Middle East.  ...

On this week’s podcast our guest is Mike Law, President and Chief Executive Officer at the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO).  Here are some of the questions that Jackie and Peter asked Mike: Are consumers exposed to the volatile power price in Alberta’s deregulated electric market?  Why are electricity prices in Alberta higher now? Are the costs for transmission too high? Is net-zero electr...

This week on the podcast, Peter and Jackie talk about the news from the Federal Government’s Fall Economic Statement 2022 .  The Government announced new incentives that will come into force in 2023, including credits for green electricity, clean hydrogen, energy storage and heat pumps, and a new fund to support private investment in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). They also introduced plans to...

Did you know that concrete is responsible for about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, more than double those from aviation.    On this week’s podcast, Chris Stern the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at CarbiCrete introduces a made-in-Canada solution for addressing part of concrete’s greenhouse gas problem.  His company has developed a carbon-negative technology for producing precast co...

This week on the podcast Peter and Jackie catch up on Peter’s trip to Europe.  First, they talk about the political changes, both in Europe and closer to home with new Premiers in both British Columbia and Alberta.  Next, they switch to the topic of energy conservation in Europe.  Did Peter see any signs that people are saving energy?  Is energy affordability and conservation a focus of the conver...

The stock markets have witnessed steep declines this year, inflation is at 40-year highs, central banks are increasing interest rates and recession fears are growing.  To help explain what is next for the economy, Craig Alexander, President of Alexander Economic Views and Chief Economist & Executive Advisor at Deloitte Canada joins the podcast.  Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie...

This week, Peter Altmaier, Germany’s former Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy (2018-2021) visited Calgary to speak at the PETRONAS International Energy Speaker Series hosted by the Centre for Corporate Sustainability at the Haskayne School of Business with the University of Calgary.  After the Petronas Energy Speaker Series, Peter sat down with Jackie to talk about Europe’s energy crisis.  ...

Putin's war is being fought on many fronts. A real war in Ukraine, but also an economic and energy war in the rest of Europe.  This week our guests are David Sheppard, FT Energy Editor based in London and Derek Brower, US Energy Editor for the Financial Times and FT Energy Source Editor based in New York.   Here are some of the questions Jackie and Peter asked our guests: Assuming that Russia...

Currently we have a linear economy – products are created, used and then thrown away.  In a circular economy there is no waste – after they are used, products are recycled and/or reused.  This week our guest is Mike Werner, Lead for Circular Economy at Google.  Mike tells us about Google’s sustainability goals.  Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie ask Mike: Google sells hardware – Nest...

While North American natural gas prices are relatively low compared to Europe and Asia – they are still over four times greater than the typical level over the past several years. Assuming a cold winter, North American prices could spike up even higher. This week we invite Tim Egan, President and CEO, Canadian Gas Association (CGA) to join the podcast to talk about natural gas in Canada.     Here...

The backlash against the ESG movement is on the rise. ‘Anti-woke’ investment funds are launching and 19 US States wrote a letter to BlackRock, saying it is putting leftist politics above investor interests and returns.  Jackie and Peter debate if the ESG backlash could change corporate behaviour around climate and the environment.  Especially when you consider that, compared with the pro-ESG movem...