(WO) – The second day of the Energy NL Annual Conference & Exhibition 2024 got underway today with a morning address by the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Labour and Seniors, who outlined the Government of Canada’s efforts to support energy development, including amendments to the Atlantic Accord. Following Minister O’Regan, Gary Murray, President and CEO, Newfoundland Power, provided an overview of the utility’s operations and reliable energy supply.
The discussion then turned to the third session of the conference, which was focused on enabling net zero and the leadership Newfoundland and Labrador can provide. Astrid Jørgenvåg, Vice President Technical & Innovation with Altera Infrastructure, provided an overview of the Stella Maris project, a proposed offshore CCS facility with applicability to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Katie Applebaum, Offshore Wind Commercial Lead with TGS, presented a potential offshore LiDAR program which could be used to position offshore wind turbines for the province. The session concluded with a presentation by Frederic Schneider, Projects Director with Beicep Franlab, who discussed ongoing work regarding the CCS potential of Newfoundland and Labrador which his study indicates has the potential to store all of Canada’s carbon. Work will continue to better understand what is required to develop this potential.
Session Four of conference was focused on engagement with Indigenous communities for energy projects and featured a case study of Wataynikaneyap Power whose CEO Margaret Kenequanash outlined how the Indigenous-majority owned utility engages with Indigenous communities.
She was joined in the discussion by Chief Jenny Brake of the Qalipu First Nation and Garry Best, President & CEO, Nunatsiavut Group of Companies, to discuss how the case of Wataynikaneyap Power is applicable to Indigenous communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The lunch session included a discussion of energy policy and politics with Host of CBC’s Power & Politics David Cochrane. The conversation was moderated by CBC’s Krissy Holmes and provided insight into national energy and climate policy and how that is influencing energy project decisions and progress in Canada. Day Two concluded with an afternoon International Business Program that examined the Danish energy market.
“The discussion of these two days of the Energy NL Conference & Exhibition 2024 has been incredible, and there has been a buzz throughout the conference as attendees learn from the presenters and network with each other. There is tremendous excitement for the potential we have in CCS, wind, and clean fuels and Energy NL members were keen to learn more about how and why they should engage with Indigenous communities. David Cochrane provided an exceptional take on the energy politics of our country and provided insight that few others can deliver in such a concise and impactful manner. I am greatly looking forward to our final day where we will discuss the role technology is playing in our energy sector and how we can ready for the energy sector of the future,” said Charlene Johnson, Energy NL CEO.
Lead image (Credit: Reuters)
