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Agenda


8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

  1. Registration, breakfast and networking

    Thursday, April 16 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
    Summary
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

  1. Welcome & Opening remarks

    Thursday, April 16 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
    Summary
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM

  1. Fireside chat | “Powering Canada’s economy

    Thursday, April 16 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM
    Summary
    This headline conversation asks a critical question: "As global electrification accelerates, how can Alberta and Canada stay competitive?” The discussion will focus on the sector’s role in driving competitiveness, innovation and resilience, while addressing evolving U.S.-Canada trade dynamics reshaping investment and supply chains. The conversation underscores that reliable, affordable power is now central to economic competitiveness.
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM

  1. Keynote | How energy storage secures the grid: Improving reliability across North America

    Thursday, April 16 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
    Summary
    Energy storage is rapidly becoming essential to grid reliability across North America. This keynote explores how storage is stabilizing the system in real time, balancing renewables, strengthening resilience and supporting critical infrastructure. Attendees will gain insights into regulatory perspectives, emerging technologies and how storage integration is elevating reliability while enabling a cleaner, more flexible electricity system.
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

  1. Presentation | Understanding Alberta’s outlook: Load growth, supply trends and storage development

    Thursday, April 16 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
    Summary
    The pace of change in Alberta’s electricity system is unprecedented. This session takes you inside the numbers: accelerating demand, energy storage deployment, AI-intensive load growth and the policy moves reshaping the market. It reveals where the most promising opportunities are emerging as Alberta’s system transforms, giving innovative companies a strategic edge in the province’s next chapter of electricity expansion.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

  1. Networking break

    Thursday, April 16 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    Summary
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  1. Panel | Grid lessons from leaders: Insights from Texas, California and Ontario

    Thursday, April 16 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Summary
    How have Texas, California and Ontario used energy storage to address some of North America’s reliability pressures, and what should Alberta learn from them? This panel breaks down the strategies, missteps and breakthroughs shaping grid performance. Speakers will examine reliability issues, market design evolution and policy tools, highlighting what has worked and why.
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

  1. Networking lunch

    Thursday, April 16 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
    Summary
12:45 PM - 1:00 PM

  1. Keynote | Smart storage and smarter rates

    Thursday, April 16 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM
    Summary
    Alberta’s electricity system is entering an era where cars, homes and communities become active players in reliability. This keynote reveals how vehicle-to-grid integration and distributed storage can transform passive demand into flexible, grid-stabilizing power. Paired with thoughtful rate design, these innovations offer a pathway to a more resilient grid and a more empowered consumer base in Alberta.
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

  1. Presentation, Q&A | AESO reliability requirements and market opportunities explained

    Thursday, April 16 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
    Summary
    As Alberta updates its market and transmission frameworks, storage sits squarely in the middle of emerging opportunities and new uncertainties. This panel breaks down the reliability criteria, planning signals and cost-allocation choices that will shape how and where storage can connect and operate. Speakers will examine what AESO’s current direction suggests for system needs over the next five years, and how storage developers and operators can position themselves in response to those evolving requirements.
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

  1. Networking break

    Thursday, April 16 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
    Summary
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM

  1. Presentation | Siting and permitting efficiently

    Thursday, April 16 2:30 PM - 2:40 PM
    Summary
    This presentation focuses on the critical steps to efficiently site and permit energy storage projects in Alberta. Content will outline best practices, community buy-in, and strategies to engage municipalities. Attendees will gain practical insights into overcoming barriers, accelerating timelines, and ensuring successful project development in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM

  1. Presentation | Tariffs, trade and the storage supply chain

    Thursday, April 16 2:40 PM - 2:50 PM
    Summary
    New tariff pressures and tight global supply chains are reshaping Alberta’s future energy storage market. For upcoming projects, these dynamics are influencing costs, procurement strategies and investment decisions. This presentation examines the global trade forces at play and what they mean for storage development in Alberta, offering a clear, realistic view of the risks and constraints project developers will need to navigate.
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM

  1. Presentation | Indigenous equity partnerships, financing and leadership in energy storage

    Thursday, April 16 2:50 PM - 3:00 PM
    Summary
    What does it take to build storage projects that deliver real value for Indigenous communities? The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) will showcase emerging equity and financing structures that enable Indigenous Nations to play a leading role in clean-energy development. This session highlights how collaborative investment models unlock capital, accelerate project delivery and build lasting economic participation, ensuring Alberta’s energy transition is both impactful and inclusive.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

  1. Fireside chat | Digital demand meets grid resilience: Data centres, demand growth, energy storage and reliability

    Thursday, April 16 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    Summary
    Data-centre growth is transforming Alberta’s electricity landscape, and fast. This fireside chat examines how rising digital demand is shaping reliability needs and elevating the role of energy storage. Panelists will discuss strategies for policymakers and industry leaders to strengthen the grid, support innovation and guide Alberta’s transition into a more digital, storage-enabled future.
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

  1. Networking break

    Thursday, April 16 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
    Summary
4:00 PM - 4:55 PM

  1. Panel | Powering progress: Breakthroughs in energy storage

    Thursday, April 16 4:00 PM - 4:55 PM
    Summary
    Alberta’s grid is entering a new chapter. This session showcases the breakthroughs transforming Alberta’s grid, spotlighting cutting-edge tech, new commercial opportunities and bold initiatives that signal where the market is headed. Attendees will gain insight into what these advancements signal for future system flexibility and value creation.
4:55 PM - 5:00 PM

  1. Closing remarks

    Thursday, April 16 4:55 PM - 5:00 PM
    Summary
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

  1. Networking reception: CanREA Connects—Alberta

    Thursday, April 16 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
    Summary

Date

Thursday, April 16th, 2026

Location

Fairmont Palliser
133-9th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
T2P 2M3

For room reservation

Book your room here

Group rate: $239.00 daily, per room, plus tax.

Group rate available until April 2, 2026.

Additional Information

Contact
events@renewablesassociation.ca