EnergyCouncilCanada_web

doeventsorwrite reportsorpositionour- selvesonparticular issues.So,that isnotonly astrengthtogoverntheorganization,it’s alsoa tremendous resource that reallyputs us inaverystrongpositiontoeitherprovide advice,or tounderstandthedimensionsof an issue,or tospeakonobservations thatwe mightmake. “Thepaperswewritearewidelycirculated withingovernment and industryto inform thepolicydebate.We’vedonesessionson decarbonization,onenergyinfrastructure,on social license–if there’san issue,we’veprob- ablyaddressed it.Andthe idea is tobring thoseparties together,pluspeople fromthe energycommunitythat aren’tourmembers, for an informeddiscussionthatwill leadto advancingthe issuesathand. “Lastly,Iwouldsaythat anotherdifferenti- atingfeature,andstrength,of ourorganiza- tion isour connectionwiththeWorldEnergy Council.Thisorganization is97countries strong.It just completed its2016congress in Istanbul,Turkey.Itproducesa lotof reports that areuseful backgroundersor asourceof ideas,andwe’reuniqueamongthe industry associations inthewaythatwehaveaclose and intimateconnectiononbehalf of the WorldEnergyCouncil.” BVM: Howis theECCrun? Campbell: “Wehaveastaff of four.The Executive teamismyself andtheDirectorof OperationsandBoardSecretary,the latter twopositionsareheldbyoneperson.The THE ENERGY COUNCIL OF CANADA sizeof thestaff is small,but thewaytheEnergyCouncil isgovernedenablesus tooperatewithcross-Canada engagement,startingoffwiththeBoardofDirectors madeupof ourhighest levelmembers.The function- alworkisguidedbyanExecutiveCommittee that’s chairedbytheChairof theBoardofDirectors.Andthen thereare functional committees that lookafterourpro- grams,membership,engagementwiththeWorldEner- gyCouncil,studies thatwedoonbehalf of theenergy community,pluscommunicationsandfinance.Those standingcommitteesareall chairedbyourmembers fromacross theenergysector andthat iswhere the mainworkof theEnergyCouncil getsdone.The limited staffhere inOttawa looksafter theprocess,but thepro bonoworkdonebyour committeechairs is reallywhat makes thisorganizationworksuccessfully.” BVM: What aresomeof thecurrent issues that the ECCis focusingon? Campbell:“ One isclimate.TheCanadianelectric- itysystem,for example,alreadyisabout80percent emission-free; approximately60-oddpercent from hydroelectricpower andanother17or18percent from nuclearpower.So,ifyou lookdownonour systemfrom thestandpointof emissionsproduction,we’revery largely,emission-free,already,andourgovernment, bothat theprovincial andfederal levels,aremoving toeliminateorphaseout theuseof coal,for example, going forward. “Thenthere’s the integrationof renewables–and I’m distinguishingherebetween largehydro,which isaCa- nadiantradition,andwindandsolar,graduallyentering intoourgenerationofmixes.We’re tryingto findthat blendormixthatworksbest forCanada toachievenot onlyourenergysupply,butalsoourenvironmentalgoals.”