DAY ONE
08:00 Registration & coffee
09:00 Welcome & opening remarks
Louisa Pratt, Conference Producer, Euromoney Energy Events
Session 1: OPENING KEYNOTE SESSION
09:05 Chair’s opening remarks
Robert Peterman, Head, Business Development – Technology, Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange
09:10 Incorporating renewable energy into a portfolio of projects
Combining fossil fuel projects and renewable energy projects – Combating the risks
Canada renewable energy projects as potential acquisition targets
Paul Rapisarda, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Power
09:30 Impact of the FIT Review – Success of the FIT since it was introduced
Lessons learnt from Made in Ontario FIT Programme
Results of the FIT Two Year Review
How is the FIT expected to play out over the next couple of years?
JoAnne Butler, Vice-President, Electricity Resources, Ontario Power Authority
09:50 Connecting renewable generation to the grid
Global perspectives from grid operators in control centers
Experience of ensuring there is the grid capacity to meet the demand
What regulations and reviews had to be introduced for grid parity to be met?
Lessons learnt that could be carried over into the Canadian market
Dr Lawrence Jones, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Policy and Industry Relations, Alstom Grid North America
10:10 Government keynote – Outlook for Ontario’s energy policy moving forward
Shape of the focus on energy following the agency reviews and launch of new budget
Creating a secure environment for foreign investment
Continuing to create opportunities for investing in Ontario’s renewable energy sector
10:30 Questions and discussion
10:50 Networking refreshment break
Session 2: REGIONAL UPDATES
11:20 Chair’s opening remarks
As the provincial Governments throughout Canada become more proactive in establishing renewable energy policies, get the latest update from the Provinces that are creating the opportunities for investment into renewable energy outside of Ontario. Case studies from those that already have experience in the a selection of Provinces will add further benefit as they address some of the following issues:
Outlook for their FIT programmes
Lessons learned from introducing FIT programmes
How are the active projects being financed in these regions?
Expectations of awarded contracts
Regions to invite:
British Colombia – Paul Wieringa, Executive Director, Alternative Energy Policy Branch, BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
Nova Scotia – Bruce Cameron, Executive Director, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Division, NS Department of Energy
Ontario – Leo Tasca, Manager, Renewable Energy Unit, Ontario Ministry of Energy
12:15 Networking lunch
Session 3: INNOVATIVE FINANCING OPTIONS
13:45 Chair’s opening remarks
Allen Garson, Partner, Heenan Blaikie LLP
Now is the time for constructing and developing the renewable energy projects that have been awarded FIT contracts. While larger developers are financing projects off their balance sheets, what options are available for the smaller players and which financing models will become most prominent in the coming year? Through this panel discussion, utility companies and financiers will provide an outlook on a selection options in the market place at the moment.
The panellists will address some of the following options:
Examples of innovative financing
Corporate bonds – How do they work as an opportunity for financing renewable energy projects?
Using debt financing for roof top solar projects – What further opportunities?
Meeting construction schedules – Is private equity available to provide construction capital?
Wind versus solar – Which technology is likely to get financing in the coming year?
The debt players preferred terms
Outlook of European banks future involvment in the Canadian renewable energy sector
Geraint Breeze, Executive Director, Project Finance & Infrastructure, CIBC
Jean Trudel, Chief Investment Officer and Senior Vice President – Communications, Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.
John Vincent, Managing Director, Head of Project Finance, Sunlife
Chris Ball, Executive Vice President, CorpFinance International Limited (CFI)
Sasha Jacob, President and Chief Executive Officer, Jacob Securities Inc
15:15 Networking refreshment break
Session 4: ENSURING A CONNECTION TO THE GRID
15:45 Chair’s opening remarks
To guarantee financing of a renewable energy project, it is crucial to have a connection to the grid. Work is being done to add capacity to the grid but the uncertainty of the time scale is putting pressure on companies wanting to ensure they have financing and a project that will be built within the constraints of the FIT requirements.
The following topics will be discussed by the panellists:
Future expansion plans – Areas of focus for the near future
Opportunities for developers to connect to the grid
Bankability of transmission projects
Connecting FIT projects to the grid – Connection assessment and approval
Timescales for developing additional transmission space
LDC perspective on how additional grid space is being made
The private project experience of developing additional transmission and grid space
Robert McFarlane, Director, Power Transmission, Enbridge Inc
Robert Nicholson, Managing Director – Energy, RBC Capital Markets
Barbara Constantinescu, Director, Planning & Assessments, IESO
17:00 Close of day one
DAY TWO
08:15 Coffee
09:00 Welcome & opening remarks
Louisa Pratt, Conference Producer, Euromoney Energy Events
Session 5: CREATING A SECONDARY MARKET
09:05 Chair’s opening remarks
With the Canadian renewable energy market looking to access financing to develop projects, considerable consolidation is expected to take place in the market. With companies reported to be looking at acquiring individual projects as well as portfolios of projects, where is the financing for the consolidation coming from?
This question will be addressed by our panellists along with further issues including:
Putting a value on FIT contracts and transactions to date
Preferred stages for acquisition
What levels of risk are companies willing to take on?
Fund perspective – What possibilities are there for creating portfolios of projects
Which sector is expected to see more M&A activity?
Ryan Brown, Senior Development Project Manager, EDP Renewables
Michael Dilworth, Managing Director, Project Finance and Corporate Development, SunEdison
John Carson, Chief Executive Officer, Alterra Power Corp
Jack Bittan, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Capstone Infrastructure
Gareth Brown, Principal Consultant, Sgurr Energy
10:30 Networking refreshment break
Session 6: MAKING ROOM FOR THE COMMUNITY
11:00 Chair’s opening remarks
Jon E Worren, President, ClearSky Advisors Inc
11:05 Developing a cooperative renewable energy project – A case study
Understanding what financing is required and what options are available for accessing it
Opportunities for creating tax shelters through the project
Developing the economies of scale required to run coop projects effectively
Judith Lipp, Executive Director, TREC Renewable Energy Co-operative (confirmed)
11:25 The First Nations outlook on developing renewable energy projects
Criteria for finding the right partner when developing a renewable energy project
Methods of ensuring the First Nations are suitably involved in a project
Rob McLeese, President, Access Capital Corp
11:45 First Nations development of a renewable energy project: M’Chigeeng First Nations’ Mother Earth Renewable Energy Wind Farm
Overview of the advantages of developing projects with First Nations and developing projects on First Nations lands
Understand how to finance projects on First Nations lands
Explore potential opportunities for combating nimbyism through these partnerships
Cherie L. Brant, Partner, Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP
Grant Taibossigai, Economic Development Officer, M’Chigeeng First Nation
12:05 Questions and discussion
12:15 Networking lunch
Session 7: HEDGING YOUR BETS – IS ALBERTA WORTH THE RISK?
13:45 Chair’s opening remarks
Adarsh Mehta, Director of Development, Acciona Wind Energy Canada; Past Chair and Director, CanWEA
The drop in capital expenditure for renewable energy projects is making Alberta a more interesting market for some. The difference in the structure of the market puts each energy on an equal footing for the moment but with the introduction of the Alberta Offset System, will renewables become a more attractive option? This panel will debate the pros and cons of operating in a merchant market as well as focusing in detail on the following issues:
Opportunities the merchant market can offer
Role of carbon credits in the introduction of renewable energy players to this market
Best methods of energy forecasting
Future prospects for the Alberta Offset System
Prospects of hedging to reduce the risk and ensure benefits from investing in a merchant market
Dan Balaban, President and Chief Executive Officer, Greengate Power Corporation
Shannon Wever, Wind Energy Business Development, TransAlta
14:45 Networking refreshment break
Session 8: NEW TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET
15:15 Chair’s opening remarks
Dallas Kachan, Managing Partner, Kachan & Co.
15:20 Introducing a lower cost solar technology
Demonstrating the advantages of the new technology
Opportunities for incorporating the latest solar panels into a project
What the technology means for the capital costs of new solar farms?
Nicolas Morgan, Founder and Vice President Business Development, Morgan Solar
15:40 Using Canada’s waste to make more of biomass
Creating opportunities for renewable energy project development in rural areas
Addressing the economies of scale associated with larger scale biomass projects
What potential for biomass to be given greater prominence in the Ontario Green Energy and Economy Act?
Mo Vargas, Executive Vice President Corporate Development, Plasco Energy Group Inc.
16:00 Electric vehicles – Taking Canada by storm?
What is the expected adoption rate of electric vehicles?
Ontario becoming the home of the new technology – Does it have a suitable niche in the market to work alongside the renewable energy focus?
Examining what infrastructure will be required and how they are planning to access the necessary financing
16:20 Questions and discussion
16:30 Close of day two