Sault Ste. Marie is hoping to further cement its title as the alternative energy capital of North America when it hosts its inaugural green-energy conference next month.
The Energy Opportunities Conference: Making Things Happen! will take place Nov. 4-6. The three-day event will bring together professionals who have ties to the energy sector, who are interested in knowledge exchange, commercialization of products and technology, discussions about new technologies, innovation, and have interest in establishing partnerships with other companies.
Jason Naccarato, vice-president of development at the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, said the conference will be divided into two main streams: smart grids, smart grid deployment, and new smart technologies; and bioenergy and advanced biomaterials.
“It’s absolutely shaping up to be a world-class event,” Naccarato said. “We have a number of speakers from throughout North America and we have a Finnish delegation coming as well.”
Guest speakers include Chris Turner, author of The Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy; Nick Parker, cofounder and managing partner at Global Acceleration Partners; Tom Rand, managing partner at Arc Tern Ventures and author of Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit and Waking the Frog; and Glen Martin, founder and CEO of Energizing Co.
“The speakers that are coming are just out of this world,” Naccarato said. “We’re really, really thrilled with the response we’re getting from the whole clean-tech sector and about their passion for Northern Ontario, especially on some of the unique resources and potential we have in the North for new renewable and clean-tech energy projects.”
Presentations will include information on smart grid development, renewable energy projects, economic development and global trends, investor engagement and funding opportunities, and more.
Participants will also be given tours of local facilities, including the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre; Ellsin Environmental tire recycling facility; the hydroelectric generating station, wind farm and combined-cycle generating stations operated by Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners; and the Heliene solar panel manufacturing plant.
Project coordinator Christina Coutu said half the seats are already gone for the November conference, as are half the exhibitor seats. The goal is to register 150 participants, but the conference will have room for 200.
Highlights she expects to pique the interest of participants include a professional development session being conducted by North Bay’s Biomass Innovation Centre, and the Northern Ontario Symposium: Working Together, which will gather input from stakeholders.
“We’re going to be bringing some important issues to the table with these energy professionals and then having a lobby group bring them to the government,” she said.
To learn more, visit www.saultenergy.com.
