The Energy Innovation Forum (EIF) 2024, hosted by the Smart Grid Innovation Network (SGIN), took place in Banff on October 3rd, in partnership with GridForward’s conference focused on “evolved energy markets for a modern grid”.

This year’s EIF workshop focused on strengthening connections across the energy sector, leaning into SGIN’s role as a national collaboration network, where our resources are focused on bringing together open-minded leaders from across the nation to advance the culture of collaboration in order to accelerate the delivery of near-term priorities on our national path to net zero.

EIF 2024 took place in the wake of the Canadian Energy Advisory Council’s Final Report where leaders from across Canada have clearly articulated a blueprint of recommendations for federal and provincial governments to make progress towards our low-carbon future. With a clear list of WHAT to do, the question becomes HOW do we do it? HOW do we come together to act in a collaborative and pragmatic way? And then, WHAT are the most impactful near-term actions we can drive within our spheres of influence that support these recommendations?

With a central theme of “Our national path to net zero cannot be achieved alone,” the forum facilitated active discussions to identify regulatory and market strategies to accelerate Canada’s energy transition. The facilitators, Terri-Lynn (TL) Duque (Ignite Energy Solutions) and Keren Perla (Energy Futures Lab) emphasized collaboration across sectors to build resilient communities and a sustainable economy, focusing on energy integration, regulatory reform, and technology advancement.