The Clean50’s Top 20 projects for 2018 have been announced and the Energy Futures Lab is one of them. The list recognizes outstanding contributors to clean capitalism. Ottawa, ON – September 25, 2017 – The Natural Step Canada is proud to announce that the Energy Futures Lab has been named one of Canada’s Top 20 Projects by the Clean50 Awards for outstanding contributors to clean capitalism. The Energy Futures lab explores this question: How can Alberta’s leadership role in t

It’s time for a demonstration. It will take place in the village of Valemount, BC. The project, the first of its kind in Canada, is called Sustainaville and will demonstrate that geothermal energy (heat from the earth) can be used to “grow a whole community”. “Warm geothermal water can support greenhouses but can also support initiatives like a brewery or shrimp farm. This fully renewable resource can serve several tiers of need in the community before being recycled to do i

Shell Canada’s Chris Fry has been a Fellow in the Energy Futures Lab since its inception. “I wanted to get involved because I felt it was important to include Indigenous voices in the Lab when talking about Alberta’s energy future,” says Chris. “I’ve gained a network and an understanding of just how complex the issues are in energy transition”. “Through the Lab I’ve learned backcasting and gained new skills in strategic planning and collaborating with people who have differe

This spring the Energy Futures Lab welcomed 13 new Fellows. Together with the 12 who joined earlier in 2017, the new cohort adds energy and fresh perspectives to the Energy Futures Lab. Please welcome our second 2017 intake of Fellows to the Energy Futures Lab! With the EFL Fellowship we are assembling an influential network capable of tackling the complexity and polarization of today’s energy challenges. In selecting these new Fellows, we aimed to increase the diversity of r

Oil and gas versus renewables? That’s a false dichotomy, according to the Energy Futures Lab (EFL), an initiative that acknowledges the importance of Alberta’s significant natural advantage in fossil fuels and how it can be used as a stepping stone to a cleaner energy future. The Energy Futures Lab is designed to allow stakeholders to engage with one another about Canada’s energy future, to find some common ground, and to take action together. – Chad Park “The issues around e

Innovating Alberta’s Energy Future Showcase explores ways Alberta will lead the transition to a low carbon future “There are so many amazing projects in the works that are going to help with the challenge of building the energy system of Alberta’s future. I’m excited to learn more about this groundbreaking work by the EFL Fellows.” – Andrew Ference CALGARY, April 11, 2017 /CNW/ – A diverse group of innovators and influencers will take the stage April 19 to share their ideas a

For the last few months, the Energy Futures Lab has been in recruitment mode, searching for promising leaders and influencers from across Alberta’s energy landscape to join the EFL Fellowship. We can’t wait to see the ingenuity and energy that the new cohort brings to the EFL Innovation Pathways. Why is the EFL actively seeking new Fellows? Because Alberta and Canada need bold innovators to play a leading role in identifying, testing and scaling creative energy initiatives th

Since its inception in 2015, the Energy Futures Lab has had a primary focus on the development of the Fellowship and the co-creation of collaborative initiatives in the Innovation Pathways. So how can you get involved with the EFL? There are plenty of opportunities – just choose your adventure! Over the course of the almost two years of this work, hundreds of other people have connected to the EFL in one way or another. In this next phase of expansion, the EFL will now be ope

The Energy Futures Lab is excited to announce the three newest members of its Advisory Council. By serving as public champions for the EFL, offering high-level counsel and role modelling innovation and leadership, the Advisory Council lends credibility and wisdom to the evolution of the Energy Futures Lab. Judy Fairburn is passionate about driving Canadian innovation to build a highly competitive energy industry, which positions Canada well in the global innovation race. Judy

Well, 2016 was quite a year for Alberta. A lingering recession due to low oil prices. Provincial climate policies announced and enacted. A couple of pipelines approved. A dramatic U.S. presidential election and shifting global geopolitics. The EFL Fellows have been the driving force at the centre of this important work, and nothing has been so impressive to me personally as witnessing the abilities and growth of these innovators and influencers, as a group and as individuals.

2016 was a year of change and new realities. 2016 was a year of change and new realities. It ended with national and international developments that will impact Alberta’s energy system for years to come. These include uncertainty looming around the US elections, the continued Alberta recession, the ramifications of pipeline approvals, and the new regulations addressing climate change. Such complex and difficult topics likely made for some contentious Christmas dinner conversa

On December 5, 2016, approximately 170 people braved the cold to talk about the future of energy in Alberta at the University of Calgary’s downtown campus. Dr. David Layzell, Energy Futures Lab (EFL) Steering Committee Member and Director of the Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) project, argued that energy system transition is the “grand challenge for our society.” The EFL design team worked with Dr. David Layzell and his research group to help identify big ch