A New Chapter Begins for the Energy Futures Lab
- The Lab Team
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
As the Energy Futures Lab turns 10, we’re also celebrating the start of a new era.
Today, the Lab is excited to share news of an important milestone for our organization — one that reflects our growth and the strong foundation we’ve built over the past decade.
To look ahead, we must first reflect on where we began. In 2015, an idea for a social innovation approach to addressing a growing sense of polarization around energy and climate was born within The Natural Step Canada (TNS). That idea went on to become the Energy Futures Lab, which emerged as the first 'solution space' within TNS, which, in 2024, became Generate Canada: an organization helping to tackle complex challenges at the intersection of the environment, economy and society.
Over the past decade, the Lab has grown and matured into Canada’s leading social innovation platform for the energy transition, bringing together innovators, industry leaders, policymakers, and communities to navigate the challenges and opportunities of some of the most pressing energy issues of our time.
Now, as we mark 10 years of helping accelerate the energy transition in Canada, we are confidently stepping into our next phase of growth.
Effective January 1, 2026, the Energy Futures Lab will become its own independent organization – a natural progression in our journey from an initiative of Generate Canada to a fully established entity in our own right.
This marks an important step forward, and we will continue to collaborate closely with Generate Canada and its solutions spaces, maintaining a strong and strategic partnership where our work intersects.
With this transition:
The Lab will establish its own Board of Directors, composed of nationally connected regional leaders leaders committed to advancing our shared vision.
Our programs, partnerships, and day-to-day work will continue without interruption.
For most outside the organization, there will be no discernable change to our operations or programming beyond this shift in financial and governance structures.
With our roots in Alberta, we will continue to align our work with regional priorities and realities — applying local expertise and scaling tailored approaches to national and global challenges.
As the Lab’s scope has gradually broadened, our platform and methods have become part of the fabric of Alberta’s energy system, with many communities, agencies and organizations eager to partner with us, growing our capacity to host major initiatives independently. Becoming an independent organization will further allow us to deliver programming with the support of regional leadership and broaden our network to connect with strategically aligned organizations and new partners at a critical moment for Canada’s energy future, enabling us to make sustained impact as the energy landscape continues to shift.
This evolution is a testament to the strength of the network we’ve built together — the Fellows, Ambassadors, alumni, initiative coalition and working group members, advisors, funders, and friends who have shaped our journey. Your insight, collaboration, and commitment continue to inspire us.
We are profoundly grateful for the enduring partnership and support of Generate Canada, whose stewardship has been essential to our growth.
As we look to the next decade, we remain dedicated to accelerating an inclusive and equitable shift to a prosperous and sustainable energy future — and we look forward to continuing this work with all of you in this exciting new chapter.
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