Energy Futures Lab Welcomes Marla Orenstein as Director, Partnerships & Impact

The Energy Futures Lab (EFL) is pleased to announce the addition of Marla Orenstein to our leadership team as Director, Partnerships & Impact. 

In this role, Orenstein will lead the Lab’s partnership strategy and grow public awareness and understanding of how the Lab’s multiple streams of insight and analysis generate real-world impact on Canada’s energy system—by catalyzing sustainability-aligned energy innovation, fostering collaboration across many fields of expertise and diverse perspectives, supporting emission-reducing technology investment and diffusion, and accelerating value chain formation in high-potential emerging industry ecosystems to help capture greater value for Canada’s resources. 

Since first becoming involved with the Lab as a member of its signature fellowship program, Orenstein has become widely recognized as a trusted voice in national and international conversations on Canada’s energy future, with a deep understanding Western Canada’s distinct priorities, assets, and opportunities.

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“Meeting the challenges that Canada’s energy sector faces at this moment is only possible through relentless focus, unwavering resolve, and extraordinary trust between system leaders"

-Marla Orenstein

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As global markets reel from unprecedented disruption to global order and trade, Canada has a small but critical window of opportunity to set the stage for the next wave of economic growth—one that builds on existing strengths in energy, petrochemicals, technology, and industrial expertise—if it can coordinate the necessary players and capabilities required to seize it. The Energy Futures Lab exists to help navigate this moment by convening leaders across sectors, regions, and perspectives to align strategy, investment, policy, and innovation. Orenstein’s appointment reflects the Lab’s growing focus on partnerships as a critical component for turning opportunities into reality.

“Meeting the challenges that Canada’s energy sector faces at this moment is only possible through relentless focus, unwavering resolve, and extraordinary trust between system leaders," said Marla Orenstein, Director, Partnerships & Impact, Energy Futures Lab. “The Energy Futures Lab has built a rare space in Canada where leaders with different, and sometimes opposing, goals can tackle tough  challenges together and quickly find  innovative solutions that drive real action. I’ve seen the Lab shift conversations, unite unlikely allies, and turn halting progress into unstoppable momentum. I’m excited to join this team at such a pivotal moment for Alberta’s future.”

Orenstein brings extensive experience working at the intersection of research, analysis, partnerships, and public dialogue—connecting governments, industry leaders, Indigenous partners, investors, and civil society. Her work has helped inform policy debates and investment decisions across Canada and internationally, with a reputation for credible analysis and thoughtful, solutions-oriented leadership.

“Marla is a perfect fit for where the Energy Futures Lab is headed,” said Alison Cretney, Managing Director of the Energy Futures Lab. “She brings deep credibility in Canadian energy and natural resource discussions and a proven ability to build trusted partnerships across sectors. As Canada works to compete higher up the value chain and align infrastructure, policy, and investment around emerging low-emission opportunities, Marla’s experience and leadership will be instrumental to amplifying both the impact and awareness of the Lab’s important work.”

The addition of Orenstein comes as the Energy Futures Lab deepens its focus on moving from analysis to enabling action—supporting collaboration across electricity system modernization, critical minerals and advanced materials, sustainable finance, economic competitiveness and reconciliation, and regional resilience, among others. Across all of this work, the Lab believes collaboration remains Alberta’s greatest competitive advantage.

“Other jurisdictions are moving quickly,” added Cretney. “Alberta’s success will depend on how well we align people, capital, and policy. Marla’s deep connections in Western Canada and ability to quickly analyze and adapt to the shifting landscape will play a key role in helping us build the partnerships needed to seize this moment.”

Along with the recent engagement of Tom McCaffery on the organization's government relations file, this most recent appointment positions the Energy Futures Lab for even greater impact in 2026 and beyond.