Trottier Family Foundation funds multi-year project examining Canada's energy future

Basis for national energy strategy?

The Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) is teaming with the David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) to undertake a major, multi-year project examining the future of Canadian energy and energy supplies that could lay the foundation for a much-needed national energy strategy. The project is being underwritten by major funding from the Trottier Family Foundation (TFF) of between $3 million and $5 million and represents the largest project in the CAE's history.

"This is really major. It's first in terms of scale and certainly in terms of resources," says Dr Axel Meisen, past CAE president and chair in foresight at Alberta Innovates: Technology Futures (formerly the Alberta Research Council). "This project could lay the foundation for a national energy strategy … I hope people from government are involved in the project."

Lorne Trottier approached the DSF expressing an interest in supporting research on broad energy issues and energy supply. DSF in turn approached the CAE to handle the technical aspects of the project and the three organizations have been meeting regularly over the past year.

Discussions have led to a formal memorandum of understanding specifying the project's general objectives and the partners are now developing a detailed workplan with work to commence in the coming months under the direction of Dr Tom Gouldsborough, formerly with Manitoba Hydro and an engineer with 35 years of energy, utility and project management experience. The details of the project's work plan will be unveiled in Montreal at the World Energy Conference (September 12-16).

trottier made his fortune with matrox

Lorne Trottier is a McGill Univ graduate and an engineer, inventor and philanthropist who co-founded Matrox, a 34-year-old, Dorval QC-based developer and manufacturer of video card components and equipment for personal computers. The Trottier Family Foundation was established in 2000. Discussions with CAE were initiated under Dr John Leggat, who was then CAE president before being replaced by Meisen in July/09 who led the discussions for the CAE until he was succeeded earlier this month by Dr Michael Charles.

"The three organizations are quite different but also complementary. When you take the expertise from each, we make a very good team," says Meisen. "The David Suzuki Foundation will handle the social component of the project and we will handle the technical component."

The Trottier Energy Futures Project has four main goals:

* Identify energy strategies for Canada for implementation between now and 2050 to reduce greenhouse gases from all aspects of the energy sector, make Canada a global role model in the sustainable generation, distribution and use of energy, and ensure that all Canadians have access to enough energy to enjoy a high quality of life;

* recommend the optimal strategy for implementation;

* Persuade the Canadian public, industry and governments that an optimal energy strategy is the best way forward; and,

* Ensure that implementation of the strategy is within the terms of the project.

influencing energy policy and regulations

After evaluating current and emerging energy technologies and systems, the project will identify integrated solutions and breakthrough technologies for future energy systems. It will then point to changes in public policy and regulations to facilitate implementation of the chosen energy systems and obtain buy-in from the public, industry, and energy and environment decision makers through "innovative engagements and consultations".

"There will be public engagement especially with the engineering community. We will also share the interim results with the public and decision-makers," says Meisen. "It will be a very evidence- and objective-based, communicating these issues while the study is underway."

The project outcomes are certainly ambitious, ranging from a series of recommendations and reports to conferences, lectures and meetings that lead to a vision and roadmap for "a sustainable future of Canada's energy systems".

CAE has already done extensive work on energy issues through its Canada Power Grid Task Force which release a report in April entitled Electricity: Interconnecting Canada - A Strategic Advantage. That report recommended that Canada immediately establish an infrastructure project fund to be cross-shared with the provinces to establish new inter-provincial electrical grid interconnections and a longer-term plan for a cross-sectoral management entity to prepare a technology and business framework for electrical industry investments over the next 25 years.

The Trottier-funded project will consider different energy technologies for each area of energy including a complete range of renewable energy options. And unlike the expert panel assessments of the Council of Canadian Academies, the project will be prospective and include a series of recommendations. The CAE clearly hopes that its work with DSF will encourage the federal government to participate in the study and carry its work forward.

"Bookshelves are replete with reports. One avenue to tackling the problem of not enough action is to get decision makers involved in the development of the project," says Meisen. "The decision-makers can help guide the development of the work and move it in the right direction ... It could lay the foundation for a national energy strategy."

The combination of DSF and the CAE could make for an intriguing mix of scientific research and social advocacy. The DSF states that the project can provide solutions to the threats posed by climate change by "developing energy systems that are secure, affordable and free from harmful emissions and other environmental effects". In the past DSF has issued reports on energy issues including The case for deep reductions: Canada's Role in Preventing Dangerous Climate Change; Smart Generation: Powering Ontario With Renewable Energy; and, Kyoto and beyond: The low-emission path to innovation and efficiency .

(Note: The DSF did not respond to requests for an interview for this story.)

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