Nearly 140 people attended the sold-out, inaugural edition of the Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit, held at CIBC Square in downtown Toronto on June 19, 2024. The full-day conference, hosted by the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), brought together industry leaders and investment experts to discuss the financial landscape of Canada’s clean-energy market.
“We created the Clean Power Finance Canada Summit to open dialogue between the finance and clean power industries, because the clean energy transition represents a massive investment opportunity in Canada,” said Vittoria Bellissimo, CanREA’s president and CEO. “We need to invest in renewables and energy storage to reach Canada’s climate targets, as well as to meet the growing demand for electricity, and to stay competitive in a rapidly digitizing economy.”
The conference convened expert speakers to help investors understand the particularities of renewable energy and energy storage projects, while providing valuable insights on financing for CanREA member companies and the full clean-energy sector.
In his opening remarks, James Brooks, the managing director and co-head of Energy, Infrastructure & Transition Investment Banking at CIBC Capital Markets, emphasized the importance of financial strategies in advancing Canada’s clean energy future.
As the keynote speaker, Lisa Raitt, vice-chair of Global Investment Banking at CIBC and former federal Minister of Transport, of Labour, and of Natural Resources, highlighted the critical role of strategic investments and policy support in accelerating Canada’s clean energy transition.
Over the course of the day, five panel discussions explored different aspects of the summit’s theme, including:
- “State of the Industry: Clean Power in Canada” provided a finance-focused overview of the clean-energy investment landscape in Canada.
- “Revenues & Reporting: Understanding Clean Power Value Streams” delved into the various revenue streams and market pricing available across Canada.
- “The Game of Risk: Identifying & Mitigating Risk Profiles for Clean-Power Projects” discussed how the industry manages and mitigates the risks faced by clean power projects, including supply-chain management, project siting and permitting, transmission access, political carbon pricing risk, and workforce development.
- “Indigenous Equity Financing: Exploring Funding Avenues for Indigenous Partnerships,” identified barriers faced by Indigenous communities in securing financing for equity partnerships in clean energy projects, as well as solutions to these challenges.
- “Financing the Innovators: Emerging Clean-Power Technologies” showcased innovative technologies poised to transform the clean energy landscape, such as green hydrogen, long-duration energy storage and offshore wind.
The conference provided critical insights into the financial mechanisms driving Canada’s clean energy future, along with networking opportunities when all attendees could mingle and discuss matters further.
For further information on CanREA, click here.
Featured image: Nearly 140 people attended the sold-out, inaugural edition of Clean Power Finance Canada—CanREA Summit, held June 19 at CIBC Square in downtown Toronto. This full-day conference hosted by the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) brought together industry leaders and investment experts, aiming to open dialogue between Canada’s finance and clean power industries. Image credit: CanREA.
