Advancing a Global Change Initiative: Affordable Energy for Humanity (AE4H)
The rationale and basis for a major ‘Global Change Initiative’ is to advance the scientific and technological capacity for innovations required to meet the challenge of global energy access and energy poverty. The primary goal is eradication of energy poverty through access to affordable energy.
The initiative – led by the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centres (Baden - Württemberg, Germany) – establishes a platform for large-scale adoption of low cost energy technologies and solutions intended to reach every global citizen.
Through 2015 to 2017, served as the lead Scientific Advisor to the Waterloo Global Science Initiative (WGSI), established by the Perimeter Institute and University of Waterloo. The OpenAccess Energy Blueprint is viewable online through award-winning investigative journalism start-up Discourse Media and at WGSI.org.
Also see: Power Shift
https://uwaterloo.ca/magazine/spring-2016/feature/power-people
https://uwaterloo.ca/magazine/spring-2016/feature/4-ways-open-energy-accessergy-access
Extensive media coverage of WGSI OpenAccess Summit included from TVO’s ‘The Agenda’, The Globe and Mail, and award-winning investigative journalism start-up Discourse Media through their new ‘Power Struggle’ platform.
Promotional video about AE4H was produced in advance of the OpenAccess Energy Summit:
- AE4H was featured as the cover story on the spring 2016 issue of Waterloo Magazine
- In November 2016, WGSI presented the ‘OpenAccess Energy Brief’ at the UNFCC COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco
- AE4H Innovation Lab was featured as lead story on UW homepage July 6 2017
- AE4H was featured as part of UW faculty of Environment online series about the Sustainable Development Goals
AE4H Innovation Labs
The Second Innovation Lab (June 19- June 22, 2019) held at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA), Waterloo, Ontario led by AE4H in co-operation with KIT, Germany and Oxford University, UK. With a focus on Africa’s Energy Revolution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4grBLA80eyU&feature=emb_logo
An important academic contribution emerging from the first innovation lab is the Special Issue, Proceedings of the IEEE, “Electrcity for All: Issues, Challenges and Solutions for Energy-Disadvantaged Communities,” eds, C. Canizares, J. Nathwani and D. Kammen, September 2019, v.107,no 9, pp.1773-2008
https://proceedingsoftheieee.ieee.org/upcoming-issues/electricity-for-all/
The First Innovation Lab was held between June 15th-17th 2017. in Potsdam Germany. AE4H hosted an energy access ‘innovation lab’ at partner institute in Potsdam, Germany which brought together 53 AE4H experts from 31 institutions in 16 countries. This highly successful event has resulted in the development of collaborative projects on a number of topics including:
- Scaling micro-grid development
- Capacity-building at the last mile
- Supporting energy access entrepreneurs
- Establishing effective research to impact labs
- Working with local partners: private vs. public
- Inclusive business models for the BOP
- Data, IoT and smart infrastructure deployment
- Global talent pool development and training
- End-uses and users of electricity
Major Funding Initiatives: Proposals in Development
- In August 2019, submitted a major grant application, to the MacArthur Foundation $100M and Change Challenge, “Mending Broken Lives with Clean Energy Solutions,”
- Creation of a global research and venture development program is currently under active development with select AE4H partners. This multi-million dollar initiative is to create 5 Energy Access Innovation Centers, 3 in Africa, 1 in Latin America and 1 in Asia with an estimated budget of $300 million. An output of the AE4H Innovation Lab event, this is being led by University of Waterloo with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, UC Berkeley, MIT, University of Oxford, Ashesi University, and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies.
- In October 2016 AE4H submitted a major grant application for $100 Million to the MacArthur Foundation to pursue the creation of a global fellowship and research program that aims to develop the next generation of energy access innovators and practitioners and provide them with a pathway to test their ideas and launch ventures across the developing world. The application was a major effort submitted with the support of 29 partner institutions from 12 different countries. The proposal is featured alongside other top-scoring ideas on the 100 & Change program’s website.
Venture Support
- AE4H is supporting the pioneering work of technology start-up HITCH, which is currently in residence at UW’s Velocity incubator. HITCH is developing a technology for off-grid internet access and video content caching in sub-Saharan Africa. With financial support and mentorship from AE4H, HITCH has completed a successful field test in Nigeria.
- A former resident of the Velocity incubator program with experience in the African Solar industry has developed a report for AE4H on energy access entrepreneurship.
Promoting Policy Advancement
To assist governments and stakeholders reach consensus on policy choices often characterized by divergent perspectives, active participation on several Boards and energy forums and working closely with thought leaders and legislators is one avenue. Select activities are highlighted here to illustrate the contributions and impacts.
Upon request, I have provided expert testimony and made several presentations to policy makers and legislators. A few examples include:
House of Commons
Invited Participant, UK House of Commons Committee Meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Nuclear Energy, ‘Coping with a Large Nuclear Accident, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, Committee Room 10, March 11, 2015, London, UK.
Expert Testimony, House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources, The need for a reliable supply of isotopes, governance aspects and public acceptance’ June 18, 2009, Ottawa.
Expert Testimony, House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources ,‘The medical isotope crisis arising from a shutdown of the NRU reactor at Chalk River,’ February 07, 2008, Ottawa.
Ontario Legislature
Policy Engagement Series with the Legislators ‘Shaping Ontario’s Energy Future: Charting a path to sustainable prosperity’ Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy (OCEPP), October 29, 2009.
Ontario Public Service (OPS) Expert Policy Forum – Engaging Policy Research “Partnering with Academic and Other Research Organizations”, Ontario Room, MacDonald Block, Toronto, November 27, 2008, Live Broadcast Province Wide
Cabinet Secretariat
Policy Innovation and Leadership (PIL), Cabinet Office, to Ontario Assistant Deputy Ministers, ‘Energy, Environment, Economy: Cross-Currents’, January 15, 2008, Toronto.
Policy Innovation and Leadership (PIL), Cabinet Office, Expert Policy Forum, ‘Partnering with Academic and Other Research Organizations,’ Ontario Public Service (OPS) Expert Policy Forum
Engaging Policy Research, Partnering with Academic and Other Research Organizations, Live province wide webcast, November 27, 2008.
Ministry of Energy
Minister of Energy’s Emerging Trends Energy Leaders Roundtable, Campbell Conference Facility, U of Toronto, May 31, 2016
Ministry of Energy, Expert Advice to the Ministry of Energy on the development of the Long Term Energy Plan for Ontario, “Shaping Ontario’s Long Term Energy Future” Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MEI), October 07, 2010, Toronto.
Ministry of Energy, ‘Review and Assessment of Ontario’s Long Term Energy Plan’, September, 2013, Toronto.
Expert Advice, Order in Council, Minister of Energy’s Directive to the Ontario Energy Board in relation to establishment, implementation and promotion of a Smart Grid. Directive Issued, November 23, 2010, Toronto.
Expert Advice
NATO ADVANCED RESEARCH WORKSHOP: ENERGY TRACK. Co-Chair with M. Case - Energy, NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Sustainable Cities and Military Installations, Hella, Iceland, June 2- 6, 2012; Nathwani, J.S. ‘A technological roadmap for a low carbon electrified future,” June, 2012
Additional select examples follow.
Energy Council of Canada (ECC)
The Energy Council of Canada strives to shape an affordable, stable and environmentally sensitive energy sector for the benefit of all Canadians. As a professional, knowledgeable and collaborative organization with broad membership at the executive level, it advances current energy issues through objective energy dialogue and direct engagement with the World Energy Council, the world’s leading energy association. The Energy Council of Canada is a not-for-profit organization established in 1923 as one of the founding members of the World Energy Council (WEC). The ECC has committed significant financial resources for graduate Fellowships to WISE in support of energy policy research at UW. Working closely with ECC, WISE Fellows and faculty have unique access to energy leaders across Canada and participate actively in conferences and workshops.
Council of Canadian Academies (CCA)
Recent appointment was an Expert Panel Member by Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) for the study on the ‘Potential for New for Innovative Uses of ICTs for Greening Canada’. CCA is an independent, not-for-profit organization that supports evidence-based, expert assessments that inform public policy development in Canada.
The Panel on innovative uses of ICT’s for Greening Canada continues to draw from WISE expertise in the Information Systems and Science for Energy (ISS4E).
Waterloo Global Science Initiative (wgsi.org)
Lead author of the ‘Equinox Blueprint – Energy 2030 – A Technological Roadmap for a Low Carbon, Electrified Future.’
Also see: Waterloo Global Science Initiative (WGSI) Equinox Energy 2030 Summit:
http://wgsi.org/ and http://wgsi.org/equinox-summit-learning-2030
Several other roles include:
- Chair of the Board, Canadian University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE)
- Member, Ontario Energy Board’s Chair’s Advisory Roundtable for Industry
- Member, Ontario Smart Grid Forum, Board Member, Ontario Centre of Excellence (OCE)
Energy Transformation Network Ontario (ETNO): Previously -The Ontario Smart Grid Forum (Forum)
The Forum (Chaired by the IESO) provides advice to government, regulators, agencies, and industry to advance the effective implementation of a smart grid in Ontario, to maintain a collective understanding of relevant developments in other jurisdictions and influence global developments in the interests of Ontario.
- In early 2009, the Forum issued its First report ‘Enabling Tomorrow’s Electricity System.’
- Within two weeks of the release of the Report, the Ontario government introduced Bill 150 incorporating all the key recommendations of the Forum in the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 (the GEGEA) to facilitate renewable generation, conservation and the development of Ontario’s smart grid.
- The report provides recommendations to advance the development of Ontario’s smart grid, including calling on the provincial government to provide a framework to promote the smart grid project.
- The development of the principles to guide the future development of the smart grid in Ontario was approved by an order in council of the Ontario cabinet and a directive was issued to the Ontario Energy Board. This will help shape the multimillion dollar investment decisions on the provinces electricity infrastructure.
- The Second report of the Ontario Smart Grid Forum, “Modernizing Ontario's Electricity System: Next Steps”, issued in May 2011 and ongoing work of the Forum continues to inform the regulatory framework for smart grid investments, emerging standards and industry practice.
https://wise.uwaterloo.ca/documents/jatin- nathwani/documentsofinterest/smartgridforumreportfinalmay2011pdf
- The 3rd Report of the Forum, “Ontario Smart Grid Forum Assessment: A Vignette’, September 2013. Participation in the Ontario Smart Grid Forum (Provincial) and at the Federal level through the Clean Tech Advisory Board, (DFAIT) and the work of the Expert Panel (Council of Canadian Academies) provided an excellent opportunity to bridge the gaps and help shape the directions for a national approach to the development and exploitation of opportunities in the clean tech sector.
https://wise.uwaterloo.ca/documents/jatin- nathwani/documentsofinterest/smartgridprogressassessmentvignettepdf
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Council for Clean and Reliable Energy (CCRE)
The Council provides a platform for open public dialogue and a solution-oriented approach to the challenges of the energy sector. It is a forum where representatives from universities, public and private sector business leaders, labour unions and strategic planning professionals collaborate to broaden public debate. CCRE has developed a following among professionals within the energy sector through its highly regarded conference program and publications. As an active member and through WISE, we have partnered with CCRE since 2008 and hosted a number of successful conferences on distributed generation, nuclear power and policies, public sector governance and regulation and energy leader’s roundtable retreats.
- Program Co-Chair, inaugural annual major forum on Technology Innovation & Policy "Microgrids & Distributed Energy: Is there a revolution in the making?”, University of Waterloo, November 24, 2016
- Program Co-Chair, major forum on "Nuclear Power in Society, Finding the Balance", Ottawa, October 6, 2009
- Governance and Regulation in the Electricity Sector: Balancing Independence with Accountability, 2011
- Editorial Board, CCRE Publications
Science Media Centre Canada (SMCC) - focuses on making the results of evidence-based research available to everyone through the media by providing science journalists timely assistance. WISE continues to be involved with the Research Advisory Panel of SMCC.
Smart Energy Networks (SEN)
With several colleagues, I led the concept of a ‘Smart Energy Network’ now summarized in a comprehensive technical report with an accompanying policy summary. The Smart Energy Networks (SENs) concept is inherently multi-disciplinary in scope: SENs use advanced information and communication technology to monitor and manage the transport of energy from all fuel sources to meet the varying energy service demands of end users. To advance the Smart Energy Network agenda, we have established a national Advisory Panel on Smart Energy Networks comprising distinguished energy leaders across Canada.
A major event entitled “The Future of Smart Energy Networks: Identifying, shaping and advancing Canadian interests” will be held on September 30, 2013 in Toronto.
The event brings together about 72 leaders in government, utilities, business, civil society and academia to shape the discussion on how multiple physical networks can integrated through ICT’s to deliver a quantum leap in productivity and environmental performance.
Sustainable Transport- Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEV’s)
An earlier example of timely response to policy developments is the development of the Road Map for Electric Vehicles in Ontario entitled ‘Sustainable Mobility and Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV’s).
The Ontario Government set the policy framework (July 2009) for developing the next steps of a plan to introduce plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles (PEVs) in Ontario. There wa urgent need to provide a solid basis for an action plan to implement the vision. At the request of the Ontario Centres of Excellence - Energy (OCE), WISE brought together a research team (Canizares, Nathwani, Rowlands, Fraser, Kazerani, Bhattacharya, and Fowler) to conduct a comprehensive multi-disciplinary study to pave the path for a large-scale implementation of Plug - In Electric Vehicles in Ontario.
The study was prepared on behalf of a large number of key stakeholders with interest in promoting sustainable mobility through electrification. The stakeholders included several not-for profit community groups and all those who would either be influenced by the plan or drive the action plan for Ontario: utilities, the auto sector, government agencies, manufacturers, industry partners, consumers and financing entities. The report addressed the key development needs of the auto sector, the electricity sector the consumers, communities and markets as they relate to infrastructure issues, institutional aspects and consumer issues.
Invited Participant
United Nations event held in The Hague, The Netherlands,: UN Public Service Forum on "The Future is Now: Accelerating Public Service Innovation for Agenda 2030". 22-23 June 2017.
TATA Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA, invited participant: 3rd Annual Tata Center Symposium and Conference that examined the nature of technology entrepreneurship in developing markets. 13 September 2017.
Perimeter Institute, invited participant: discussion at WGSI (PI) with Preston Manning, former leader of Reform Party, Canadian politician. 30 October 2017.
