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The Executive Director of WISE participated in this invitation-only gathering that brought together leaders in the energy industry for discussions on issues that are important for today and tomorrow. Each session was introduced by brief presentations from a few thought leaders but dominated by open discussions among participants. A candid exchange of views was facilitated by limiting the number of invitees and having a single “round” table.

The annual event brought academics, industry, and government experts together to share their insights and optimism for the future. The topics for 2016's panel sessions considered the questions:

1. Geothermal Energy in Canada: How can research shape the market outcomes?
2. Electric Mobility Infrastructure: is it a technology or a business model challenge? and
3. Social and Policy Issues of De-carbonizing the Canadian Energy Economy: is there a clear path?

The objective of this two-day event was a multi-faceted examination of the challenges, issues, and potential future directions affecting energy infrastructure in Canada. Through the generous support of the Energy Council of Canada, ten Waterloo students, including Energy Council of Canada (ECC) Fellows were able to attend the two-day event.

A closing keynote lecture was given by Jatin Nathwani on ‘Energy Infrastructure: Issues, Opportunities and Implications’.  The discussions at the meeting helped bring into a sharp focus the challenges of investment in energy infrastructure.

On Feb. 25, 2016, a panel of speakers and researchers got together at the University of Waterloo for PowerShift: Rethinking Design for Energy Access, where students were encouraged to use innovation to address global problems — specifically, how to create a future where energy is available to all.

The interactive discussion and design session, hosted by AE4H (Affordable Energy For Humanity) and the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), connected engineers to the value of development work, and addressed the need to develop ultra-efficient and ultra-affordable technologies to combat energy poverty in a sustainable way.

The event was hosted on campus for students with a focus on humanitarian engineering, international development and social innovation to shape solutions for energy access in remote and energy-impoverished communities.

The symposium was a one-day event focusing on renewable energies, energy storage, micro-grid technologies, material development for energy applications, policies, strategies, trends and initiatives.

The Sarnia-Lambton Energy Symposium is a Canadian event that explores energy-related topics. The 2016 symposium focused on catalyzing large energy projects to drive Canada's energy strategy.

WISE Public Lecture Series: Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging

Hosted by The Ditchley Foundation: Plenary Sessions discussing: Is nuclear power an important part of the path to a lower carbon future, or an expensive and risky dead end? Where is technology likely to take us in the next 20 years? How much has the debate on safety been influenced by what happened at Fukushima? Are we likely to see long term waste solutions coming on stream in the next 20 years? The sessions were followed by Working Group discussions to address the economics and politics of nuclear power; nuclear technology and safety; security risks and solutions.