Summit program
Here is an initial preview of the program for our Summit. Check back regularly for updates as we confirm our roster of distinguished speakers and panelists.
Day 1 | Tuesday, May 5
Day 1
Tuesday, May 5
| 7:30 – 8:30 | Registration & Breakfast |
| 8:30 – 8:45 | WELCOME Graham Carr, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University |
| 8:45 – 9:00 | Land Acknowledgement |
| 9:00 – 10:00 | Keynote Address |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | PANEL Harmonizing Science, Scale, and Sovereignty |
| 11:00 – 11:15 | Break |
| 11:15 – 12:00 | FIRESIDE CHAT Financing the Energy Transition - New Approaches, New Frameworks |
| 12:00 – 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | Breakout Sessions / Workshops |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Break |
| 15:15 – 16:15 | Breakout Sessions / Workshops |
| 18:00 – 22:00 | Gala Dinner, Theatre St-James |
Day 2 | Wednesday, May 6
Day 2
Wednesday, May 6
| 9:00 – 9:45 | KEYNOTE ADDRESS |
| 9:45 – 10:45 | PANEL Decarbonization Research and Canada’s Climate Competitiveness |
| 10:45 – 11:00 | Break |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | PANEL Indigenous Clean Energy Leadership & Equity Financing |
| 12:15 – 13:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Securing Canada’s Energy Future Through Academic Leadership |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | CLOSING REMARKS |
Themes guiding the Summit
The 2026 Electrify Society Summit’s program will be guided by four broad themes that are central topics in the electrification space today. These themes, which aim to include academia, industry, government, finance and community, will guide the Summit’s presentations and activities, although they will also be discussed as a larger whole.
Canada’s leadership in the energy transition: past, present, and future
Canada has long been a pioneer in clean energy, particularly through its historic development of hydropower. While the country has mastered clean energy production, it now faces the challenges of how to manage, store, and optimize it for a sustainable and equitable net-zero emissions future. How can Canada reclaim its leadership and close the loop from energy generation to intelligent consumption?
Beyond the grid
The electric grid remains at the heart of electrification, but it also represents a limiting structure. Today, new technologies are empowering decentralized energy systems, where communities and individuals can produce, store, and manage their own power through solar panels, electric vehicles, and local energy storage systems (ESS). As distributed generation expands, we must ask: do we still need a traditional grid, or do we need to reinvent it?
Financing the energy transition: new approaches, new frameworks
The global shift to clean energy requires innovative financial models. Around the world, new mechanisms are emerging that integrate carbon accounting, impact investment, and clean technology financing. These approaches redefine value by linking financial returns to climate performance. How can Canada align its financing frameworks with this global momentum and position clean tech as both an environmental and economic driver?
Breakthroughs, barriers, and next steps in electrification research
Research and innovation are essential to advancing electrification, but key gaps remain. What breakthroughs are shaping the field? Where are the barriers? Initiatives like Volt-Age are exploring co-creation approaches that connect researchers, industries, and policymakers to accelerate progress. Yet the challenge persists: research and industry often depend on each other in a “chicken and egg” dynamic. How can more inclusive and collaborative frameworks turn this interdependence into a strength?