Join our in-depth, interactive learning experience for energy buyers covering the fundamentals of the utility-scale, off-site transaction process. The limited number of attendees provides an opportunity to learn from fellow buyers and industry experts about the nuances of each stage, in order to accelerate the process and avoid common pitfalls.

Please note that the Eventbrite registration will quote a $500 cost if you are not a BRC-Canada participant. If you are a BRC-Canada community participant, please email BRC-Canada program manager Jorden Dye to receive the code and complete your complimentary registration. He can be reached at jordend@businessrenewables.ca. 

Where: Le Germain Hotel - 899 Centre St S, Calgary, AB T2G 1B8 
When: April 18-19, 2023 – 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Fees: Free for members; $500 for non-members
 

BOOTCAMP FACULTY

Jeremy Barretto

Partner, Business Law Group, Cassels

Jeremy Barretto offers extensive regulatory, environmental, and Aboriginal law experience in obtaining approvals and negotiating agreements for renewable energy projects. He frequently represents project proponents in hearings before courts and regulators across Canada. Jeremy has presented at national conferences and published articles, including in the Alberta Law Review, Globe and Mail and CBC. He is a founding member of the Business Renewables Centre-Canada’s advisory board. 

Julia-Maria Becker

Senior Manager of Sustainable Business and Operations, RBC

Julia-Maria Becker is focused on supporting the implementation of RBC’s Climate Blueprint. Her expertise is in emissions reductions policy, corporate procurement of renewables and stakeholder engagement strategies. She has worked with provincial and national governments, utilities, industry associations and companies from across the energy sector. Julia has also worked for local and international non-profit organizations, for German and Mexican government institutions, and for academia.  

Patrick Cavanagh

Partner, EY

Patrick Cavanagh is a Partner in Calgary’s Financial Accounting Advisory Services practice, providing support on complex accounting, auditing, and financial and regulatory reporting matters. He has over 17 years of experience working in EY offices in Toronto and Calgary, assisting clients across various industries, including financial services and the energy sector. He has served clients in EY’s core assurance practice, Financial Accounting Advisory Services practice, and was a member of EY’s National Accounting and Auditing practice for over eight years.  

Joan Hutchinson

Managing Director, Offtake Advisory, Marathon Capital 

Joan Hutchinson has over 25 years of experience in North American energy markets and renewable energy project development. Before joining Marathon Capital, Joan was Vice-President of Origination and Business Development at Lincoln Clean Energy, LLC, where she led efforts for wind, solar, and storage projects resulting in over 1,600 megawatts of transactions in three years, including many power purchase agreements with first-time corporate buyers.

Patrick Leonard

Renewable Energy Procurement Manager, Amazon

Patrick Leonard is Amazon’s Renewable Energy Procurement Manager and leads their consumer renewable energy team. He is responsible for building developer relationships and scaling commercial structures to meet Amazon’s net-zero carbon goals, including achieving 100 per cent renewable energy in their operations. Patrick previously managed energy and resource management at Starbucks, leading the renewables strategy for stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Chris McLelland

Partner, Business Law Group, Cassels

Chris McLelland is a partner in the Business Law Group at Cassels. Chris’ practice focuses on general corporate and commercial law and transactions with an emphasis on oil and gas and renewable energy. He has experience in domestic and cross-border asset and share transactions, as well as with issues affecting the renewable energy industry, including solar, geothermal, hydrogen and renewable natural gas. 

Mark Porter

Vice President of Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 

Mark Porter is the Clean Energy Buyers Association Vice-President of Programs. He supports all CEBA programs that are working to accelerate corporate transactions of renewable energy, for companies’ own load and in supply chains worldwide. In 2007, Mark began working for Ernst & Young’s transaction-focused renewable energy group where supported projects across the technology spectrum in Europe, Canada and North America. He joined Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center program in 2016, working to accelerate offsite non-utility procured renewable energy transactions. Mark has developed a growing number of resources and delivered numerous programs to help buyers and sellers and accelerate the renewables market. 

Benjamin Thibault

Senior Strategy Advisor, Prairie Sky Strategy

Benjamin Thibault is a policy and regulatory expert with over a decade of strategy, advocacy and implementation experience related to climate, electricity, and renewable energy policy. He served as the senior policy advisor on electricity and climate change to the former premier of Alberta and her cabinet, managing the 2016-2019 implementation of the Climate Leadership Plan. He currently acts as a consultant and advisor on a variety of renewable energy and cleantech policy and market intelligence initiatives. 

James Trites

Senior Manager, EY

James Trites is a senior manager in Calgary’s Financial Accounting Advisory Services practice, providing support on transactions, complex accounting, auditing, and financial and regulatory reporting matters. James has over 17 years of experience working in EY offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Melbourne and Calgary, assisting clients across various industries, including financial services and the energy sector.  

BOOTCAMP AGENDA

Day 1: April 18, 2023

Welcome and Opening Remarks 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.    

Nagwan Al-Guneid, Director, BRC-Canada 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association   

Fundamentals: Electricity Systems, Regulatory Environments and Canadian Market Basics   9:30 – 10:30 a.m.     

Never get confused by the difference between wholesale and retail markets again! This session is the 101 every buyer needs to master the basics – from markets to merit order.  

Faculty: 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 
Benjamin Thibault, Senior Strategy Advisor, Prairie Sky Strategy  

BREAK  10:30 – 11:00 a.m.       

Renewable Energy Procurement Options  11:00 – 12:00 a.m.       

From rooftop solar to vPPA’s, there are plenty of options when it comes to renewable energy. But what are the trade-offs? Which option meets your unique needs? This session breaks it all down to help you make the best match.  

Faculty: 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 
Benjamin Thibault, Senior Strategy Advisor, Prairie Sky Strategy

LUNCH BREAK 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.        

Scenario Discussion – Round 1  1:00 – 1:30 p.m.        

Diving into the details of PPA deals, our scenario discussions will help you prioritize the aspects of a deal that matter most to your organization.  

Faculty: 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 

Renewable Energy Project Finance 1:30 – 2:15 p.m.          

Let’s talk bankability! Renewable energy projects have unique financial considerations. But don’t worry, we have the experts on hand to answer all your questions. 

Faculty: 
Joan Hutchinson, Managing Director, Marathon Capital 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers         Association 

Off-Site PPA Risk Overview  2:15 – 2:40 p.m.       

Let’s talk about risk! From price to credit risk, we have you covered. This session focuses on walking you though the key aspects and risks involved in PPAs. 

Faculty: 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 

BREAK  2:40 – 3:00 p.m.        

Off-Site PPA Risks – Continued  3:00 – 3:45 p.m.        

Let’s talk about risk! From price to credit risk, we have you covered. This session continues walking you though the key aspects and risks involved in PPAs. 

Faculty:
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 

Scenario Discussion – Round 2  3:45 – 4:15 p.m.        

Building on scenario one, we start to add more complexity to the discussion and participants are pushed to engage with the variables that drive PPAs. 

All faculty, including expert buyers 

Wrap-up Day 1 4:15 – 4:30 p.m.        
BRC-Canada to coordinate dinner plans 

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DAY 2: April 19, 2023 

Welcome and Recap from Day 1 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.    

Nagwan Al-Guneid, Director, BRC-Canada 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association   

Moving from Goal to Contract  9:30 – 10:15 a.m.     

Learn from experienced peer buyers from their actual journey. Gain real-world insights into the PPA process, from setting your goals to securing a contract. 

Faculty: 
Julia-Maria Becker, Senior Manager Sustainable Enterprise Operations, RBC 
Patrick Leonard, Senior Manager, Amazon 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 

Story of a Renewable Energy Project 10:15 – 10:40 a.m.       

Let's follow along from start to finish as a renewable energy project is taken from conception to execution. 

Faculty: 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 

BREAK 10:40 – 11:00 a.m.       

IFRS Accounting Considerations 11:00 – 12:00 a.m.        

Building on the finance discussions from day one, we dig into the weeds to help you understand the accounting implications of renewable energy projects. 

Faculty: 
Patrick Cavanagh, Partner, EY 
James Trites, Senior Manager, EY

LUNCH BREAK 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.      

Working with Counsel 1:00 – 1:45 p.m.          

When the lawyers enter the conversation! Don’t worry they are here to bring you the inside perspective on the legal considerations during a PPA.  

Faculty: 
Jeremy Barretto, Partner, Cassels 
Chris McLelland, Partner, Cassels 

Mock Negotiation 1:45 – 2:15 p.m.        

Using the scenarios developed on day one, we will pair up to engage in mock negotiations and practice walking through the most contentious parts of a PPA. 

Faculty: 

All faculty with different roles: buyer, buyer legal counsel, developer, and developer legal counsel  

Scenario Discussion – Round 3 2:15 – 2:30 p.m.         

Building on scenario two, we add the legal and financial aspects to the discussion and participants are pushed to engage with the complexities of PPAs. 

All Faculty 

BREAK 2:30 – 3:00 p.m.         

Post Close and Post-Commercial Operation Date (COD) Best Practices 3:00 – 3:45 p.m.        

Defining renewable energy credits, managing accounting responsibilities and pitching to CFOs. This session wraps up the best practices needed to bring home a PPA. 

Faculty:
Nagwan Al-Guneid, Director, BRC-Canada 
Mark Porter, VP, Programs, Clean Energy Buyers Association 

Key Lessons from Faculty 3:45 – 4:00 p.m.          

Wrap-up  4:00 – 4:45 p.m.       

 

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Thank You to Our Sponsors

Thank you to EDF Renewables, RES Group and Greengate! Our event programming would not be possible without the support of our sponsors.