Programming
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
HOME, REGISTRATION, NETWORKING LUNCH
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
MICRORÉSEAU POUR LA RÉSILIENCE ÉNERGÉTIQUE
Municipalities are on the front lines of the energy transition and decarbonization effort. Across Québec’s regions, each territory has its own resources, strengths, and needs. Finding the best ways to align these resources with current and future energy demands is a challenge that many Québec municipalities will need to address over the coming decades.
Set your sights on Lac-Mégantic, a leading living laboratory for these transformations in Québec. The city is home to an innovative microgrid integrating photovoltaic solar panels and battery storage, enabling its downtown core to operate autonomously for a large part of the year. This pioneering initiative offers a concrete example of how communities can build more resilient, sustainable, and locally driven energy systems.
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
PORT ENERGY ECOSYSTEM
Port areas and their surrounding regions are zones with very specific needs and, as such, should be viewed as small energy ecosystems in their own right, including, in particular, the supply of energy to ships—whether it be fuel for navigation, shore power, or port operations themselves. Ports and the maritime sector are thus engaged in numerous efforts to reduce GHG emissions that are transforming the way they and their customers use energy: the electrification of docks (and the ships moored there) as well as onshore operations (vehicle fleets, rail connections), the distribution of biofuels, and, of course, minimizing impacts on the local community and respecting the surrounding biodiversity.
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
NETWORKING BREAK
11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
LOCAL CHALLENGES
The principle is simple: rather than starting with solutions, we’ll first listen to people’s needs.
Do you face an energy challenge? Take advantage of this unique gathering of researchers, research centers, technology companies, developers, financing experts, and support organizations to present your challenge.
11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
NETWORKING LUNCH
1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
THE FULL POTENTIAL OF WOOD WASTE: POSSIBLE WAYS TO RECYCLE IT
The forestry sector has been one of the economic drivers of many regions in Quebec for many decades. Employing thousands of people in Quebec, the sector contributes to many other sectors: construction, pulp and paper, and, increasingly, energy. In fact, the ways to utilize wood residues go far beyond wood pellets and can contribute to the production of renewable gas, bioliquids, and biofuels (including aviation biofuels), as well as green hydrogen. Energy recovery from wood thus offers the dual benefit of adding value to materials that are currently underutilized—and thereby boosting the prosperity of the regions involved, often in synergy with regional industries—while contributing to the energy transition of all of Quebec. Win-win innovations for a forestry sector that still has plenty to offer!
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
GROWING THROUGH INDUSTRIAL SYNERGIES
What if the company next door were already producing exactly what your business needs to operate? What if the waste heat it generates could help lower both your operating costs and your greenhouse gas emissions? That is the promise of industrial symbiosis within modern industrial parks.
Leveraging local partners, making use of resources already available in the region, and building resilience against supply chain disruptions and price volatility are all key advantages of this approach.
In Deschambault-Grondines, the municipality is developing a district heating project that could make use of surplus heat from an aluminum smelter to supply, among other applications, industrial greenhouses and an agricultural biomethanization complex. Discover how our businesses can become more competitive, more sustainable, and more resilient by working together.
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
NETWORKING BREAK
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
TRAINING
Quebec is rich in natural resources (energy and others) and the talent needed to harness them. But are we making the most of our potential to transition to an economy that is prosperous, carbon-free, and capable of weathering the climatic, geopolitical, and economic fluctuations of the world to come? The Escouade Énergie and the RQEI, whose institutions and members are present in more than 10 regions of Quebec and span numerous sectors of activity. That is why we want to initiate strategic conversations with the ecosystem—including municipalities, businesses, support and funding organizations, and local nonprofits—to accelerate the transition and unlock our regions’ energy potential. The ingredients are often already in place: forestry, metallurgy, biomethanization, and maritime transport. Inspired by examples such as Lac-Mégantic, which is hosting us for this event, we firmly believe that Quebec, with its rich and diverse territories, can establish itself as a leader in this field. From knowledge to action, through expertise, we all have a piece of the solution!
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
LES INGRÉDIENTS D’UNE FILIÈRE GAGNANTE: COMMENT STRUCTURER LES CHAÎNES DE VALEUR DES ÉCOSYSTÈMES ÉNERGÉTIQUES DE DEMAIN?
Over the past 25 years, Quebec’s wind energy sector has evolved from an emerging market into an internationally recognized value chain that generates jobs, expertise, and innovation.
As Quebec accelerates its energy transition, several new sectors are rapidly expanding: batteries, critical materials, bioenergy, hydrogen, smart grids, carbon capture, and industrial electrification.
But industry clusters do not develop in isolation. They take root in specific regions, drawing on those regions’ natural resources, infrastructure, skills, industrial base, and ability to mobilize local stakeholders. Regional energy ecosystems thus become a strategic lever for fostering complementary specializations, strengthening supply chains, promoting innovation, and increasing the resilience of Quebec’s energy landscape.
What lessons can we learn from the wind power sector? What are the essential ingredients for building strong, resilient, and competitive industries? How can we support small and medium-sized enterprises, structure supply chains, develop skills, share infrastructure, and promote effective regional governance?
This closing panel will offer a forward-looking discussion aimed at identifying the collective actions needed to build regional energy ecosystems and the major energy sectors in Quebec and Canada over the next 25 years.
END OF THE EVENT
5 to 7 CLOSING HOURS