2016 Canada Agenda

What would a low-carbon world look like in 2030? Union Gas vice-president Mark Isherwood explores how the natural gas energy systems of the future can help meet environmental goals while supporting economic growth in surprisingly cost-effective ways. And he outlines the ground work that is necessary today to make that future a reality.

¥The US and North American Gas Industry in General
¥The tortuous path the US industry took to get to its current healthy state.
¥Abundance, low rig counts driven by low prices, and big environmental gains
¥Growth: Demand, infrastructure, and ability of supply to responds
¥The public fight between protestors and the gas industry.
¥The things the industry has to succeed at to keep it all working.
¥Canada vs. the US (not a hockey match, we’d lose)
¥The Canadian Triangle: Ontario growth, US shale, and Western Canada stuck at home
¥Canadian companies buying US pipes—Why? (and besides, Greg Ebel’s already a Canadian)

On November 8, Americans will choose their 45th President in one of the most important and tumultuous elections in recent history. This vote will have enormous implications, not just for the United States but for Canada and all nations. Veteran government affairs specialist and political strategist, Charles Bird of Earnscliffe Strategy Group, will provide his insights as to the most important factors driving the US presidential campaign, why the electoral college may produce more than a few surprises and what it means for Canadians, notably those in the energy and natural gas sector. The presentation will also address the following key considerations:

-What are the most important factors driving voter intention in the US?
-What is the "winning coalition" of voters that each candidate is seeking to assemble?
- Does the election present any hope of ending political gridlock in Washington?
-What will the election of a new President mean for Canada - US relations and for the energy sector?

•The unfolding impact of increasing imports from Marcellus into Eastern Canada (including infrastructure build-out required; leveraging Dawn Storage; displacement of WCSB volumes)
•How Western Canada production economics stack up versus Marcellus/Utica production economics
•Given the profound and growing opposition to any infrastructure development in US Northeast,  can Marcellus imports into Canada ever achieve their full potential? Will Marcellus production growth and access to new markets be limited by ability to move the gas to markets?
•Given the Canadian political interest in weaning off petroleum ASAP in favor of renewables, are Marcellus producers inclined to look at Canada favorably as a long-term market?

The Panel will discuss several aspects affecting the Region:
•Competitive threat posed by the Marcellus to Eastern Canada - What kind of impact will it have on Canadian Markets?
•Infrastructure development needed to balance the growth and shifting location of supply to the changes in natural gas demand
•Declining role of producers supporting infrastructure development - implications for the Ontario Market
•Review and status update of Union Gas infrastructure projects that are being constructed to respond to changing supply and demand dynamics - including Dawn to Parkway transmission capacity, Dawn storage enhancements and other numerous large scale facility projects to meet both Union in-franchise and ex-franchise customer needs
•Current status of TransCanada facility expansions in the Parkway, Niagara/Chippawa areas of the TCP system. 
•Fixed price offering from Empress to Dawn

Please join our hosts, the Corporate Sponsors, at a cocktail reception in your honor. Don’t make your dinner plans too early as hors d’oeuvres and an open bar will be the highlight of this extremely well attended session!

Our gas buyer panelists will give you solid and valuable insight into what is currently working, what they have learned from volatility and what they will do differently next time. Topics of discussion to include:

1. Are customers switching to natural gas from alternate fuels, or to alternate fuels from natural gas?
2. How did the adverse weather and curtailments affect your purchasing strategies?
• How will this winter impact your purchasing going forward?
• Do you plan on using more or less long-term supply contracts vs. long term hedging agreements? Will they start to make a comeback after this winter?
3. How do the increasing shale supplies affect your gas purchasing and contracting practices?
• Did shale help to mitigate what might have been an even more volatile winter season?
• Is the new transport enough to meet the new demands of the province?
4.Are you planning to supplement your portfolio with renewable generation?
5. Will we see LNG exports from North America?
6. Have you seen an impact from new natural gas demand for vehicle fueling (CNG/ propane)?
7. Given the current state of storage inventory, have you adjusted your storage-injection plan? Do you think the industry will fill storage to levels required for the next heating season?
8. How predictable is your gas consumption?
9. How are you dealing with Cap and Trade?   Will the costs flow through to the customer or be absorbed?
10. What factors, other than price, influence your decision to choose one supplier over another?