Week 5 of UCalgary MPP 2023-2024 Class

Sept. 25 – Sept. 29 2023; Another week has swiftly passed, leaving behind a trail of insights and thought-provoking discussions. With the rise in global temperatures and the urgency to curb carbon emissions, Innovate Calgary's Tech Tuesday (Sept. 26) session on "Decarbonization and Advancing a Net-Zero Grid" couldn't have been more timely.

Listening to industry, TransAlta and Capital Power, share their roadmap to a carbon-neutral future was interesting. With the plummeting costs of solar and wind energy, it's interesting to see Alberta's energy sector, which was historically so deeply entrenched in oil and gas, now attempting to emerge as a leader in renewables. Still, I'm curious about the relative under-emphasis on hydroelectricity given its proven track record of reliability. Certainly, the historical geopolitical tensions with BC and limited transmission lines capacity make it extremely challenging for AB to access hydro.

Our PPOL 619: Governance, Institutions, and Public Policy lecture was a dive into the corridors of political power. Our guest, a former federal cabinet minister from Calgary, shared some captivating anecdotes and insights on how to navigate the maze of federal governance in a country as diverse and vast as Canada.

Diving back into the world of microeconomics, I came away with a nugget of wisdom: It's not the regulator, but the market, with its intricate balance of supply and demand, that ultimately decides who bears the burden of a tax.

The week was topped off with the 2023 Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development (SEDV) Student Research Showcase on Sept. 27. It was invigorating to witness such ground-breaking research aimed at making the Canadian economy more sustainable (with few notable international case studies). The passion of the students left a lasting impression and fueled my optimism about our greener future.

*Photo: Day out ice climbing at Haffner Creek in Kootenay National Park, BC Nov. 26/22.

Summit photo