Alberta declares Energy Week as Global Energy Show gets underway in Calgary

The Canadian province of Alberta has declared the week of June 6-10 as Energy Week, coinciding with the Global Energy Show – North America’s largest energy exhibition – that got underway on Tuesday in Calgary.

"Alberta is showcasing the innovative oil and gas sector while celebrating new opportunities for responsible, reliable and affordable energy,” the provincial government said in a statement.

According to Canadian officials, the week seeks to recognise and celebrate the energy sector’s critical importance to Alberta and Canada – including the industry’s contribution of billions of dollars to the province’s economy and helping develop its potential to meet growing energy demands and strengthen global energy security.

The declaration of the Energy Week came as more than 30,000 energy professionals from over 110 countries were expected to participate in this year’s edition of the Global Energy Show that runs from Tuesday until Thursday (June 7-9) at the Stampede grounds in Calgary.

Organised by dmg events and co-hosted by Cenovus, Global Energy Show (GES) is North America’s largest B2B exhibition and conference engaging with industry buyers and sellers, stakeholders and partners, CEOs and young professionals.

Top provincial government officials said that new business, investment and partnership opportunities will be their focus for the event. “This week is all about highlighting that Alberta can – and should – be a big part of establishing global energy security… We are excited to tell this story and to welcome industry leaders to our province with our signature western hospitality,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney told local media.

The GES strategic conference will start with former Canadian cabinet minister Jody Wilson-Raybould discussing the role of Indigenous communities and contributions in the energy sector. Major keynote speakers throughout the three days of the conference include Nigeria’s petroleum minister Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva, Ghana’s energy minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh; Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Iceland; former Texas governor and US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry; Alex Pourbaix, President & Chief Executive Officer of Cenovus Energy; Susannah Pierce, President and Country Chair GM, Renewables and Energy Solutions, Shell; Andrea Decore, Vice President Low Carbon Fuels & GHG Offsets, Suncor; Andy Hayward, Chief Nuclear Engineer, New Brunswick Power, and many more senior industry executives and thought leaders.

Discussions on clean and renewable energy at GES will feature speakers such as Dan Balaban, the president and CEO of Greengate Power, and Perry Toms, the director and co-founder of Steeper Energy among others. Representatives from Ukrainian oil company Naftogaz as well as the Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Yulia Kovaliv, will also participate in the conference and exhibition.

In 2021, the oil and gas sector was the largest in Alberta’s economy, accounting for 21.1% of the province’s GDP. It was also the largest source of capital investment in Alberta at $18 billion in 2021, which made up 32 per cent of total capital expenditures in the province. In 2022, the sector is expected to see capital expenditures increase by 23 per cent to $22.1 billion, according to industry estimates.

“Alberta is proud to be one of the most responsible producers of oil and gas globally and we are at the forefront of innovation and a diversified energy sector,” Sonya Savage, Alberta’s Minister of Energy, said in a statement ahead of the inauguration of GES.

“As we recover from the pandemic, strong global demand for oil and gas is projected for decades to come. Alberta is well-positioned to meet that demand. We are excited to celebrate the industry’s achievements throughout Energy Week,” she said.