This conference brings together utilities, regulators, policymakers, and technology providers to drive grid innovation and unlock the full potential of the electric vehicle transition.
Conference program:
Transforming the grid for the era of electric mobility
The adoption of electric vehicles represents significant power demand, but also a new utility-scale asset and business opportunity. Join us for this one-day event where we will showcase the latest technology and offer expert guidance to tap into this growing market, as well as guide you through best-in-class policy reforms, pilots and projects that are enabling decarbonization, improving grid resiliency and building the utilities of tomorrow.
Who should attend?
- Members of government who influence
and craft policy - Regulators
- Utility and energy leaders and team members
- EV industry experts
- Smart grid technology providers
Tickets are limited.
Speakers
Neetika Sathe
Vice President of Product Management
Alectra Utilities
Jason Scultety
Sr Key Account Manager, Fleet Electrification
BC Hydro
Julia McNally
Director, Climate Action
Toronto Hydro
Follivi Kloutse Ayevide
Senior Researcher
Hydro-Québec
Ed Cullinan
Senior Manager, E-Mobility & Residential Electrification
Nova Scotia Power
Francis Bradley
President and Chief Executive Officer
Electricity Canada
Aaron Silver
Manager, Climate Action Transportation Initiatives
Toronto Hydro
Maddy Ewing
Senior Consultant
Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors
Christopher Ralph
Director of Smart Mobility and Electrification
Norda Stelo
Brent Wilson
NA EV Program Manager
BGIS
Neetu Garcha
Project Lead, Grid Innovation
Alectra
Kapil Shah
Senior Manager, Electrification Infrastructure
Purolator
Kyle Mersky
Director, Growth
Hydro One
Ryan Gooch
Senior Director Utility Partnerships
Optiwatt
Shatha Qaqish-Clavering
Executive Director, Climate Positive Energy Initiative
University of Toronto
Mike Frisina
Director, Policy – Canada
SWTCH
Akhilesh Ramakrishnan
Managing Energy Associate
The Brattle Group
Emma Jarratt
Executive Editor
Electric Autonomy
Ilana Weitzman
VP of Strategic Development, Clean Transportation
Electric Autonomy
Moe Kabbara
Executive Vice President
The Transition Accelerator
Sophia Schuster
Policy Principal
Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council
Louise Lévesque
Senior Policy Director
Electric Mobility Canada
Jeff Turner
Director, Clean Mobility
Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors
Chris Henderson
Curator of Transformative Energy & Founding Executive Director
Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE)
View speakers’ bios here.
Unlock the Future of Energy & Mobility
- Discover best practices for managed charging, such as EV demand-response programs, that enhance grid flexibility.
- Learn from successful policy reforms that streamline EV integration, interconnection, and grid innovation.
- Understand how V2G and V2B technologies transform EVs into grid assets, enhancing resilience and backup power.
- Connect with energy sector leaders for strategic partnerships and collaboration
- Gain insights to drive new business opportunities, such as utility-led charging networks; advance EV adoption; and shape the future grid.
Agenda
Full agenda to be announced soon
| 8:00am | Registration and Breakfast |
| 8:50am | Conference Begins Welcome, Land Acknowledgement and Introductions Speaker: • Ilana Weitzman, VP of Strategic Development, Clean Transportation, Electric Autonomy |
| 8:55am | Opening Remarks: Transition Accelerator Speaker: • Moe Kabbara, Executive Vice President, The Transition Accelerator (MC) |
| 9:05am | Panel: Are EVs a grid asset or grid burden? Electric vehicles are set to transform not just how we move, but how we use energy. Left unmanaged, mass EV adoption could stress the grid with significant new loads. But with the right tools, these vehicles can serve as flexible distributed energy resources – strengthening the system instead of straining it. This opening panel cuts through the noise to explore the real stakes: How do we move beyond blunt instruments like TOU rates and quickly adopt smarter grid infrastructure and vehicle integration strategies that truly unlock EVs’ potential as dynamic assets? Speakers: • Neetika Sathe, Vice President of Product Management, Alectra Utilities Corporation • Julia McNally, Director, Climate Action, Toronto Hydro • Louise Lévesque, Senior Policy Director, Electric Mobility Canada (Moderator) |
| 9:45am | Panel: The power of customer-driven grids: Harnessing utility-scale managed charging for grid flexibility Virtual power plants (VPPs) — from aggregated EV chargers to smart thermostats to battery storage on commercial sites — can significantly shift and reduce peak loads, and provide reliable flexibility to grids at scale. Explore the innovative policy, technology and customer engagement programs that could allow utilities to significantly save on capacity investment. Speakers: • Akhilesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Energy Associate, Brattle Group • Ryan Gooch, Senior Director, Utility Partnerships, Optiwatt • Follivi Kloutse Ayevide, Senior Researcher, Hydro-Québec • Ilana Weitzman, VP of Strategic Development, Clean Transportation, Electric Autonomy (Moderator) |
| 10:30am | Networking Coffee Break |
| 11:00am | Panel: Utilities as public charging operators Access to public charging is a core barrier to EV adoption and one that can be addressed — at least in large part — by utility-owned and operated charging networks. The panel brings together utility-led networks across Canada to discuss this new market potential along with the various strategies for deployment and challenges that come with becoming network operators. Speakers: • Ed Cullinan, Senior Manager, E-Mobility & Residential Electrification, Nova Scotia Power • Jason Scultety, Sr Key Account Manager, Fleet Electrification, BC Hydro • Kyle Mersky, Director Growth, Hydro One • Emma Jarratt, Executive Editor, Electric Autonomy (Moderator) |
| 11:40am | Smart grid technology showcase Speakers: • Shatha Qaqish-Clavering, Executive Director, Climate Positive Energy Initiative, University of Toronto • Ryan Gooch, Senior Director, Utility Partnerships, Optiwatt |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:10pm | Panel: You want Megawatt? Best practices to speed up grid connections for charging sites and fleets Securing power for EV charging sites – especially at fleet scale – is one of the most urgent and complex challenges in decarbonizing transportation. How are utilities adapting to serve this new class of energy customer, from managing requests to planning for future capacity? In this session, fleet leaders share the best practices they’ve encountered working with utilities across the country, offering practical insights on improving connection timelines, coordination and long-term capacity planning. With major electrification projects already underway, these key players will also outline the types of loads utilities should be forecasting – and how stronger collaboration can accelerate deployment on both sides of the meter. Speakers: • Brent Wilson, NA EV Program Manager, BGIS • Kapil Shah, Senior Manager, Electrification Infrastructure, Purolator • Aaron Silver, Manager, Climate Action Transportation Initiatives, Toronto Hydro • Maddy Ewing, Senior Consultant, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors (Moderator) |
| 1:50pm | Panel: Policy and pilots for V2B and V2G: How electric vehicles can drive grid resiliency By discharging energy back to the grid or a building – a capability known as vehicle-to-grid or bidirectional charging – EVs can support peak demand events and even provide backup power for critical infrastructure and emergency shelters. Beyond just theory, real-world pilot projects are already beginning to show how bidirectional charging can provide value to both EV owners and the broader energy system. This session dives into the lessons emerging from new V2G pilots, the operational and technical best practices being surfaced and the pathways to scale. Speakers: • Christopher Ralph, Director of Smart Mobility and Electrification, Norda Stelo • Neetu Garcha, Project Lead, Grid Innovation, Alectra • Francis Bradley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Electricity Canada (Moderator) |
| 2:30pm | Networking Coffee Break |
| 3:00pm | Fireside Chat: Smart regulatory and policy innovation already powering the EV transition Utility regulation plays a critical role in enabling – or impeding – the pace of the EV transition. This session explores the innovative regulatory frameworks and policy shifts that are already enabling utilities to invest in charging infrastructure, modernize the grid and manage growing demand intelligently. From capital planning reforms and pilot flexibility to consistent interconnection processes and EV-focused rate structures, panelists will share concrete examples of regulatory tools in action. Speakers: • Sophia Schuster, Policy Principal, Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council • Jeff Turner, Director, Clean Mobility, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors • Mike Frisina, Director, Policy – Canada, SWTCH (Moderator) |
| 3:30pm | Closing Keynote: The utility of the future Join energy transition leader Chris Henderson for a compelling look at how utilities can unlock the full potential of the shift to a decarbonized, electrified economy. His keynote will explore three essential strategies for the utility of the future: forging forward-focused relationships with regulators, governments, Indigenous peoples, customers, suppliers, and capital markets; catalyzing innovation to unlock and unfetter clean electricity infrastructure and drive corporate performance; and redesigning our systems holistically, from training to leadership, for a new energy economy. Chris will emphasize the vital role of intentional learning, collaborative leadership and stakeholder license to realize service, climate, productivity, affordability, capacity and reliability goals. Speaker: • Chris Henderson, Curator of Transformative Energy & Founding Executive Director, Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) |
| 3:50pm | Closing Remarks Speaker: • Moe Kabbara, Executive Vice President, The Transition Accelerator |
| 4:00pm | End |
Date: May 13, 2025
Venue: Hotel X, 111 Princes’ Blvd, Toronto, ON M6K 3C3
Hotel X is an urban oasis providing extraordinary waterfront and iconic city skyline views, located at the historic Exhibition Place.
Accommodation
A limited number of hotel rooms are available for $380 CAD per night, plus applicable taxes. This special rate is secured as part of Electric Autonomy’s EV & Charging Expo package and is available until April 17th, 2025, or until rooms sell out. We encourage you to book as soon as possible to secure rooms at this rate. Book here.
Tickets
Your kWh Summit ticket grants full access to all conference panels and talks on May 13, plus breakfast, lunch, and networking coffee breaks. As a bonus, every ticket includes a free Expo Pass to the EV & Charging Expo on May 14–15—an exceptional opportunity to connect with broader EV industry leaders and explore the latest innovations.
Government
All levels of government including regulators
$449
($798 value)
- Includes all kWh Summit programming on May 13, 2025.
- Breakfast, lunch and networking breaks at kWh Summit.
- Access to the EV & Charging Expo throughout May 14–15, 2025.
Energy Sector
Utilities, Power Producers, System Operators and Distributors
$489
($838 value)
- Includes all kWh Summit programming on May 13, 2025.
- Breakfast, lunch and networking breaks at kWh Summit.
- Access to the EV & Charging Expo throughout May 14–15, 2025.
Industry
All other attendees, including technology and service providers
$649
($998 value)
- Includes all kWh Summit programming on May 13, 2025.
- Breakfast, lunch and networking breaks at kWh Summit
- Access to the EV & Charging Expo throughout May 14–15, 2025.
Sponsorship packages are available for industry-relevant organizations.
Contact us for more information.
The kWh Summit is brought to you in partnership with The Transition Accelerator
At the Transition Accelerator, we’re building tools to empower decision makers, guide industry stakeholders, and inform the public about Canada’s energy future. Grounded in leading-edge qualitative and quantitative analysis, our approach leverages sustained collaboration with power producers, regulators, system operators, industry, organized labour, Indigenous organizations, financial institutions, and civil society organizations from across Canada to share knowledge, identify challenges, and accelerate the development of an affordable, reliable net-zero electricity system.
The kWh Summit is powered by Electric Autonomy
Electric Autonomy is an independent media and events company reporting on the transition to zero emission vehicles and autonomous mobility. Its mission is to accelerate change by bringing together thought leaders across industry, government and research through editorial, events, education and other innovative programming.
