Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. In your career you have worked across the energy value chain – upstream, mid stream and now downstream – Can you tell us a bit about the career path to your current role as Executive Vice President, and President, Gas Distribution and Storage, with Enbridge?
After I completed my engineering degree at Queen’s, I went on to law school at the University of New Brunswick.
After practicing engineering and construction law in Halifax, I worked for Shell in Calgary and only lasted about a year as a lawyer for them before they pulled me back into engineering roles. I have worked in more technical and business roles ever since.
I’ve worked on and led multi-billion construction projects, run refineries, worked in the retail energy business – and everything in between.
A lot of my career has been spent in major projects, constructing large diameter pipelines or energy projects, and in more recent years in operations.
And since 2022, I’ve been leading Enbridge’s gas distribution and storage business, ensuring our four million customers, soon to be seven million customers, have safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable access to energy.
Ontario has seen some big developments over the last six months, including the dramatic December OEB decision on Enbridge Gas’ rate structure, and the province’s decision to bring legislation, Bill 165, in response to that decision. How are you dealing with all of this?
It’s been an interesting few months for sure.
I look at it this way, and we have shared our approach with the OEB and with government: Enbridge Gas supports a balanced energy mix approach, one that includes both natural gas and electricity, to ensure Ontario can meet its emissions targets without sacrificing reliability or affordability.
That’s been our motto all along.
It was disheartening to view the OEB decision. We commend the government for stepping up to reinforce the critical role of keeping energy costs down. Bill 165, “Keeping Energy Costs Down Act,” strongly signalled that natural gas is critical to Ontario as it fuels economic growth, reduces industrial emissions, and heats homes.
Those who argue for a rapid and complete switch to electricity, by seeking to limit access and increase the cost of natural gas, ignore some basic, critical facts.
Natural gas provides almost 40 percent of the total energy Ontarians use each year, affordably at a quarter of the cost of electricity. It is the backbone of the province’s heavy industries that require intense heat that only natural gas can provide.
“Enbridge Gas supports a balanced energy mix approach, one that includes both natural gas and electricity.”
Keep in mind that recent studies by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the Canada Energy Regulator, and the province’s Electrification and Energy Transition report all emphasized the long-term importance of natural gas as a critical and foundational energy source.
We stand on firm ground.
Enbridge Gas’ recent acquisition of three natural gas utilities in the US makes Enbridge North America’s largest natural gas utility company. Can you comment on the role you see for natural gas in North America now and into the future?
Yes, three U.S. utilities, that doesn’t happen very often. In fact, it’s a once in a generational opportunity, one might say.
It was a big day for us in September 2023 when Enbridge Inc. announced a plan to purchase from Dominion Energy three U.S. based natural gas utilities, which collectively provide natural gas service to approximately three million customers in Ohio, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and North Carolina. By year end, we’re going to have five utilities in the business unit.
The values and operations of our businesses are strongly aligned. We share a deep commitment to the safe delivery of reliable, affordable natural gas to millions of residents and businesses, keeping homes warm and businesses operating competitively.
What I’d like to highlight about this deal is the diversification that it adds to the Gas Distribution and Storage business unit.
The most important thing for our 7,000 employees that we’re soon going to have in Gas Distribution and Storage is that we’re going to be keeping some 20 million people safe and warm in their homes by delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy.
Because of the resiliency that natural gas infrastructure provides, we will really play a critical role over the long term by reducing price volatility for our customers, which is always a good thing in these times.
Without question, natural gas is the most cost-effective energy source for our customers. That’s not changing anytime soon.
What would you say are the key areas of opportunity in Canada and the U.S. related to the natural gas sector?
Every jurisdiction offers opportunities, and you adjust to each.
I really think of it this way, these utilities are the cornerstone of our growth in our Gas Distribution and Storage business.
“Because of the resiliency that natural gas infrastructure provides, we will really play a critical role over the long term by reducing price volatility for our customers.”
We’ve got a great, mature, and very solid performing utility in Ontario which has been serving customers for the better part of 175 years now. Our well-established utility in Québec has been serving customers since 1959. These distribution businesses provide safe, affordable, reliable energy to about 3.9 million customers and are leading the transition to a clean energy future through net-zero emissions targets and investments in innovative low-carbon energy solutions.
As for the U.S. utilities, I just love that the avenues of growth are more diversified now. North Carolina and Utah are adding residential customers like crazy, and so is Ontario. Ohio has a really nice modernization program in place for its infrastructure.
The U.S. acquisitions are in gas-supportive jurisdictions where the legislators have said that they will protect and preserve customer choice and energy.
And really across the board with all these utilities, we’re helping our customers reduce their emissions, whether that’s getting residential customers off fuel oil or industrial customers like steel manufacturers off coal.
When I look ahead to the long term, we will focus on playing to the strengths of each jurisdiction and work hard to be the partner of choice in each community we serve.
Enbridge has been actively advancing its work related to renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen. What role do you see these fuels playing in the near and long term?
Leveraging existing natural gas infrastructure and investing in lower-carbon alternatives such as renewable natural gas and hydrogen, in addition to electricity, is critical to the province’s energy transition – long term and short term.
Natural gas is a vital energy partner for everything from home heating to fuelling manufacturing for the electric vehicle supply chain.
By adopting a diversified approach and investing in cleaner technologies we’ll be able to keep the lights on, the heat flowing, and the wheels turning while reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come.
What advice do you have for someone just joining the gas delivery industry?
Be ready for anything. Enjoy the work. Remember, you are working hard to deliver needed energy to homes, schools, hospitals, daycares, factories, and businesses.
Be motivated by that. Let it guide you. The energy world is an exciting and important place.
Work hard, learn your job, be a valued member of a team and you will reach your goals. What you do and how you do it will matter to real people and will have real impact.