GENERATE DAY 2 KEYNOTE: COLLEEN GIROUX-SCHMIDT
At
#Generate2026, Colleen Giroux-Schmidt delivered a powerful keynote on behalf of Jean Trudel, President & CEO of Innergex Renewable Energy.
British Columbia is not just an important market for Innergex. It is central to the company’s history, partnerships, and long-term growth, and for Colleen, it is home. She thanked the Clean Energy Association of British Columbia (CEBC) for its leadership in bringing the sector together at a pivotal moment, with a clear focus on how we move clean energy projects from conception to delivery.
Her message was clear. This is a defining moment, not only for the sector, but for British Columbia and for Canada. As global demand accelerates, electricity is becoming the foundation of economic growth. From critical minerals and manufacturing to artificial intelligence and emerging industries, the next generation of development will be built where clean, reliable, and scalable electricity is available. The question is no longer whether British Columbia has potential. The question is whether we can move quickly enough, clearly enough, and consistently enough to turn that potential into built projects.
Innergex’s presence in the province reflects that long-term view. With 22 operating facilities, projects advancing from the 2024 and 2025 Calls for Power, and more than $4.6 billion invested in British Columbia, the company’s commitment spans decades, not cycles. That commitment is grounded in partnership, with long-term relationships built alongside Indigenous Nations, governments, and communities to deliver clean electricity.
A key message resonated throughout the keynote. The greatest risk is not that we build too much infrastructure. It is that we fail to build enough. Electricity is enabling infrastructure. It is the foundation for growth, and our planning, procurement, and regulatory systems must reflect that reality.
There is strong alignment across the sector on clean power, Indigenous partnership, and economic growth. The opportunity ahead is about delivery. That means building projects and transmission on time, strengthening investor confidence, and sending clear, consistent signals that British Columbia is committed to a 20 to 30 year build-out. Certainty matters long before contracts are signed, as investment decisions begin years earlier through land assessment, relationship building, and capital allocation.
Thank you to Colleen Giroux-Schmidt and Innergex Renewable Energy for a thoughtful and grounded keynote, and for their continued leadership in advancing clean energy development in British Columbia.
#Generate2026