(St. John’s, NL – June 3, 2025) The Energy NL Conference & Exhibition 2025 began today at the St. John’s Convention Centre with an opening address by the Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology and an update from Kerry Moreland, President of ExxonMobil Canada. Minister Crocker outlined his vision for the Newfoundland and Labrador energy industry and Mrs. Moreland updated attendees on activities of ExxonMobil Canada including the discovery of an additional 75 million barrels of oil in the last year.
From there, attendees were provided insight into the global and local energy industry from Mark Oberstoetter, Head of Americas Upstream Research, Wood Mackenzie, Susan Wilkins, Executive Director, Renewable Energy, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Jim Keating, CEO, OilCo. The conversation then changed to a practical discussion on how Energy NL members and Newfoundland and Labrador companies could prepare for projects on the Churchill River as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro-Québec.
Lunch keynote Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist & Founder of Nanos Research, provided insight into the evolving national opinion on energy development in Canada and how that may influence policy in the coming years.
The day concluded with a fireside chat with Jennifer Williams and Michal Sabia, the respective presidents and CEOs of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro-Québec. They discussed how the Churchill River MOU came to be, the need for such a nation-building project, and how local businesses (including the supply and service sector), workers, and communities must benefit from the hydroelectric megaprojects. They also discussed the role Energy NL can play – such as hosting supplier development sessions – in helping its members become involved in the projects.
The second day of the Energy NL Conference & Exhibition 2025 begins at 8:30 a.m. with an update from North Atlantic Vice President of Capital Projects Jeff Murphy. Then the discussion focuses on the wind energy sector with a panel of six industry experts discussing their projects. The Renewable Energy Marketplace: A Discussion on Local & International Progress, will focus on the opportunities and challenges of the development of the wind energy and clean fuels sector and includes:
• Matthew Borys, VP Corporate Development, Everwind Fuels
• Frank Davis, AVP, Green Fuels and Canada Country Head, Pattern Energy
• Richard Hugh, CEO, World Energy GH2
• Jeff Murphy, Vice President of Capital Projects, North Atlantic
• Karlis Povisils, Partner, Energy Transition Funds at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
• Ravi Sood, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, EVREC
The fourth session of conference, Technology: Enabling Supply Chains & Energy Growth, will explore ways to rapidly enhance operations and supply chains through the adoption of technology such as additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Session speakers are:
• Karen Veitch, COO of Atlantic XL
• Ladan Khaksar, Senior Materials Engineer/Additive Manufacturing Specialist at Aker Solutions Canada
• Brede Laerum, Head of the Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence for Equinor
• Stephen Czarnuch, Associate Professor, and Director of the Centre for AI, at Memorial University
The keynote lunch address for Wednesday will be provided by Jackie Forrest, CEO of ARC Energy Research Institute and Co-Host of the ARC Energy Ideas Podcast.
Further information on the conference program and speakers is available here. Media who plan to attend but have not completed the registration form must complete the form found here.
“The first day of the Energy NL Conference & Exhibition 2025 was a success and provided an exceptional foundation to our discussions for the remainder of the week. We learned more about the objectives of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and recent successes of ExxonMobil Canada which will increase the production longevity of their offshore facilities. Energy NL members also gained insight into how they can prepare for the next megaprojects in the province, specifically the Churchill River hydroelectric developments. I look forward to tomorrow as we explore in greater detail the renewable energy sector and what is required for success and the role technology will continue to play in our industry.”
• Charlene Johnson, Energy NL CEO
Energy NL represents over 500 member organizations worldwide which are involved in the energy sector. Members are active in all areas of the supply and service sector and include a diverse representation of businesses that range from offshore supply vessels and helicopters, carbon reduction and sustainable technologies, health and safety equipment and training, engineering solutions and fabricators to law firms and human resource agencies.
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Media contact:
Ken Morrissey, Chief Strategy & Communication Officer
Mobile: 709-725-5172 |[email protected]| @WeAreEnergyNL
