OSEA Community Power Conference 2011: Speakers

Keynote Speakers | Day 1 | Day 2

	Chris Bentley Minister of Energy Chris Bentley was elected to the Ontario Legislature in 2003 as the Member of Provincial Parliament for London West. He also served as Minister of Labour, and then as Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. He was re-elected in 2007 and 2011. He has served on a number of cabinet committees: Co-chair of the Treasury Board Working Group, Treasury Board/Management Board of Cabinet, Committee of Emergency Management, Legislation and Regulations, Justice, Intergovernmental Affairs and Aboriginal Issues. He also served on the Poverty Reduction Committee. Before his election, Chris practiced criminal and labour law for almost 25 years in London. For 11 of those years he also taught part-time at the University of Western Ontario's Law School, where he was recognized for his teaching. He helped establish the Law School's Careers Office. Active in the community, Chris was on the organizing committee, and was the first chairperson, of Neighbourhood Legal Services London and Middlesex, a legal clinic established to assist low income clients. An avid runner, Chris has participated in numerous charity runs. He has completed three Boston marathons. Chris attended the University of Western Ontario, obtained his law degree from the University of Toronto in 1979 and was called to the Bar in 1981. After practicing for a few years, Chris obtained a Master's Level degree from Cambridge University in England in 1985. Chris lives in London. He and his wife, Wendy, have two daughters.

	Colin Andersen Ontario Power Authority Colin Andersen was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) in September 2008. Prior to joining the OPA, Mr. Andersen held a variety of senior financial and policy positions in the Ontario Public Service, playing a lead role in asset management, infrastructure investments and intergovernmental negotiations. Most recently, he was Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Finance; Secretary of Treasury Board; Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Revenue; Chair of the Ontario Financing Authority and Chair of the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation. Mr. Andersen has a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary. The OPA is responsible for ensuring a reliable, long-term supply of electricity for Ontario, focusing on promoting conservation, planning for the long term, and procuring generation resources.

	Eckhard Fangmeier Bioenergiedorf Jühnde Inc. Eckhard Fangmeier, executive manager and spokesman for Bioenergiedorf Jühnde Inc., will give a presentation about Jühnde, Germany, a village powered entirely by its own renewable energy resources. In 2005, the 750 residents of the "Bio-Energy Village" of Jühnde, Germany, collectively became the country's first village to adopt a system that uses their renewable biomass to generate their own heat and electricity off the public grid. The system uses a bio-energy plant, which converts liquid manure, as well as plant materials such as wheat, rye, triticale, corn, sunflowers and other silage, into biogas fuel for a block- type thermal power station. The plant generates more than 10 million megawatts of electricity for 140 households, and reduces approximately 3.300 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. Additionally, more than 70% of the households are connected to the hot water grid powered by energy created by the power plant. This carbon neutral production of heat and electricity, which protects soil and water resources from excess nitrate and herbicides, has also boosted the job opportunities and overall community spirit of the village. http://www.bioenergiedorf.de/con/cms/front_content.php?idcat=12&changelang=6