TCB Conference 2026: Opening Event on Electrification & the Grid

The opening event of The Clean Economy Bridge Conference aims to examine existing and emerging transatlantic cooperation on electrification, from renewable energy expansion to smarter, more flexible grid systems. 

As the clean energy transition accelerates on both sides of the Atlantic, the electricity sector stands at the center of a shared transformation. This opening panel brings together voices from Canada, Germany, and the United States to examine where transatlantic collaboration on electrification is already taking shape and where it can go further.

The discussion will span three interconnected themes: the rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity, the role of energy efficiency in reducing overall system demand, and the growing importance of demand-side management and grid flexibility in keeping modern power systems stable. Across all three, a common thread emerges: the challenges North America and Europe face are strikingly similar, and the solutions each side develops hold real value for the other.

Speakers:

• Catherine Reed, Senior Program Director, National Association of State Energy Officials (USA)

• Monica Curtis, Senior Director Communities and Decarbonization, Pembina Institute (Canada)

• Heiko Willenberg, Head of Government Relations and Political Affairs, RWE (Germany)