Jatin Nathwani: Shaping Canada’s energy agenda

When WWF went looking for a partner to develop the first national map of Canada’s renewable energy potential, the WISE was a perfect fit. Housed at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, WISE brings together 93 professors from 22 departments to tackle complex energy issues and influence public policy.

The project had plenty of attraction for WISE’s executive director, Jatin Nathwani. “I believe that the universities have an obligation to serve the public interest and get engaged with the issues out there,” he explains. “It’s not enough to do research and publish papers. We need to bring the outside world to the university and take us to the world outside.”
The multimillion-dollar study will employ 10 WISE members with expertise in mapping, energy modelling, and integration. Together with WWF, they will produce a map that identifies not only key sources of renewable energy, but also the practical obstacles to integrating them into Canada’s existing energy infrastructure.
Take the example of Hudson Bay, says Nathwani. Yes there’s lots of wind energy there, but building transmission corridors to take advantage of that energy would be prohibitively expensive. What decision-makers need is a credible, detailed, and— most importantly—realistic assessment of the renewable energy Canada could be tapping. And that’s exactly what this project will deliver.
“If what you say is based on a solid set of facts that are technically and scientifically defendable, then you can be sure that you will get a good hearing,” says Nathwani. “Then you’ve got an audience.”
VIDEO: Zoe Caron, WWF-Canada
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAzgBsG7k7w&feature=player_embedded [/youtube]