Annual Fort St. John conference to explore evolving energy industry

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The evolving landscape of the energy industry will be explored at the 2025 annual Creating Energy Northern Resources Conference in Fort St. John.

The Fort St. John and District Chamber of Commerce’s annual event is coming to the Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre on April 28th and 29th.

This year’s conference theme is ‘Economic Growth: Where We Are and Where We Are Going.’

According to a release from the chamber, this year’s event will “explore the evolving landscape of energy and its critical role in driving sustainable economic development in northeast B.C.”

“Our goal is to facilitate meaningful discussions, foster innovation and create opportunities for collaboration that drive growth in today’s rapidly changing global economy,” the chamber said.

Presentations at the event will include a fireside chat with Stewart Muir, chief executive of Resource Works and Gerry Protti, president of Collaborative Canadian Energy Solutions.

The discussion, which will be moderated by former Peace River North MLA Dan Davies, will explore the risks and opportunities that come with current U.S. policy shifts made by the Trump administration.

The conference also features a session for attendees to learn more about the Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal project, which is led by Fort Nelson First Nation and is set to become B.C.’s first geothermal electricity facility, according to the chamber.

Speakers for this session include Taylor Behn-Tsakoza, community liaison and research coordinator for the project; Cyndi Bonn, training and employment coordinator; and Andrea Warren, project coordinator and media and communications specialist.

The session will “explore the broad socioeconomic benefits of the project, including its potential to counteract the economic downturn caused by the declining gas and forestry industries,” the chamber said in a press release.

The Peace River Regional District’s general manager of development services Ashley Murphey will also share the PRRD’s journey in establishing its regional growth strategy, which has been a work in progress since summer 2023. 

“This session will explore the plan’s vision for sustainable growth and regional cooperation over the next 20 years,” the chamber said.

The vice-president of interconnections and power calls at BC Hydro, Frank Lin, will be the last speaker of the day and will be talking about BC Hydro’s call for power initiative.

Lin will “dive into the details of the call for power initiative, exploring how it aims to meet the province’s growing electricity demands through clean and renewable sources,” according to the chamber.

The conference kicks off Friday, April 28th at 6:00 p.m., with a pre-event mixer in the Vault in Chances Casino.

A registration and breakfast will be the first event of the day on Saturday, April 29th, with presentations running until 4:45 p.m.

Those interested can view the full agenda and register for the event by clicking here.