Meet our Team

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Executive Committee Members
Edouard Clement
Executive director - Energy Modelling Hub
An engineer by training, Edouard Clement holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics from Polytechnique Montréal. Formerly a Research Associate at the ETS, he also worked for the hydro division of General Electric, before joining, in 2005, Ecole Polytechnique research centre on Life Cycle Assessment (CIRAIG), where he participated and managed hundred of LCA projects. Edouard has nearly 20 years’ experience in management of organizations, as well as in data-driven strategic social and environmental responsibility consulting. He co-founded in 2009 the Canadian branch of the life cycle assessment consultancy Quantis and served as vice-president of corporate responsibility services at Groupe AGÉCO. He was also an entrepreneur-in-residence and the director of the innovation hubs at an impact start-up accelerator before cofounding in 2019 Novisto, an ESG data management software developer. He is a recognized expert in the field of life cycle assessment, GHG accounting, ESG data management and ecodesign.
Louis Beaumier
Executive director - Institut de l'énergie Trottier
Louis Beaumier is the Executive Director of the Institut de l’énergie Trottier (IET) at Polytechnique Montréal since its inception. An electrical engineer by training, he worked for almost two decades in the software industry where he has been involved in various application domains, ranging from distributed immersive simulation systems to speech recognition interfaces. The experience he has acquired over the years in his various positions – from developer to R&D director – lead him to see that a misunderstood problem, like a poorly presented solution, is often the main source of difficulties in a project. After many years in product management, where he acted on both understanding the need and presenting the solution, came the opportunity to join the IET at his alma mater, adding the sense of engagement that was missing from his previous duties. He has since been actively involved at expanding IET’s dissemination of knowledge mission stream, by organizing workshops and conferences, writing reports, or fostering partnership and collaboration.
Madeleine Mc Pherson
Assistant professor - University of Victoria
Madeleine McPherson is an Assistant Professor in the department of Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria and the principal investigator of the Sustainable Energy Systems Integration & Transitions (SESIT) Group. McPherson and her team is developing an integrated modelling framework to explore electrification and energy systems integration for deep decarbonization. As Executive Member of the Energy Modelling Initiative, she co-led efforts to convene a national dialog between modelers and stakeholders around decarbonizing Canada’s energy system. Prior to joining the University of Victoria, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) where she published numerous papers on topics related to energy systems modelling, including variable renewable energy integration, storage remuneration and policy, and demand response implementation. 
Normand Mousseau
Professor - Université de Montréal
Normand Mousseau is Professor of physics at Université de Montréal and, since 2016, Scientific director of the Institut de l’énergie Trottier (IET) at Polytechnique Montréal. Over the years, he has created a number of organisations that play a major role in science and evidence-based action. Between 2010 and 2013, Normand Mousseau has led the creation of Calcul Québec, which operates the supercomputing services and facilities for most universities in Québec as part of Compute Canada. In 2013-2014, he served as co-chair of Québec’s touring Commission sur les enjeux énergétiques du Québec that prepared the ground for Québec’s energy policy. He was co-proposer of the winning proposal that created the Canadian Institute for Climate Choice and he is a board member of this institute. He is co-founder of the Transition Accelerator and has co-led the Energy modelling initiative. These evidence-based organisations focus on engaging a wide-range of stakeholders and interested parties to advance various issues.
Blake Shaffer
Assistant professor - University of Calgary
Blake Shaffer is an Assistant Professor in the department of economics and School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary where he teaches courses on electricity markets and policy, energy transitions, and strategic environmental planning for energy organizations. Prior to academia, he had a 15 year career in energy trading, holding senior positions at Powerex (BC Hydro), Lehman Brothers, Barclays Capital, and Transalta Corporation. He has advised several provincial governments and federal agencies in matters related to energy policy. His research has been published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Public Policy, Energy Economics, and the Energy Journal. He is a frequent contributor to public discourse, with his popular writing appearing in the Globe and Mail, CBC, Maclean’s, The Conversation, and other media outlets.
Team Members
Jacob Monroe, Ph.D.
Research Analyst
Jacob completed his B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University in the United States in 2016 and 2020, respectively. His Ph.D. dissertation was on simulating evolution of low-voltage electric grids with distributed energy technology adoption using agent-based modelling techniques. His dissertation was funded by the United States National Science Foundation through the Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Jacob’s research applies sociotechnical modelling techniques to simulate water and energy networks as complex adaptive systems. His work has developed an array of agent-based modelling frameworks to analyze critical infrastructure protection, ecotourism, solar PV technology diffusion, decentralized water systems, and peer-to-peer energy markets. He is currently a Research Analyst at the Institute and performs energy system modelling and optimization research to analyze electrification and decarbonization pathways for the Canadian economy.
Josée Provençal, Ph.D.
Mobilisation & Liaison Coordinator
Josée Provençal holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Ottawa, specialising in energy. She was a post-doctoral fellow at the Montreal Climate Lab of the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), working with the City of Montreal and the Ouranos research consortium on urban adaptation to climate change. She has more than ten years of experience in the energy industry in Canada and internationally. She established a knowledge management platform at the Quebec Association for Energy Efficiency (AQME), advised international clients on their strategic positioning at her company AETOS Energy, Environment, and influenced public decision-makers to accelerate the energy transition as a senior analyst at the Quebec Association for the Production of Renewable Energy (AQPER). She is active in two research groups, Polémos, an independent research group on degrowth, and the Observatoire de la post-croissance et la décroissance (OPCD), where she researches the political economy of energy, energy sufficiency, and the social relations that structure our energy consumption.
Pierre Cilpa
Open Data Specialist
Pierre Cilpa is a seasoned systems and data expert, holding a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and certifications in SAFe 5, Microsoft Azure, and SQL. As the Founder of SOLR Consultation Inc., he has demonstrated prowess in project management, cloud infrastructure, and IoT systems development. His deep understanding of network, security, and data management has been crucial in navigating complex information systems. At Hydro-Quebec, as an ETL Python Developer Consultant, Pierre led projects with precision, ensuring top-quality reporting and efficient ETL pipeline operations. His tenure at the National Bank of Canada was marked by his management of data center operations and skillful use of SQL with Snowflake, enhancing strategic process and project planning in the Chief Data Office. With a strong background in electronics design and product development, Pierre has contributed to innovations in wireless power transfer and ultrasonic signal technology. Notably, as a collaborator on patented floating photovoltaic power generator technology, he continues to be an influential figure at the convergence of innovation, data, and technology, upholding the highest standards in his field.
Mahdis Bayani
Modelling Specialist
Mahdis, a Polytechnique Montreal alumna, holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and has been affiliated with various Canada Research Chairs, including CIRRELT and GERAD. Her academic journey began at the Polytechnic of Tehran (Amirkabir), where she completed her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering. Her research focuses on mathematical modeling, data-driven optimization, and network optimization across different industries. Mahdis brings eight years of expertise in mixed integer linear programming, non-linear programming, and binary quadratic programming, coupled with strong skills in visual reports and business intelligence. With over six years of experience in Machine Learning, she excels in data extraction, cleaning, and application of diverse techniques, including supervised and unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, deep learning, and time series forecasting. Her programming proficiencies span Python, Java, Matlab, SQL, PyTorch, and TensorFlow. Mahdis is also adept in using tools and frameworks like Pyomo, Plotly, SciPy, Spark, and Databricks.
Advisory board
The EMH can count on a dedicated Advisory Board, composed of high-level stakeholders from academia, governmental agencies and the private sector. The Advisory Board defines the strategic position of EMH, establishes its general direction, and adopts consequent yearly work plans to be executed by the EMH staff.
Hanane Dagdougui
Associate Professor,
Polytechnique Montréal 
David Foord
Associate Professor,
University of New Brunswick
Heidi Ertl
Director, Energy Statistics Program,
Statistics Canada
Sara Hastings-Simon
Assistant Professor,
University of Calgary
Pascal Lesage
Senior Program Engineer,
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Deputy Director,
Natural Resources Canada
Alisdair McLean
Executive Director,
Net Zero Atlantic
Andrew Rowe
Professor,
University of Victoria
Rick Smith
President,
Canadian Climate Institute
Kathleen Vaillancourt
President,
ESMIA Consultants
Bryce VanSluys
Director,
Canada Energy Regulator
Mark Winfield
Professor,
York University
Thematic committees
To foster continuous engagement with the Canadian energy modelling community, the EMH established three Thematic Committees. These committees ensure ongoing communication, formalize decision-making processes, and provide support in various areas such as data, platform & visualization and knowledge mobilization. Through these committees, we maintain close contact, facilitate collaboration, and strengthen our collective efforts towards a sustainable energy future.
Knowledge mobilization committee
The Knowledge Mobilization Committee takes charge of understanding the needs of the energy modelling ecosystem and mobilizing resources accordingly. It aims to establish a robust resource centre, serving as a hub for valuable information and insights. The committee is dedicated to disseminating knowledge widely, ensuring that the collective wisdom and advancements in energy modelling reach a broader audience, enabling informed decision-making and fostering sustainable energy solutions.
Members

Kathleen Mifflin, Net Zero Atlantic
Julia McNally, IESO
Jason Wang, Pembina Institute
Paisley Sim, Transition Accelerator
Alison Bailie, ESMIA Consultants

Data committee
The Data Committee plays a vital role in the Energy Modelling Hub. It develops guidelines for data documentation, quality assessment, management, and exchanges. The committee identifies data gaps, sources, and acquisition strategies, ensuring comprehensive and reliable datasets. Additionally, it is responsible for maintaining and expanding our open-source database, enriching the available resources for energy modelling and facilitating collaborative data-driven insights.
Members

Chris Krasowski , Gov. British Columbia
Conrad Fox, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)
Rene Beaudoin, Statistics Canada
Jessica Webster, CanMEt (NRCan)
Michael Bourque, University of New Brunswick
Mohamed Osman, Concordia University
Monika Forgo, NRCan
Qianpu Wang, NRCan
Richard Hendriks, University of Toronto
Mehrdad Pirnia, University of Waterloo
Monique Brugger, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Ryan Scholefield, AESO

Platform & visualization committee
The Platform and Visualization Committee plays a pivotal role in shaping a robust platform for the Energy Modelling Hub. The committee defines priority features, ensuring a comprehensive and user-friendly platform. It prioritizes and selects models for integration, actively engaging with modellers to gather feedback and enhance functionality. Additionally, the committee develops guidelines, training materials, and documentation to facilitate seamless model integration and testing, fostering collaboration and empowering stakeholders in the energy modelling community.
Members

Cameron Wade (Sutubra)
Sven Scholtysik (Net Zero Atlantic)
Taco Niet (Simon Fraser University)
Elizaveta Kuznetsova (ESMIA)
Steven Wong (NRCan)
Nick Macaluso (ECCC)
Marcus Williams (Sustainability Solutions Group)
Christopher Doleman (APERC)
Violette Berge (Artelys)