Disruptive Innovation, the Energy Transition, and Canada

Date: May 21, 2026 | Time: 5:30PM | Location: McGill Faculty Club | Followed by a Cocktail Reception | Free Event

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This presentation explores how rapid clean‑technology disruption is restructuring the global energy system—and what this upheaval means for Canada as it navigates economic and geopolitical change. It argues that the shift isn’t a simple fuel swap but a systemic reordering driven by plunging technology costs, electrification, and digitized energy systems. These forces are reshaping markets faster than legacy institutions can adapt, creating both opportunity and risk for a Canada caught between its hydrocarbon past and emerging clean‑tech future.

The talk situates Canada within a shifting “post‑American” global landscape and emphasizes the need to treat disruption as a fundamental strategic force.

Moderated by Dr. Bruce Lourie

President, Ivey Foundation & TISED Professor of Practice

Markham Hislop

Markham Hislop is a Canadian energy journalist and founder of Energi Media, now in its 18th year. He is best known for his long-form interviews of international energy experts and his data and evidence-driven analysis of energy systems and the global transition to low-carbon technologies. But Markham has also contributed interesting work on energy transition theory, albeit with a journalism focus. His work focuses on technology disruption, electrification, geopolitics, and the structural forces reshaping oil, gas, and power markets. With a background in public policy and decades of experience in journalism, Markham brings clarity and skepticism to complex energy debates. He is widely recognized for identifying emerging trends early and framing them in ways that influence public discourse, helping audiences understand how technology, economics, and policy intersect in the evolving global energy system.