HEC Montréal partners with several companies to create a Chair in Energy Sector Management
December 16, 2013
HEC Montréal is pleased to announce a new Chair in Energy Sector Management, to be held by Professor Pierre-Olivier Pineau, a renowned expert on energy policy. The Chair has been made possible thanks to the support of a number of business partners, which will each be contributing $100,000 over five years. They are BMO Financial Group, Boralex, Enbridge, Gaz Métro, Golder Associés, McCarthy Tétrault, Pétrolia, PwC and Valero.
The Chair in Energy Sector Management will be dedicated to advancing knowledge relating to energy issues, with the goal of optimizing energy systems and ensuring that we have adequate energy sources to meet our society’s needs.
“In today’s context of sustainable development, making the right energy-related decisions means that we must look at the issues from various angles: political, economic, financial, regulatory, technological, environmental, social and legal,” says Director Michel Patry. “HEC Montréal is proud to play an important role in advancing our understanding and analysis of this crucial issue. The School is also pleased with this support from the Chair’s partners. It is by joining forces and taking action in this way that we will able to come up with original solutions.”
The Chair intends to publish scientific articles and thematic reference documents, and organize symposia as well as seminars. Professor Pineau also plans to continue actively contributing to public debates, in particular by giving lectures, commenting in the media and adapting scientific topics for lay audiences.
The Chair, which will soon create an advisory committee, will focus on three main themes:
- Understanding energy systems and global issues;
- Studying the dynamics of the transportation, building and industry sectors, all of which account for a significant proportion of global energy consumption;
- Studying the organization and regulation of the different energy sectors. Researchers will examine the way governments, business and civil society shape trends in energy pricing and government regulation.
Professor Pineau, who is with the Department of Management Sciences, holds a PhD in Administration from HEC Montréal. He is a prolific author, interested primarily in public policy in the different energy sectors and, in particular, in the electricity sector. His work covers investment models, institutional reforms and market integration, among other topics.