As Energy, AI and Geopolitics Collide, Energy Disruptors: UNITE 2026 is Primed to Put the Whole System in One Room

Leaders set to gather for Calgary summit to tackle the forces reshaping energy security, infrastructure, competitiveness and Canada's place in a changing world

CALGARY, AB, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Next week in Calgary, Energy Disruptors: UNITE 2026 will gather nearly 3,000 industry leaders to confront some of the most consequential questions facing global business, at a critical moment for Canada. The summit takes place September 28–29 at the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta.

Canada is navigating changing relationships with the United States and Europe, while geopolitical instability has renewed focus on energy and economic security. Artificial intelligence is driving new demand for electricity and infrastructure, and countries are competing for investment, technology, critical minerals and the supply chains that will underpin the next era of economic growth.

Against that backdrop, Energy Disruptors: UNITE will bring together founders, investors, policymakers, executives, entrepreneurs and innovators from across energy, technology, finance, government and industry to examine where these forces are colliding, what they mean for Canada's competitiveness and energy security, and what investments and collaborations can't afford to wait.

The 2026 Summit's program is built around the premise that none of those issues can be understood in isolation:

"You cannot have a serious conversation about AI without talking about electricity. You cannot talk about electricity without talking about natural gas, nuclear, renewables, storage, transmission and infrastructure. You cannot talk about batteries without talking about China, critical minerals and global supply chains," said Graeme Edge, Co-Founder and CEO of Energy Disruptors: UNITE. "And you cannot talk about Canada's energy future without talking about geopolitics, trade, capital, Indigenous participation, leadership and our ability to adapt to change."

"That is why we deliberately bring together people who do not normally share the same room. We don't need more conversations where everyone already thinks the same way. At a time when there is an extraordinary amount of noise around energy, AI, technology and Canada's future, we want to create a place for curiosity, respectful debate, and better questions."

The 2026 program reflects that approach, bringing Canadian, American and international perspectives together across disciplines and industries.

• September 28, 9:30 AM - Fireside Chat with Lord David Cameron, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. A timely conversation with Lord David Cameron sharing his experience leading a G7 country through major political separation and economic disruption, and discussing what's next as the world order shifts and what changes to Canada's relationships with the United States and Europe mean for energy and economic security.
• September 28, 10:50 AM - The Battle for the Global Operating System: Power, Energy and What Comes Next, with Jeff Navin (Boundary Stone Partners), Erica Downs (Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University), Bruno Maçães (Flint Global), Robert Kwan (RBC Capital Markets): The global order is being rewritten in real time. This panel will bring together some of the sharpest geopolitical minds for a conversation that looks beyond today's headlines to what comes next as power shifts. How do countries, companies and leaders navigate a period of extraordinary disruption when many of the assumptions that shaped the last 30 years no longer hold?
• September 28, 3:20 PM - Fireside Chat with Canadian entrepreneur and venture capitalist Arlene Dickinson will bring a perspective on entrepreneurship, competitiveness and what it takes to build and scale companies in Canada.
• September 28, 1:15 PM - Where Are We in Battery Technology Today? Global battery and electrification expert Bob Galyen, former CTO of CATL, the world's largest lithium-ion battery manufacturer, will examine China's position in batteries and supply chains, critical minerals and where North America can compete.
• The race to resource AI in Alberta and Canada will be discussed in several conversations, namely:
  • September 29, 1:00 PM: An RBC Fireside Chat with John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President, Office of the CEO, RBC and the Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology & Innovation 
  • September 29, 2:40 PM: The New Infrastructure: AI, Data Centres, and Massive Power Demand, featuring Avik Dey, President & CEO of Capital Power.
  • September 29, 3:30 PM: An AWS Fireside Chat with Eric Gales, Managing Director - NAMER Specialist Team, Amazon Web Services, Peter Jarmola, Director of Enterprise Platforms, AI & Data, TC Energy, and Taylor Briggs, Principal, Public Policy, Amazon Web Services.
• Leading Global Economist Tyler Cowen will lead two conversations:
  • September 29, 10:20 AM: Live Podcast with Tyler Cowen, moderated by EDU Co-Founder & Host Holly Ransom
  • September 29, Noon: An Hour With Tyler Cowen, moderated by Capital Power President & CEO Avik Dey
• The Alberta story will be strongly represented, with Alberta Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish, Alberta Minister of Affordability and Utilities RJ Sigurdson, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, and Corey Hogan, Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation & Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, among others.
• The summit will deliberately reach beyond traditional energy voices. Literary titan Margaret Atwood and Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen alongside Dr. Catherine Hensen will bring perspectives spanning technology, humanity, economics, exploration, leadership, and Canada's future.
• Founders throughout the program will also showcase technologies and companies working to solve major energy and industrial challenges.

The full schedule can be found here: https://event.unitesummit.ca/event/unite2026/schedule.

Together, the lineup reflects the central idea behind Energy Disruptors: UNITE: understanding energy today requires understanding the broader systems around it. "The range is intentional," said Edge. "Canada still has significant choices ahead. What are we going to build? Where are we going to compete? Who are we going to build with? What role do we want to play in the world? Our goal is not to tell people what to think about those questions. It is to bring enough different perspectives into the room that people leave more curious, more connected and more ambitious about what is possible."

Energy Disruptors: UNITE takes place September 28–29, 2026 at the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta.

For the full lineup, program and ticket information, visit EnergyDisruptors.com.

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SOURCE Energy Disruptors Movement Inc.