1974
Government of Alberta launches Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA) to provide seed money and fund research to make oil sands economically feasible.
Late 1990s
With AOSTRA having achieved its mission and in the process of winding down, the Government of Alberta challenges the Alberta Science and Research Authority (ASRA) to develop an energy innovation and research strategy for the period to 2020.
August 2000
The Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI) is established under the Alberta Science and Research Authority Act. AOSTRA is dissolved and its assets are transferred to AERI. AERI’s mandate is to promote energy research and technology evaluation and transfer in strategic areas including oil and gas, heavy oil and oil sands, coal, electricity, renewable and alternative energy.
September 2001
U of C, City of Calgary, Alberta Environment and Bow Valley Basin workshop is held to determine needs, roles and directions for development of a water research centre.
October 2001
AERI releases first draft of Alberta Energy Research Strategy.
November 2001
Discussions begin with the National Research Council of Canada to develop an institute at the University of Calgary focused on sustainable development and alternative energy. Numerous meetings and workshops follow.
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April 2002
U of C adopts an Academic Plan, Raising Our Sights, which establishes “Leading Innovation in Energy and the Environment” as one of four strategic priorities and an area where the University has potential to reach international pre-eminence.
June 2002
AERI presents the Alberta Energy Research Strategy to the ASRA Board of Directors. ASRA subsequently approves this strategy, recommends increased government funding to implement the strategy and endorses AERI’s role in providing leadership for energy research in Alberta.
September 2002
U of C establishes a Steering Committee and a working concept called the “National Institutes for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy” ("NISEEE"; later, this was shortened to "ISEEE") to implement its energy and environment initiative. The initiative is closely aligned with the Alberta Energy Research Strategy.
October 2002
U of C meets with key leaders from the energy industry, AERI, and the provincial government to seek input and engage the energy sector in the planning of the energy, environment and economy initiative.
November 2002
U of C organizes a meeting of researchers from across campus and the NRC to pursue potential areas of collaboration. Three areas of common interest, strength and vision are identified as a foundation for a partnership with the NRC (alternative energy, including hydrogen and fuel cells, bioproducts/biofuels/biomass, and climate change, energy and environmental policy systems and modelling).
U of C organizes a workshop in Banff to launch the Western Canadian Fuel Cell Initiative (WCFCI) and to discuss collaborative research themes. U of C secures funding from Western Economic Diversification to assist in the development of the WCFCI. Numerous workshops and meetings with NRC Innovation Centre (Vancouver), U of A, Alberta Research Council, University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Manitoba follow to advance the fuel cell initiative.
U of C and City of Calgary establish a joint task force and approve a mandate and Business Strategy for a Water Centre.
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January 2003
AERI launches a national Challenge Dialogue to bring together industry, research and government players to engage diverse stakeholders, to develop a collaborative plan to meet the key energy and environment challenges.
U of C organizes an information meeting to engage researchers from across campus in the University’s energy, environment and economy initiative.
U of C leads development of joint research initiative with the University of Alberta and University of Lethbridge to create an “Alberta Ingenuity Fund Water Centre of Excellence.” U of C secures start-up / design cost funding from Western Economic Diversification to develop a water research initiative.
February 2003
U of C organizes a workshop involving over 100 faculty and researchers from across campus to develop a research inventory and identify research groups working in energy- and environment-related areas to further define areas of research focus and to identify areas where the University can play a leadership role and contribute.
March 2003
U of C and Calgary City Council sign a Letter of Intent to pursue a U of C/City of Calgary water research facility at Pine Creek.
April 2003
U of C identifies four main areas of research focus from the Alberta Energy Research Strategy where the University is well-positioned and prepared to provide leadership:
- Alternative Energy (including fuel cells, hydrogen, biomass/ bioenergy/ bioproducts, energy systems and policy)
- Advanced Recovery and Upgrading
- CO2 Management
- Water Management
U of C also identifies several other areas where it is prepared to make significant contributions under the leadership of other institutions.
U of C realigns existing resources and commits new resources to these priorities.
Alberta Innovation and Science leads a delegation to Ottawa to discuss collaboration on energy and environment research and innovation initiatives.
May 2003
Alberta Innovation and Science encourages and facilitates the development of an understanding concerning coordination and collaboration in research and education related to Alberta's energy strategy with the Alberta Research Council, U of A, U of C, and AERI. General agreement is reached to work within the Alberta strategy and to work to achieve agreement on areas of leadership and contribution within this strategy.
June 2003
U of C meets with key leaders from the alternative energy industry, NRC, and municipal, provincial and federal governments to seek input and engage the alternative energy sector in the planning of the energy and environment initiative.
October 2003
Representatives of the U of C and the U of A reach agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding that embodies agreements from May and June agreements and areas of leadership and contribution within the Alberta energy strategy.
The U of C appoints Dr. Robert Mansell as Special Advisor to the President on Energy and Environment and Managing Director, Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment, and Economy (ISEEE) at the University.
The Alberta Ingenuity Fund announces funding of up to $7.5 million over five years to create the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, a collaboration by the University of Lethbridge, University of Calgary and University of Alberta.
November 2003
Alberta Innovation and Science leads second delegation to Ottawa to seek collaboration and cooperation on funding and implementation of a research and innovation strategy.
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February 2004
The University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and University of Lethbridge sign a Memorandum of Understanding to promote coordination and collaboration in research and education related to the implementation of Alberta’s energy and environment strategies. The MOU supports the building of research capacity at the universities in order that they can be active participants in, and significant contributors to, achieving the overall vision for energy innovation.
March 2004
Initial members of ISEEE Leadership Board announced and ISEEE website launched.
Throughout 2004
AERI invests almost $2.3 million to support a number of important ISEEE projects, including research in:
- advanced catalysts;
- optimizing well configuration in SAGD technology;
- carbon dioxide sequestration using gas hydrates (ice-like deposits of methane gas);
- seismoelectric exploration for hydrocarbons and monitoring of producing oilfields;
- next-generation MEMS-(microelectromechanical system)-based surveying system for oil and gas drilling operations;
- testing a "ring-opening" catalyst for hydrocarbons recovery and upgrading.
AERI's $2.3-million in funding support also includes $500,000, as part of a larger funding request, toward the Western Canadian Fuel Cell Initiative.
August 2004
Alberta Energy contributes $1-million government grant to ISEEE and its research partners. The money will be used to further collaborative research in several areas, including:
- advanced hydrocarbons recovery and upgrading (conventional oil and gas, and unconventional gas);
- carbon dioxide and water management;
- energy and environmental systems modelling, integration and policy;
- electricity generation and exports;
- Alberta Energy Futures—studies looking out to 2020 and focused on resource, technological, regulatory and environmental issues shaping Alberta's energy and environmental choices and futures.
October 2004
Alberta Ingenuity Fund contributes up to $9 million over five years (including recruitment support) for the new Alberta Ingenuity Centre for In Situ Energy at the U of C. The Centre will bring together top researchers to study more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable processes and technologies to improve recovery and upgrading of Alberta's vast oil sands reserves.
Dr. Granger Morgan, Professor and Head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy and a University and Lord Chair Professor in Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh) joins ISEEE's high-level Leadership Board as its first international member.
ISEEE appoints its first visiting fellow, Dr. Michal C. Moore, former chief economist at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, to an initial one-year term.
The ISEEE Distinguished Lecture Series is launched, as part of the Institute's outreach to the broader community, with a talk on Canadian climate change policy by Dr. Hadi Dowlatabadi, Canada Research Chair in Applied Mathematics, Integrated Assessment and Global Change at the University of British Columbia.
November 2004
ISEEE continues planning work on a new building that would house research groups associated with the National Institute for Sustainable Development Technologies, a major initiative originally developed in consultation with the National Research Council of Canada.
The new ISEEE building would also provide space for the teams associated with various ISEEE programs, as well as space for faculty, students and support staff associated with general expansion in programs such as those in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.
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