11th World Conference on Energy Efficiency opens Monday in Montreal
Posted June 28, 2026 11:50 am.
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 11th Annual World Energy Efficiency Conference opens Monday at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
The two-day event will bring together experts, senior officials, elected officials and industry representatives from around the world. Hydro-Québec is a partner of the event.
The conference will highlight the central role of energy efficiency as a lever for sustainable development and energy resilience. Discussions will include public policy, technological innovations, and best practices to optimize energy use across all sectors of the economy.
“In a context of strong growth in electricity demand, energy efficiency is an essential lever. Hosting this conference in Montreal allows us to showcase local expertise, draw inspiration from international best practices and accelerate, with our partners, the deployment of concrete solutions,” said Dave Rhéaume, Executive Vice-President – Energy and Regulatory Strategy and Industrial Activities at Hydro-Québec, in a press release Sunday morning.
He reiterated that energy efficiency is one of the priorities of Hydro-Québec’s 2035 Action Plan. The Crown corporation has set itself the goal of achieving efficiency gains of 21 terawatt hours (TWh) in its network by 2035.
Energy efficiency measures are more affordable than adding new production projects, said the HEC Montréal Chair in Energy Sector Management in a report released on June 9.
Energy savings, which can then be redirected to other purposes, cost an average of 3 cents per kilowatt hour (¢/kWh), estimated the study commissioned by the Conseil québécois des entreprises en efficacité énergétique (CQ3E).
In comparison, generating additional electricity costs 12¢/kWh. “It was roughly five times cheaper to do energy efficiency compared to building new projects,” said the chairholder, Pierre-Olivier Pineau, in an interview.
The report also painted a portrait of the ecosystem of companies related to energy efficiency.
This industry brings together nearly 12,000 companies that are “directly or indirectly” involved in energy efficiency, said the chairman of the board of CQ3E, Michel Méthot, also in an interview, giving the example of heat recovery for agri-food uses.
The industry is estimated to generate $27 billion in revenue and employ nearly 100,000 people.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
