News Release – Marine Renewables Canada New Board Appointments for 2019

Halifax, Canada

Marine Renewables Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of three industry and policy leaders to its 2019 Board of Directors.

The appointments of Michelle Chislett, Managing Director of Northland Power for Canada and the United States, Simon De Pietro, Director/Owner for the DP Energy Companies and the Hon. Michel P. Samson, Counsel with the law firm Cox & Palmer came at the associations annual general meeting in Halifax, Canada on November 22, 2018.

All three will assume their directorships on January 1, 2019.

Marine Renewables Canada Chair Tim Brownlow added he wished to thank three retiring board members for their time and leadership:  Mr. Troy Garnett of Cherubini (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), Ms. Sue Molloy, PhD, of Glas Ocean Engineering (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and Mr. Marius Lengkeek, P.Eng, of Lengkeek Vessel Engineering (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia).

Biographies of the new 2019 Board Members:

Michelle Chislett, Managing Director (Canada & United States), Northland Power Inc.
Toronto, Ontario

As Managing Director of Canada & US for Northland Power, Ms. Chislett holds responsibility for business development to grow the company’s portfolio of clean and green energy project portfolio in North America including offshore wind, a new area of interest for Marine Renewables Canada. Northland has extensive offshore wind interests in Europe and Asia.

Prior to joining Northland in 2016, she was country manager for Sun Edison in Canada.  Other past positions include Vice President of Business Development with GDF SUEZ Canada. From 2006-2010 she was with SkyPower Corp, rising to Vice President, Solar Group where she led the team that developed Canada’s first fully operational solar farm, ‘First Light’, a 9MW solar Photovoltaic facility in Ontario.

Ms. Chislett is a current Board member for the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), past-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of Western Engineering (ACWE), a past member of the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) Stakeholder Advisory Committee and a past member of Ontario’s Clean Energy Task Force. She holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Simon De Pietro, President, DP Energy
Cork, Ireland

Mr. De Pietro is an Owner / Director for the DP Energy companies and current president of the European Ocean Energy Association. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering (Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics) from the University of Liverpool. Mr. De Pietro has more than 25 years experience developing wind farms and more recently marine energy projects. DP Energy has developed 260MW of built and operating renewable assets and has more than 1GW of renewable energy projects under development including 339MW of tidal energy projects.
He has been a leading advocate for Ocean Energy during his term as president of Ocean Energy Europe, representing the organisation at numerous conferences, seminars and events, including policy discussions with the European Commission and member states.

DP Energy through its subsidiary companies Rio Fundo and Halagonia Tidal Energy is currently developing the largest tidal array in Canada through the Uisce Tapa project in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. In September 2018, the project was awarded a substantial grant of $30million from Natural Resources Canada through the Emerging Renewable Power Programme (ERPP). DP is also developing another 300MW of projects in the UK and Northern Ireland.

The Honourable Michel P. Samson, BA, LLB, ECNS, Counsel, Cox & Palmer
Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Hon. Michel Samson is Counsel to the Atlantic Canadian regional law firm of Cox & Palmer.  A bilingual graduate of Dalhousie Law School, he began his law practice in Cape Breton before spending 19 years as a Member of the Nova Scotia Legislature. Mr. Samsons cabinet assignments included acting Minister of Justice, Attorney General & Deputy Premier, Minister of Energy, Trade & Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, Minister of Economic and Rural Development & Tourism, Minister of Environment and Government House Leader.

As Counsel in the Halifax office, his areas of practice include energy, fishery, aboriginal affairs and trade matters both on a regional and national basis.  In his position he provides strategic advice on government relations and community consultation.  He is a registered lobbyist with the Province of Nova Scotia and Government of Canada and advises clients in government relations matters.

About Marine Renewables Canada:

MRC is the country’s wave, tidal, offshore wind and river current association representing technology and project developers, utilities, researchers as well as firms in the marine and energy supply chain. Since 2004, the mission of the association has been to identify and foster collaborative business opportunities and act as an advocate for Canada remaining a leading contributor to the burgeoning Blue Economy, both at home and abroad.

More at www.marinerenewables.ca