Robert Hornung, President and CEO at Canadian Renewable Energy Asssociation
Robert Hornung is the President and CEO of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA). CanREA engages Canadians to enable the responsible and sustainable deployment of wind energy, solar energy and energy-storage solutions to power Canada’s energy future. Robert is CanREA’s first-ever CEO, resulting from the recent merger of the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) and the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA).
Robert Hornung, President and CEO at Canadian Renewable Energy Association
According to Robert Hornung, “there is no greater threat to our planet than climate change. Renewable energy is part of the solution and is also a great growth opportunity for Canada’s green economy future.”
A long history of environmental advocacy
Robert Hornung has some serious environmental credentials, having worked with Friends of the Earth and the Pembina Institute before taking on the President’s role at CanWEA 17 years ago, and at CanREA in 2020. He has been a tireless advocate for climate-change solutions and renewable energy across Canada for more than three decades. He sees CanREA as a pathway to take serious action on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from the electricity sector.
And this success can be measured in megawatts! Hornung helped steer the wind-energy sector from just 300 megawatts to 13,000 megawatts of installed capacity over the 17 years he was at the helm of CanWEA. And now, he sees a similar opportunity for growth at CanREA, as wind energy, solar energy and energy storage technologies are rapidly evolving, and their prices still falling, at the same time as jurisdictions are trying to reduce emissions – a perfect storm for the success of renewable energy.
A new challenge in a time of energy transition
In the summer of 2020, Hornung took on a new challenge, becoming the first President and CEO of CanREA. With the pressing need for action on climate change and the growing need for renewable energy, the creation of CanREA was necessary to “Provide a unified voice for solar energy, wind energy and energy storage in Canada.”
Hornung’s role is to lead this member-based association in stakeholder advocacy and public engagement, making sure that renewable energy and storage play a key role in transforming Canada’s energy mix during this period of a historic global transformation. “The synergies between these renewable-energy technologies enable more comprehensive solutions and bring down greenhouse-gas emissions from electricity even faster,” he says. “This decarbonized electricity can then be used to replace fossil fuels and reduce emissions from transportation, buildings and industry through electrification.”
Making progress already… during a global pandemic
CanREA launched at the height of the pandemic, in July 2020. Now in its second year of existence, CanREA has more than 300 members in Canada, of which about 33% have joined in the past year alone. These members run the gamut of key players in the wind, solar and energy-storage industries–from the very large to the very small. Hornung has been tasked with running a national organization that does much of its work at the provincial level, understanding that electricity is a business that is mainly provincially regulated. "It’s a huge challenge," he says, "but we know that speaking with one unified voice is needed to move the policy needle more than ever before."
Net-zero by 2050
At CanREA, Hornung’s goal is to help Canada achieve its net-zero by 2050 goal. He knows renewable energy can be a big part of the solution, and he is working hard to make sure that CanREA is a key voice in the energy discussion. He is currently developing CanREA’s Vision 2050, a document designed to recognize and enable the central role wind, solar and storage technologies must play to succeed. As he puts it, Hornung is excited that, “we have barely scratched the surface of the potential and the benefits that these technologies can provide.” But, if CanREA has anything to say about it, these technologies are about to play an even more important role across Canadian communities.
How can you get involved?
“WiRE is a valued partner of CanREA’s. Women will continue to play a critical role in Canada’s renewable energy future, and I would point those who are working in—or interested in working in—the field of renewable energy to WiRE for its great resources, webinars and opportunities to connect with industry leaders,” said Hornung.
As this industry is changing continuously, with new incentives and regulations coming out in each province, it can be challenging to stay on top of the latest developments. To stay informed, you can visit the CanREA website https://renewablesassociation.ca/ to sign up for their newsletters, follow them on social media, and sign up for their webinars and events. Get involved!