What if the only thing coming out of your exhaust pipe was a few drops of water? That’s the vision behind hydrogen fuel––and its biggest champions are already making it reality in BC. 

Hydrogen is a promising alternative fuel, but public skepticism and safety concerns are slowing down adoption. Are these concerns warranted, or is misinformation getting in the way of progress? 

On this episode of Cleantech Forward, host Jeanette Jackson  explores how hydrogen fits into BC’s clean energy future––what’s working now, what’s holding us back, and what it will take to get more hydrogen vehicles on the road. Foresight’s, Alyssa Kelly, joins us to talk about how hydrogen is being tried and tested in the cleantech ecosystem, and Norm Barmeier from HTEC shares his passion for hydrogen’s potential and how his company is leading efforts to scale hydrogen fuel infrastructure and technology across BC, and the rest of Canada.

Relevant Reports

Hydrogen Transportation and Infrastructure Report 

Further Reading

Envisioning a Hydrogen Hub in Northeast BC

Envisioning a Hydrogen Hub in the Lower Mainland

Metro Vancouver Hydrogen Ecosystem Report

About the Guests

Norm Barmeier

Norm Barmeier has 25 years of diverse industrial experience in pharmaceutical, biofuels, and municipal infrastructure. With over a decade working on hydrogen systems, Norm has developed a strong skill set in complex system integration, technical project execution, permitting, and successful cross-discipline team building.

As the Director of Compliance and Design Authority at HTEC, he is responsible for overseeing multidisciplinary teams to design, permit, and commission ever-expanding hydrogen fuelling infrastructure across Canada. Norm enjoys stakeholder engagement, project risk management, driving quality assurance initiatives, and the challenge of working with municipalities and authorities having jurisdiction to get our projects permitted and operational.

Alyssa Kelly

Alyssa Kelly is a seasoned professional with extensive experience driving research initiatives in the sustainability and cleantech sectors. As the Director of Research at Foresight Canada, Alyssa leads a dynamic team dedicated to advancing clean technology adoption and nurturing vibrant cleantech ecosystems. With expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, engagement, and project management, Alyssa is passionate about mobilizing cleantech and sustainability knowledge to create a brighter, cleaner future. Before joining Foresight, she led research and advisory efforts at Partners in Project Green and Echion Group and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto.

About Foresight Canada

​​Foresight Canada helps the world do more with less, sustainably. As Canada’s largest cleantech innovation and adoption accelerator, we connect public and private sectors to the world’s best clean technologies, de-risking and simplifying the adoption of innovative solutions that improve productivity, profitability, and economic competitiveness, all while addressing today’s most urgent climate challenges. 

We don’t just accelerate innovation. We are innovation. From humble roots in Vancouver, Canada, Foresight has rapidly scaled into a national, globally connected non-profit, driving the adoption of sustainable innovation in major industries worldwide, working with 200+ industry partners and actively engaging with 145+ federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and Indigenous rights holders.

Since 2013, Foresight has supported 1580+ ventures, 150+ industry partners, and 300+ investor firms to deploy $2.31B in capital, achieve $570M in revenues, and create 9,430+ high-paying jobs. Our domestic and international engagement includes working in collaboration with 2,000+ rights holders and partners. 

In the world we’re building, sustainability isn’t a buzzword. It’s a fundamental driver of economic growth and prosperity, for people and planet. Find out how we’re redefining acceleration at foresightcac.com, and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Credits

Host: Jeanette Jackson

Narrator: Tamara Stanners

Guests: Norm Barmeier, Alyssa Kelly

Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith

Sound Engineer: Jordan Wong

Showrunner / Writer: Jessica Grajczyk, Dallas King

Editors: Kylie Williams & Stacey Armstrong

#CleantechForward

#cleantech

#hydrogenpower

#hydrogenfuel

#alternativefuels

#BCNZIN