Kaiser Chair Talk Series Sponsored by IEEE PELS: Electrical Design Under Pressure
Join Steven Nemetz, P.Eng., CEO & Managing Principal of Nemetz (S/A) & Associates, Chris Higgins, representing the City of Vancouver and BC Hydro, and Jason Rowley, Codes and Standards Policy Specialist at BC Hydro, for a discussion on the growing electrical demands of electrification and the design, capacity, policy, and infrastructure solutions needed to support B.C.’s transition to a more electrified future.
As electrification accelerates across Canada, buildings are being asked to accommodate significantly greater electrical demand from heat pumps, electric vehicle charging, domestic hot water, and other traditionally fossil-fuelled loads. This transition is creating increasing pressure on electrical design, building service capacity, and utility infrastructure, particularly in dense urban environments and existing buildings.
This discussion will explore how electrical systems can be designed more efficiently to support continued electrification while managing capacity, cost, constructability, and connection challenges. Topics will include power-efficient electrical design, service sizing, load management, utility connections, infrastructure constraints, and opportunities to make better use of available electrical capacity.
Bringing together perspectives from electrical consulting, municipal planning, and utility distribution, the discussion will examine how designers, municipalities, utilities, developers, and other stakeholders can work together to accommodate growing electrical loads without relying solely on increasingly larger electrical services and infrastructure upgrades.
The session will also look ahead at how electrical design practices, policies, utility processes, and emerging technologies may need to evolve as BC continues toward a more electrified built environment.
Date and Time
Location
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Registration
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- 2332 Main Mall
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Canada V6T 1Z4
- Building: Fred Kaiser Building
- Room Number: KAIS 2020
- Starts 09 November 2026 06:00 PM UTC
- Ends 17 November 2026 12:30 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Steven Nemetz of Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd.
Biography:
Steven Nemetz is the CEO and Principal of Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd., a Vancouver-based engineering consulting firm with more than 50 years of experience in electrical power systems and building design. A graduate of the University of British Columbia with degrees including a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering, Steven joined the family firm in the 1980s and has since supervised electrical design across a broad range of residential, commercial, mixed-use, institutional, and other developments.
Under his leadership, Nemetz has expanded its work across Canada, the United States, and Asia. His extensive experience in building electrical design provides a practical perspective on electrical service capacity, power-efficient design, constructability, and the challenges created by increasing electrification in modern buildings.
Chris Higgins of City of Vancouver and BC Hydro
Biography:
Chris Higgins is a Senior Green Building Planner with the City of Vancouver and also serves as Energy Connections and Infrastructure Manager working with BC Hydro’s Distribution Design and Customer Connections team. He has worked with the City of Vancouver since 2014 on green-building policy and the transition toward lower-carbon and increasingly electrified buildings.
In his joint City of Vancouver–BC Hydro role, Chris works across municipal and utility organizations to make electrification and new electrical connections easier and more cost-effective. His work focuses on reducing the average cost of new electrical services, improving connection-time certainty, and enabling electrical load growth through better coordination and power-efficient design. His background brings together building policy, electrification, electrical service planning, and the practical challenges of connecting increasingly electrified developments to the distribution system.
Jason Rowley of BC Hydro
Biography:
Jason Rowley is a Codes and Standards Policy Specialist within BC Hydro’s Market Transformation team, bringing 35 years of progressive experience in regulatory strategy, government policy development, and the implementation of codes and standards. His career has focused on advancing safety, compliance, and innovation in complex urban environments, with a strong emphasis on technical oversight and policy influence.
Before joining BC Hydro, Jason spent 20 years with the City of Vancouver as an electrical inspector, including eight years as Chief Electrical Inspector and Electrical Safety Manager. His background brings together electrical safety, code and standards development, regulatory policy, and practical field experience, providing a valuable perspective on how policy and technical requirements can evolve to support electrification and the changing needs of B.C.’s electrical system.