Energy summit being held in Calgary

The fourth annual Energy Summit, organized by the Economic Club of Canada, will be taking place Friday in Calgary.

Policy makers, industry leaders, and government officials are all in Calgary Friday to take part in the fourth annual Energy Summit.

Hundreds from all across North America will be meeting at the Palliser Hotel for the conference, which is expected to give an inside look into the country’s energy future.

Officials with the Economic Club of Canada, who are hosting the event, say the focus of this year’s summit is to locate new opportunities and identify the challenges that lie ahead.

A number of different speakers will be speaking on U.S.-Canada relations, climate change concerns, aboriginal engagement, the future of Canadian oil sands, and innovation in the marketplace.

Timothy Egan, president of the Canadian Gas Association, hopes the summit will help to clear up some misconceptions of the industry.

"There's a perspective of oilsands outside this country which I think is an illinformed perspective. I don't think people appreciate just how environmentally sound the operation of the oilsands actually is and it's incumbent on all of us in the Canadian energy industry to speak to that fact and the fact that we actually have a very clean energy industry."

Mayor Naheed Nenshi is expected to open the summit at 8 a.m. with remarks.

The summit runs for the whole day.