Empowering change: A conversation with John Kousinioris of TransAlta

Speaking of Business with Goldy Hyder

John Kousinioris describes 2015 as a wakeup call.

Back then, his company, TransAlta, relied heavily on coal plants to generate electricity for Albertans. The Alberta government had other plans. It announced a phase-out of coal-fired electricity plants and gave TransAlta until 2030 to comply.

Rather than challenging the government’s decision, Kousinioris says TransAlta decided to embrace the change. Over the next six years the company converted all its Alberta coal plants to natural gas, dramatically cutting its greenhouse gas emissions – years ahead of schedule. “It’s been an incredible journey for all of us,” he says.

In an interview with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Kousinioris, president and CEO of TransAlta, discusses the company’s energy transition and speaks frankly about what it will take to meet Canada’s emissions targets.

“People are intuitively in favour of decarbonization,” he says, but “I don't think we've had honest discussions about what it costs to get there and the challenges associated with getting there.”

In the wide-ranging conversation, Kousinioris also discusses lessons learned from his immigrant parents, his love of motorcycles, and his passion for the Calgary Stampede.

“It doesn't matter where you came from, what your background is, where you've lived. When you've got a pair of jeans on, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat, you belong,” he says.

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