Our Story

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

^{– Helen Keller}

Our FOUNDATION

The foundation of ASCENT is our dedication to working in partnership. We firmly believe that we are as strong as the sum of our parts – and our partnerships! We see ourselves as generalists and our advantage lies in our ability to leverage the strengths of ALL project partners to create exceptional teams and winning projects.

Our MOTTO

Our motto “Focus on Ascent” absolutely reflects who we are and how we came to be. Robert Henry and Jennifer Traichel have diverse career and personal backgrounds but share an unrelenting drive to keep learning and growing. To us climbing is not about a corporate ladder, it is about elevating knowledge, delivering results, and finding fulfillment in collaboration with excellent people. From these shared values ASCENT was conceived, and we commit to pushing ourselves to continue extending these values to our partners.

Our GOAL

Our goal is to contribute our unique magic towards a sustainable energy system for the future; a system that is cost-effective, clean, creates unique market opportunities, and connects to people. After all energy is human – we engage people to participate in change.

Biographies

Team ASCENT

Partner

Jennifer Traichel BSc

Jennifer is a founding partner of ASCENT Energy Partners with expertise and interest in utility and energy innovation, customer and stakeholder engagement, and sustainable business practices. Jennifer provides clients and partners with energy project definition and development, including the navigation of complex regulatory and approval processes.

Jennifer spent nine years with FortisAlberta where she held a variety of progressive roles including management of environment and corporate sustainability, key accounts, regulatory and customer connections. In 2018 she led a business project to improve interconnection processes and customer experience for distribution connected generators and to prepare for the growth of small-scale and community generation. Jennifer began her career as a consulting wildlife biologist leading the permitting, approvals, and monitoring for a variety of energy projects including wind generation, large pipelines, oil sands projects, and extensive drilling programs throughout Western Canada.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from the University of Lethbridge.

jennifer@ascentpartners.ca | LinkedIn

Partner

Robert J Henry PEng MBA

Robert is a founding partner of ASCENT Energy Partners with passion and expertise for project development and execution, rigorous analytic foundations, and equipping people and teams to unleash potential. Robert partners with clients in viability assessment, technical and financial optimization, and contract and execution strategy, tactics, and success!

Robert has a broad background including Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Distribution, and Development across the resource and energy industries including Industrial Equipment, Forestry, Pulp & Paper, Oil Sands, Refining, Petrochemical, and Power Generation from Natural Gas, Biomass, Hydro, Solar, and Wind. Robert began his career in product support and development and progressed through manufacturing, project, and operational management to lead multi-discipline teams and businesses.

Robert holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Master of Business Administration from Stanford University.

robert@ascentpartners.ca | LinkedIn

At ASCENT we combine the ingredients of competence, humility, and adaptability that we believe are needed to create the energy system of the future.

Experience

Interesting Projects

Recognizing that ASCENT is a new venture, we offer a selection of previous project experience to showcase diverse industry exposure. Learn more

Sector	Owner	Project	Contribution
Power Generation	Advantage Oil & Gas	Glacier Gas Generation Project	Regulatory Advisor
Power Generation	Horus Energy	Dunmore Solar Project	Regulatory and Interconnection Management
Power Generation	Metis Nation of Alberta	Metis Crossing Solar Project	Feasibility, Technical Documentation, Economic Analysis
Power Generation	Montana First Nation	Montana Solar Farm	Interconnection Feasibility, Economic Analysis, Contract Management
Power Generation	Pacino Power Canada	Peace Butte Wind Project	Director
Power Generation	Alberta Community and Cooperatives Assocation	Community Generation Project Incubator	Lead & Delivery
Power Generation	Ermineskin Cree Nation	Neyaskweyahk Sundancer LP	Interconnection, Economic, Regulatory, and Contract Management
Power Generation	Northern Alberta Institute of Technology	Large Scale Solar – Development & Economics	Guest Lecturer
Power Generation	Solar Alberta	Alberta Communities Invest in Solar	Speaker
Power Generation	Solar Canada 2019	‘Who wants to be a Community Generator’	Presenter
Power Generation	Run of River Power Inc.	Skookum Creek Hydroelectric Project	Constructability Advisor
Power Generation	Canfor Prince George Pulp	Green Power Generation Project	Project Engineer – Mechanical

Sector	Owner	Project	Contribution
Regulatory	Alberta Utilities Commission	Proceeding 25848 – AESO Adjusted Metering Practice and Substation Fraction Methodology	Participant
Regulatory	Community Generation Working Group	Proceeding 24116 – Distribution System Inquiry – Combined Modules	Researcher and Author
Regulatory	Energy Transformation Canada 2020	‘Advancing the Energy Transition through Market Reform’	Speaker
Regulatory	Emissions Reduction Alberta	Lessons Learned Workshop – Brooks Solar	Panelist

Sector	Owner	Project	Contribution
Utility	FortisAlberta	Customer Experience Implementation Plan	Business Lead
Utility	FortisAlberta	Distributed Energy Interconnection Business Improvement Project	Business Lead
Utility	Western Energy Institute 2015	‘Riding the Wave of the Future: Positioning Utilities for Change’	Presenter
Utility	FortisAlberta	Avian Protection Plan	Developed Plan

Sector	Owner	Project	Contribution
Refining	Suncor Energy	Kerosene Heater Rebuild	Executive Sponsor
Refining	Irving Oil	Refiner Furnaces	Executive Sponsor
Refining	Nexen Long Lake	Upgrader Shutdown Steam and Drain Systems	Project Manager

Sector	Owner	Project	Contribution
Petrochemical	Yara Belle Plaine	Steam Methane Reformer Rebuild	Project Manager

Sector	Owner	Project	Contribution
E&P	Various	Multi-phase pumping systems	Executive Sponsor
E&P	Various	Packaged Fire Systems	Executive Sponsor
E&P	Nexen Horn River	Boreal Caribou monitoring program	Facilitated Program
E&P	Nexen Medicine Hat	Cumulative Effects Monitoring Program	Developed and Implemented Program
E&P	UTS Energy	Oil Sands EIA Projects	Lead, Wildlife Component
E&P	Shell Canada	Albian Sands Extraction	Workface Planning Lead
E&P	Devon Energy	Jackfish SAGD Project	Project Engineer – Mechanical