Diesel Tech Industries (DTI) has been participating in recent Government Relations events, including Ottawa Day on the Hill, delegated by the Canadian Hydrogen Association (CHA), and a Hydrogen Roundtable at the Alberta Legislature. Participating in these events is essential because it allows DTI to directly influence policy discussions that shape the future of hydrogen adoption in Canada.
Ottawa Day on the Hill
Diesel Tech Industries (DTI) – COO, Rebecca Goldsack, participated in a series of roundtable discussions focused on policy, partnerships, and investments aimed at expanding Canada’s hydrogen economy. Discussions centred on creating national incentives to encourage federal and provincial entities to develop supports for early adopters to make it more appealing for them to transition to clean technologies such as hydrogen.
Rebecca represented DTI alongside 30 members of the CHA, met with key federal leaders, policymakers, and international partners to discuss the policies, partnerships, and investments needed to accelerate Canada’s hydrogen economy. These meetings included engagements with Senators, Members of Parliament, representatives from Environment and Climate Change, Natural Resources Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Transport Canada, the German Embassy, the National Research Council, and leaders from the Transition Accelerator. Their collective discussions focused on advancing national hydrogen policy, supporting early adopters, and identifying frameworks to enable large-scale hydrogen deployment.
Hydrogen Roundtable at Alberta Legislature
The roundtable at the Legislature placed strong emphasis on building market demand for hydrogen, particularly in transportation, as well as creating regulatory clarity across the hydrogen sector. Bringing industry leaders together for these conversations highlights the strength of collective advocacy and reinforces the role hydrogen can play in strengthening our economy. Attendees included members from the Ministry of Energy & Materials, Service Alberta & Red Tape Reduction, and Affordability and Utilities.
The Imperative for Commercial Scale
A central theme emerging from these discussions is the urgent need to move beyond a project-by-project focus and transition towards commercially viable, large-scale programming. While pilot projects are essential for proving technology, achieving true decarbonization requires policies that encourage massive commercial deployment.
Rebecca Goldsack plays a dual role as the COO of Diesel Tech Industries (DTI) and the Board Chair of Hydrogen Alberta. This combination is especially important because it allows her to bring the perspective of a technology provider directly into policy discussions and ensures that the realities of implementation, cost, and safety are accurately represented. She continues to advocate strongly within both Alberta and the Federal governments for policies that reduce cost barriers for fleets adopting new technologies. Incentives that lower upfront capital costs and help reduce the price of hydrogen are essential to building the hydrogen ecosystem and infrastructure.
These discussions encouraged the pursuit of the following incentives:
- Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) and Incentives: Designing ITCs that are accessible, predictable, and specifically target the purchase of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the development of high-capacity refuelling stations suitable for major commercial corridors.
- Regulatory Streamlining: Establishing clear, efficient, and harmonized regulatory pathways across jurisdictions for the permitting and operation of hydrogen production, distribution, and refuelling infrastructure to reduce development timelines and costs.
- Demand Aggregation: Creating federal and provincial programs that aggregate demand from multiple commercial fleet operators, providing the economic certainty required for private industry to invest heavily in the commercial-scale production and distribution of low-cost hydrogen.
DTI’s Commitment to Technology Advancement
As a leader hydrogen ecosystem, DTI is committed to ensuring that policy frameworks support technological innovation. We are working to leverage Alberta’s energy expertise and research institutions to position the province as a hub of innovation, signalling readiness for industrial growth and a strong, skilled workforce.
By collaborating with Ministers of Energy & Minerals, Service Alberta & Red Tape Reduction, Affordability, and Utilities, DTI and industry partners are making significant progress in designing a policy environment where hydrogen is not just a sustainable alternative but a cost-effective and commercially viable solution for decarbonizing Canada’s transportation and industrial sectors. The focus remains on making hydrogen affordable for the end-user—the commercial fleet operator—to ensure rapid, large-scale adoption.
