2025-26 Fellows
Peter Casurella
Executive Director
SouthGrow Regional Initiative
Peter Casurella is an economic development consultant and the Executive Director of the SouthGrow Regional Initiative. Casurella holds three post secondary degrees, including an Master of Arts in the Philosophy of Science from McMaster University.
Over his career in economic development, he has specialized in piloting enabling technology in the broadband and energy infrastructure spaces in rural Alberta. These projects include piloting the deployment of Terragraph wireless networks with FortisAlberta, funding Alberta’s first EV fast-charging network and piloting Combined Heat and Power on-farm solutions with ATCO, administrating the On-Farm Energy and Solar PV program funded by Growing Forward 2 and the Canadian Agricultural Partnerships, and working with Natural Resources Canada to fund over 200 EV stations in Alberta through the SouthGrow Electric Vehicle Charging Program.
Casurella’s current energy projects involve path-finding innovative energy efficiency upgrades for municipal water and waste water systems, and investment attraction for new energy projects in rural Alberta.
Peter grew up in Didsbury, Alberta and now lives in Lethbridge with his wife and children. Peter Casurella is an economic development consultant and the Executive Director of the SouthGrow Regional Initiative.
Electricity is the lifeblood of a modern economy, powering industries, enabling innovation, and driving productivity across all sectors. Without reliable and affordable access, economic growth stagnates, limiting opportunities for development and prosperity. Our rapidly changing energy environment is having disproportionate impacts on rural areas, and as a rural economic developer, I have a vested interest in ensuring that rural perspectives are heard as we work towards a unified vision for the development and transition of our grid towards one that is environmentally sustainable, reliable, and safe. I’m proud to be part of the Alberta Energy Futures initiative as we work to chart a common path forwards amid the many complexities of this moment in time.