Candidate for Councillor: Raj Sharma, P.Eng.
Candidate Overview
- Career progression from HVAC optimization to power plant portfolio dispatch, resource planning, cost of service and rate design across four organizations.
- Regulatory expertise: managed 100+ proceedings, testified 12 times, built frameworks achieving non-controversial approvals and operational excellence while sustaining stakeholder trust.
- Strategic leadership on energy storage, distributed resources, tariff and system roadmaps; forward-thinking approach to AI, automation, and professional advancement.
Personal Statement
I believe that being a professional engineer comes with both rights and responsibilities. We benefit from a strong profession and public trust—we have a responsibility to give back and strengthen the community and regulator that support us.
Serving on APEGA Council is my way of acting on this belief. As a father of two daughters, I want to model what it means to contribute meaningfully to the organizations we're part of—not just as members, but as active participants in shaping our profession's future.
My 21 years in the energy industry across three countries—India, the USA, and Canada—have given me a unique perspective. I've navigated different regulatory models, work cultures, and professional environments. I started as a graduate engineer optimizing energy systems; I've evolved to developing strategy and policy.
What I bring to council is understanding. I've been where many of you are: doing hands-on technical work, figuring out how to progress in your career, balancing technical excellence and business reality, adapting to change. I want to help APEGA remain a regulator that engineers trust—one that understands your challenges, supports your growth, and helps our profession adapt responsibly to AI, energy transition, new technologies, and growing public expectations.
Candidate Resume
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Get to Know the Candidate in Four Questions
What does self-regulation mean to you as a member of APEGA?
Self-regulation means we've earned the trust to oversee our own profession. In my 21 years in regulated utilities, I've seen how it works when grounded in competence, transparency, and public interest. It means setting rigorous standards, enforcing them fairly, and being accountable. APEGA's credibility comes from regulating effectively so engineers and geoscientists deliver safe, compliant services.
What would you bring to Council?
Three things. First, I understand engineers across disciplines and career stages. As a minority engineer, I understand the barriers engineers of colour, women, and international professionals face in advancing their careers. I've navigated different regulatory models and work cultures, so I empathize with your challenges: balancing technical excellence with business reality, staying current, and progressing in careers. Second, I bring regulatory and governance expertise: 100+ proceedings, a dozen testimonies, compliance frameworks that enable innovation. Third, I bring forward-thinking leadership, such as on energy storage and distributed energy resources.
As the regulator of engineering and geoscience, what challenges does APEGA face?
The biggest challenge is balancing member support with public protection. Engineers deserve a regulator that helps you thrive—through training, tools, career pathways—while the public deserves rigorous standards and safety. These aren't opposing; they're linked. Competent, well-supported engineers protect the public. Second is staying relevant. AI, automation, and energy transition reshape what you do. APEGA must help members adapt and advance. Third is meeting higher expectations. Social media and modern service standards mean we need transparency and responsiveness alongside rigour.
What is the value of a professional licence with APEGA?
A professional licence signals competence to employers, clients, and the public. It means you've met rigorous standards and committed to ethics. For your career, a P.Eng. or P.Geo. designation opens doors and validates expertise. For the public, it provides assurance that professionals designing infrastructure or advising on environmental matters have required knowledge and ethics. The value is the trust it builds between your profession and society.