Distributed, Renewable & Uncertain: Grid Planning in the 21st Century

A high-performing senior energy executive and successful tech startup founder, Kerrick Johnson is Vermont Electric Power Company’s (VELCO) Chief Innovation and Communications Officer. Kerrick’s role is to identify, develop and collaboratively execute strategic development initiatives, build effective advocacy relationships and secure stakeholder alignment through imaginative messaging.

Kerrick co-conceived, developed and launched Vermont Clean and Resilient Energy Consortium created to secure funding for work to accelerate grid transformation. He also secured $20 million in congressional authorization for 2021-24 renewables integration/grid flexibility work through a collaborative project with three national labs. Kerrick advances the Company’s trusted partner mission through print, digital and social media, community engagement and advocacy work. He previously served as a Co-Founder and Chief Ecosystem Officer for Utopus Insights, a New York- based energy analytics company formed by IBM, Boston Consulting Group and VELCO. Having served in key leadership roles over the past decade of energy sector transformation, Mr. Johnson is recognized as a seasoned, frequently provocative, public speaker, and thought leader who has catalyzed many creative energy sector conversations at diverse conferences, workshops, symposiums, and executive gatherings.

Kerrick attended Vermont’s Johnson State College and served four years in the US Air Force as an airborne Russian linguist.

Bryan Hannegan (he/him) is President and CEO of Holy Cross Energy, a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative utility providing electricity and energy products and services to more than 46,000 customers in Western Colorado. Headquartered in Glenwood Springs, Holy Cross Energy is leading the responsible transition to a clean energy future with its “Journey to 100%” plan aimed at obtaining 100% renewable and clean energy for its members by 2030. For its efforts, Holy Cross Energy was named 2020 Electric Cooperative of the Year by the Smart Electric Power Alliance.

Prior to joining Holy Cross in July 2017, Bryan was an Associate Laboratory Director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he co-founded the US Department of Energy’s Grid Modernization Initiative and started up the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), a unique “distribution grid in a box” enabling utilities, entrepreneurs and consumers to work together on cleaner, more affordable and more reliable energy systems. Earlier in his career, Bryan held senior leadership roles at the Electric Power Research Institute, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Bryan holds a Ph.D. in Earth Systems Science and a M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of California at Irvine, and a B.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. He is a former member of the California Council on Science and Technology, and serves as an advisor to GridLab, GridFWD, the Energy Systems Integration Group, and NRECA’s Science and Technology Advisory Council.

As General Manager, System Planning, Todd’s role at Hawaiian Electric Company is to lead the development of system plans to integrate all resources that support grid operations including generators, T&D facilities, demand response resources, distributed energy resources, and telecommunication resources, in support of the Companies’ efforts to transform its islanded grids to 100% renewable energy. System Planning responsibilities include the development of the Companies’ Power Supply Improvement Plan and Grid Modernization Strategy.