Utility Only – Voices of Experience: Microgrids as a Tool for Wildfire Resiliency

Jared joined SEPA in 2017. In his role, he develops strategic plans for programs, products, and service offerings for utility and industry stakeholder members and clients that facilitate the integration of distributed energy resources, non-wires alternatives and microgrids onto the modern grid. Jared leads SEPA’s Microgrids Working Group and co-led D.C. Public Service Commission’s grid modernization working groups.

Prior to joining SEPA, he spent several years working as an environmental engineer and consultant for utility, municipal and commercial clients in the energy and water sectors.

He has a MS, Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University, and a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Outside of business hours, Jared enjoys skiing, hiking and spending time in the great outdoors.

Since joining NREL in 2010, Sonja has supported DOE’s Office of Electricity’s stakeholder outreach and education efforts by managing SmartGrid.gov, the Recovery Act Smart Grid Program Peer-to-Peer Regional Workshops, the Grid Modernization Initiative’s Regional Workshops, the DataGuard Energy Data Privacy Program, and Voices of Experience—a series of utility working groups focused on sharing the insights and lessons learned from implementing emerging technologies. Topics to date include smart grid customer engagement, advanced distribution management systems, integrating intermittent resources, and leveraging AMI networks and data.

Sonja started her career in the electric power industry as a management consultant at EDS and then ATKearney. She was the vice president of operations at Energy Central, the founding publisher of EnergyBiz Magazine, and a global energy market analyst for Pike Research (now Navigant).

Thomas Owen Bialek, Ph.D., P.E. Chief Engineer SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC Tom received a Bachelor and Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba in 1982 and 1986 respectively. He also obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State University in 2005. He is currently employed by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (“SDG&E”) as a Chief Engineer. His present responsibilities involve technology strategy and policy for transmission and distribution issues including equipment, operations, planning, distributed generation and development of new technologies. He was also the Principal Investigator on DOE and CEC funded Micro Grid projects. He is also a frequently requested external speaker and DOE R&D peer reviewer. Tom was also recognized by Greentech Media in its inaugural 100 Top Movers and Shakers in Smart Grid. In 2009 Tom was recognized with SDG&E’s Cornerstone award and in 2010 received the Outstanding Engineer award from the San Diego County Engineering Council. He has held various positions with other North American utilities and equipment manufacturers since graduating in 1982. His experience includes electric utility design, planning and operation and equipment design, development and manufacturing. Tom is an IEEE Senior Member. Tom sits on the DOE Electricity Advisory Committee as the Smart Grid Subcommittee Vice Chair. Tom also chairs the NREL’s Electric System Integration Technical Review Panel. Tom is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society. He is also a registered Professional Engineer, Electrical Engineering, in the State of California. He has authored a variety papers on a diverse of subjects such as distribution fault location, surge protection of equipment and testing of cables and has been awarded three patents.

Quinn Leads the integration of new distributed technologies into PG&E’s electric grid of the future that provides safe, reliable, resilient and affordable clean energy for PG&E’s customers through:

1. Driving complex decisions on distributed technologies deployment with data through comprehensive planning analysis and pilot projects
2. Analyzing and shaping state and federal regulatory policies to enable behind the meter distributed energy resource policies that provide cost effective grid benefits that minimize unnecessary cost shifts
3. Building industry partnerships to promote collaboration and sharing of best practices
4. Initiating new or enhanced Company processes that integrate distributed energy resources and technologies into electric grid operations and utility investment processes while minimizing utility costs
5. Developing national standards that integrate new technologies with PG&E’s transmission and distribution grid operations

Josh Mauzey is Senior Manager of Grid Edge Innovation at Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. The Grid Edge Innovation team is leading projects where SCE is demonstrating and piloting new technologies and strategies for integrating energy storage, microgrids, high DER penetration and electric transportation with electric grid planning and operations. Since joining SCE in 2014, Josh has held several strategic planning and management positions, all focused on advancing new capabilities enabled by new technology. Josh has been focused on the development of clean energy technology and products throughout his career, both in the private sector and in academia. Josh received both a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of California, Irvine.