Stakeholder Summit to Achieve a Carbon-Free Energy System by 2050

This 2020 Grid Evolution Summit opens with a welcome address followed by a panel featuring utility executives discussing the opportunities and realities their organizations are experiencing in the industry’s transition to a clean and modern grid. These leaders will investigate how the lessons they are learning today will inform and influence how we achieve a carbon-free energy future by 2050.

• Jacqueline Sargent
  General Manager
  Austin Energy
  Speaker
• Jeff Guldner
  CEO
  Arizona Public Service
  Speaker
• Julia Hamm
  President & CEO
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Speaker

Nationwide, changes including technology advances, flat or declining load, customer desires for information and a greater role in determining their electric service, distributed generation that feeds power back to the grid, and pressure to reduce environmental impacts are forcing a reevaluation of the traditional cost-of-service utility business model. Multiple states are exploring whether various regulatory reforms could better align electric utility compensation to customer and public policy goals, including greater customer choice, lower or more stable costs, and reduced environmental impacts. This session will discuss lessons learned from a SEPA Renovate Initiative case study on Minnesota, which established a unique 7-step process for performance-based regulation and best practices from the PBR process in Hawaii.  

• Bridget Dockter
  Manager, Policy and Outreach
  Xcel Energy
  Speaker
• Doug Scott
  Vice President of Electricity and Efficiency
  Great Plains Institute
  Speaker
• Jennifer Potter
  Commissioner
  Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
  Speaker
• Richard Farinas
  Manager of Research
  SEPA
  Speaker

The practical application of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies can benefit utilities beyond an investment performance indicator. Organizations that embrace transparent stakeholder disclosure have achievable long-term sustainability goals, and diverse, durable supply chains. Furthermore, companies that focus on protecting and investing in human capital are more likely to drive top-line revenues and bottom-line profitability. ESG strategies are assets when seeking maximum access to capital and the need to prepare for, and respond to fast-moving and unexpected crises and market disruptions. This session will investigate these ESG principles, their value to our industry, and how to implement them.

• Christine Martin
  Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability
  PPL
  Speaker
• Jeff Kotkin
  Vice President of Investor Relations
  Eversource Energy
  Speaker
• Ken Adams
  Managing Director, Group Head of IG Research
  TIAA Investments
  Speaker
• Richard McMahon
  Senior Vice President of Energy Supply and Finance
  Edison Electric Institute
  Moderator
• Susan Gray
  Global Head of Sustainable Finance Business and Innovation
  S&P Global
  Speaker

In a growing number of states, utilities and stakeholders are beginning to explore the transition from traditional distribution planning to integrated distribution planning. Each state is facing unique customer needs, system conditions, and implementation challenges. This session explores a recent IDP study conducted by SEPA and discusses key elements and phased approaches to integrated distribution planning. Speakers will also tackle the challenges of successfully transitioning to the IDP model.

• Brenda Chew
  Senior Manager of Research
  SEPA
  Speaker
• Dana Cabbell
  Director
  SCE
  Speaker
• Danielle Sass Byrnett
  Director, Center for Partnerships & Innovation
  NARUC
  Speaker
• Joe Paladino
  Senior Advisor
  DOE
  Speaker
• Samir Sucar
  Director of Distributed Energy Resources
  ICF
  Moderator

In response to emergency conditions, microgrids can provide resilience within a community’s critical infrastructure to assure essential services to the public as well as business continuity. The session will include a discussion of best practices for developing microgrid deployment plans within a community. Experts will also discuss analytical methods for the development and deployment of microgrids complimented by case studies of projects at different levels (single premise resiliency, campus, community) to highlight the importance of collaboration amongst individual end-use customers, utilities and local governments.

• Chris Johnson
  COO
  Blue Planet Energy
  Speaker
• Eva Gardow
  Technical Lead of Principal
  EPRI
  Moderator
• Gary Oppedahl
  Vice President of Emerging Technologies
  Emera
  Speaker
• Jared Leader
  Manager of Industry Strategy
  SEPA
  Speaker
• John Vernacchia
  Renewable Energy Segment Manager
  Eaton
  Speaker

The SEPA Utility Carbon Reduction Tracker identifies 65% of electricity customer accounts nationwide are served by a utility with a carbon or emission reduction goal and while much progress has been made, there remains uncertainty around what going from 80% to 100% carbon-free energy will require across the energy sector. This session will investigate different pathways to 100% carbon-free energy, including existing technologies and future innovations, and the collaborative efforts the energy industry must consider to cross the finish line by 2050.

• Anne-Laure Chassanite
  VP, Power Supply
  ENGIE North America
  Speaker
• Maria Korsnick
  President and Chief Executive Officer
  Nuclear Energy Institute
  Speaker
• Mike Niggli
  Chairman of the Board
  ESS, Inc.
  Speaker
• Sharon Allan
  Chief Strategy Officer
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator

California aims to achieve a 100 percent carbon-free energy system and statewide carbon neutrality by 2045. Earlier this year, California celebrated one million rooftops with solar panels in the state, representing huge growth in distributed energy deployment. This is an important step in achieving a carbon-free energy system, but what's next? How does California's shift to a clean energy system, aggressive greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, and a stable, sustainable, market-based approach to paying for power amplify deployment of distributed energy resources? How can the state accelerate distributed solar and additional clean generation technologies using incentives such as net energy metering (NEM)? This panel will feature leaders who will dive deeply into this challenge, propose recommendations, and investigate opportunities for collaboration to achieve a carbon-free energy system.

• Kevin Lucas
  Director of Rate Design
  SEIA
  Speaker
• Michael Backstrom
  Managing Director, Energy and Environmental Policy
  Southern California Edison
  Speaker
• Michael Ducker
  VP, Renewable Fuels & Western Region
  Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, Inc.
  Speaker
• Natalia Mathura
  Principal of Utility Business Models
  SEPA
  Moderator

This Grid Evolution Summit session features a fast-paced panel discussion between energy executives and regulators (in case of our moderator, both) who will leverage their extensive experience to challenge assumptions that might limit our smart transition to a carbon-free energy future.

• Janet Gail Besser
  Managing Director
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator
• Lorraine Akiba
  CEO
  LHA Ventures, Former Hawaii PUC Commissioner
  Speaker
• Mary Powell
  Co-Founder
  Spot the Dog, Former CEO, Green Mountain Power
  Speaker
• Peter Kelly Detwiler
  Co-Founder
  NorthBridge Energy Partners, LLC
  Speaker

Continued integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar PV, into the grid contributes to the famous Duck Curve and creates opportunities for behind-the-meter energy storage. This session will investigate two case studies: an “island nano grid”, which uses solar PV with battery storage and thermal hot water storage for homes and buildings in Hawaii and a process for determining the optimal energy storage schedules for load leveling and ramp rate control in distribution systems.

• Andrew Ioan
  Electrical Engineer
  Southern California Edison
  Speaker
• John Borland
  J.O.B Technologies
  Speaker
• Robert Tucker
  Director of Industry Strategy
  SEPA
  Moderator

Load flexibility is important for the power grid. It provides the agility necessary to integrate intermittent renewables and new loads from transportation electrification and electric heating. According to a recent study by The Brattle Group, by 2030, the cost-effective potential for load flexibility could nearly triple the capacity of the existing demand response resource in the US. The associated benefits are worth more than $15 billion annually. However, achieving this potential depends on a significant market transformation, including smart metering deployment, adoption of smart technologies, and redefining the services traditionally provided by demand response. It also requires a closer look at how existing regulatory and market structures incentivize utilities and third party service providers to offer robust load flexibility programs that customers can understand and embrace.

• Ben Ealey
  Principal of Grid Integration
  SEPA
  Speaker
• Jason Salmi Klotz
  Manager of Regulatory and Policy Strategy of Grid Architecture of Integration and System Operations
  Portland General Electric
  Speaker
• Jessica Shipley
  Senior Associate
  RAP
  Speaker
• Patty Cook
  Senior Vice President
  ICF
  Moderator
• Ryan Hledik
  Principal
  The Brattle Group
  Speaker

This panel will discuss the SEPA Grid Architecture Working Group grid ontology outcomes and their application to utility problems.

• David Forfia
  Senior Consultant
  Utilicast
  Speaker
• Gerard Rendell
  Lead Business and Technical Consultant
  Duke Energy
  Speaker
• Ron Cunningham
  IT Enterprise Architect
  AEP
  Speaker
• Ron Melton
  Administrator of GridWise Architecture Council
  PNNL
  Moderator

Industry experts including Distributed Energy Resource (DER) providers, grid operators, Virtual Power Plant (VPP) operators, and utilities will discuss trends in managing DERs at the microgrid, VPP, and aggregation levels. Speakers will also explore how these trends affect value streams, market opportunities, and grid services across applications and approaches.

• Aaron Smallwood
  Vice President, Industry Solutions
  SEPA
  Moderator
• Brett Feldman
  Research Director
  Guidehouse
  Speaker
• Bud Vos
  President and CEO
  Enbala
  Speaker

In the age of a rapidly evolving energy system, knowledge gaps exists for both utilities and startups around how to structure and manage the pipeline of innovative solutions. This session will demonstrate best practices to bridge the gap between utilities and startups and streamline the process of integrating cutting-edge innovation into the utility business model.

• Becca Jones-Albertus
  Deputy Director of Solar Energy Technology Office
  DOE
  Speaker
• Josh Gould
  Director of Innovation
  Duquesne Light
  Speaker
• Kimberly Britton
  CEO
  EPIcenter
  Speaker
• Whit Fulton
  Founder and CEO
  ConnectDER
  Moderator

The process of accessing meter and billing data can be costly and time intensive for customers and authorized DER providers. Unfettered authorized access to energy usage data unlocks expansive participation in known use cases such as storage, solar, energy efficiency and electric vehicle adoption. This session will discuss case studies such as the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Data Hive and other platforms that extract the value of utility data sharing.

• Barbara O'Neill
  Manager, Grid Integration
  NREL
  Moderator
• Devin Hampton
  CEO
  Utility API
  Speaker
• Manoj Kumar
  CEO
  Powerley
  Speaker

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) have zero tailpipe emissions but what is the total well-to-wheel impact of these vehicles? The sustainability of transport rests on having a clean power generation source, and managing the time of day people charge. How are utilities, auto OEMs, fleet owners and others building a sustainable EV charging infrastructure, and incentivizing the right charging behavior? What additional local policies and subsidies are needed to scale this market? Lithium-ion batteries have dominated the EV market, but does room exist for hydrogen and other alternative fuels? How is the EV ecosphere planning to address the challenges of battery recycling?

• April Bolduc
  President
  S Curve Strategies
  Moderator
• Bill Elrick
  Executive Director
  California Fuel Cell Partnership
  Speaker
• Brittany Syz
  Director of Clean Transportation
  SDG&E
  Speaker
• Drew Murray
  Senior Vice President. Strategy and Corporate Development
  Edison International
  Speaker

This session will explore the potential benefits of vehicle to grid integration (VGI), managed charging and other opportunities. Panelists will also discuss ways to create programs to incentivize residential & commercial customers to charge at times that increase the value of renewable energy assets and correspond to the needs of the grid.

• Meredith Alexander
  Policy Director
  Calstart
  Speaker
• Noel Crisostomo
  Air Pollution Specialist
  California Energy Commission
  Speaker
• Sara Rafalson
  Senior Director of Market Development
  EVGo
  Speaker
• Stephen S. Kalland
  Executive Director
  NC Clean Energy Technology Center
  Moderator

As utilities look to incorporate technologies to meet both customer and grid needs, they should understand the distinctions and value propositions of smart home and grid edge platforms. This session will provide an overview of that value, as well as insights from existing programs.

• Candice Tsay
  Sr. Planning Analyst, REV Demonstration Projects
  Con Edison
  Speaker
• David Meisegeier
  Vice President and Senior Technical Director
  ICF
  Moderator
• Patrick Lee
  President and CEO
  PXiSE Energy Solutions
  Speaker
• William Ellis
  Sr. Portfolio Manager, Energy Efficiency
  Pepco Holdings
  Speaker