Every month, the NARUC Center for Partnerships & Innovation organizes an Innovation Webinar on an emerging issue in electricity regulation. These educational webinars are open to the public.
With support from the U.S. Department of Energy, CPI is pleased to connect its members and the public with new research, subject-matter experts, and diverse opinions on a variety of issues relevant to public utility commissions. Presentation slides and recordings for past webinars are posted on this webpage.
Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET | Register Now
As transmission needs expand nationwide and pressure grows to meet load growth without relying solely on costly new builds, regulators are seeking a stronger knowledge of advanced transmission technologies to make discerning decisions about viable alternatives. Building on our previous Grid-Enhancing Technologies webinar, this session will bring together technology developers and additional expert voices to explore two such technologies: AssetCool's conductor coating, which can significantly boost power line capacity or cut energy losses while helping utilities assess asset condition along the way, and Heimdall Power's Neuron sensor, which enables dynamic line rating and gives utilities real-time visibility into how much capacity their lines can actually handle. Attendees will come away with a clearer sense of how these technologies compare to traditional infrastructure investment and what questions to ask when evaluating them as substitutes for new transmission builds.
Moderator: Chair Brian Rybarik, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
Speakers:
Justin Bell, EPRI
Brian Berry, Heimdall Power
Jessica Harrison, AssetCool
The discussion featured a multi-disciplinary perspective on the lifecycle of a space weather event:
By bridging the gap between space weather science and utility operations, this session identified proactive frameworks for state commissions to oversee resilience investments and ensure grid integrity during extreme solar cycles.
Moderator: Hon. Emile Thompson, Chair, Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia
Speakers:
The Wind Impact Study for Power Resilience (WISPR) explores what becomes possible when utilities, technology innovators, and academic researchers collaborate around a shared analytical challenge. Funded through the DOE's Grid Resilience and Climate Change Impacts (GRACI) program, WISPR investigates whether integrating historically disparate data sources including high-resolution lidar, historical outage records, meteorological data, and forward-looking climate projections into a unified framework can enable a more precise, scalable approach to prioritizing vegetation-related outage mitigation. This webinar presents the collaborative model that bridged utility operational knowledge, digital twin technology, and academic expertise in machine learning, biomechanics, and climate science. Early results suggest meaningful potential that span-level risk attribution, climate-adjusted modeling, and budget-aware optimization could give utilities a data-driven foundation for making more informed, efficient resilience investments. The study raises important questions about how this kind of multi-disciplinary, multi-source approach might be validated, refined, and ultimately scaled across utility networks facing an increasingly uncertain climate future.
Speakers:
Evaluating the impacts of complex rate proposals and evolving power system conditions presents a significant challenge for regulators tasked with balancing a broad range of energy priorities. This webinar explored two tools that can help regulators navigate these challenges through open-source, transparent databases and models: the U.S. Utility Rate Database (URDB) and the Customer Affordability, Incentives, and Rates Optimization (CAIRO) model. The URDB is a free, open-source database of electricity tariffs from utilities across the United States that allows users to search for rates from a given utility and discover how those rates are structured. The CAIRO model estimates the impact of rate and program design decisions on customers using detailed customer load data and forecasted power system scenarios.
Explore the CAIRO Model and the URDB
Moderator: Hon. Kristy Nieto, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
Speakers:
Developing energy infrastructure in transportation rights-of-way (ROW) can dramatically accelerate permitting and siting of interregional and local transmission and distribution lines and equipment. The Ray, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Georgia, explained how they use geographic information systems (GIS) mapping tools to evaluate the suitability of accommodating buried and overhead transmission in the highway and railroad ROW, and produce optimal path modeling for specific proposals. The Ray works in formal partnerships with 25 State DOTs, as well as turnpikes and railroads.
Moderator: Deborah Reynolds, NARUC
Speakers:
Understanding your sensitive data is the critical first step in protecting it. Organizations often underestimate both the volume and variety of sensitive information they possess. As utilities face increasingly intelligent cyber threats, AI is transforming how we can detect, prevent, and respond to attacks. This webinar explored how AI tools can improve cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, and what regulators should know about such tools as they become prevalent. Attendees gained practical insights into how collaboration among utilities, technologists, and regulators can strengthen defenses.
Moderator: Hon. David Veleta, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
Speakers:
Missed our Boston session? During this webinar, Hon. Andrew Fay (Florida PSC, Chair of NARUC's Critical Infrastructure Committee) shared AI best practices and pitfalls for regulators. It explored how AI can help regulators work more efficiently, digest complicated topics, and make better decisions. It also showed specific tools and examples for streamlining analysis, learning complex subjects, and creating engaging content. It discussed which AI models work best for different tasks. It also covered AI's limitations and what regulators should avoid.
Advanced grid technologies can help meet many challenges emerging on the grid, but traditional frameworks for evaluating utility investments may be limiting their adoption. Regulatory sandboxes are being considered as a potential solution in some states by establishing a structured environment for piloting innovative approaches under modified rules to test and quickly scale new technologies. A recent Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report examines a dozen jurisdictions across the United States that have successfully used sandbox-type mechanisms to test advanced grid technologies—such as targeted deployment of energy storage, smart distribution circuits, and dynamic line rating—to reduce peak demand and increase grid flexibility. Jurisdictions also have used sandboxes to trial new customer programs, workforce development approaches, and resilience and cybersecurity strategies. Learn about these experiences from the LBNL report authors and two commissions.
Moderator: Hon. Erik Helland, Iowa Utilities Commission
Speakers:
Emerging load growth, plant retirements, rising costs, and more extreme weather events – among other factors – are challenging electric utility planning processes across the country. During this Innovation Webinar, authors of a new guide produced by Synapse Energy Economics and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory highlighted some of the 50 best planning practices for electricity systems undergoing a major transition, as well as a wealth of practical guidance to develop technically sophisticated, clearer, more effective, and state-of-the-art electric utility resource plans.
Moderator: Sarah Freeman, Commissioner, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
Speakers:
As the energy landscape evolves, grid modernization has become a critical focus for utilities and regulators alike. This session delved into the vital issue of ensuring access and equity in the transition towards a more modern, resilient, and sustainable grid. Grid modernization presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in how benefits and costs are distributed among customers, including low-income households and disadvantaged communities. This panel explored strategies to ensure that the grid serves all customers equitably.
Moderator: Commissioner Harold Gray, Delaware Public Service Commission
Speakers:
Over the past few years, American awareness of Artificial Intelligence and its potential to impact most facets of the national economy has grown considerably. AI could have a significant impact on states by unlocking new opportunities for optimization and efficiency in the energy sector. This computing renaissance will require substantial improvements in chip efficiency and growth in data centers to support greater computer processing needs for the large learning models that AI uses. This webinar explored AI use cases that can be leveraged to unlock grid capacity, flexibility, and resilience and consider some of the challenges states may face in meeting load growth expectations.
Moderator: Erik Helland, Iowa Utilities Commission
Speakers:
During the webinar, industry experts explored the current era of district geothermal systems, showcasing advances in the use of available technology, geographic and economic opportunities, and nationwide growth trends. Speakers shared details about the Eversource-HEET pilot in Framingham, Massachusetts that began delivering heat in 2024. Through this example, attendees gained valuable insight on how utilities have secured regulatory approval for successful geothermal pilot projects, the metrics that matter to utilities and utility regulators, and potential future business models. Additionally, participants learned about real-world experiences with utility and community engagement, including barriers and how they were addressed, and how financial solutions are being crafted for customers.
Moderator: Hon. Megan Gilman, Colorado
Speakers:
Hydropower can contribute to reliability and resilience, but one-half of the non-federal fleet needs relicensing by 2035 while permitting and relicensing challenges persist. This Innovation Webinar explored how regulators and state energy officials are finding ways to ensure that hydro can continue providing value to the evolving electric system.
Moderator: Commissioner Tom Plant, Colorado Public Utilities Commission
Speakers:
This Innovation Webinar explored the threat environment and delved into strategies to safeguard critical infrastructure, mitigate risks, and ensure uninterrupted power. In addition, through a compelling case study, it showcased the role a Public Utility Commission currently has in the successful implementation of a proactive physical security program in conjunction with Federal and State partners.
Moderator: Commissioner Andrew Fay, Florida Public Service Commission
Speakers:
State and federal programs like the EPA's Clean School Bus (CSB) Program have provided over $5 billion from FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. Electric School Buses are gaining momentum nationwide to reduce air pollution and help decarbonize transit. Utilities can play a key role in the process of connecting and charging electric school buses. This webinar discussed the rollout of electric school buses nationwide and the role of regulators.
Moderator: Davante Lewis, Commissioner, Louisiana Public Service Commission
Speakers:
Often painted as a black-and-white choice between “deregulation” and “monopoly,” many states are increasingly choosing alternative, hybrid approaches to offer customers one or more alternatives to traditional utility service. This panel considered the numerous approaches different states are taking in this regard, which among other things can leverage consumers’ adoption of advanced technologies, the aggregate buying power of communities, the new and dynamic rate designs that smart meters make possible, and special rates for customers who want clean energy projects or truly fixed-rate products.
Moderator: Hon. Bonnie Suchman, Maryland Public Service Commission
Speakers:
Energy buyers – both public and private – are increasingly setting targets to procure 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources every hour of the day. The transition to time-stamped renewable energy certificates (RECs) and hourly matching can provide credible proof of 24/7 carbon-free energy procurement, while delivering an important price signal for energy storage and flexibility. Thoughtful rate design is necessary to enable utilities to offer hourly REC matching programs to the organizations that are demanding them without adverse effects on non-participating ratepayers. This panel discussed recent progress on hourly matching tariffs, technical challenges, and creative solutions to unlock the transition to 24/7 CFE.
Moderator: Hon. Stacey Paradis, Commissioner, Illinois Commerce Commission
Speakers:
Our January 2024 Innovation Webinar explored a unique avenue for diverse talent recruitment for the public sector by featuring nonprofit organization Govern For America (GFA). GFA is working to build the next generation of public servants to create a more responsive and reflective state government, by offering fellowship opportunities to recent graduated students in state government agencies. During this webinar, Talita Elizeu, Director of Partnerships, shared the structure of the fellowship programs, the benefits of government partnerships, and success stories from alumni.
Speaker: Talita Elizeu, Director of Partnerships, Govern for America
Our Decemebr 2023 Innovation Webinar was an engaging and informative webinar that explored the dynamic synergy between energy distribution and artificial intelligence (AI). This innovative discussion brought together a panel of esteemed industry experts and thought leaders to shed light on how AI is revolutionizing the energy sector. In this webinar, our panelists shared their insights on the latest AI-driven advancements in energy distribution, the role of machine learning in grid optimization, and how AI is enhancing energy efficiency and reliability. They also discussed key policy considerations, regulatory challenges, and best practices for leveraging AI in the energy sector.
Hon. MaryAnna Holden, Commissioner, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
Speakers:
The Federal Highway Administration issued guidance in 2021 encouraging utilization of state rights-of-way (ROW) for renewable energy generation. Fostering collaboration between state transportation departments (DOTs) and utility commissions can help facilitate projects that utilize empty land along highway ROWs to build utility-scale solar projects, new charging stations, and new underground transmission lines. This webinar explored state and federal efforts to access the untapped solar potential along highway corridors throughout the country. Panelists discussed recent developments that are advancing coordination between state DOTs and utility regulators, along aligning public-private partnerships to bring the development of solar highways to fruition.
Jamie Barber – Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Unit, Georgia PSC
Speakers:
The intersection of federal energy efficiency funding and regulated utility programs has become an essential focal point for achieving sustainability and cost-efficiency goals. This online webinar, tailored specifically for public utility commissioners and their staff, aimed to shed light on the intricate process of coordinating federal energy efficiency funding with existing utility programs to maximize the benefits for their customers and communities. Topics addressed include: strategies for aligning federal funding with utility programs to achieve synergy, avoid duplication, and ensure the most effective use of resources; insight into the requirements of federal funding and how to navigate them in the context of public utility regulation; and issues of program evaluation, including reasonable accounting and attribution of impacts from each funding source, avoiding overly-burdensome analysis, strategies for apportioning savings, net-to-gross calculations, and key data needs.
Moderator: Commissioner Jeffrey Hughes, North Carolina Utility Commission
Speakers:
Community Solar is a growing tool for expanding access to solar for homeowners or businesses that can't utilize rooftop solar for one reason or another. This webinar discussed trends in community solar nationally from a regulatory and policy perspective and results from research into community solar opportunities. In particular, this panel discussed the economics of utility or cooperative community solar program design, barriers to implementation, and benefits of community solar.
Moderator: Commissioner Tim Echols, GA Public Service Commission
Speakers:
Current public awareness and interest in artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to revolutionize the way we do business is at an all-time high with the advent of tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and ChatSonic. The possibilities AI presents to integrate vast amounts of data into our professional lives is unprecedented. These opportunities extend into the utilities sectors. Regulators should understand how these types of technologies might play a role in future utility planning and operations to better assess their impacts and cost-effectiveness. This webinar explored how AI is currently deployed with utilities and whether AI can be used as a tool to integrate climate data to predict outages and better inform utility system planning with climate resilience strategies built into investments.
Moderators: Commissioner Diane Burman, NYS Public Service Commission and Nora Mead Brownell, Espy Energy Solutions LLC
Speakers:
Achieving greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets will require innovative approaches to decarbonizing energy use across all sectors of the economy. The industrial sector’s demands for electricity and heat accounts for around one-fourth of U.S. energy use and emissions, yet emissions reductions have been harder to achieve than in the power generation sector. How can emissions-intensive industries leverage electrification to decarbonize? What impact will this have on grid reliability, energy costs, and emissions? And what can regulators do to reduce barriers for industrial customers who want to electrify? This webinar shares highlights from a recent report analyzing the electrification potential for 12 industrial subsectors across 20 states. Panelists discuss emerging technologies, grid impacts, co-benefits, and recommendations for policymakers and regulators to facilitate industrial electrification.
Moderator: Hon. Tyler Huebner, Wisconsin
Speakers:
On May 1, 2023, NARUC's Center for Partnerships and Innovation hosted an Innovation Webinar exploring Storage as a Transmission Asset (SATA). Energy storage has the potential to provide a suite of services. Among those many services, Storage as a Transmission Asset uses storage facilities to inject or absorb energy to facilitate power flows on transmission lines. Used this way, SATA can provide reliability services and serve as an alternative to new transmission projects, increasing system efficiency and providing cost savings for customers. SATA can provide further services and capabilities when used as a "dual-use" asset capable of offering both generation and transmission services. Watch the recording and review the presentation below to hear subject matter experts discuss the potential of SATA and dual-use SATA, the planning and market barriers that hinder its use, and potential solutions to address these barriers.
Moderator: Chair Carrie Zalewski, Illinois Commerce Commission
Speakers:
NARUC's Center for Partnerships and Innovation hosted an Innovation Webinar to discuss recent market design enhancements throughout the country to address evolving resource adequacy concerns. Approximately 200 GW of nameplate wind and solar capacity have been added to the U.S. power grid during the past two decades. Recently enacted federal incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will accelerate the investment in, and deployment of clean energy and storage across the U.S. Amidst this rapid transformation to a cleaner electric system, reliability events resulting from changing system attributes, combined with extreme weather events, have led to the recent introduction of several design enhancements in wholesale power markets throughout the country. Subject matter experts explained these market enhancements in CAISO, ERCOT, and ISO-New England and explored the different roles and interplay between market operators and regulators in addressing ongoing resource adequacy concerns.
Moderator: Commissioner Ann Rendahl, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
Speakers:
Join NARUC's Center for Partnerships and Innovation for our next Innovation Webinar to discuss the importance and role of grid architecture in meeting future grid and customer demands. As distributed energy resources continue to grow, grid architecture will take on an increasingly important role to ensure that the grid is planned and operated in a way that can better utilize these new resources. Grid architecture can help utilities, decision-makers, and others identify the appropriate organization and structure that can then be used to make decisions about the operation and future of the electricity grid. This session will provide attendees with an understanding of what is grid architecture, its role and purpose going forward, how it can be used to identify current and future system needs, and why regulators need to address this important component of grid modernization.This session will feature presentations from several experts with examples of how grid architecture can be used and where.
Moderator: Commissioner Katherine Peretick, Michigan PSC
Speakers:
Green Banks by definition are mission-driven institutions that use innovative private investments and financing to accelerate the clean energy transition and establish climate-resilient infrastructure. The model has proven successful internationally and domestically, in the U.S. there are about 22 green banks across the country. These green banks generally leverage funds into smaller projects like community solar, building efficiency retrofits, and electrification of transportation, where traditional lenders typically choose not to invest in these smaller types of projects due to the high risks. However, is there room for green banks to aid in the improvement of our electrical system reliability? We recognize that reliability is being challenged due to the aging infrastructure, severe weather events, and other threats to our electrical system. Green banks may provide that innovative funding solution to finance the creation of next generation grid reliability-enhancing technologies needed to ensure dependable utility services that drive daily life and critical infrastructure.
Moderator: Rory Christian, Chair and CEO, New York State Public Service Commission
Speakers:
Long Duration Storage technologies, defined as technologies providing 10 hours or more of energy storage, are a critical part of reaching our country’s carbon emissions goals. Long duration storage is vital to integrating renewable energy into the grid during times of high demand to support reliability and resilience. This webinar will provide information on different long duration storage projects currently under development and provide prospective on how these technologies will help to shape our energy future.
Moderator: Hon. Carrie Zalewski, IL
Speakers:
Learn how energy storage is currently considered in IRPs and could be evaluated in the future. Hear from experts about issues state utility regulators are facing with storage in modeling, valuation, cost parameters, and interconnection.
Moderator: Commissioner Katherine Peretick
Speakers:
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for state utility regulators to look closely at energy affordability. To aid customers, regulators are hearing input from utilities, consumer advocates, technology companies, and other stakeholders on how to measure and improve energy affordability. On this webinar, three experts will share their unique approaches to affordability and discuss how public utility commissions can be partners in efforts to alleviate the energy burden.
Moderator: Hon. Mary Throne, Wyoming
Speakers:
This webinar highlights innovative energy work happening at universities. Gems hidden in in plain sight, there is a wealth of innovative energy research and development happening at over 150 institutions of higher learning across the country. In addition to developing technologies that are eventually deployed within the industry, these institutions educate the next generation of energy sector leaders through education, coursework, and hands-on experiences. Academic energy centers also frequently partner with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) 17 national laboratories which NARUC regularly features in this webinar series. Join NARUC’s Center for Partnerships and Innovation to learn more about university-sponsored energy innovation centers and the role they play creating our energy future.
Moderator: John Morrison, President and CEO of E4Carolinas
Speakers:
Transactive energy operates the electricity grid in near-real time by using value to balance and control supply and demand. Transactive energy can be implemented at the residential level, as well as commercial and industrial, in near-real time, and drive electricity peak demand savings and bill savings. In January 2022, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory released a report on how such a system might work in practice: the Distribution System Operation with Transactive (DSOP+T) Study. Additionally, pilots in the US and Europe have been successfully implemented and studied. In this webinar, experts in the industry will describe the status of transactive energy.
Moderator: Chair Phil Bartlett, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Speakers:
Electric vehicle (EV) sales are anticipated to grow rapidly in the next decade as policy and industry shift to decarbonize the transportation sector. The Biden Administration has signaled strong support for EV deployment, establishing the goal for 50 percent of all new light-duty vehicles to be zero-emission by 2030. Additionally, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $5 billion of funding was allocated to support the deployment of EV charging infrastructure. As a greater number of EVs hit the road and charging infrastructure expands, a crucial consideration remains - how the power grids and distribution networks can handle the substantial increase in electricity demand. Managed charging, or smart charging, provides an opportunity to relieve stress on the grid by enabling demand-side flexibility, a feature that is particularly important for the overwhelming share of charging that is expected to occur at the residential level. During this webinar, panelists will explore the value of managed charging for the grid, utilities, and customers, and introduce solutions such as behavioral analytics, load shifting, and digital customer engagement to support grid-beneficial residential EV charging.
Moderator: Commissioner Carolee Williams, South Carolina Public Service Commission
Speakers:
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events, cybersecurity intrusions, and physical security dangers continue to threaten extended disruptions to utility services. There exists a distinct possibility that any of these events could escalate into a full-scale Black Sky event, a catastrophic multi-regional event disrupting utility services over an extended time period. Simultaneously, the energy portfolio of the future will be one that is increasingly generated via renewable assets. State governments, utilities, and private sector suppliers will need to accommodate a highly renewable supply future into their emergency management planning. This is particularly true for Black Sky hazard planning and mitigation. This panel will explore how the ‘black start’ restoration model will change when supply is increasingly generated via renewable assets and by distributed energy resources. Panelists will explore how renewables might create a more flexible ‘black start’ restoration and how a highly renewable supply future impacts Black Sky planning and mitigation.
Moderator: Chair Gladys Brown-Dutrieuille, Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission
Speakers:
As state legislatures have increasingly charged public utility commissions with overseeing the implementation of a wide array of renewables, efficiency, and distributed energy resource (DER) policies and programs that are intended to meet a variety of state goals (e.g., greenhouse gas reductions, electric vehicle electrification, equity), approaches to evaluating the benefits and costs of such investments are evolving too. This webinar looked at how utilities and utility commissions are updating their approaches to developing benefit-cost analyses, identifying metrics that are important to consider, and including non-energy benefits in their evaluations of potential investments. Panelists shared examples of frameworks and specific state approaches related to energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and other DERs.
Moderator: Commissioner Cecile Fraser, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Speakers:
Electric Vehicle Benefit/Cost Analysis Methodology Whitepaper
This webinar provides an overview of a forthcoming white paper on state approaches to intervenor compensation across the country. Intervenor compensation is the practice of reimbursing individuals or groups for the costs of their involvement in state utility regulatory proceedings. These groups advocate for views and issues that may otherwise not be introduced into the proceeding by the utility, large customers, state utility consumer advocates, attorneys general offices, or others. Programs have been developed in several states to encourage participation at all stages of proceedings before the state Commissions where the costs to intervene would otherwise create a financial hardship. This paper reviews the states with legislative authorization for intervenor compensation, the states with active intervenor compensation programs, and provides insights on program implementation through several case studies.
Moderator: Chair Rebecca Valcq, Wisconsin
Speakers:
Vegetation management is frequently the largest single line item for electric utilities, totaling to nearly $7 billion in annual spending across the U.S. Despite this level of expenditures, fallen trees are still a major challenge to reliability. In the West, the combination of high winds and dry vegetation can lead to devastating wildfires; while in the East, more frequent and intense storms can increase the risks of fallen trees on power lines. This webinar will look at how utilities are applying data-driven, risk-based tactics and new technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, satellite data, native seed mixes and soil- and pollinator-friendly vegetation management strategies to prioritize spending and control costs. Panelists will share their thoughts on how state utility regulators can help guide better approaches to vegetation management./p>
Moderator: Hon. Dan Scripps, Michigan Public Service Commission
Speakers:
The costs of widespread and long-duration power interruptions are generally not or only incompletely considered in utility planning activities. Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory (LBNL) researchers will describe a new approach for estimating the economic costs of widespread and long-duration power interruptions. This method, which LBNL calls "POET" (Power Outage Economics Tool), involves using survey responses from utility customers to calibrate a regional economic model that can estimate both the direct and indirect costs of these events. Including better estimates of these costs will enhance both the comprehensiveness and completeness of the considerations relied on to support utility planning decisions, especially on grid hardening strategies and other capital-intensive investments in electricity sector resilience. LBNL will conclude with a discussion about how POET is being piloted in Commonwealth Edison's service territory, then feature an emerging public-private partnership to update LBNL’s Interruption Cost Estimate (ICE) Calculator.
Moderator: Ashton Raffety, Senior Technical Program Officer, NARUC
Speakers:
As the power grid evolves and states set new goals for clean energy, equity, resilience, and other objectives relating to energy infrastructure, public utility commissions (PUCs) across the country are increasingly faced with making decisions that are complex, broad in impact, and intersectional across an array of issues. In this challenging decision-making environment, some PUCs are embarking on stakeholder engagement processes that not only prioritize affordable, safe, and reliable utility services, but also consider these newer and more expansive policy objectives. These emerging processes have the potential to enable more informed decision-making by creating inclusive forums for stakeholder participation, but they must be well-designed to achieve intended outcomes. This webinar will explore the approaches PUCs can take to create robust and inclusive stakeholder processes by addressing:Key decision points for commissions to consider in planning stakeholder engagement processes; Lessons learned and best practices for stakeholder engagement; and; Principles for participatory justice at PUCs.
Moderator: Chair Megan Decker, Oregon Public Utilities Commission
Speakers:
Virtual power plants (VPPs) are systems that manage a network of distributed energy resources (DERs) of various types across a geographic area, aggregating control of those resources to provide and be compensated for energy, capacity, and/or services to the grid. VPPs have been discussed within electricity circles for more than 20 years, with the first named installation in Germany in 2012. In recent years, increasing advances in distributed technologies, sensors and controls, communications, and automation have led to an increase in VPP installations across Europe, Australia, Japan, and the United States. During this webinar, participants will hear from speakers who have been analyzing, developing, and operating VPPs. The discussion will focus on specific examples where DERs are being aggregated to act as resources and/or grid assets in addition to providing customer benefits. We will explore how the installed VPPs are working from both an operational/technical and economic/policy perspective. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Moderator: Lea Márquez Peterson, Chairwoman, Arizona Corporation Commission
Speakers:
Historically, synchronous fossil fuel and nuclear generators with spinning reserves have provided a suite of reliability services, like frequency response and voltage control, to keep the grid running smoothly. But as generation from nonsynchronous resources like solar, wind, and energy storage grows, with these resources expected to account for more than 80 percent of new electric generation capacity coming online this year, key questions are emerging for those responsible for grid reliability. Namely, what are the reliability implications and capabilities of inverter-based resources? What strategies do grid operators employ to maintain reliability while integrating more renewable energy? Do state energy regulators need to rethink how reliability services are defined and procured? And what should regulators be considering to make sure their states’ evolving power grids can deliver reliable and clean power? This webinar is part of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners – Center for Partnerships & Innovation’s monthly webinar series, exploring timely topics in electricity regulation. The webinar will be open to the public with the intended audience being NARUC’s membership of state energy regulators and regulatory staff. Time will be reserved for Q and A.
Moderator: Commissioner Kim O’Guinn, Arkansas Public Service Commission
Speakers:
This webinar will highlight public utility commission (PUC) workforce challenges and how PUCs can more effectively recruit and retain employees or otherwise acquire niche expertise to accomplish goals. As the energy sector evolves, so will PUC’s need for qualified individuals with technical expertise who are dedicated to public service. Join this webinar to hear about PUC workforce challenges and solutions firsthand, including new energy sector workforce development projects being undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Moderator: David A. Alexander – Legal Counsel to the Chairman, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, and Chair, NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Critical Infrastructure
Speakers:
Rooftop solar, and distributed energy resources (DER) generally, represent an integral and growing part of the electric grid. Increasingly, these resources are connecting to the grid to provide services for grid reliability purposes. Industry standards exist to ensure interoperability but cybersecurity has been an afterthought, even as the threat of crippling cyber attacks is growing. Complicating the landscape, a recent report by the GAO notes that the impacts of such attacks involving DER on the distribution grid is uncertain, making the identification of effective cybersecurity measures challenging. Join this webinar to learn more about the drivers accelerating solar adoption, the new cybersecurity risk landscape for solar and efforts underway to address the challenges, and the roles that state commissions and energy offices play in shaping the future of grid reliability, security, and resilience.
Moderator: Lynn Costantini, Deputy Director, NARUC
Speakers:
Public utility commissions and electric utilities across the country are increasingly incorporating equity considerations in their decision-making processes: ensuring that the costs and benefits of energy infrastructure are fairly distributed among customers without disproportionately impacting any subsets of ratepayers. For example, following the passage of the Clean Energy Transformation Act in Washington State, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission recently adopted rules requiring regulated utilities to consider equity in purchasing practices and in the state’s transition to clean energy. As equity becomes a key factor in energy decisions, regulators, utilities, and other stakeholders are exploring and considering strategies to leverage data in a way that best serves over-burdened and vulnerable populations. This webinar will explore approaches to the collection, reporting, and analysis of energy sector data to empower energy equity. The discussion will address questions such as: How can regulators define and assess equity in the energy sector? How can we measure equitable progress towards decarbonization? What are the ramifications of utility data reporting requirements?
Moderator: Commissioner Ann Rendahl, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
Speakers:
View recording
View presentation
Justice in 100 Metrics Report
Quantitative Energy Equity Report
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, often dependent on enabling investments in cloud computing or software-as-a-service platforms, hold great potential for enhancing energy utility service. However, AI tools are relatively new to utilities and state energy regulators, and more information is needed to build a track record on the costs and benefits of AI investments. On this webinar, panelists will present their views on the value of AI to utilities and customers, important concerns regulators should keep in mind when considering AI proposals, and barriers to broader AI use across the utility industry.
Moderator: Chairman Willie Phillips, District of Columbia Public Service Commission
Speakers:
Commercial & industrial (C&I) customers collectively use over half of the electricity generated in the U.S. Businesses of all sectors and sizes are increasingly setting ambitious corporate goals to use clean or renewable energy to power their operations and facilities, including roughly half of the Fortune 500. In 2018, corporate buyers accounted for over one-fifth of the renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) in the U.S. and have collectively deployed over 23 GW of new renewable energy over the last 5 years. At the same time, 23 states and DC have implemented statewide greenhouse gas targets and 50 utilities have noted carbon or emission reduction goals. However, different policy and market structures constrain options available to C&I customers to buy the renewable energy they want across markets in the US. For example, RPS expansions have the potential to green the grid for all customers, but do not necessarily enable C&I customers to go beyond state established renewable energy targets. Speakers will discuss regulatory barriers to expanding C&I purchasing and opportunities to resolve these challenges.
Moderator: Commissioner Ann Rendahl, Washington
Speakers:
Announcements of new offshore wind developments and state strategies for growth seem to be increasing every week. This webinar will share a snapshot of the industry and highlight motivations and approaches for encouraging growth in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Speakers will also discuss key utility regulatory barriers and potential drivers for offshore wind.
Moderator: David Littell, Senior Advisor, RAP
Speakers:
Currently, many new storage devices, particularly batteries, are built to support peak load. However, projects are emerging that will provide energy storage support for the bulk energy system. Commissions face decisions that impact seasonal balancing, resource adequacy, load firming, and other long-term planning. On this webinar, we will discuss emerging technical possibilities for providing storage support to the bulk energy system, featuring takeaways from an upcoming 1-MW, 150-hour aqueous battery pilot project with Great River Energy and Form Energy. Greg Padden, Director of Resource Planning and Markets at Great River Energy will discuss their decision-making on conducting the pilot project. Additionally, regulatory considerations and market barriers for bulk energy storage will be highlighted by Jason Houck, Policy and Regulatory Affairs Lead at Form Energy. The panel will open with recent research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, presented by Josh Eichman, on the value and cost-competitiveness of seasonal energy storage technologies for the integration of wind and solar. To close, Heidi Ratz, U.S. Electricity Markets Manager at the World Resources Institute, will discuss policy considerations for the role of long-duration storage. This webinar will be moderated by Chairman Philip L. Bartlett II, Maine.
Moderator: Chairman Philip L. Bartlett II, Maine
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