NARUC Professional Development
Track: Electricity
Feb. 24, 25, 26, 2026, 2:00 PM–4:00 PM ET each day (Live online)
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Energy storage policy is evolving rapidly at both the federal and state level through legislation, regulatory rules, and executive directives. Sharing and analyzing common practices across different states and scenarios can help inform what can be a complex and time-consuming process for state regulators. The knowledge shared in this course derives from Sandia National Laboratories, supported by the Department of Energy-Office of Electricity (DOE-OE) energy storage program, and collaborations with the Energy Policy Design Institute (EPDI), built upon long-standing partnerships with state officials, utilities, universities, technology developers, and other national laboratories. Fees: Course Outline:
Instructors: Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories. Will serves as Grid Energy Storage Policy Analyst for Sandia National Laboratories with a focus on energy storage policy development at the federal and state levels. Will has spent his entire 30-year career in the energy and utilities industry with a concentration on regulatory and legislative policy. Ted Ko, Energy Policy Design Institute (EPDI). Ted is the founder and Executive Director of the Energy Policy Design Institute (EPDI) and is a world-class expert on public policy for electricity systems and the deployment of distributed energy resources. Prior to EPDI, Ted led global policy engagement for Stem, Inc., an early pioneer in battery energy storage deployment, where he meaningfully influenced the full range of storage-related energy policy topics in the US, including everything from incentives and retail grid services to wholesale markets and DER aggregation. Joined by: Hon. Lea Márquez Peterson, Commissioner, Arizona Corporation Commission Lea Márquez Peterson currently serves on the Arizona Corporation Commission and is the past Chairwoman. During her tenure, she has fought hard for affordable utility rates and has focused on ensuring energy reliability. She was appointed by the Governor in 2019 and later won election to a four year term in 2020 and in 2024. Lea is the first Hispanic woman to serve in a statewide seat in the history of Arizona and is the only Commissioner based outside the Phoenix area. In her role as Commissioner, Lea is currently serving a four-year term on the Board of Directors of The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). In addition to her role on the Board, she also chairs NARUC’s Subcommittee on Education and Research (SER). Lea co-chairs a national advanced nuclear task force and serves on the Advisory Board of EPRI. Furthermore, she is the Chair of the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Board that focuses on electric grid reliability across the Western region of Canada, the U.S and Mexico. Lea received her undergraduate degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona and her Master’s in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. |