Unlocking the Full Value of Flexible Demand-Side Grid Assets

What can storage, electric vehicles, and demand response offer the grid as electricity resource mixes change and demand patterns shift? How can rate design and pricing create incentives for the most efficient use of flexible grid-connected assets? Does the ability of demand response to alleviate some of the blackouts in California signal a new era for the promise of demand response in considering resource adequacy? Each of this session’s panelists will describe how the value of flexible grid-connected assets is compensated in their state or market, and what kind of evolution they see on the horizon.

Moderator: Hon. Matt Schuerger, Minnesota

Participants:

Hon. Sally Talberg, Michigan

Ahmad Faruqui, The Brattle Group

Paul Wattles, Senior Analyst, Market Design & Development, ERCOT

The Next Decade: What’s in Store for the Water Sector

The 2010s were marked by a number of novel trends that fundamentally changed the water and wastewater sectors. These included advances in technology, regulatory innovation, and the growing threats posed by contaminants, extreme weather, and cyberattacks. The next decade is sure to bring new promises and challenges to the water and wastewater sectors.  Attendees of this panel will learn about:

• How today’s trends will impact the water and wastewater sectors of tomorrow
• Considerations for policymakers to ensure a smooth transition into new technology and trends of the future
• Whether policymakers are up to the task of addressing tomorrow’s challengers

Moderator: Hon. Ryan Silvey, Missouri

This session will discuss the key issues facing the FCC after the 2020 election, including expanding broadband, mapping broadband availability, increasing broadband adoption, state input to the federal universal service program, and Lifeline.  Panelists will provide their thoughts on the makeup of a post-election commission, potential changes to the universal service assessment method, the focus of the joint FCC-State boards, and the ways in which the states and the FCC can work together going forward. 

Moderator: Hon. Karen Charles Peterson, Massachusetts

Practicing Ethically During and After the Pandemic – Part A

This program will address ethics issues facing lawyers practicing during and after the pandemic, including: core duties, such as communication, competence and diligence; confidentiality issues (especially involving technology use) when practicing remotely and at  home; unauthorized practice of law and multijurisdictional practice issues; special ethics challenges in pandemic - driven practice areas and processes (such as remote depositions and mediations); maintaining professionalism while serving clients.

Thomas E. Spahn, McGuireWoods

Litigator, Speaker, author, & written public summaries of over 1,600 Virginia and ABA legal ethics opinions.

Preparing for Commercial Fleet Electrification

Across the country, companies are making commitments to decarbonize their operations and electrify their fleets. What challenges are companies facing, and what tools and collaborations are being used to facilitate this successful transition?  This session will explore fleet electrification infrastructure considerations from a grid perspective and offer insights into how commercial fleet operators and utilities are working to make fleet electrification a reality. Panelists will share their work and lessons learned from corporate and utility perspectives.

Moderator: Hon. Maria S. Bocanegra, Illinois

Economic Considerations to Inform State Decision-Making on Natural Gas Bans

Over the past year, NARUC has had the privilege to hear the diverse and often conflicting opinions on Natural Gas Bans.  The NARUC community heard from industry representatives at the 2019 annual meeting, policymakers at the 2020 winter policy summit, and environmental groups at the 2020 summer policy summit about their organizations’ and personal views on the topic. This session will look at the economics associated with efforts to implement gas bans on new construction. Panelists will discuss the benefits and costs of these bans and what regulators and state governments need to take into consideration as they move forward. 

Moderator: Andreas Thanos, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, Chair, Staff Subcommittee on Gas                                                   

Participants:

Kenneth Costello, Regulatory Economist

Richard Meyer, Managing Director, Energy Analysis, American Gas Association

Recovery and Rebuilding with Equity in Mind

Through achieving complete and lasting equity in modern utility services can sometimes seem to be an unattainable objective, many regulatory actions result in equity effects and those effects can be long-lived. Many thought leaders are presently urging policy makers to consider the equity implications of all utility services, including equity in personal and public health and safety, , access to economic prosperity, and reliable, affordable, clean energy resources. With the added focus 2020 is bringing to disadvantaged communities, and the many innovations in regulated utility services, many policy makers are refreshing efforts toward increasing equity. Specifically, proponents are advocating pandemic recovery plans that will achieve economic and employment gains, leading to a more sustainable and healthy future that will generate public health benefits and increase resilience, especially in the face of future climate disruptions.  This panel explores what equity means for today’s gas and electric utility services, and addresses the opportunities likely to produce long-term improvements for all.

We have asked our panel to consider the following questions: How can regulators ensure equity is a primary factor in developing a post-COVID future?  How can regulators ensure investment in clean, affordable energy resources to promote a healthier environment for all?

Moderator: Hon. Cecile Fraser, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities

Panelist:

Hon. Carrie Zalewski, Illinois Commerce Commission

Hon. Katie Sieb, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

Distribution Systems Planning Lessons Learned

Depending on your states’ distributed energy resource (DER) adoption levels, you may be asking “how do we integrate DERs at the distribution level?” or you may be asking “how do we know that integration is working and how do we minimize negative impacts?  During this session, we will take a look at lessons learned from around the world for planning DERs’ utilization as generation resources and non-wires solutions.  Panelists will also discuss how they see DER evolving and what regulators and the industry can do to prepare. 

Moderator: Hon. Ellen Nowak, Wisconsin

Electrification, Hydrogen and the Role of Gas

Momentum behind the role of electrification, hydrogen and gas in the energy system of the future is gathering pace. This panel will explore how electrification and hydrogen may impact the natural gas supply chain and decarbonization transition. Like many fuel and technology approaches today, we expect regions in the United States and beyond to enable and plan hydrogen utilization differently as they explore production, transmission, storage, usage and other challenges.

Co-Moderators:

Colette Honorable, Commissioner Emeritus, FERC, Partner, Reed Smith, LLC

Nikos Tsafos, Senior Fellow, Energy Security & Climate Change Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Panelist:

Maryam Brown, President. SoCalGas

Peter Fraser , Head of Division, Gas, Coal and Power Markets International Energy Agency (IEA)

Andrew Hegewald, Gas Business Development Manager, Dominion Energy

Kim Heiting, NW Natural

Noah Weeks, Southern Company Services R&D

The FCC has taken much criticism on its broadband maps. Congress passed the Broadband Data Act in March 2020 and the FCC issued a Report and Order and separate rulemaking in July. The R&O creates the underlying structure for the broadband deployment data collection, creation of the maps and Fabric, and other requirements, while the rulemaking seeks comment on the specifics for these processes. The agency likely will adopt final rules by the end of this year. During this panel, you will hear:

• An update on the current state of implementation of the FCC’s new mapping requirements.
• The pros and cons of the FCC’s approach and, if the FCC has not acted, outstanding options, including those underway in States in response to the FCC action and other proposals.
• The costs and any other barriers that remain to the collection of sufficient data to permit the 5G auction in 2021.
• Discussion of key findings from August 2019 industry Broadband mapping Initiative Pilot and their relation to the BDA’s requirements.
• Recommendations for additional FCC or Congressional Action.

Moderator: Hon. Tim Schram, Nebraska