Utilities and charging companies have been installing EV chargers in utility service territories for a number of years. To date, the EV infrastructure rollout has not benefited all customers equally. Inequities include the creation of charging deserts within LMI and DAC areas, EV rebates flowing disproportionately to wealthy customers, and commercial fleet electrification benefits flowing to largely white-owned businesses.

The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated $5 billion in formula funding to help states install EV chargers along interstate highways. At least 50 percent of an additional $2.5 billion competitive grant is designed to strategically deploy accessible charging infrastructure to expand access to EV charging within rural areas, low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, and communities with a low ratio of private parking spaces. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will provide Americans with tax credits to purchase new and used electric vehicles and offer $3 billion to help support access to EV charging for economically disadvantaged communities. All of these chargers will ultimately connect to distribution grids and add to the chargers that states, utilities, and charging companies will continue to install to build out the national infrastructure.

This panel will more deeply explore opportunities for federal funding that can support equitable deployment of EV infrastructure and how utilities and states can evaluate TE programs for equity and proactively engage with communities to design and deliver TE services. Attendees will learn about a collaboration among SEPA, eight leading utilities, EPRI, over 25 community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to develop a set of equity benchmarking metrics that can be used to assess equity within specific electric transportation utility program types.

Moderator: Hon. Katherine Peretick, Michigan

Panelists:

Torrey Lyons, Ph.D., U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation

Yok Potts, Director, Regulatory & Business Innovation, Smart Electric Power Alliance

Jasmine McAdams, Ph.D., Student, University of California - Berkeley

(Elec/ERE): Yoga for the Distribution Grid: Demand Flexibility for Customers, Utilities, and System Stability

Demand flexibility has the potential to leverage existing technical capabilities associated with residential and commercial building technologies (sensors, analytics, and smart controls) to optimize electricity use in response to prices signals and/or grid conditions.  Advanced forms of demand flexibility can also reduce generator ramping needs and potentially offer grid services to address stability concerns on the distribution system. The deployment of smart technologies, combined with well-designed utility programs, can transform less-efficient homes and offices into “grid-interactive efficient buildings” (GEBs), with greater capability for providing demand flexibility, all while reducing customer and utility costs.  Given growing appreciation for the important role that demand flexibility will play in achieving decarbonization goals, new models are emerging that will allow both consumers and utilities to benefit.  This session will explore regulatory approaches for advancing demand flexibility in a way that addresses the interests of customers and utilities.

Moderator

Hon. Matt Schuerger – Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

Speakers

Ryan Hledik, Principal – The Brattle Group

Lon Huber, SVP, Pricing and Customer Solutions – Duke Energy

Natalie Mims Frick, Program Manager – Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Teresa Ringenbach, VP of Business Development – Armada Power

Natural gas customers are seeking ways to decrease greenhouse gas emissions associated with gas production and use. Emerging methods include replacing natural gas with hydrogen or renewable natural gas, as well as reducing methane emissions in gas production and pipeline transmission through third-party certification processes, known as “responsibly sourced gas.” On this panel, utility and gas industry representatives will discuss pilot approaches to reducing emissions from the natural gas sector and offer perspectives on what is needed to scale approaches that demonstrate success in the pilot stage.

Moderator: Hon. Bobby Hayden, Massachusetts

Panelists: 

Steve Caldwell, Vice President, Utility of the Future New England, National Grid

Michelle Moorman Applegate, Senior Director of Policy, Project Canary

David Talley, Director of Origination, Southwestern Energy

The old saying goes "you can't manage what you don't measure." Sounds simple but measuring utility performance and choosing effective metrics is not easy and requires careful thought. If done correctly, measurement and metrics can help regulatory agencies and utilities achieve a variety of goals relating to service quality, reliability, efficiency, and affordability. Developing and setting up systems to identify, track, and report performance metrics has become increasingly important as more states have incorporated metrics, data reporting, and performance-based regulation into their regulatory toolboxes. This session highlights examples of states and utilities that have integrated performance measurement into rate making and regulation with a particular focus on the methods used to define, calculate, analyze, and report performance indicators. The session will focus on the use of metrics to track both water utility and electric utility performance.

Moderator: Hon. Jeff Hughes, North Carolina

Panelists:   Hon. Abigail Anthony, Rhode Island

                    Patrick Cicero, Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate

States are in the Driver’s Seat: How the IRA can Pave the Way to Greater Energy Equity

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contains a number of provisions designed to support disadvantaged communities in the energy transition. State policy makers can play a critical role in making these resources accessible and aligning available funding with new and existing programs for optimal impact. This session will explore the provisions of the IRA that are available to support disadvantaged communities, examples of state actions and best practices for equitable deployment of clean energy resources, and exploration of challenges that remain to reach those most in need.

Moderator: Hon. Jehmal Hudson, Virginia

Speakers:

Hon. Darcie Houck, California

Sylvia Chi, Senior Strategist, Just Solutions Collective

Taresa Lawrence, Director of State, Local, and Tribal Policy, U.S. Department of Energy

Legislation in several states now requires utilities to plan for a clean energy future. This panel will explore, discuss, and compare/contrast regulatory requirements and processes related to clean energy planning in several states that require utilities to file plans supporting the transition to a carbon-free power system. Panelists will field questions from the moderator and audience members designed to elicit similar or common features shared by states’ clean energy plan dockets. We will also highlight and attempt to understand diverging elements and then identify potential implementation differences. Topics will include clean energy resource procurement, grid enablement initiatives,  stakeholder processes, customer clean energy programs, customer affordability concerns, and others identified by our panelists.

Moderator:  Hon. Hayley Williamson, Nevada

Panelist:

Hon. Carie Zalewski, Illinois

Hon. Charlotte Mitchell, North Carolina

Hon. Dave Danner, Washington

Zeryai Hagos, Deputy Director, Clean Energy and Markets, New York PSC

Kate Strickland, Manager Regulatory and Business Innovations, Smart Electric Power Alliance

All southern states were touched in 2021 by the stressors and risks laid bare during Winter Storm Uri. Commissioners and staff may view these as normal disruptors, but then stir in present global economic instability, inflation, rising interest rates, increasing energy costs, war and unprecedented supply-chain challenges and one will find upended markets and forced reconsideration of business investments and strategies. This panel will examine utility response to these factors along with how regulators and other stakeholders are responding to these challenges.

Moderator: Hon. Mary-Anna Holden, New Jersey

Panelist:

                Hon. James (Jimmy) Glotfelty, Commissioner, Texas

                James Cagle, Vice President, Utility Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Veolia Water

                Heike Doerr, Principal Analyst, S&P global Market Intelligence

                Mike Kammer, Director of Energy and Water, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

                Travis Kavulla, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, NRG

                Corey Singletary,  Director of Regulatory Affiars, Citizens Utililty Board of Wisconsin

Communication during an energy emergency is critical to restoring utility services and coordinating among key stakeholders. State public utility commissions (PUCs) play an important role in coordinating energy emergency responses with key state agencies and setting requirements for regulated utilities’ emergency response plans. For electric companies, resilience in the face of severe weather and DER optimization and electrification demands will require high speed and resilient data communications, as well as coordination between telecommunications providers and electric companies. NARUC’s ongoing work with Black Sky hazard preparedness has identified the importance of telecommunications companies in the planning for these potentially devastating events. Telecommunication companies should play an active role in planning emergency response tactics with state PUCs, responding to an actual event, and partnering to identify federal funding opportunities to leverage for these efforts. This panel will explore opportunities to encourage collaborative planning and coordination during energy emergencies among PUCs, telecommunications providers, and other essential stakeholders.

Moderator: Hon. Mary Pat Regan, Kentucky PSC

Panelists:

Ben Aron, Assistant Vice President  - State Regulatory Affairs, CTIA

Rick Mroz, Managing Director, Archer Public Affairs |  Resolute Strategies

Stephanie Doiron, State Director - Louisiana, AT&T

Andis Kalnins, Senior Manager - Business Continuity & Emergency Management, Verizon

Joe Viens, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Charter Communications

State Rights of First Refusal; Winners, Losers, and Consequences

FERC Order 1000 introduced competition in transmission development in 2011 by eliminating a federal right to build for an incumbent transmission provider, known as a right of first refusal (ROFR). In response, some states adopted laws to limit or prohibit merchant transmission developers from building within their boundaries unless the existing transmission owner is unwilling or unable to do so, essentially prohibiting competition. These laws have largely been upheld by the courts. To date, few regional transmission projects have been subject to competitive processes since Order 1000 and fewer have been built. Some blame the lack of regional development on elimination of the federally recognized ROFR and required competitive processes, while others claim the incumbent transmission owners no longer plan regional projects to avoid competition. This panel will explore the underpinnings of state ROFRs, the impact on transmission development, and benefits and detriments to customers.

Moderator: Hon. Kent Chandler, Kentucky

Speakers:

Hon. Ellen Nowak, Wisconsin

Tony Clark, Senior Advisor, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

Devin Hartman, Director of Energy and Environment, R Street Institute

Ari Peskoe, Director of the Electricity Law Initiative, Harvard Law School

Unlocking the promise and potential of a modern clean energy system requires greatly increased participation and different investment decisions by customers. Customers need to enroll in new programs and rate designs for efficiency, EVs, demand response, and more, while adopting behavior changes as well as new technologies that seamlessly integrate with the grid to maintain grid stability, affordability, and more. Yet, participation in clean energy programs remains substantially lower than is needed (e.g., single-digit enrollment and limited customer engagement with their energy supplier). Changing this paradigm would require new approaches to customer engagement, including renewed attention to customer engagement metrics and changes to conventional practices for cost-benefit analysis and EM&V — shifting from siloed programs at the edge of the utility to core offerings at the center of the utility business. This panel would discuss vision, persistent obstacles, and available solutions to increasing customer participation in their energy supply.

Moderator: Vice Chair Joe Sullivan, Minnesota

Panelist:

 Angela Navarro, Head of State Regulatory Affairs- Arcadia

 Melissa Lavinson, Head of Corporate Affairs, National Grid

 K.C. Boyce, Vice President, Escalent

 Chris Clark, President of Xcel, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

 Indran Ratnathicam, Chief Marketing Officer, Uplight

According to DHS, cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure remain one of the most significant strategic risks for the United States, threatening our security, prosperity, and safety. The cybersecurity incident suffered by Colonial Pipeline in 2021 suggests the severity of the consequences utilities must plan for and recover from.  But the challenge is not necessarily new. Utilities and federal and state policy makers have been working to assess and mitigate cybersecurity risk across critical infrastructure sectors for years.  During this session, hear from subject matter experts on what is working, what is not, and where the future of cybersecurity for critical infrastructure is heading.

Moderator:    Hon. Dianne Solomon, New Jersey

Panelists:      John Ransom, Cybersecurity Specialist, CISA/DSH

                      Jonathan White, Director - Cybersecurity Program Office, National Renewable Energy Lab

The Smart Grid Grant program authorized by Section 40107 of the IIJA is not the first-time billions of federal dollars have been available for deployment of AMI and Smart Grid technologies.This session will consider the lessons learned from the extensive installation of advanced meters funded by the American Rescue and Recovery Act of 2009, describe the new capabilities of current advanced metering technology, and attempt to identify factors needed for this new round investment to successfully deliver benefits to the grid and ratepayers. What do regulators, utilities, and other stakeholders need to do to ensure a different outcome this time around, and what role does interoperability play?

Moderator: Hon. Abigail Anthony, Rhode Island

Panelist:

Joe Paladino – Acting Director, Grid Technical Assistance, US DOE

Dave Kolata – Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board (Illinois)

Vicki Trees – Regional Sales Manager, Landis + Gyr

Jason Ryan – Executive Vice President, Regulatory Services & Government Affairs, CenterPoint Energy

David Littell, Former Commissioner of ME; Energy and Environmental Attorney, Bernstein Shur