Delivering More than Electrons!

A One-On-One Chat with Lynn Good, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Duke Energy and Edison Electric Institute Chairman 2018-2019

News You Can Use: The President’s Press Conference

How is NARUC helping to make utility regulation great? What are the priorities and key issues facing regulators today? What are the stories and sound bites that didn’t make the news? Find out during President Wagner’s ‘press conference,’ which will highlight NARUC’s advocacy agenda, clarify positions, and take questions from the audience. So, raise your hand and learn how NARUC is raising the bar to advance state utility regulation.

1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. 

Finding Clean Energy Solutions for Low-Moderate Income (LMI) Communities: The Crucial Role of Policymakers in Closing the LMI Energy Technology Gap and Listening to the Consumer Voice (joint with Committee on Gas and Subcommittee on Supplier and Workforce Diversity)

Part 1 of 2

This panel will help examine how to protect low and moderate  income (LMI) households from potential adverse consequences of new technologies. No one can benefit from energy savings more than LMI customers, who often pay a much higher portion of their income for energy than middle- and high-income consumers. LMI communities and consumers can be subject to challenges when trying to access new technologies and examine what are the technologies true economic benefits.

Regulators grapple with the proper role of the regulated utility in serving the LMI community with new and emerging technologies. In fact, regulators have a long history of striving to ensure underserved communities get fair access to and are afforded the full benefits of the energy grid regardless of economic wherewithal. This panel will explore best practices and lessons learned in these endeavors in seeking to increase the disproportionately low deployment of new and emerging technologies in the LMI community. The focus is on truly engaging in a dialogue on roles regulators can play in better serving this sector.

NOTE: This is a two-part panel discussion featuring opportunities for the panelists to showcase and demonstrate technology case studies and help foster partnerships across energy sectors to engage with the LMI community. 

Co-moderators: 

Hon. Maida Coleman, Missouri

Hon. Sadzi Oliva, Illinois

Panelists: 

Joseph Dominguez, CEO, COmEd

Joe Hampton, President, Spire

Sandra Mattavous-Frye, People's Counsel, District of Columbia Office of the People's Counsel

Jerrold Oppenheim, President and Founder, Democracy and Regulation

Judith Schwartz, President and Founder, To the Point

Suzanne Sitherwood, CEO, Spire Energy

Finding Clean Energy Solutions for Low-Moderate Income (LMI) Communities: The Crucial Role of Policymakers in Closing the LMI Energy Technology Gap and Listening to the Consumer Voice (joint with Committee on Gas and Subcommittee on Supplier and Workforce Diversity)

Part 2 of 2

This panel will help examine how to protect low and moderate  income (LMI) households from potential adverse consequences of new technologies. No one can benefit from energy savings more than LMI customers, who often pay a much higher portion of their income for energy than middle- and high-income consumers. LMI communities and consumers can be subject to challenges when trying to access new technologies and examine what are the technologies true economic benefits.

Regulators grapple with the proper role of the regulated utility in serving the LMI community with new and emerging technologies. In fact, regulators have a long history of striving to ensure underserved communities get fair access to and are afforded the full benefits of the energy grid regardless of economic wherewithal. This panel will explore best practices and lessons learned in these endeavors in seeking to increase the disproportionately low deployment of new and emerging technologies in the LMI community. The focus is on truly engaging in a dialogue on roles regulators can play in better serving this sector.

NOTE: This is a two-part panel discussion featuring opportunities for the panelists to showcase and demonstrate technology case studies and help foster partnerships across energy sectors to engage with the LMI community. 

Co-moderators: 

Hon. Maida Coleman, Missouri

Hon. Sadzi Oliva, Illinois

Panelists: 

Corey Capasso, Founder and CEO, Urbint

Joseph Dominguez, CEO, COmEd

Joe Hampton, President, Spire

Sandra Mattavous-Frye, People's Counsel, District of Columbia Office of the People's Counsel

Jerrold Oppenheim, President and Founder, Democracy and Regulation

Judith Schwartz, President and Founder, To the Point

The Affordability Challenge – Customer Assistance Programs (CAP) (Joint with the Committee on Water)

Despite water service’s historic undervaluation, some customers still struggle to afford water. Affordability issues are likely to rise to the forefront as costs increase to address critical infrastructure replacement and safe water quality requirements. This panel will examine affordability policies such as low-income tariffs along with any issues that impede such policies from being implemented.

Moderator: TBA 

Panelists: 

Larry Dickerman, Senior Director Public Policy, Landis + Gyr

Jeff Hughes, Teaching Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Additional panelists TBA

10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

(Trans)Mission Critical? Reconsidering FERC’s Electric Transmission Incentives   

Section 219 of the Federal Power Act required FERC to establish, by rule, electric transmission rate incentives for the purpose of benefiting customers by ensuring reliability and reducing the cost of delivered power.  On March 21, 2019, FERC opened an inquiry into its existing incentives policy, which was promulgated in 2006 and refined in 2012.   Initial comments were filed on June 26 and reply comments are due August 26.  Our panelists will discuss FERC’s existing policy and potential improvements, and will address questions raised by FERC on a topic that Chairman Chatterjee has described as “critical to ensuring that the energy revolution we’re currently undergoing results in more reliable services and lower prices for customers.” 

Moderator:

Hon. Judith Williams Jagdmann, Virginia

Speakers:  

Phil Moeller, Executive VP, Business Operations Group and Regulatory Affair, EEI

Suedeen Kelly, Partner, Jenner & Block LLP

Delia Patterson, General Counsel and SVP of Policy Analysis, APPA

100% Clean Energy: What Comes Next for Regulators?

(Joint with Committee on Energy Resources & the Environment)

More and more States, cities, utilities, and corporations are passing laws and setting targets and goals for achieving "100%" clean, carbon-free, or renewable energy as the long-term expectation for meeting electricity needs. This panel will seek to describe the trend and begin to explore implications for regulators, including:

• Where and why is this trend occurring?
• What are the common elements and differences across the "100%" goals and policies?
• How do the policies consider and impact costs, rate regulation and regulatory process?

Moderator:

Leia Guccione, Principal, Electricity Program, Rocky Mountain Institute

Speakers:

Hon. James Griffin, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission 

Sandra Mattavous-Frye, People's Counsel, DC Office of the People’s Counsel

Jeff Lyng, Director of Energy & Environmental Policy, Xcel Energy 

100% Clean Energy: What Comes Next for Markets and the Grid?

(Joint with Committee on Energy Resources & the Environment)

Many States have developed aggressive targets for renewable and carbon-free energy resource procurement while retiring legacy generation. This panel will begin to explore implications for markets and the grid, including:

• What are the challenges for States, cities, and utilities getting to 100%?
• How do solutions vary across regions, resources, and regulatory and market structures?
• To what extent do 100% policies incorporate grid considerations, such as reliability? 
• What market structures are necessary for this transition?

Moderator: 

Debbie Lew 

Speakers: 

John Moore, Director, Sustainable FERC Project, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC

Armond Cohen, Executive Director, Clean Air Task Force

W. Mason Emnett, VP, Competitive Market Policy, Exelon Corporation

Beyond Retirements: How Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Can Save Ratepayers Money

(Subcommittee on Clean Coal and Carbon Management)

Among the most important responsibilities of State energy regulators is overseeing long-term energy planning. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has emerged as a valuable tool to extend the lifespans of fossil fueled generators, cutting CO2 emissions while enabling the continued delivery of affordable and reliable baseload power. However, regulators need accurate information about the costs and benefits of various CCUS retrofits compared to other investments in order to make decisions in ratepayers’ best interest. Exciting developments in carbon capture for gas-fired power, CO2 utilization pathways, pre- and post-combustion applications, and advances in solvent and membrane design are part of a growing set of CCUS options for fossil generation. This panel will draw on the public and private sector experience of CCUS experts to improve State regulators’ familiarity with the growing range of options available for legacy fossil generation beyond retirement and replacement.

Moderator: 

Hon. Jeremy Oden, Alabama

Speakers: 

The Honorable Charles McConnell, Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy (2011 - 2013) and Director, Center for Carbon Management in Energy at the University of Houston

Mike Nasi, Partner, Jackson Walker LLP

Paul Bailey, Chief Policy Officer, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity / America's Power

10:45 a.m. - 11: 45 a.m.

Business Meeting

Introductions and state action discussion

Roundtable exchange on future committee planning

Resolutions

100% Clean Energy: What Comes Next for Regulators?

Joint Panel with the Committee on Electricity

More and more States, cities, utilities, and corporations are passing laws and setting targets and goals for achieving "100%" clean, carbon-free, or renewable energy as the long-term expectation for meeting electricity needs. This panel will seek to describe the trend and begin to explore implications for regulators, including:

• Where and why is this trend occurring?
• What are the common elements and differences across the "100%" goals and policies?
• How do the policies consider and impact costs, rate regulation and regulatory process?

Moderator:

Leia Guccione, Principal, Electricity Program, Rocky Mountain Institute

Speakers:

Hon. James Griffin, Hawaii

Jeff Lyng, Director of Energy and Environmental Policy, Xcel Energy Colorado

Sandra Mattavous-Frye  People's Counsel, DC Office of the People’s Counsel

100% Clean Energy: What Comes Next for Markets and the Grid?

Joint Panel with the Committee on Electricity

Many States have developed aggressive targets for renewable and carbon-free energy resource procurement while retiring legacy generation. This panel will begin to explore implications for markets and the grid, including:

• What are the challenges for States, cities, and utilities getting to 100%?
• How do solutions vary across regions, resources, and regulatory and market structures?
• To what extent do 100% policies incorporate grid considerations, such as reliability? 
• What market structures are necessary for this transition?

Moderator: 

Debbie Lew 

Speakers: 

Armond Cohen, Executive Director, Clean Air Task Force

W. Mason Emnett, Vice President, Competitive Market Policy, Exelon Corporation

John Moore, Director, Sustainable FERC Project, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC

Revisiting Paradigms for Decision-Making About Customer Side Resources

To take full advantage of energy efficiency, demand response, and other distributed and behind the meter resources, states and Commissions need to revisit and update their resource evaluation assumptions, methodologies, and practices. Traditional screening tests presented in the California Standard Practice Manual may not capture the range of costs and benefits that are important to a particular jurisdiction, resulting in under investment in efficiency and demand side resources. Often, different standards are used to determine “cost-effectiveness” for different resources or in different dockets. For example, some states use a different standard for screening costs and benefits in an Integrated Resource Planning process versus energy efficiency planning. This panel will explore how cost-effectiveness tests can be revised to be consistent with state’s energy policy goals, fully capture the benefits of all resources, and to fairly compare behind the meter and in front of the meter investments. The panel will also identify how different Commissions approaching this challenge?

Moderator: Hon. Mary Throne, Wyoming

Panelists:

Hon. Abigail Anthony, Rhode Island

Tanuj Deora, Vice President Market Development, Simple Energy

Julie Michals, Director of Clean Energy Valuation, E4TheFuture

Deborah Reynolds, Assistant Director, Conservation and Energy Planning, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

The State of U.S. Natural Gas Infrastructure from a Regulatory Perspective

Recent events and policy discussions have brought the complexities of natural gas infrastructure to the forefront. In fact, the Northeast has been grappling with infrastructure constraints raising reliability concerns while trying to find sensible innovative solutions that can be supported by sound economic regulatory decisionmaking. This roundtable panel will be led by a Commissioner team seeking to discuss natural gas infrastructure with a combination of expert representatives from labor unions, utilities, consumer groups, and other stakeholders. Each panelist will offer some personal insights into the current state of affairs and where we may go from here. The panel will address a variety of topics including, but not limited to: 

1. Regulatory policies that impact infrastructure development,

2. Appropriate state energy planning that incorporates their renewable energy goals,

3. Consumer impacts on infrastructure from other policy rollouts such as electrification,

4. Studies and economic analyses of grid modernization efforts, and

5. Sound customer engagement practices. 

Co-moderators:

Hon. Greer J. Gillis, District of Columbia

Hon. Marion Gold, Rhode Island

Hon. Dianne Solomon, New Jersey

Panelists:

Asim Haque, Commissioner Emeritus, Executive Director for Strategic Policy and External Affairs, PJM Interconnection

Erin Hutson, Director of Corporate Affairs, Laborers' International Union of North America

John O’Brien, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Public Affairs, WGL

Jonathan Schrag, Deputy Administrator, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission

Lori Traweek, COO, American Gas Association

Dena Wiggins, President and CEO, Natural Gas Supply Association 

Finding Clean Energy Solutions for Low and Moderate Income (LMI) Communities: The Crucial Role of Policymakers in Closing the LMI Energy Technology Gap and Listening to the Consumer Voice 

Part 1 of 2

This panel will help examine how to protect low and moderate  income (LMI) households from potential adverse consequences of new technologies. No one can benefit from energy savings more than LMI customers, who often pay a much higher portion of their income for energy than middle- and high-income consumers. LMI communities and consumers can be subject to challenges when trying to access new technologies and examine what are the technologies true economic benefits.

Regulators grapple with the proper role of the regulated utility in serving the LMI community with new and emerging technologies. In fact, regulators have a long history of striving to ensure underserved communities get fair access to and are afforded the full benefits of the energy grid regardless of economic wherewithal. This panel will explore best practices and lessons learned in these endeavors in seeking to increase the disproportionately low deployment of new and emerging technologies in the LMI community. The focus is on truly engaging in a dialogue on roles regulators can play in better serving this sector.

NOTE: This is a two-part panel discussion featuring opportunities for the panelists to showcase and demonstrate technology case studies and help foster partnerships across energy sectors to engage with the LMI community. 

Co-moderators: 

Hon. Maida Coleman, Missouri

Hon. Sadzi Oliva, Illinois

Panelists: 

Joseph Dominguez, CEO, COmEd

Joe Hampton, President, Spire

Sandra Mattavous-Frye, People's Counsel, District of Columbia Office of the People's Counsel

Jerrold Oppenheim, President and Founder, Democracy and Regulation

Judith Schwartz, President and Founder, To the Point

Suzanne Sitherwood, CEO, Spire Energy

Finding Clean Energy Solutions for Low-Moderate Income (LMI) Communities: The Crucial Role of Policymakers in Closing the LMI Energy Technology Gap and Listening to the Consumer Voice

Part 2 of 2

This panel will help examine how to protect low and moderate  income (LMI) households from potential adverse consequences of new technologies. No one can benefit from energy savings more than LMI customers, who often pay a much higher portion of their income for energy than middle- and high-income consumers. LMI communities and consumers can be subject to challenges when trying to access new technologies and examine what are the technologies true economic benefits.

Regulators grapple with the proper role of the regulated utility in serving the LMI community with new and emerging technologies. In fact, regulators have a long history of striving to ensure underserved communities get fair access to and are afforded the full benefits of the energy grid regardless of economic wherewithal. This panel will explore best practices and lessons learned in these endeavors in seeking to increase the disproportionately low deployment of new and emerging technologies in the LMI community. The focus is on truly engaging in a dialogue on roles regulators can play in better serving this sector.

NOTE: This is a two-part panel discussion featuring opportunities for the panelists to showcase and demonstrate technology case studies and help foster partnerships across energy sectors to engage with the LMI community. 

Co-moderators: 

Hon. Maida Coleman, Missouri

Hon. Sadzi Oliva, Illinois

Panelists: 

Corey Capasso, Founder and CEO, Urbint

Joseph Dominguez, CEO, COmEd

Joe Hampton, President, Spire

Sandra Mattavous-Frye, People's Counsel, District of Columbia Office of the People's Counsel

Jerrold Oppenheim, President and Founder, Democracy and Regulation

Judith Schwartz, President and Founder, To the Point

The Affordability Challenge – Customer Assistance Programs (CAP) 

Joint with the Committee on Water and Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest

Despite water service’s historic undervaluation, some customers still struggle to afford water. Affordability issues are likely to rise to the forefront as costs increase to address critical infrastructure replacement and safe water quality requirements. This panel will examine affordability policies such as low-income tariffs along with any issues that impede such policies from being implemented.

Moderator: TBA 

Panelists:

Larry Dickerman, Senior Director Public Policy, Landis + Gyr

Jeff Hughes, Teaching Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Additional panelists TBA

10:45-11:45 a.m.

Thinking Outside the Box - Part 2

In Part 1 at the Committee's February meeting, we heard how RLECs and rural electric cooperatives are using new technology and service opportunities to provide broadband to new locations throughout America. Today in Part 2 we will hear from other types of service providers who are utilizing their own new technologies to edge into providing service in rural and urban locations which have been left behind in broadband buildout. It's clear that no singular technology or type of company can fill every broadband gap throughout the country. It's going to take thinking outside of a lot of different boxes to solve this problem!

Moderator:

Hon. Chris Nelson, South Dakota

Panelists: 

Claude Aiken, President & CEO, WISPA

Stacey Parker, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Comcast

Andrew Curley, Director of Government Relations, Midco

Jerry Whisenhunt, General Manager, Pine Telephone Company

Huawei - Understanding the Intersection of the Trade War, Tradecraft, and the Telecommunications Network

Huawei equipment has been blacklisted. This panel will discuss the federal ban on Huawei equipment, cost of rip and replace, and the impact to the rural telecommunications networks. Join us as we discuss the motivation for the ban, the short and long term consequences to rural telecommunications networks, the US trade war with China, and what it will mean to consumers.

Moderator:

Hon. Crystal Rhoades, Nebraska

Panelists: 

Claude Aiken, President & CEO, WISPA

Carri Bennet, General Counsel, Rural Wireless Association

David Bergmann, Assistant Consumers' Counsel, Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Andrew Lipman, Lipman, MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS, LLP, Legal Counsel for Huawei

How the Networks of the Future Will Impact How We Live, Learn, Work and Play

5G wireless and 10G wired networks both promise to unleash a new era of broadband connectivity, service delivery and applications, with low latency and lightning fast speeds.  They enable smarter connected communities, better healthcare and education, virtual and augmented reality and more.  As these next-generation networks are deployed and the "Internet of Things" becomes a reality, how does policy keep up with tech innovation?  What steps are policy makers taking to incent deployment and break down barriers.  Hear the latest on State and federal activity including updates on efforts by Congress, the FCC and the States to promote faster broadband deployment while avoiding the creation of digital deserts.

Moderator:

Hon. Karen Charles Peterson, Massachusetts

Panelists: 

Rick Cimerman, VP External & State Affairs, NCTA 

Ben Aron, Director, State Regulatory & External Affairs, CTIA

Broadband Mapping - The What and the Why Today, and the How of Improving for the Future

A great deal of effort is being made to map broadband coverage across the United States, but so far the results have been mixed.  This panel will look at the challenges and opportunities in the mapping process, including answering these three questions:

1) What has been done and how accurately?

2) Why does correct mapping matter to consumers and States

3) How can we improve our mapping efforts?

Moderator:

Hon. Sarah Hofmann, Vermont

Panelists:

Corey Chase, Telecommunications Infrastructure Specialist, Vermont Department of Public Service

Lynn Follansbee, VP Policy & Advocacy, US Telecom

Steve Morris, VP and Deputy General Counsel NCTA – The Internet & Television Association

10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m. 

Business Meeting

Asset Management Best Practices and Water Quality Accountability

Water infrastructure asset management is essential to ensuring the longevity of infrastructure and the safety and reliability of water service.  In recognition of the importance of adequate asset management, some states have begun to implement policies to ensure that all water systems, regardless of ownership structure, are effectivley managing their infrastructure.  NARUC recently passed a resolution on the issue, and states like New Jersey have implemented laws that require water systems to "create and implement an asset management plan designed to inspect, maintain, repair and renew its infrastructure."  This panel will examine such approaches and discuss potenital benefits and challenges related to asset management.

Moderator:

Hon. David Ober, Indiana

Panelists:

James Chelius, Engineering Director, American Water 

Justin Kauffman, Director of Asset Management, Aqua America

Evan Kirk, Project Director, Environmental Finance Center, UNC School of Government

David Rubin, Aclara

Small Systems and Cybersecurity

Small water systems may not have the same resources to invest in elaborate cyber security protections as larger companies, but ensuring that their data and systems are safe is equally important.  Panelists from small systems will discuss how their utility has conquered this issue and share best practices for other small utilities. 

Moderator:

Hon. Brad Johnson, Montana

Panelists:

Jay Fusco, Connecticut Water Service, Inc.

John Lucas, Citizens Energy Group

TBA - Arcadis

Joint with Committee on Electricity