Closed Session - State Staff 

Title Closed Executive Session

Description  Subcommittee on Education and Research members only

Moderator:

Panelists:

Welcome and Introductions

Hon. John (Butch) Howard, Subcommittee Chair, South Carolina

NRRI Update

TBD

ICER

Hon. Jack Betkoski, III, President NARUC, Connecticut

Update on Subcommittee Projects

Erin Hammel,  Director, International Programs, NARUC

Review of Applications for Support

Erin Hammel, Director, Internatinal Programs, NARUC

Scholarship Review and Selections

Sue Daly, Chair, Staff Subcommittee, Ohio

Authenticated Caller ID, Call Blocking & Data Analytics: How to Shut Down Illegal Caller ID Spoofing & Fraud

It's tax season again and you know what that means.  Thousands of consumers will soon receive "scam" calls from the "IRS" claiming delinquent taxes are owed.  The only ones who like illegal caller ID spoofing are the "fraudsters".  The rest of us want to shut it down, but how are we going to do that?  From data analytics, to call blocking, what methods are we using and how do we assure legitimate calls are unaffected?  Finally, how long will it take to get to the point where we can all trust our caller ID displays again and what can regulators do to help?

Moderator:  Brent  Stuthers, Senior Strategist, Neustar

Panelists:

Beth Choroser, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Comcast

Chris Oatway, Associate General Counsel, Verizon

Glenn Richards, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Deidre Menard, Director of Product for TNS Call Guardian, TNS

Spectrum, White Spaces, & Technology:  What's New & Can it Work for Rural Broadband?

 In recognition of the emergence of new wireless technologies, the FCC is proposing, or is in the process of implementing, several repacking or repurposing of spectrum, including a more creative use of TV White Spaces to address the growing demand for mobile voice and broadband.  This repacking and repurposing will be particularly important for 5G and to facilitate rural broadband service.  The panelists will discuss what spectrum issues are important, what TV White Spaces are, what role new technologies can play, and the TV White Space proposal of Microsoft in particular.  The panelists will discuss the technologies, their views on TV White Spaces, and why it may or may not be a viable solution to the rural broadband challenge. 

Moderator:  Joe Witmer, Pennsylvania

Panelists:    

Harold Feld, Senior VP, Public Knowledge

Patrick McFadden, Associate General Counsel, National Association of Broadcasters

Keith Walker, CEO/CTO,  Aer Wireless

Malena Barzilai, VP Government Affairs, Windstream Communications, Inc. (Invited)

Vickie Robinson, Director, Microsoft Airband Initiative, Microsoft             

Next Generation 911: Federal Grants - What You Need to Know

In 2009 the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration oversaw more than $40 million in grants through the ENHANCE-911 (E911) Grant Program. The Next Generation 911 Advancement Act of 2012 is providing $110 million in funds for the program and broadened the eligible uses of those funds. These new uses include adoption and operation of NG911 services and applications; the implementation of IP-enabled emergency services and applications enabled by NG911 services; the establishment of IP backbone networks; and training of public safety personnel in 911 services.  NHTSA's National 911 Program Coordinator will provide critical updates and information that State's need to know regarding this opportunity.

Presenter:  Laurie Flaherty, RN, MS, Coordinator, National 911 Program, USDOT

From the Eye of the Storm - 2017 Hurricane Season & Impacts to Telecommunications:  How the Nation Reacts When Disaster Strikes

When disasters happen a host of federal agencies, other government organizations and the private sector all come together and have a role to play in helping our nation and communities address the challenges and return to normalcy. Hear from DHS, FCC, industry and our own Commissioner, Honorable Johann Clendenin, as they recount the impacts to infrastructure from the two CAT 5 hurricanes, focusing on communications and how government, industry, the private sector and other organizations all work together to deal with these crisis’s.  From impacts, to response and recovery, panelists will relate their stories, sharing personal perspectives of the challenges, successes, work arounds, important lessons learned and recommendations for states to shorten recovery and increase infrastructure resiliency in the future.

Moderator:  Lynn Notarianni, Colorado

Panelists:

Honorable Johann Clendenin, U.S. Virgin Islands

John O'Connor, Director, NCC, NCCIC, Dep't of Homeland Security

John McClain, Communications Liaison, NCC, NCCIC, Dep't of Homeland Security

Robert Desiato, Director, AT&T Technology Operations

Chris Anderson, Division Chief - Operations & Emergency Management, FCC

Closed Session to discuss current topics of interest 

Scam Alert! Protecting Customers from Utility Imposters

Whether by email, phone, or a knock on the door, scammers posing as utility representatives are robbing utility customers across the country.  Recent utility-supported customer awareness campaigns are helping protect consumers. Is this enough?  What else can be done?  This panel will go undercover and delve into all types of utility-related scams and how regulators, utilities, and customers can fight back. 

Moderator: Bill Edge, Public Information Officer, Georgia Public Service Commission

Panelists:

Joel Bernstein, Vice President, Regulatory and Public Policy, Somos, Inc.

Barbara Bossart, Chief, Reliability and Service Analysis, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio

Sheri Givens, Executive Director, Utilities United Against Scams

Lisa Peek, Building and Security Asset Analyst, Corporate Security, Georgia Power Company

Building Electrification: When It Makes Sense and How To Do It

Implemented properly, the electrification of end-uses that would otherwise be powered by fossil fuels can provide significant benefits: lowering consumer energy bills, helping utilities better manage the grid, and promoting climate and other environmental goals. Implemented in a policy vacuum, electrification could simply increase energy usage, and add costs and environmental impacts.  This panel will explore the conditions under which electrification can be implemented to produce benefits for consumers, utilities, and society, as well as policy considerations to help regulators evaluate and strengthen programs to improve the delivery of electrification in their states.  Panelists will discuss specific examples of electrification efforts including opportunities associated with controlled water heating, the use of data to optimize program efficiency, as well as other specific initiatives, principles and strategies, and metrics for regulators to consider.

Moderator:

Jon Kucskar, Senior Commission Advisor, Maryland Public Service Commission

Panelists:

Gary Connett, Director of Member Services and Marketing, Great River Energy  

David Farnsworth, Senior Associate, Regulatory Assistance Project  

Gilbert Nunez, Manager Business Support and Development, Alliant Energy

Jonathan Schrag, Deputy Director, Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities 

Austin Whitman, Vice President of Energy Markets, FirstFuel Software 

New Utility Business Models for the Purpose of Optimizing DER

In a world of rapid technological change, more distributed and interconnected systems and markets, more insourcing/outsourcing/partnering for the delivery of utility services, what should be the role of the regulated utility when working to optimize distributed energy resources (DER)?  These panelists will present utility business models for the future, share strategic roadmaps forward towards those futures, and discuss what that means for the natural monopoly function(s) and the regulatory compact.

Moderator:

Wally Nixon, Commissioner’s Legal Advisor, Arkansas Public Service Commission

Panelists:

Bruce Edelston, Vice President, Energy Policy, Southern Company

Rachel Gold, Manager, Electricity and Buildings Practices, Rocky Mountain Institute

David J. O'Brien, Director, Strategy & Operations, Global Energy Practice, Navigant

Joint Session with the Committee on International Relations

Rooftop Solar: Is It Really That Difficult?

(Congressional Ballroom)

Although rooftop solar has been expanding rapidly, the United States is sometimes perceived as lagging behind other developed countries in enabling the growth of solar power. This panel will examine whether that perception matches reality.

Moderator:

Hon. Nancy Lange, Minnesota

Panelists:

Anne Hoskins, Chief Policy Officer, Sunrun

Varun Sivaram, Council on Foreign Relations

Jens Acker, Counselor, Energy and Climate Policy, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Representative from Australian Embassy (invited)

Federal Tax Reform – What State Commissions Should Know and Consider

The panel will discuss the recently passed tax reform package.  The panelists will discuss what regulators should know and what options regulators may have in terms of the economic regulation of water and wastewater utilities given the significant tax reform.  

Moderator:

Patricia S. Lucarelli, Administrative and Legal Support Services Administrator, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission

Panelists:

Jim Gould, Jim Gould Strategies LLC

Christine Maloni Hoover, Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate, Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate

Cathy A. Pedemonti, Utilities Examiner, Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Mike Reno, Executive Director, National Tax Department - Tax Services, Ernst & Young LLP

Joint Session with the Staff Subcommittees on Electricity and Electric Reliability

Closed Meeting (Meeting Room 16)

Community Solar:  How the Program Design Can Impact Customer Participation

Community solar is one of the fastest growing areas of renewable energy with at least 26 States having at least one community solar project online and growth expected to continue over the next several years. Many utilities have begun offering community solar programs to their customers who may choose to support renewable development and clean energy but who for various reasons do not have their own solar rooftop system. This panel will provide examples of successful community solar programs in Georgia and the District of Columbia, explore how different utilities are structuring these programs, how the specific rate and program structures used can impact the success of the program, and how community solar programs can be designed for different regulatory markets and lower income communities.  

Moderator:  Jamie Barber, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Manager, Georgia Public Service Commission

Panelists:

Jim Bottone, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Walton EMC

Caroline Golin, Regulatory Director, Vote Solar

Sean Gallagher, VP of State Affairs, Solar Energy Industries Association

Michelle Moore, CEO, Groundswell

Daniel Cleverdon, Policy Advisor, Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia

Adoption of Electric Vehicles:  How the Utility Can Play a Role

As the sale of electric vehicles is projected to continue to rise due to falling prices, increased ranges and tax incentives, there is a growing need by utilities to help support this growth. This utility support may be through innovative rate offerings, rebates for home or business chargers, or consumer education on the benefits of driving an electric vehicle. This panel will explore utility rate offerings and programs that are currently being offered across the country. We will hear from the Alliance for Transportation Electrification, a national non-profit organization, which was launched last November to help accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles and support grid transformation. 

Moderator: Hon. Tim Echols, Georgia

Panelists:       

Seth Blocker, Pricing Design Manager, Georgia Power

Philip Jones, Past NARUC President, Executive Director, The Alliance for Transportation Electrification

John Shipman, Department Manager of Electric Vehicle Programs, Con Edison

Jeanette Shaw, Director of Goverment Relations. Forth              

Washington Action

(closed meeting) No Agenda

Closed Meeting

New Commissioners Forum and Luncheon

New members please join NARUC 2nd Vice President, the Hon. Ed Finley, to learn more about the Association, ways to get involved and how to navigate the NARUC meetings. 

Joint session with Staff Subcommittee on Water

Closed Meeting (Meeting Room 16)

Advancing Electrification: How to Ensure it is Efficient and Beneficial (Ballroom South)

Accelerating the adoption of electric technologies has the potential to boost efficiency, increase productivity, reduce costs, reduce emissions, and improve grid operations.  Efficient electrification is central to what the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) calls the Integrated Energy Network (integratedenergynetwork.com) — a vision for a pathway to the future energy system. The benefits of efficient electrification can be summarized as three E’s: economics, efficiency, and environment. The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) frames the opportunity similarly, characterizing as beneficial electrification implementations that embrace these multiple benefits explicitly.  In this session, two leaders in electrification will discuss the benefits and costs of electrification; enabling technologies, policies, and rate structures to enable it; implementation issues; future opportunities, drivers, and challenges for electrification; and some early results from EPRI’s National Electrification Assessment.

Moderator:

Michael Marchand, Arkansas Staff  

Panelists:

Arshad Mansoor, Senior Vice President of Research & Development, EPRI

Ken Colburn, Principal and Director of U.S. Programs, RAP

Distribution Poles and Lines -  How Strong is Strong Enough?  

(Ballroom South)

Across the country much of our electric infrastructure exists above ground supported by wood poles and cross arms.  These assets serve as the backbone to the electric distribution system and understanding their design standards as well as their failure modes is key to understanding the overall resiliency of any distribution system.   This panel will explore the work of the NESC, which develops the standards for utility pole strength and loadings, and how utilities are testing the limits of these assets in the field through experiments such as the Tappan Lake test. 

Moderator:

Ryan Laruwe, Engineering Specialist, Michigan Public Service Commission

Presenters:

Nelson Bingel, Chairman, National Electrical Safety Code

Fossil Energy R&D Benefits Analysis

(Ballroom South)

The National Energy Technology Lab's Systems Engineering and Analysis office uses state-of-the-art integrated economic models to optimize the lab's R&D activities. This presentation will outline how NETL uses energy market modeling to prioritize research activities and forecast how technology deployment will impact economic outcomes such as employment, income, GDP, and electricity costs. 

Presenter: 

Chris Nichols, Analyst, Systems Engineering and Analysis, NETL

Joint with Committee on Critical Infrastructure

EMP- What Regulators Need to Know (Ballroom North)

EPRI initiated a three-year research project in April 2016 to assess the potential impacts of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) on the bulk power system and to develop cost-effective mitigation options.  As a part of this research effort, EPRI is collaborating with DOE, the national labs and DoD.  EPRI has released two reports that, together, provide a scientifically-based understanding of what the E3 component of a high-altitude EMP attack could do to the power grid. The first report focused on the potential risk of thermal damage to bulk power transformers.  The most recent report, released in December 2017, assessed the potential for voltage collapse.  Ongoing research is investigating the impacts of E1, E2, and E3 from a HEMP event as well as identifying appropriate, cost-effective mitigation options.  Panelists will discuss EPRI’s work to date, next research steps, and the implications for Federal and State regulators.

Moderator:

TBD

Panelists: 

Hon. Cheryl LaFleur
Commissioner, FERC

Randy Horton
EMP Program Manager, EPRI

Mike Howard
President and CEO, EPRI

Devon Streit
Deputy Assistant Secretary - ISER, DOE

Joint session with Staff Subcommittee on Water

Closed Meeting (Meeting Room 15)

Electrification (Ballroom South)

Distribution Poles and Lines -  How Strong is Strong Enough?  

(Ballroom South)

Across the country much of our electric infrastructure exists above ground supported by wood poles and cross arms.  These assets serve as the backbone to the electric distribution system and understanding their design standards as well as their failure modes is key to understanding the overall resiliency of any distribution system.   This panel will explore the work of the NESC, which develops the standards for utility pole strength and loadings, and how utilities are testing the limits of these assets in the field through experiments such as the Tappan Lake test. 

Moderator:

Ryan Laruwe, Engineering Specialist, Michigan Public Service Commission

Presenters:

Nelson Bingel, Chairman, National Electrical Safety Code

Fossil Energy R&D Benefits Analysis

The National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Systems Engineering and Analysis office uses state-of-the-art integrated economic models to optimize the lab's R&D activities. This presentation will outline how NETL uses energy market modeling to prioritize research activities and forecast how technology deployment will impact economic outcomes such as employment, income, GDP, and electricity costs. 

Presenter: 

Chris Nichols, Analyst, Systems Engineering and Analysis, NETL

Joint with Committee on Critical Infrastructure

EMP- What Regulators Need to Know (Grand North)

EPRI initiated a three-year research project in April 2016 to assess the potential impacts of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) on the bulk power system and to develop cost-effective mitigation options.  As a part of this research effort, EPRI is collaborating with DOE, the national labs and DoD.  EPRI has released two reports that, together, provide a scientifically-based understanding of what the E3 component of a high-altitude EMP attack could do to the power grid. The first report focused on the potential risk of thermal damage to bulk power transformers.  The most recent report, released in December 2017, assessed the potential for voltage collapse.  Ongoing research is investigating the impacts of E1, E2, and E3 from a HEMP event as well as identifying appropriate, cost-effective mitigation options.  Panelists will discuss EPRI’s work to date, next research steps, and the implications for Federal and State regulators.

Moderator:

TBD

Panelists: 

Hon. Cheryl LaFleur
Commissioner, FERC

Randy Horton
EMP Program Manager, EPRI

Mike Howard
President and CEO, EPRI

Devon Streit
Deputy Assistant Secretary - ISER, DOE

Welcome, Introductions, Approval of Minutes

Moderator: Hon. David Danner, Chair, Washington IRC

The Energy Sector in India: Balancing Growth and Sustainability

Economic development in India has created enormous new demand for electricity. This panel will examine how India is working to meet that demand while it struggles with well-publicized environmental problems, principally air pollution in its major cities. The panel also will include an update on NARUC’s work with Indian energy regulators.

Moderator: Hon. Upendra Chivukula, New Jersey

Panelists: 

NARUC staff member TBD

Johannes Urpelainen, School of International Studies

Johns Hopkins University

Gardiner Harris, State Department Correspondent,

former New Delhi Bureau Chief, the New York Times

Power Africa Update

When the Trump administration took office with the stated intention of reducing foreign assistance, there was concern over the fate of the Power Africa program. One year on, how has the program been affected? This panel will address the status of NARUC programs in Africa and the overall situation with respect to US involvement in the African energy sector.

Moderator: Bradley Cebulko, Energy Policy Advisor, Washington UTC - Vice chair, Staff Subcommittee on International Relations

Panelist:

NARUC staffer TBD

Witney Schneidman, Covington & Burling

Worku Gachou, Covington & Burling

NARUC’s International Activities: The View from Our Funders

Much of the international work done by NARUC is funded by the US Agency for International Development or the Department of State. Representatives of both agencies will provide an overview of their goals for the programs.

Moderator: Hon. David Danner, Chair, Washington IRC

Panelists:  TBD

Report on NARUC International Programs

Erin Hammel, Director of International Programs, NARUC

Joint session with the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment

Rooftop Solar: Is It Really That Difficult?

Although rooftop solar has been expanding rapidly, the United States is sometimes perceived as lagging behind other developed countries in enabling the growth of solar power. This panel will examine whether that perception matches reality.

Moderator: Hon. Nancy Lange, Minnesota

Panelists:

Anne Hoskins, Chief Policy Officer, Sunrun

Varun Sivaram, Council on Foreign Relations

Jens Acker, Counselor, Energy and Climate Policy

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Representative from Australian Embassy (invited)

Welcome and Committee Update

Hon. Richard Mroz, New Jersey

Cyber Workforce Development:  Revisting the NICE Framework

The nation’s cybersecurity workforce is at the forefront of protecting critical infrastructure and computer networks from attack by a wide array of threat actors. Demand for trained personnel is growing in both the public and private sectors. This session will focus on application of the NICE framework to identify necessary skills and to recruit appropriate talent. 

Presenters: 

Dennis Gilbert, VP and CISO, Exelon

Bill Newhouse, Deputy Director, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, NIST

GridEx IV:  Lessons Learned

NERC conducted its biennial grid security exercise —known as GridEx— in November 2017.  More than 6500 participants took part in the two-day exercise, which was designed to test the electricity sector’s ability to respond to grid security emergencies, improve communications among partners, identify lessons learned, and engage senior leadership.  E-ISAC Director Bill Lawrence will highlight some lessons learned from GridEx and describe future activities planned to enhance preparedness to current and evolving threats to the grid. 

Presenter:  Bill Lawrence, Director, E-ISAC
 

After Ukraine – Assessing Risk from C-Suites to Wall Street 

Cyber attacks that brought down parts of Ukraine's power grid have been well publicized.  Less well-known is the growing sophistication of cyber threats against industrial control systems and their potential effects on critical infrastructure sectors like electricity, natural gas, and water.  Three experts will address the increasing and dynamic threats to ICS, lessons learned from the Ukranian attacks, and how mitigation efforts in the power industry are viewed by the regulatory and financial communities.

Moderator:  Phil Jones, Phil Jones Consulting LLC

Panelists:

Jim Hempstead, Managing Director - Global Infrastructure Finance Group, Moody’s

Robert Lee, CEO, Dragos 

Tim Roxey, CSO, NERC

EMP:  What Regulators Need to Know 

Joint with Staff Subcommittees on Electricity and Electric Reliability

EPRI initiated a three-year research project in April 2016 to assess the potential impacts of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) on the bulk power system and to develop cost-effective mitigation options.  As a part of this research effort, EPRI is collaborating with DOE, the national labs and DoD.  EPRI has released two reports that, together, provide a scientifically-based understanding of what the E3 component of a high-altitude EMP attack could do to the power grid. The first report focused on the potential risk of thermal damage to bulk power transformers.  The most recent report, released in December 2017, assessed the potential for voltage collapse.  Ongoing research is investigating the impacts of E1, E2 and E3 from a HEMP event as well as identifying appropriate, cost-effective mitigation options.  Panelists will discuss EPRI’s work to date, next research steps, and the implications for federal and state regulators.

Moderator: Paul Stockton, Managing Director, Sonecon

Panelists:

Hon. Cheryl LaFleur, Commissioner, FERC

Devon Streit, Deputy Assistant Secretary - ISER, DOE

Mike Howard, President and CEO, EPRI

Randy Horton, EMP Program Manager, EPRI

How to Leverage Technology to Improve Your Commission's Operations

Rapid change and the public sector are often viewed as incompatible. The implementation of modern, scalable technology solutions offered by large cloud service providers presents an opportunity to change that perception. Join the CIO of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, a Regional VP of Salesforce, the former CIO of NYSERDA, and the former CTO of Delaware, as we explore the digital dilemma facing the public sector today. Consider how many times we face physical paper documents that get lost on desks, opaque processes that require manual follow ups and cause delays, and reporting challenges created by data in multiple systems that don’t integrate with one another. Learn how executive level public sector technology professionals have been able to address these challenges in an agile and comprehensive manner.

Moderator:

Hon. Tim Echols, Georgia

Panelists:

Edward Carr, CIO of Ohio Public Utilities Commission 

Todd Kyle, Regional Vice President of Salesforce

Saul Morse, Former CIO of NYSERDA

Bob Rhodes, Former CTO of Delaware

Energy Storage: Plug and Play in IRP’s and DRP’s.

Rapid cost declines and accelerating deployment of energy storage provide a tremendous opportunity to innovate in the traditionally staid areas of Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and Grid Planning at both the transmission and distribution levels. Storage could be a game changer for planning a modern grid that is reliable and resilient and maximizes benefits from large generation and wires investments. This panel will explore the ways regulators are starting to include storage in these planning processes and how we can move towards nationally consistent methods for valuing and incorporating energy storage in all its potential uses.

Moderator:   

Hon. Brien Sheahan, Illinois

Panelists:

Ted Ko, Director of Policy at Stem

Ray Hohenstein, Market Applications Director at Fluence

Susan Mora-Schrader, Director of Utility Initiatives at Exelon

Hon. Ann Rendahl, Washington

Lon Huber, Strategen Consulting

Joint with Staff Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety (Closed Meeting) Agenda TBA at meeting 

Joint with Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety (Closed Meeting)

Agenda TBA at meeting

State/Regional/Federal Regulatory Updates

This session will provide the opportunity for the membership and audience to share relevant nattural gas-related updates 

Moderator:

Andreas Thanos, Chair, Staff Subcommittee on Gas

Panelists:

Membership & Audience Participation

LNG Exports

According to the Energy Information Administration, December 2017 saw the largest number of tankers leave Cheniere's Sabine Pass LNG export terminal.  At the same time, Dominion's Cove Point facility is continuing commissioning work with commercial operations anticipated early this year.  However, this increase in exports is not without controversy. The participants will discuss their concerns regarding and the expected benefits of natural gas exports.

Moderator:

Andreas Thanos, Chair, Staff Subcommittee on Gas

Panelists:

Paul Cicio, President, Industrial Energy Consumers of America

Charlie Riedl, Executive Director, Center for Liquefied Natural Gas

US DOE Representative (invited)

Gas Technology Institute -- Looking Forward

An update of GTI's programs and future goals.

Moderator:

Andreas Thanos, Chair, Staff Subcommittee on Gas

Panelist:

Dan LeFevers, Director, State and Consumer Programs, Gas Technology Institute

Natural Gas Production and Water Use

Natural Gas production and water use are two things that go hand-in-hand.   Over the years a lot has been said and written about the impact of natural gas production on the environment – from well contamination to seismicity.  A representative from Anadarko will talk about the current practices and trends in regards to water use and gas production.

Moderator:

Andreas Thanos, Chair, Staff Subcommittee on Gas

Panelist:

Erik Anglund, P.E. Water Management Supervisor, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Federal Tax Rate Reduction

The discussion will focus on the FERC process for applying the Federal Corporate Tax Rate Reduction to natural gas pipeline tariff rates and how that process may be impacted by black box settlements and rate moratoriums.

Moderator:

Andreas Thanos, Chair, Staff Subcommittee on Gas

Panelist: 

Gary Kruse, Director, Pipeline Markets, Law IQ

BCSE-BNEF Sustainable Energy in America Factbook

A presentation of "Sustainable Energy in America Factbook" -- a joint effort of The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Moderator:

Andreas Thanos, Chair, Staff Subcommittee on Gas

Panelist:

Ruth McCormick, Director, Federal and State Affairs, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

Dan LeFevers, Director, State and Consumer Programs, Gas Technology Institute

Kyle Rogers, Vice President, Government Relations, American Gas Association

• Welcome and Introductions
• Agenda Overview
• Discussion items
  • Legislative Updates from the States – Looking Ahead in 2018
  • Employee Engagement – Performance, Productivity and Morale
  • Consumer Advocacy – Differences in Roles and Responsibilities Among the States
  • Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) – Preparing for the Unexpected
  • Continuing Education and Training – You Can Never Know Enough About Your Job
  • Roundtable
• Future Meetings
• Adjournment

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Hon. Angela Weber, SWD Chairman and Commissioner, Indiana

Joint with Task Force on Military Workforce Development

Honoring Those Who Serve: Hiring Military Veterans for Utility Positions

Judy Jagdmann chaired NARUC's Task Force on Veterans' Workforce Development in 2017. The Task Force acknowledged the attrition of trained utility employees and veterans as a capable workforce for the utility sector. Commissioner Jagdmann will present the Task Force's final report and highlight best practices and lessons learned in the utility and government sectors for helping veterans transition from military service to utility-related work. Brian McAdoo will explain how Duquesne Light Company created a program to hire veterans, established a dedicated team and plan, and grew the program into the success it is today. Brian will describe Duquesne's real-world experience in diversifying its workforce by hiring veterans. 

Speakers: 

Hon. Judy Jagdmann, Virginia

Brian McAdoo, Senior Manager - Operations Services, Duquesne Light Company

Subcommittee Business and Closing Remarks

Joint with Subcommittee on Supplier and Workforce Diversity

Honoring Those Who Serve: Hiring Military Veterans for Utility Positions

Judy Jagdmann chaired NARUC's Task Force on Veterans' Workforce Development in 2017. The Task Force acknowledged the attrition of trained utility employees and veterans as a capable workforce for the utility sector. Commissioner Jagdmann will present the Task Force's final report and highlight best practices and lessons learned in the utility and government sectors for helping veterans transition from military service to utility-related work. Brian McAdoo will explain how Duquesne Light Company created a program to hire veterans, established a dedicated team and plan, and grew the program into the success it is today. Brian will describe Duquesne's real-world experience in diversifying its workforce by hiring veterans. 

Speakers: 

Hon. Judy Jagdmann, Virginia

Brian McAdoo, Senior Manager - Operations Services, Duquesne Light Company

Welcome Reception

Welcome to the 2018 Winter Policy Summit. The Welcome Reception is a great place to see old friends and meet new ones. Be sure to have your badge on and ticket available.  Entry tickets will be redeemed for two beverage tickets at the door. 

Thirst for Power: Energy, Water and Human Survival

Michael Webber, author of Thirst for Power: Energy, Water and Human Survival, will sit down with NARUC President John Betkoski III, Hon. Mary- Anna Holden, Chair of the Committee on Water and Hon. Judy Jagdmann, Chair of the Committee on Electricity, for an insightful discussion of the water-energy nexus.  Dr. Webber is the deputy director of the Energy Institute, co-director of the Clean Energy Incubator at the Austin Technology Incubator, and associate professor of mechanical engineering and Josey Centennial Fellow in Energy Resources at the University of Texas.

Joint with Committee on Telecommunications 

Lifeline Changes: Where Do We Go From Here?

Renaissance East

With the recent FCC actions, where do we go from here and how are consumers affected? Will there be a competitive environment or will the schism of haves and have nots continue to grow in the low income information divide?

Moderator:  Hon. Maida Coleman, Missouri

Panelists: 

Elin Swanson Katz, President of National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates and Consumer Counsel, Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel

Mark Rubin, Senior Executive for Government Affairs, TracFone Wireless

Joseph K. Witmer, Assistant Counsel, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

M. Teresa Hopkins, Executive Director, Navajo Nation Telecommunication Regulatory Commission

Claude Aiken, Wireline Legal Advisor to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Federal Communications Commission

Joint with Committee on Water

Strategies for Addressing Water Affordability

Renaissance West A

This panel will explore one of the most challenging and widespread concerns facing the water industry – affordability. Aging infrastructure and increasing costs to comply with regulatory standards has contributed to rapid increases for water and wastewater services across the United States. This panel will first provide a snapshot of the magnitude of water affordability issue. Panelists will then focus on how utilities finance low-income customer assistance programs.

Moderator: Hon. Daniel Hall, Missouri

Panelists:

Sonia Brubaker, Program Manager, EPA Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center

Stacey Isaac Berahzer, Senior Project Director, Environmental Finance Center, University of North Carolina School of Government

Maureen Westbrook, Vice President, Customer and Regulatory Affairs, The Connecticut Water Company 

Electric System Resiliency – What Is Our Mission?

Regulatory efforts to improve electric system resiliency can prove costly and controversial, so it’s important to understand their underlying goals. Whether the goal is to prevent major outages, recover quickly when they occur, or help communities survive them, resiliency efforts must be identified correctly and prioritized accordingly.  Furthermore, as services and the grid become more connected while outages remain unpredictable, the bulk power system’s resilience will be tested.  How does technology and regulation play a role in strengthening the resilience of the bulk power system? Our speakers will explore the many different and nuanced definitions of “resiliency”, explain the benefits and costs of new technology investments, and update us on actions at the Federal level including the recently initiated proceeding in response to the DOE NOPR.

Moderator:

Hon. John Rosales, Illinois

Panelists:

Arshad Mansoor, Senior Vice President of Research and Development, EPRI

Robin Lunt, Esquire, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP

Alison Silverstein, Alison Silverstein Consulting

Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues - Waste Disposal

Out of Site!  Accessing the Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Fund to Accelerate Decommissioning 

Current regulations allow as long as sixty years to fully decommission a nuclear plant.  With a number of recent nuclear plant retirements and more expected within the next few years, the decommissioning of nuclear plants and restoring their sites for other uses is an issue that must be addressed.   Because full decommissioning requires the removal of onsite nuclear waste, additional retirements raise nuclear storage issues, which remain divisive.  Although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has primary responsibility over decommissioning, State regulators may also play an important role.  Mark Lewis, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Energy Solutions, will discuss how the Decommissioning Trust Fund may hinder or prevent expedited decommissioning of plant sites and what actions can be taken to access the Decommissioning Trust Fund and accelerate the decommissioning of plant sites.  He will also discuss the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s proposed rulemaking regarding the Decommissioning Trust Fund.

Moderator:

Hon. Anthony O’Donnell, Maryland

Panelist:

Mark Lewis, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Energy Solutions

Subcommittee on Clean Coal and Carbon Management

The Rarity of Rare Earth Elements

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are an essential component of countless items both for the military and civilians. With an ever-increasing demand for REEs, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) aids in the development of domestic sources from coal and coal by-products to capture these 17 prized elements. In the ever-interconnected global economy, few realize the relationship among supply, demand, and what could be a national security issue. Through the development of a successful domestic REE program, NETL not only addresses this concern but also ensures continued economic growth on a technologically critical family of elements. 

Panelist:

Mary Anne Alvin, Rare Earth Element Technology Manager, NETL 

Modular Gasification: New Markets for Coal Use

Modular coal gasification systems can potentially open new markets for coal applications and power generation. NETL is engaged in an innovative effort to reduce the cost and risk of modular gasification to enable deployment of technologies for power generation and coal conversion in regions with high cost of electricity and abundant fuel supply while simultaneously providing economic benefits to communities in which these systems are built. Recently DOE/NETL selected projects will support the development of advanced technologies fostering early adoption of modular coal gasification.  Project focus will be on the development of emerging modular gasification technologies with potential to add new coal use markets.

Panelist: 

Dave Lyons, Gasification/Fuels Technology Manager, NETL

Perspectives on Integrating Variable Resources 

Over the last decade the electric utility industry has seen an unprecedented amount of innovation.  This session will explore some of the front runners in the development and deployment of innovative technologies and how these technologies could help shape the modernized grid.   Discussions will include how utility-scale solar can be leveraged as an ancillary service to the grid as well as how smart inverters can be used to foster the integration of distributed energy resources onto the grid and support the development of microgrids.  The session will conclude with a discussion of the DOE’s Voices of Experience campaign that provides a platform for smart grid implementers at all stages of project development to share their experiences and learn from one another. 

Moderator: 

Hon. Matt Schuerger, Minnesota

Panelists:

Eric Lightner, Director of Federal Smart Grid Task Force, DOE 

Mahesh Morjaria, Ph.D., Vice President of PV Systems, First Solar, Inc.

Murali Gaggu, Manager of Energy Systems Optimization and Control Group, Power Systems Engineering Center, NREL

Joint Session with the Committee on Water

Solar Desalination

Desalination provides an option for a source of water in arid regions.  Traditional reverse osmosis desalination, however, is an energy intensive process.  Desalination technology is evolving and being paired with solar technology.  Is this pairing of technologies technically feasible?  Is the pairing economically feasible?  Is solar desalination a possible solution for drought challenged water utilities in the United States?  

Moderator:

Hon. Donald J. Polmann, Florida

Panelists:

Leon Awerbuch, IDA Director/Dean of the Academy, International Desalination Association

Kelly Beninga, Chief Executive Officer, SkyFuel, Inc.

Joe Cresko, Strategic Analysis Lead, Advanced Manufacturing Office, United States Department of Energy

Francois Perreault, Assistant Professor, Arizona State University

Peter E. Shanaghan, Senior Environmental Engineer, Infrastructure Branch - Drinking Water Protection Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency

Shark Tank the TV Show Takes on Electric Vehicles

What is the one thing that State Commissions need to do to further the adoption of electric vehicles?  Listen to several industry experts as they each try their hand at convincing Commissioners that they have the right idea.

Moderator:

Hon. Phil Jones, Commissioner Emeritus, Washington

Panelists:

Joe Halso, Associate Attorney, Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 

David Kolata, Executive Director, Illinois Citizens Utility Board

Patrick Bean, Associate Manager, Policy & Business Development, Tesla

Laura Renger, Principal Manager, Air & Climate Policy, Southern California Edison

How to Create a Distribution System Planning Process: Lessons Learned From Fellow Commissioners

Edison Electric Institute members spent $32B nationally in 2016 on distribution systems alone. Investments are likely to increase as utilities harden power systems to maintain reliability and resilience, pursue improved visibility and control with higher levels of distributed energy resources, and enable new services for customers.

Interest in distribution system planning is growing as more utilities invest in advanced grid technologies. A new report for the U.S. Department of Energy, State Engagement in Electric Distribution System Planning, documents Commission activities in 16 states, including eight states with statutory or Commission requirements for distribution system or grid modernization plans — California, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan and New York. In this panel, Commissioners in several of these states will share their experiences:

• Driving forces – What do Commissions expect to achieve through distribution system planning?
• Getting started – What are the building blocks for successful outcomes?
• Oversight roles – How are Commissions involved in various planning activities?
• Barriers – What are the roadblocks, and how can they be overcome?

Other Commissioners and Staff are welcome to join in the discussion.

Moderator:

Lisa Schwartz, Deputy Group Leader/Energy Efficiency Team Leader Electricity Markets and Policy Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Help Me Help You: Planning for Distributed Energy Resources in the Wholesale Market

This panel will discuss how state commissioners can best enable DERs to participate in wholesale markets and best leverage these DERs to reduce costs for all customers in their jurisdiction. As more retail customers establish the ability to control their energy usage, the greater the impact will be on the high-voltage transmission grid and the local distribution grid.

This panel will explore the opportunities, as well as the jurisdictional and technical issues, that can arise from integrating distribution-connected DERs resources into the bulk electric system, such as:  How can state commissions identify and resolve technical challenges when integrating distribution-connected DERs into the bulk electric system?  How could a model tariff be structured to promote DER participation in wholesale markets while capturing/creating benefits to the distribution grid? What specific issues should state commissioners be paying attention to in the FERC NOPR addressing storage and DERs? What changes should state commissioners advocate for within ISOs/RTOs?

Moderator:

Hon. Phyllis Reha, Commissioner Emeritus, Minnesota

Panelists:

Marcus Hawkins, Director Member Services and Advocacy, Organization of MISO States (OMS)

Lon Huber, Head of Consulting, Strategen

Greg Geller, Director of Government Affairs at EnerNOC

Raiford Smith, Vice President, Energy Technology and Analytics, Entergy

Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 

PHMSA Administrator Howard “Skip” Elliott shares his vision and personal perspective at the Committee on Gas meeting.  

Following his keynote speech Mr. Elliott will help kickoff a brief educational session on today’s important regulatory and multi-industry issues regarding Pipeline Safety Management System (SMS).

Moderator:

Introductory Remarks:  Hon. Norm Saari, MI, Chair Pipeline Safety Subcommittee Chair

Panelists:

Howard "Skip" Elliott, PHMSA Administrator (Keynote Speaker) 

Steve Allen, Pipeline Safety Director, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

Shawn Lyon, Vice President of Operations, Marathon Pipe Line LLC

All Gas, No Pipe

Some state utility commissions are doing their part to advance natural gas infrastructure as demand increases and new supplies are discovered, but will capacity constraints worsen as federal permitting of interstate pipelines crawls? Are state universal service programs moving fast enough to make gas more available?

Presenter:

Hon. Stan Wise, GA, Chair Committee on Gas 

Rebuttal panel :

TBA

21^st Century Security: Preserving Trust and Promoting Innovation in the Utility Sector

As security breaches and digital threats grow in number and scope across business and government agencies, regulators and utilities are actively seeking solutions to protect their critical data while improving service delivery. An issue for regulators and utilities to consider is how new technologies like cloud computing are being used to strengthen cyber security and improve services, and how to modernize systems and regulatory frameworks to hasten the deployment of more secure services. This panel will engage a cross section of experts from various sectors to discuss cybersecurity and the delivery of public services with modern technology. Panelists will share models for how cloud solutions support cybersecurity goals in other industries and identify obstacles to improve cybersecurity for utilities and public utilities commissions, and how these issues can be addressed through best practices and policy.

Moderators:

Hon. Robert M. Pickett, AK

Hon. Richard S. Mroz, NJ

Panelists:

Kimberly Denbow, American Gas Association

William F Hederman, Senior Fellow, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania

Alan Halachmi, Senior Manager of Solutions Architecture, Amazon Web Services 

Paul Kurtz, CEO and Founder, TruSTAR Technology

Demystifying Natural Gas Marketing and Trading

Natural gas markets have many moving parts and price formation is not always obvious to someone who does not live in the market every day. 

This session will try to dispel some preconceptions about trading in the US natural gas market.  It will shed some light into what is needed for a well-functioning market to operate, how various market participants complete their gas transactions, and the differing needs of various customer groups.  The discussion will touch upon the day to day operations of a marketing and trading organization and highlight the key price formation factors, including how global prices can impact US prices.  Finally, the panel will answer questions in a Q&A session from a real life trader’s perspective

Moderator:

Hon. Odogwu Obi Linton, MD

Panelists:

Dena Wiggins, President Natural Gas Supply Association

Orlando Alvarez, President and CEO, BP Energy Company

Kevin Maule, US Natural Gas Trading Manager, Statoil

What Regulators Need to Hear

Communications service providers are in the midst of profound changes driven by the inexorable forces of the market, technology and consumer preference. These changes have enormous implications for customers in both rural and urban settings, and create challenges for companies in the wireline, wireless and cable industries. It is important that State regulators hear the fundamental dynamics that are disrupting business as usual. The introduction of new players and rapidly advancing technologies on the global level challenge many of the legacy policy constructs that have been in place for more than 80 years, and the impact of regulation on investment and broadband deployment must be understood if we are to be successful in delivering promises of new technology and competition. You will hear three senior executives representing the largest trade associations engage in a discussion about how the public interest can best be served during these transitions. 

Moderator:  Hon. Paul Kjellander, Idaho

Respondents: 

Hon. Gregg Sayre, New York

Hon. Tim Schram, Nebraska 

Panelists:

Jon Banks, Senior Vice President Law & Policy, USTelecom

Scott Bergmann, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA

Rick Chessen, Senior Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, NTCA

Joint with Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest

Lifeline Changes Where Do We Go From Here?

With the recent FCC actions, where do we go from here and how are consumers affected?  Will there be a competitive environment or will the schism of haves and have nots continue to grow in the low income information divide?

Moderator:  Hon. Maida Coleman, Missouri

Panelists: 

Claude Aiken, Wireline Legal Adviser to Commissioner Clyburn, FCC

M. Teresa Hopkins, Executive Director, Navajo Nation Telecommunication Regulatory Commission

Mark Rubin, Sr. Executive for Government Affairs, Tracfone

Elin Swanson Katz, Presidet, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates and Consumer Counsel, Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel

Joseph K. Witmer, Assistant Counsel, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission                    

Wall Street Analysis

What is the future of Telecommunications in the coming market shifts and technological changes? Who are the winners or losers? Will the markets move advancement of Telecommunications and Broadband for all investors?

Moderator:  Hon. Sarah Freeman, Indiana

Panelists: 

Jennifer Fritzsche, Managing Director, Wells Fargo

Tim Horan, Managing Director, Communications and Cloud Equity Research

Frank Louthan, Managing Director, Telecom Equity  Research, Raymond James

Networking Break

Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) Transition: What Commissioners and Consumers Need to Know

Beginning in April, the systems that make up the national number portability database that serves the United States will be transitioned from Neustar to iconectiv. This is a large systems transition for which carriers and vendors are in the midst of preparing. Regiona migrations are scheduled to occur between April 8 and May 20, 2018. What do Commissioners need to know to be prepared for the transition? When will the transition take place for each State? What resources are available if Commissioners or consumers have questions? Finally, what plans are in place to address transition issues, if or when they arise?

Moderator: Hon. Wendy Moser, Colorado

Panelists: 

Greg Chiasson, Transition Oversight Mngr., Price Waterhouse Cooper 

Jim Falvey, Partner, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. 

Teresa Patton, NAPM LLC Co Chair, AT&T

Bill Reidway, Vice President, Product Management, Neustar

Betty Sanders, Senior Director, Charter Communications 

Kathy Timko, LNPA Administrator, iconectiv

10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Joint Session with the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment

Solar Desalination (Ballroom North)

Desalination provides an option for a source of water in arid regions.  Traditional reverse osmosis desalination, however, is an energy intensive process.  Desalination technology is evolving and being paired with solar technology.  Is this pairing of technologies technically feasible?  Is the pairing economically feasible?  Is solar desalination a possible solution for drought challenged water utilities in the United States?  

Moderator:

Hon. Donald J. Polmann, Florida

Panelists:

Leon Awerbuch, IDA Director/Dean of the Academy, International Desalination Association

Kelly Beninga, Chief Executive Officer, SkyFuel, Inc.

Joe Cresko, Strategic Analysis Lead, Advanced Manufacturing Office, United States Department of Energy

Francois Perreault, Assistant Professor, Arizona State University

Peter E. Shanaghan, Senior Environmental Engineer, Infrastructure Branch - Drinking Water Protection Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency

Black Sky Hazards and Water Sector Resilience

This panel will feature Dr. Paul Stockton, a well-regarded expert on disaster preparedness and the implications of extended power outages. Dr. Stockton will discuss how Black Sky power outages - outages lasting a month or more and affecting multiple states - could turn a natural or manmade disaster into a catastrophe. He will also address resilience measures and provide insight on the factors that water and wastewater utilities might consider in order to maintain minimal service levels during Black Sky outages. Dr. Stockton, a former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, is the author of the Electric Infrastructure Security Council’s Handbook II: Water, which focuses on Black Sky planning for the water sector.  Dr. Stockton is also the managing director of the firm Sonecon, LLC. The panel will also feature Lauren Wisniewski, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Security Division. Ms. Wisniewski will provide an overview of EPA’s Power Resilience Guide. She will also discuss upcoming EPA and sector activities focused on Black Sky outages and resilience.

Moderator:

Hon. Ann C. Pongracz, Nevada

Panelists:

Paul Stockton, Managing Director, Sonecon, LLC

Lauren Wisniewski, Environmental Engineer, United States Environmental Protection Agency

Joint Session with the Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest

Strategies for Addressing Water Affordability

This panel will explore one of the most challenging and widespread concerns facing the water industry – affordability. Aging infrastructure and increasing costs to comply with regulatory standards has contributed to rapid increases for water and wastewater services across the United States. This panel will first provide a snapshot of the magnitude of water affordability issue. Panelists will then focus on how utilities finance low-income customer assistance programs.

Moderator:

Hon. Daniel Y. Hall, Missouri

Panelists:

Stacey Isaac Berahzer, Senior Project Director, Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sonia Brubaker, Program Manager, United States Environmental Protection Agency Water Finance Center

Maureen Westbrook, Vice President, Customer and Regulatory Affairs, The Connecticut Water Company 

Business Meeting

The Water Committee will welcome Commissioner Robert F. Powelson of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission who will address the Water Committee and discuss current and emerging water-energy nexus issues.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency will provide an update and overview of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.  Items of Business of the Water Committee will be covered including discussion and action on Resolutions and approval of the minutes from the Annual Meeting.  Additionally, updates from the various partners of the Water Committee will be given, including NAWC, NARUC, and NARUC's Rate School.  Members of the Committee will also have time to brief the Committee on activities of interest in their State.  

Agenda to be distributed at the meeting.

Commission Staff Power Hour

Here's the deal - go straight to Renaissance West B because we expect a full house!   

No ticket required - just your red badge. 

Regional Meetings (invitees only)

Welcome by NARUC President, Hon. Jack Betkoski.

Remarks by The Hon. Kevin J. McIntyre, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

Implications and Complications of Tax Reform 

Moderator: Hon. Sadzi Oliva, Illinois

Participants:

Hon. Tom Forese, Arizona

Ryan Wobbrock, Vice President - Senior Analyst, Moody's Investors Service

Danny Kermode, Assistant Director for Water and Transportation, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

Marty Kropelnicki, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Water Service Group

Reading Materials:

Regulated Utilities – U.S. Tax Reform is Credit Negative for Sector, but Impact Varies by Company (January 24, 2018)

Rating Action: Moody's Changes Outlooks on 25 U.S. Regulated Utilities Primarily Impacted by Tax Reform (January 19, 2018)

Tax Reform – U.S. Corporate Tax Cut is Credit Positive, while Effects of Other Provisions Vary by Sector (December 21, 2017)

Utilities – U.S. Tax Reform Likely to Increase Credit Risk, Impact Dependent Regulatory Response (March 15, 2017)

Joint with Committee on Electricity

Will Big Ideas and Innovation Benefit the Small Consumer?

Ballroom South

As technology increases the electric infrastructure, programs, and tariffs that are possible, identifying who would benefit from, and pay for, their implementation is often a threshold question for utilities and regulators alike.  But how many of the big ideas on the horizon can benefit customers with limited financial means?  What should regulators consider when deciding whether implementation or cost allocation should be broad or targeted?  Which ideas should be voluntary?  Panelists will answer these important questions, including any lessons learned from investments during the past decade in, among other things, “smart” meters, prepaid electric programs, net metering tariffs, and electric vehicle infrastructure. 

Moderator: Hon. Martha Guzman-Aceves, California

Panelists:

Bill Malcolm, Senior Legislative Representative-State Advocacy and Strategy, AARP

Tara Oglesby, Vice President, Customer Experience, Ameren Missouri

Nat Treadway, Managing Partner, Distributed Energy Financial Group LLC

Joint with Committee on Gas

Creating a Win/Win for Consumers on Natural Gas Distribution Energy Efficiency Programs, Conservation, and other Innovative Consumer Focused Strategies in Today’s World.

Congressional Ballroom

Energy efficiency and conservation programs are a key component in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping consumers manage their energy bills. Proper regulatory incentives for utilities to promote energy efficiency, conservation, demand response and innovation are important.  Imperative is delivering savings to consumers through programs that actively promote cost-effective and prudent approaches to such efficiencies and consumer focused innovations.  This dynamic discussion will showcase the current energy efficiencies, conservation, demand response and innovative gas consumer focused technologies that are helping to drive major advancements in the natural gas arena.  It will examine the regulatory policies that help support consumer choices, increased energy efficiency, conservation, demand response and these innovations.

Moderators: Hon. Dianne Solomon, New Jersey

                      Hon. Brandon Presley, Mississippi 

Panelists:

Steven Nadel, Executive Director, ACEEE

Carlos Nouel, Vice President, New Energy Solutions, National Grid

Holly Pearen, Senior Attorney, EDF

Tanya J. McCloskey, Acting Consumer Advocate, Pennsylvania

Daniel Lefevers, Director, State and Consumer Programs, Gas Technology Institute

Joint with Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest

Will Big Ideas and Innovation Benefit the Small Consumer?

As technology increases the electric infrastructure, programs, and tariffs that are possible, identifying who would benefit from, and pay for, their implementation is often a threshold question for utilities and regulators alike.  But how many of the big ideas on the horizon can benefit customers with limited financial means?  What should regulators consider when deciding whether implementation or cost allocation should be broad or targeted?  Which ideas should be voluntary?  Panelists will answer these important questions, including any lessons learned from investments during the past decade in, among other things, “smart” meters, prepaid electric programs, net metering tariffs, and electric vehicle infrastructure.

Moderator:

Hon. Martha Guzman Aceves, California

Panelists:

Bill Malcolm, Senior Legislative Representative-State Advocacy and Strategy, AARP

Tara Oglesby, Vice President of Customer Experience, Ameren Missouri

Nat Treadway, Managing Partner, Distributed Energy Financial Group LLC

Resiliency Made Real – What Worked, and What Didn't, When Severe Weather Events Hit the US in 2017

Over the past year, Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico faced widespread outages following hurricane winds and heavy rains, California experienced devastating loss from wildfires, and much of the nation faced extreme colds.  As we move forward in the new year what lessons have we learned?  What does a resilient grid look like in relation to weather events?  Does this image change for a resilient island?  How have the industry’s mutual assistance agreements worked to ensure resiliency? 

Moderator: 

Hon. Jeremy Oden, Alabama

Panelists:

Hon. Angela O'Connor, Massachusetts

David Owens, Chair, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Transformation Advisory Council

Networking Break

PURPA in 2018 – At the Tipping Point or Still on Point?

With the introduction of the PURPA Modernization Act of 2017 (H.R. 4476, Walberg - MI) and the recent appointment of four new FERC Commissioners, will 2018 bring changes to PURPA or its federal regulations?  Have FERC’s “one-mile rule” or its 20-megawatt presumption for market access run their course?  Have Congress and FERC struck the appropriate balance between State and federal responsibilities under PURPA?  Panelists will discuss experiences under PURPA while exploring these and other issues.    

Moderator:  Hon. Judith Williams Jagdmann, Virginia

Panelists: 

Hon. Travis Kavulla, Montana

Todd Glass, Esquire, Partner, Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati

Kendal Bowman, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Policy - NC, Duke Energy 

Steve Thomas, Energy Contract Manager, Domtar Corporation

Business Meeting

Introductions:

Hon. Nancy Lange, Minnesota, Chair

Hon. Carla Peterman, California, Vice-Chair

Remarks:

Hon. Richard Glick, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Briefing:  Update on the Administration’s Decision on the Section 201 Solar Cells and Panels Trade Case

Jennifer Murphy, Director of Energy Policy and Senior Counsel, NARUC

Resolutions

Reducing Supply Peaks with Integrated and Targeted Energy Efficiency

Electric and gas utilities all over the world use comprehensive energy efficiency programs to reliably avoid energy supply costs and suppress prices, with some of the most advanced and successful programs being executed in the US.  Despite the accomplishment of these programs, there are few examples of large scale energy efficiency being deployed to solve supply constraints that are specific to a particular system.  Rather, those system-specific conservation efforts are typically reserved for active demand response programs, which can lack the sustained price and reliability advantages of energy efficiency.  To reach the next level of energy efficiency, program managers should work with traditional supply planning and procurement teams to include large-scale energy efficiency deployment as an option to solve these system-specific supply constraints.  This panel will focus on how to achieve such an integration. Discussion will include adapting  energy efficiency to address seasonal peak demand, enhancing the effectiveness of targeting peaks, bringing measurement of energy efficiency delivery on par with supply metering, and incentivizing utilities to deliver this next level of savings to customers.

Moderator:

Hon. Abigail Anthony, Rhode Island

Panelists:

Hon. Carla Peterman, California

Kate Desrochers, Senior Analyst, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation

Sam Krasnow, Vice President Customer Engagement, FirstFuel

Cory Scott, Director of Customer Solutions, Pacific Power

News You Should Know, part I

What Scientists Know About Climate Change in the US – The 2017 Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) from the U.S. Global Change Research Program

In November 2017 the Administration released a Special Report on Climate Change. This work was performed pursuant to a 1990 Congressional mandate directing 13 federal agencies to cooperate under a Global Change Research Program to develop “a comprehensive and integrated United States research program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.” Over fifty climate scientists were involved in producing the CSSR, and in this session two of them will provide an overview of its findings.

Moderator

Hon. Lorraine Akiba, Hawaii

Panelists:

Benjamin DeAngelo, Deputy Director, Climate Change Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Don Wuebbles, Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of Illinois

News You Should Know, part II

NARUC Innovation Award Winner - A New Methodology to Value and  Compensate  Distributed  Energy  Resources (DER)

Through the Value of DER Proceeding, the New York State Public Service Commission has started the transition from Net Metering to a new compensation mechanism, the Value Stack. The Value Stack is designed to compensate distributed generation projects with bill credits calculated based on the actual benefits and costs the project and its generation create for the energy system, taking into account the specific project location and the time of generation. Elements of the Value Stack include energy, capacity, environmental, and distribution system impact values. The transition to the Value Stack encourages the development and deployment of DER, ensures that market participants are accurately charged and compensated based on actual impacts, and provides price signals to drive DER development in locations where they provide the most value.

Moderator:

Hon. Lorraine Akiba, Hawaii

Panelist:

Ted Kelly, Assistant Counsel, New York State Department of Public Service

The Corporate Quest for Renewables

A number of Fortune 500 companies have committed to investing in clean energy, citing the need for reducing both carbon pollution and energy costs, This panel looks at what large retailers are doing to meet their corporate goals. Panelists will discuss how large energy purchasers such as Walmart and other retailers seek to navigate state regulatory environments and what they want or need from state Commissions to meet their targets (for example, tariffs, better interconnection standards, or direct access). The panel will also discuss the potential impact of their purchasing decisions on utilities, consumers, and regulators.

Moderator:

Hon. Dave Danner, Washington

Panelists:

Stephen W. Chriss, Director, Energy and Strategy, Walmart

Frank Prager, Vice President, Policy and Federal Affairs, Xcel Energy

Ted Romaine, Director, Origination, Invenergy

Letha Tawney, Director, Utility Innovation, World Resources Institute

Joint with Washington Action

Commissioners’ Roundtable on Hot Legislative Issues Impacting Natural Gas

A Real Time View from the Hill which will help kickoff a Commissioner roundtable discussion on legislative issues facilitated by the NARUC Washington Action Co-Chairs the Honorable Brown-Bland, North Carolina and the Honorable Wagner, Iowa.

Presenter: 

Congressman, Bill Johnson, Ohio (invited)

Committee on Gas Business Meeting

• Fireside Chat

Fire Side Chat with FERC Commissioner Neil Chatterjee (Introduced by the Honorable Talina Mathews, Kentucky) and Kimberly J. Harris, President and CEO of Puget Sound Energy, American Gas Association Chair of the Board of Directors (Introduced by the Honorable Jay Balasbas, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission).

Moderator: Hon. Diane X. Burman, N.Y. 

• Resolutions

Natural Gas Reliability: Understanding Fact from Fiction

Natural gas has been a long-term power generation fuel source and with technological advances combined with the low cost of natural gas has been considered a fuel of choice in many parts of the United States. However, natural gas has drawn its share of opponents.  The DOE NOPR brought renewed attention to natural gas’s reliability and resiliency as a generation source. Naysayers  asserted that gas is unreliable and doesn’t actually contribute to grid resilience in the same way as other fuels. Proponents of natural gas adamantly claim the evidence supports that natural gas has the most wide ranging reliability and resilience attributes of all the major fuel sources. Further adding to the complexities, FERC 1. terminated the DOE NOPR proceeding and initiated a new proceeding on grid resilience, and separately 2. is now reconsidering its 1999 Policy Statement on Pipeline Certification. This moderated discussion will seek to get through the noise and tease out a dynamic discussion separating out fact from fiction.

Moderators:

Hon. Kara Brighton Fornstrom, WY

Panelists:

Dave Souder, Director of Operations Planning, PJM

Sam Newell, Principal, The Brattle Group

Paul Bailey, President and CEO, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity 

Michael Moses, Director, Gas Control & Planning West, TransCanada U.S. Pipelines

Joint with Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest

Creating a Win/Win for Consumers on Natural Gas Distribution Energy Efficiency Programs, Conservation and other Innovative Consumer Focused Oriented Strategies in Today’s World

Energy efficiency and conservation programs are a key component in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping consumers manage their energy bills. Proper regulatory incentives for utilities to promote energy efficiency, conservation, demand response and innovation are important.  Imperative is delivering savings to consumers through programs that actively promote cost-effective and prudent approaches to such efficiencies and consumer focused innovations.  This dynamic discussion will showcase the current energy efficiencies, conservation, demand response and innovative gas consumer focused technologies that are helping to drive major advancements in the natural gas arena.  It will examine the regulatory policies that help support consumer choices, increased energy efficiency, conservation, demand response and these innovations.

Moderators:

Hon. Dianne Solomon, NJ

Hon. Brandon Presley, MS

Panelists:

Steven Nadel, Executive Director, ACEEE

Carlos Nouel, Vice President, New Energy Solutions, National Grid

Holly Pearen, Senior Attorney, EDF 

Tanya J. McCloskey, Acting Consumer Advocate, Pennsylvania

Joint with Committee on Gas

Commissioners’ Roundtable on Hot Legislative Issues Impacting Natural Gas

A Real Time View from the Hill Shared by Congressman Tom Reed ([invited) which will help kickoff a Commissioner roundtable discussion on legislative issues facilitated by the NARUC Washington Action Co-Chairs the Honorable Brown-Bland, North Carolina and the Honorable Wagner, Iowa.

Presenter: 

Congressman, Tom Reed, N.Y. (invited)

Business Meeting

“What am I bid for it?” The CAF II Auction – A Step Forward or Unmet Expectations

The FCC's 2011 Transformation Order provided multiple avenues for solving the dire need to expand broadband activity. One of those steps, the Connect America Fund II Auction, has yet to be held, which raises the obvious question: "Has broadband buildout been delayed over the past six years in anticipation of the auction?" We will explore this question, hear from the FCC on the current status of the auction plan, learn how current telecom providers and new entrants are viewing the auction, and their thoughts on participation.  

Moderator: Hon. Chris Nelson, South Dakota

Panelists:       

Steve Coran, DC Legal Counsel, Wireless Internet Service Providers Association

Chelsea Fallon, Director of the FCC's Rural Broadband Auction Task Force (RBATF)

Bob Hance, President/CEO of Midwest Energy & Communications in Michigan

Carol Mattey, Mattey Consulting LLC

Mike Romano, Senior Vice President of Policy, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association

Networking Break

FCC and Congressional Updates from a Journalist's Perspective

Current telecommunications events from a journalistic perspective. What is happening and what will the FCC/Legislation be going into 2018 and beyond?

Moderator: Jonathon Make, Exectutive Editor, Communications Daily 

Participants: 

Brian Fung,  Senior Editor, The Washington Post 

David Kaut, Senior Editor, Communications Daily

David Shepardson, Correspondent, Reuters

Lynn Stanton, Senior Editor for Wolters Kluwer's Telecommunications Reports and TR Daily                     

Spectrum – Why Do We Care?

Spectrum policy is not within the jurisdiction of State Commissions.  However, with 5G Technology rapidly becoming the focus there is a rush for spectrum and the number of players are expanding.  So while states don't control the allocation of spectrum space, the implications of how it is distributed can have huge impacts on the deployment of technologies that can positively impact consumers.  This panel will explore some of the impacts that we at the state level should be aware of as spectrum decisions occur.

Moderator:  Hon. Sarah Hofman, Vermont

Panelists:   

Jill Canfield, Vice President of Legal & Industry, Assistant General Counsel, NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association

David Don, VP, Regulatory Policy Public Affairs, Comcast

Brian O'Hara, Senior Director Regulatory Issues, NRECA

Christopher Wieczorek, Director, Spectrum Policy, T-Mobile                     

The Challenge of Regulating Small Water Utilities

Many regulators are faced with a common challenge – the regulation of small water utilities. Ensuring safe and reliable water service at affordable rates is already difficult and complex.  Those complexities are often multiplied when the water service provider is a small, rural utility.  Small, rural utilities often face difficulty in navigating and complying with various regulatory requirements, replacing infrastructure, and maintaining a viable utility in general.  This panel will explore how regulators have responded to the challenges faced by small water utilities, including the pros and cons of consolidation and simplified rate processes.  The panelists will also discuss options for a regulator facing the abandonment of a water utility.     

Moderator:

Hon. Brad Johnson, Montana

Panelists:

Christine Maloni Hoover, Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate, Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate

Matthew Klein, President, Carolina Water Service, Inc. of North Carolina

Kathryn Kline, Senior Research Associate, National Regulatory Research Institute

Responding to Crisis:  Storm Response Efforts

This past year, the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean experienced catastrophic storm and hurricane damage, and most recently, the Eastern United States experienced the "bomb cyclone" and resultant damage. This panel will discuss the efforts undertaken in the wake of those storms to restore critical utility services and primarily what efforts were undertaken to restore water and wastewater service.  The panelists will give an update as to the status of those efforts, the challenges faced, and any lessons learned that could be applied generally in storm response efforts and water utility resilience and hardening.  

Moderator:

Hon. Raymond Williams, United States Virgin Islands

Panelists:

Hon. Johann (John) A. Clendenin, United States Virgin Islands

Hon. Joseph L. Fiordaliso, New Jersey

Anthony Hurley, Associate Managing Director, Utility Practice, Witt O'Brien’s

Lead Service Line Collaborative Update

Composed of 23 national public health, environmental, water utility, labor, consumer, and state and local governmental organizations, the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative released an online toolkit to help communities voluntarily develop and implement lead service line removal programs. The toolkit includes a roadmap for getting started, suggested practices to identify and remove lead service lines in a safe, equitable, and cost-effective manner, policies that federal and state leaders could adopt to support local efforts, and links to additional resources that may be helpful when developing local programs. The Water Committee hosted a presentation by the Lead Service Line Collaborative at the 2017 NARUC Winter Meetings.  The Lead Service Line Collaborative will provide an update of its activates since then and the continuing efforts to address lead service line issues.  

Moderator:

Grace D. Soderberg, Director of State Regulatory Relations, National Association of Water Companies 

Panelists:

Gail Bingham, President Emeritus, RESOLVE

Suzanne Chiavari, Engineering Practice Leader, American Water

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director, Environmental Defense Fund

Lynn Thorp, National Programs Director, Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund

Steve Via, Director of Federal Relations, American Water Works Association

Tax Reform and the Implications for Regulated Utilities

The recent federal tax package includes significant tax reform.  What does that tax reform mean for utilities, and in particular water utilities, which are often capitalized with substantial debt?  This panel will explore the aspects of tax reform applicable to regulated utilities and the issues regulators will face as a result.

Moderator:

Hon. Sadzi M. Oliva, Illinois 

Panelists:

Mark Beyer, Chief Economist, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (Retired)

Danny Kermode, Assistant Director for Water and Transportation, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

Marty Kropelnicki, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Water Service Group

David Spacht, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Artesian Resources Corporation

Remarks by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Alaska

Remarks by The Hon. Mignon Clyburn, Federal Communications Commission

The Great Debate: All of the Above? 

Sometimes adversarial, occasionally cooperative, and always dynamic, the relationship between the electric industry’s leading trade association and the nation’s foremost environmental advocates has again been tested in recent years. In their fourth appearance before NARUC’s general session, representatives of the Edison Electric Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council return to a topic at the center of their first debate, in 2002: the appropriate role for utility regulators in guiding the selection of the resources we use to generate electricity.

Making a debut appearance for EEI is Phil Moeller, executive vice president for the association and a former FERC commission. For NRDC, an old hand makes a return to NARUC’s main stage: Ralph Cavanagh, the co-director of the organization’s energy program.

Taking the affirmative and negative sides, respectively, they will debate the following proposition:

Resolved: As a guiding principle for oversight of utilities’ planning and investment, NARUC’s membership should embrace an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy.

Moderator: Hon. Travis Kavulla, Montana

Panelists: Ralph Cavanagh, NRDC 

                  Phil Moeller, EEI

Board of Directors Business Meeting

Members will be sent the agenda in advance of the meeting.