Agenda

(Invitees Only)

Welcome and Introduction: Hon. Mike La Rosa, Florida 
Resolutions: Hon. Staci Rubin, Massachusetts 
Center for Partnerships & Innovation Update: Jeff Loiter, Technical Director, NARUC 
Local Customer Discussion – Facilitated by Hon. Mike La Rosa, Florida 

This discussion features three organizations actively working on post?Hurricane Maria grid reconstruction, battery storage deployment, and regulatory lessons from Puerto Rico. The speakers will highlight real?world projects underway in Puerto Rico related to:

1. Grid reconstruction
2. Battery storage deployment
3. Generation infrastructure modernization
4. Regulatory processes, approvals, and rate impacts

The discussion is intended to provide Commissioners with practical, regulator-focused insights.

• Welcome: Hon. Kim David, Oklahoma
• Fireside Chat with Hon. Lindsay See, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Winter Heating Outlook Update, American Gas Association
• Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Modernization Report Update, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners

Telecommunications Committee Business Meeting.  Presentation by the Federal Communications Commission.

Utility service is essential to health, safety, prosperity, and dignity. At the same time, the rising cost of living is putting affordability back at the center of public policy discussions. Although state commissions have long used consumer protections, ratemaking and assistance programs to address utility affordability, some of these tools were developed decades ago and may not reflect today’s changing industry, technology, economy, or customer needs.  

This panel will explore how policymakers, regulators, and utilities can rethink the tools available to manage costs and ensure essential service, with a focus on approaches that are innovative, effective, and practical.   

The discussion will share the findings of recent research on affordability actions being taken by governors, legislatures, and commissions, and will include a full committee discussion about the development of an affordability report. 

Welcome and Introductions: Hon. Michael Bange, New Jersey

Voting Item: Resolution on Paths to Improve Cybersecurity for the Nation’s Water Utilities

EPA Updates: Ted Stiger, Senior Director of Public Affairs, National Association of Water Companies (NAWC)

State Commissioner Roundtable Discussion

Welcome Remarks

President’s Reflections

Hon. Ann Rendahl, NARUC President, Washington

Officer Elections

In Memoriam

Awards

Installation Remarks

Hon. Jehmal Hudson, Virginia

Spotlight on the Department of Energy

Join us for a special spotlight on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its work on issues impacting the nation's energy system. This session will explore DOE's current priorities and initiatives and the important intersection between federal energy policy and state utility regulation, including opportunities for collaboration as regulators address reliability, affordability, infrastructure investment, and a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

Opening Remarks

Hon. James P. Danly
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy

Actions to Lower Electricity Rates

Hon. Greg Beard
Director, Office of Energy Dominance Financing, U.S. Department of Energy

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and the Future of Nuclear Energy

Hon. Chimi Zacot
Office of Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Strengthening the Security and Resilience of America's Energy Infrastructure

Hon. Andrew McClure
Director, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), U.S. Department of Energy

(Commissioner Emeritus Only)

(Invitees Only)

(Invitees Only)

(Invitees Only)

(Invitees Only)

(Invitees Only)

With rising utility costs and growing infrastructure investment needs, regulators and utilities must balance affordability with assuring reliable service. A range of solutions are under consideration: innovative ratemaking, bill assistance, arrearage management, discounted rates, percentage-of-income payment plans, energy efficiency initiatives, technology adoption programs, and others. But creating programs is only part of the challenge. Many assistance programs face low participation rates, and some commissions are reexamining whether existing regulatory frameworks are adequate.  

This session explores evolving affordability strategies across the electric and water sectors. Regulators, utilities, consumer advocates, and researchers will discuss program design, implementation lessons, participation barriers, and emerging regulatory approaches that can support both customer affordability and essential utility investment.

Extreme weather is a leading driver of power outages, but advances in weather forecasting, atmospheric data, AI-based risk modeling, sensors, and situational-awareness tools are giving utilities new ways to anticipate how weather may affect the grid and make targeted operational decisions. This session will explore how AI-enabled technologies are translating forecasts into action before, during, and after extreme weather events. Panelists will discuss how greater lead time, granularity, and predictive capabilities can inform asset protection, outage response, and restoration priorities. The discussion will also examine how state utility regulators can evaluate these technologies for their reliability benefits, cost effectiveness, operational value, and role in broader resilience planning. 

America needs more energy from both natural gas and electricity. Reconductoring and upgrading existing electric corridors are two of the fastest ways to add capacity, and federal and state policies are accelerating that trend. Many are shared with steel pipelines, which are uniquely affected by changes in the electrical environment. Engineers understand the interaction; however, the problem is communication and timing. Pipeline operators often learn too late, and with too little information, to mitigate hazards before energization. Because these projects typically involve minimal ground disturbance, they can move through review without triggering the coordination that shared-corridor work usually prompts. State commissions are uniquely positioned to see both sides. This session gives attendees a practical view of where these gaps appear in proceedings, the safety and reliability stakes, and strategies for improving information sharing between electric and pipeline operators.

As distributed energy resource (DER) deployment grows, new models and solutions are needed to ensure DER interconnection practices are in place that are cost-effective, efficient, and timely. This session will highlight for attendees the emerging solutions currently proposed or adopted by state utility commissions, including group studies, updated integrated resource planning and distribution system planning techniques, smarter cost allocation for grid upgrades, proactive investments for EVs and other emerging loads, and technical and regulatory solutions to energy storage interconnection challenges.

Utilities are under growing pressure to improve affordability, customer service, and participation in the evolving flexible energy system. Modern data exchange platforms can reduce costs, simplify customer-authorized data sharing, and provide customers with energy service options, whereas AI-enabled tools can improve customer support, billing assistance, and program delivery. Attendees will learn how regulators, utilities, and third parties can work together to modernize utilities’ data infrastructure, overcome barriers to data access, and ensure that new technologies deliver measurable benefits for customers.

Utilities and Commissions continue to gather more experience with the design and operation of virtual power plants (VPPs) in areas with constrained grid capacity. This is true not only in Puerto Rico, but at least 20 states that have VPP proceedings or programs underway. This session will explore how VPPs and distributed battery networks strengthen grid reliability and resilience amid growing capacity constraints and extreme weather risks. Drawing on lessons from large-scale utility and behind-the-meter storage deployments across the United States, speakers will examine proven program designs, customer engagement and compensation approaches, and operational strategies that deliver grid and community benefits. The discussion will also highlight barriers to broader adoption and provide practical lessons for accelerating VPPs and energy storage deployment to address near-term resilience and capacity needs

Utilities are investing in reliability, resilience, wildfire mitigation, and grid modernization, but determining the right level of spending remains a challenge. Recognizing the need for a portfolio of regulatory strategies and drawing on real-life examples, this panel takes up the question sitting under every resilience plan and rate case: what is the right level of proactive spend, and how do we get to an equilibrium where risk reduction and bill impacts are both genuinely in the equation

Grid utilization is gaining ground as a concept to meet load growth, integrate distributed resources, and hold down costs — but does improving utilization translate to improving affordability? Virginia law now requires utility planning to consider grid efficiency technologies, and the Minnesota Public Utility Commission recently ordered similar metrics into distribution planning. This session will provide attendees with a combination of perspectives describing how grid utilization is measured, findings from recent studies, and whether there is a direct connection to affordability

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become increasingly integrated into legal practice. When used responsibly, AI can streamline workflow; however, careless use can expose confidential client information and create ethical issues for your organization. Utilities, commission staff. and parties are using AI in discovery, in evaluating discovery, and preparing testimony. If these entities are using a third-party consultant, or have contracts with an AI provider, who owns the data generated from this work? How is confidential data being protected? What questions should regulators ask about this use of AI in litigation?  This session will explore ethics surrounding the impact of AI on confidentiality, review the rules of professional conduct that may be implicated when AI is used and provide strategies surrounding the risk of inadvertent disclosure of protected communications.

CLE credits will be avaliable for this session

Join NARUC for an immersive afternoon exploring how microgrids and community resilience hubs are strengthening energy reliability and supporting local communities across Puerto Rico. Participants will visit the Villa Esperanza resilience hub, an off-grid community facility powered by a solar storage microgrid system, to learn firsthand about its development, operations, partnerships, and impact on the community it serves.

After the site visit, attendees will participate in a microgrids workshop featuring local leaders, practitioners, and community representatives who will share their experiences advancing microgrids, resilience hubs, and community energy solutions throughout Puerto Rico. Discussions will explore the intersection of resilience, affordability, load growth, community engagement, and regulatory policy, while highlighting lessons learned and opportunities for replication.

The afternoon will conclude with a hands-on volunteer activity to assemble disaster-preparedness resilience kits, providing participants an opportunity to support local communities.

Roundtrip transportation will be provided from the NARUC Annual Meeting. This event is open to NARUC members only, and registration is required: NARUC Annual Meeting Microgrids Site Visit

Complex commission decisions can quickly become misleading headlines, viral posts, or inaccurate narratives. When should regulators correct the record — and how can they do so without becoming advocates for their decisions? This session will examine how commissions can distinguish misinformation from legitimate disagreement, determine when a response is warranted, and communicate authoritative information while preserving independence and credibility. Through real-world regulatory scenarios, panelists will explore practical strategies, including proactive education, “prebunking,” media engagement, trusted messengers, and knowing when not to engage. Attendees will leave with a framework for deciding whether, when, where and how to respond when inaccurate information threatens public understanding of regulatory actions.

Recent cybersecurity incidents targeting U.S. water and wastewater systems underscore a growing reality: water utilities are increasingly on the front lines of critical infrastructure security. Panelists will provide an update on the current threat environment, best practices for strengthening cybersecurity resilience, and the value of information sharing and collaboration. The session will also include an examination of the emerging cybersecurity policy landscape, the potential application of AI in cyber defense, and innovative approaches to helping small and resource-constrained water systems improve their cybersecurity posture.

The telecom network is transitioning from Plain Old Telephone Service (provided over copper) to Internet Protocol-based services (provided over fiber and wireless networks). This will require a new way to interconnect calls to ensure that calls can be completed and that customers retain access to emergency services. This session will address these questions:

• How will commissions and service providers manage this transition?
• What new infrastructure and regulations will be required?
• Will state commission retain oversight to ensure that customers are protected?

This panel will review the 3 current proposals for interconnecting calls in an all-IP network.

Hosted by NARUC’s Center for Partnerships and Innovation, this workshop focuses on calculating the benefits of Advanced Transmission Technologies (ATTs). As electricity demand grows and transmission costs rise, regulators need better tools to evaluate solutions that can increase grid capacity, reliability, and resilience while minimizing customer costs. ATTs, including dynamic line ratings, advanced power flow controls, and advanced conductors, are increasingly being considered as alternatives or complements to traditional transmission investments. Yet a persistent challenge remains: where can ATTs be reasonably applied and how should planners and regulators calculate and compare benefits in a rigorous and transparent manner?

This interactive workshop focuses on where ATTs can reasonably be applied and on quantifying their value for transmission planning and investment decisions. Participants will explore two or more methods for assessing benefits such as congestion reduction, production cost savings, reliability and resilience improvements, capacity value, interconnection benefits, and avoided infrastructure costs.

Through real-world examples and hands-on exercises, attendees will gain practical insights into how benefit calculations influence project selection, cost allocation, and regulatory decision-making. The workshop is designed to help commissioners and commission staff better understand the analytical frameworks needed to evaluate ATTs alongside traditional transmission solutions.

Agenda (PDF)

Advance registration is required due to space limitations. Register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/sKMJsKcQ9Y

This workshop is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity.

Data centers are often seen as major water users, but they can also be powerful partners in infrastructure investment. This session explores how data center growth can help fund utility modernization, support system upgrades, and expand water reuse programs. Through real-world case studies, panelists will discuss innovative partnerships that strengthen water infrastructure while delivering benefits for utilities, communities, and data centers alike 

Modern gas safety programs are increasingly defined by the ability to use data and technology to find risks earlier, prioritize resources more effectively, and prevent incidents before they occur. This session brings together two critical areas of pipeline safety: advanced leak detection and excavation damage prevention. Panelists will explore how modern advanced leak detection technologies can estimate the quantity or flow rate of escaping gas, allowing utilities to increase survey frequency, identify leaks sooner, and prioritize repairs based on leak magnitude and risk reduction. The discussion will also examine how integrated damage-prevention strategies — combining 811 ticket data, GIS, AI, advanced analytics, remote sensing, field technologies, and real-time excavation monitoring — can help utilities identify higher-risk excavation activity, improve asset-location confidence, and intervene before damage occurs. Attendees will gain a practical framework for evaluating technology deployment, survey frequency, performance measures, implementation challenges, and cost-effectiveness, with a focus on how state commissions can support safer, more proactive, and more data-driven gas utility programs.

Today’s legacy telephone network continues to operate during power outages, because power is provided from the Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier’s central office. Fiber networks require power at the customer’s premises. Wireless networks require power at the cell tower and the ability to charge customer equipment. The conversation will be guided by these questions:

• What vulnerabilities does this cause and what can state commissions do to resolve this issue?
• Will providing customers with on-site battery backup ensure access to communications when commercial power is shut off during emergencies and extreme weather events?
• How can we ensure that customers retain access to E911 and other critical services?

Fireside Chat with PHMSA Administrator Paul Roberti

Join NARUC President Ann Rendahl for a fireside chat with PHMSA Administrator Paul Roberti on pipeline safety, emerging priorities, and opportunities for continued collaboration between federal and state regulators.

Paul Roberti
Administrator
Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), U.S. Department of Transportation

Building for Resilience & Safety: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

This session will focus on the resilience and safety of American utility infrastructure, including lessons learned in Puerto Rico, and a discussion of pipeline safety in the United States. Hurricane Maria caused catastrophic damage to Puerto Rico’s electric, water, and telecommunications infrastructure. The event revealed tightly wound infrastructure dependencies and chronic underinvestment. Working together, providers and government partners continue to rebuild through substation modernization, battery storage, fiber redundancy, and hardened water treatment plants.

In this session, attendees will better understand the importance of coordination, technology, and sustained funding. Puerto Rico’s experience carries lessons for all stakeholders as they increasingly confront extreme weather and other infrastructure hazards.

Keeping Communities Running When They Need It Most: What Can We Learn from Local Resilience Solutions?

When extreme weather strikes, access to electricity, communications, and water becomes more than a matter of convenience. It is essential for public safety, health, economic stability, and community recovery. From hurricanes and floods to winter storms and wildfires, recent disasters have demonstrated that communities need more than resilient utility systems alone. They also need local resources and partnerships that can help keep critical services operating when the broader system is under stress. This general session will explore how community resilience initiatives help strengthen preparedness and recovery in many places across the country.

The session will begin with the story of Puerto Rico’s virtual power plant (VPP) program as a case study for VPPs being deployed and put into operation quickly to provide cost-effective energy capacity and grid services. The island’s VPP program went from regulatory approval to its first dispatch in just 80 days and has since scaled to one of the largest residential battery VPPs in the world, with more than 85,000 homes enrolled (660 megawatts of nameplate capacity). These experiences offer valuable lessons to utilities and commissions, who are addressing similar issues on the mainland.

Attendees will then hear a rapid-fire series of stories from the field that highlight examples of community resilience projects in diverse environments. Each vignette tells a story of what was done; why it was pursued; how it was implemented; and the benefits (resilience and more) that have resulted for residents, businesses, and critical facilities. Attendees will leave with practical insights into how community-based resilience investments can help ensure continued access to power and water during emergencies and concrete examples of successes to replicate.