CLOSED — Closed to non-members (Commission members only)
OPEN — Open to all registrants
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Saturday, February 7
OPEN |
NARUC Members (commissioners and commission staff) are invited to join Google to tour a data center operating in Leesburg, Virginia. The visit will include both informational sessions and an opportunity to see how a data center operates with respect to energy usage, water consumption, and other factors. Tour is open only to NARUC commissioners and staff. Limited space is available; registrations accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration deadline is Wednesday, February 4. Departure time from the Westin is 1:00 p.m., with return expected around 5:00 p.m.
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Saturday, February 7
OPEN |
This optional site visit will provide commissioners and commission staff with an overview of Pepco's Mt.Vernon Substation and its role within the regional electric system. The visit will highlight technical, operational, and planning considerarions relevant to system reliability, load growth and regulatory oversight. Registration is now closed. Space is limited to NARUC members - Commissioners and Staff Only. |
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Saturday, February 7
CLOSED Executive Committee |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Meeting Room 12-14 OPEN
Committee on Critical Infrastructure
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Separate registration required. Register During this interactive workshop, participants will delve into NARUC’s new Wildfire Workbook to learn about key issues such as data-driven risk mapping, grid hardening trade-offs, and key cost-recovery considerations. Facilitated small group discussions will focus on identifying new and emerging wildfire issues and their potential for inclusion in the Workbook. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Ann Rendahl
Daniel Boff
Amanda Coolidge
Karl Hoesly
Mark Lauby
Hon. Letha Tawney
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: River Birch A OPEN Staff Subcommittee on Telecommunications |
Agenda Welcome and Introductions Numbering White Paper Discussion Resolution Discussion State Roundtable |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Anacostia D/E OPEN
Staff Subcommittee on Electric Reliability and Resilience
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State commissions face the challenge of ensuring reliability and affordability amidst unprecedented load growth. Managed electric vehicle (EV) charging represents the single largest, fastest-growing, and most cost-effective source of flexible load available to grid operators today. By aggregating EVs into Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), utilities can harness existing customer-owned assets to provide significant grid services, defer costly infrastructure upgrades, and lower costs for all ratepayers. This session will provide practical insights into the value of managed charging. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how to unlock this resource to meet pressing policy and regulatory objectives. This session will equip attendees with the information needed to quantify the value of managed charging, evaluate utility proposals, design effective policies, and leverage managed charging as a core strategy for enhancing reliability, ensuring resource adequacy, and improving affordability SPEAKERS:
Poorani Ramachandran
Raymond Kaiser
Dr. Steve Letendre
Hon. Tom Plant
Kerry Skemp
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN Staff Subcommittee on Consumers and the Public Interest |
As pressures build to increase energy rates due to load growth and aging infrastructure, and with inflation and uncertainty in the economy, more households are feeling uneasy about managing their utility bills. This panel will introduce a NARUC Mini-Guide on Coordinating Energy Bill Payment Assistance written by Cassandra Lovejoy of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). The discussion will highlight best practices for coordinating energy assistance programs, be they the federal LIHEAP, state rate payer programs, specialized rates structures, or utility fuel funds, with the goal of strategically synchronizing programs and services to keep customers safe and protected. The panel will provide practical guidance on program coordination and may include commission, utility, and community human service agency perspectives. Participants will leave with actionable information on how to better serve their constituencies’ most vulnerable households. SPEAKERS:
Anne Armstrong
Cassandra Lovejoy
Lori Mohr
Jason Sparks
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Meeting Room 16 OPEN Staff Subcommittee of Public Information Officers |
At this inaugural Winter Policy Summit meeting of the newly formed Staff Subcommittee of State Public Information Officers, members will focus on its goals, objectives, logistics, and understanding NARUC’s priorities. Welcome and Introductions Discussion Agenda Specific topics include: • A regular cadence for virtual meetings outside of major NARUC conferences, including what tempo would be most useful (e.g., quarterly or bi-monthly) SPEAKERS:
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
Regina Davis
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Anacostia D/E OPEN Staff Subcommittee on Energy Resources and the Environment |
This session offers a practical, actionable framework for commissions to scope, prioritize, and implement the policy changes needed to enable Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). Attendees will learn how to identify policy gaps and leverage VPPs as viable solutions for demand growth, grid reliability, and energy affordability. The VPP Policy Framework is a structured approach to change across six core regulatory areas: Setup & Registration, Deployment/Buildout, Operations, Markets/Transactions, Distribution Planning, and Utility Finances/Ratepayers.
Using real-world VPP program examples, the session will demonstrate how specific policy choices enable VPPs to provide valuable grid services such as peak demand reduction and non-wires alternatives (NWAs). This session will provide actionable insights that commissions can apply immediately to their dockets, ensuring they are well-equipped to fully realize the short and long-term benefits that VPPs can provide to ratepayers.
SPEAKERS:
Karen Olesky
Anna Craggs
Ted Ko
Jean Watanabe
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Sunday, February 8
Room: River Birch A OPEN Staff Subcommittee on Telecommunications |
The number of devices that are connected to the Internet has exploded in the past few years. Many of these Internet of Things (IoT) devices use telephone numbers to connect to the Internet, which is driving rising demand and potentially straining the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). This panel will discuss how IoT devices are connected to the Internet, including whether these devices need NANP numbers. The panel will also debate number conservation measures related to IoT devices. SPEAKERS:
Matt Connolly
Justen Davis
Matt DeTura
Michael Johnson
Richard Shockey
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Sunday, February 8
OPEN |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Meeting Room 2 CLOSED Washington Action Program |
(Commissioners/Commission Staff Only) Agenda provided onsite. |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Potomac 3 OPEN
Committee on Electricity
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As utilities, developers, and large customers continue to invest in our grid and emerging technologies, such as geothermal, hydrogen, and advanced nuclear, our nation’s skilled workforce must be ready to meet the demands of this growth. Today, there is a greater need for our nation’s skilled workforce supply chain as new and innovative technologies are developed and used. The primary challenge for the industry will be access to a qualified workforce to build our energy infrastructure and meet our growing energy demand. Hear from key labor partners, utility/developers, and policymakers on how our nation is continuing to train and prepare our next generation and enabling access to federal and state incentives for energy infrastructure investments. SPEAKERS:
Chair Katie Sieben
Hon Michael Carrigan
Missy Henriksen
Jim Sype
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN Staff Subcommittee on Gas |
State utility regulators are increasingly navigating the intersection of energy resilience, emissions reduction, and distributed energy resource integration. The emergence of AI-driven data centers poses new challenges to the delicate balance between ensuring reliable energy delivery, environmental compliance, and ratepayer protection. This session will examine how propane-powered microgrids and backup systems offer a viable, low-emissions alternative to diesel generators for on-site data center power — particularly critical in areas lacking reliable grid or natural gas infrastructure. Drawing on case studies and policy frameworks examined by the National Propane Gas Association, the presentation will explore how propane provides a necessary solution to the proliferation of diesel use in data center back-up generation, co-located solutions for data centers outside of natural gas infrastructure, and propane's ability to pair with renewable energy to reduce data center carbon emissions. SPEAKERS:
Hayley Hinken
Wesley Cate
Scott Lipton
Austin Wicker
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Anacostia D/E OPEN Staff Subcommittee on Electricity |
As large, energy-intensive loads connect to the grid at unprecedented speed, resource adequacy challenges are becoming increasingly urgent. Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and state policymakers each hold critical, but distinct, authorities over planning, procurement, and market design. In response to rapid load growth, RTOs are rethinking market structures, interconnection processes, and long-term system planning, while many states are developing large-load tariffs and strengthening oversight of long-term planning to protect customers. This panel will examine how RTOs and states are navigating their respective roles in managing large-load interconnections and ensuring resource adequacy, and will explore opportunities and examples of more effective collaboration. SPEAKERS:
Sarah Fitzpatrick
Elizabeth Barnes
Tricia DeBleeckere
Kim O'Guinn
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Meeting Room 16 OPEN
Staff Subcommittee on Education and Research
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Welcome & Roll Call Approval of July 23, 2025, Minutes Updates
Spring 2026 Commission Staff Scholarships Applications for Support of an Event Other Business SPEAKERS:
Hon. Lea Marquez Peterson
Donn English
Erin Hammel
Danielle Sass Byrnett
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Meeting Room 12-14 OPEN
Staff Subcommittee on Energy Resources and the Environment
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Electricity demand is increasing due to growth from data centers, manufacturing, and transportation electrification. By mid-century, transportation is expected to overtake data centers as load requiring electricity. Fortunately, transportation electrification is the most flexible type of demand contributing to load growth because charging can occur at different times and locations across a wide range of vehicle types. Additionally, electric vehicle (EV) adoption is increasingly becoming more predictable. Because EV charging can be shifted to periods when the grid has spare capacity, it can improve load factors and reduce the need for the highest cost grid infrastructure investments even while other loads are growing. Tapping into vehicle charging flexibility can support affordability both in lowering overall costs required to expand and operate the grid and in reducing household expenses for customers that drive EVs. In this workshop, participants will work with experts and each other to document practical approaches and examples for using flexibility from EVs to help support affordability. Objectives of the workshop include identifying opportunities and barriers to the increased use of EVs as flexible resources, highlighting real-world examples of utilizing EVs for flexibility, and developing key takeaways informed through participant discussions. Registrants are expected to attend the entire workshop, as materials and discussions will build toward the final outputs. Registration is open to all Winter Policy Summit attendees, but separate registration is required in advance. Space is limited; NARUC members will have priority for seats. SPEAKERS:
Rachel Aland
Jeff Allen
Danielle Kievit
David Porter
Emma Rodvien
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Rock Creek B/C OPEN
Staff Subcommittee on Nuclear Energy
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This panel will explore how the explosive growth of AI data centers is straining the grid and positioning nuclear as a reliable, carbon-free power source. Regulatory challenges like siting new reactors near data centers, cost recovery for utilities, and state incentives for tech-nuclear partnerships (e.g., recent deals by Meta and Google to revive or build nuclear plants) will be discussed. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Eric Skrmetta
Mason Emnett
Ervan Hancock
Brian Smith
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN
Staff Subcommittee on Coal and Carbon Innovation
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President Trump promised to elevate the American coal industry throughout his campaign. Upon taking office in January 2025, he immediately declared an energy emergency and followed up with a series of executive orders in April 2025 designed to increase domestic coal production and coal-fired power generation. In July 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a grid reliability report calling attention to the risks of premature coal plant retirements and rising electricity demand. DOE has used the Federal Power Act to keep coal plants operating in certain reliability-constrained areas and offered hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to recommission or modernize coal plants. One year into the Administration, what impacts have these and other federal policy and regulatory changes had on the coal sector? An expert panel will summarize federal actions, discuss their effectiveness in achieving the desired outcomes, and offer perspectives on what else — if anything — should be done to strengthen the coal fleet. SPEAKERS:
Angie Hatton
Michelle Bloodworth
Jimmy Brock
Catherine Jereza
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Sunday, February 8
Room: River Birch A OPEN
Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest
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As the energy transition accelerates, utilities are being called upon not only to deliver reliable and sustainable service but also to demonstrate corporate citizenship that advances broader societal goals. The energy industry has long recognized that its responsibility extends beyond poles and wires to the communities it serves. Through investments in workforce development, environmental stewardship, and community partnerships, utilities and regulators are aligning business objectives with public policy priorities that promote equity, economic opportunity, and resilience. This panel will explore how corporate citizenship efforts intersect with regulatory and policy frameworks to create shared value for customers, communities, and stakeholders. SPEAKERS:
Hon Rory Christian
Jen Hensley
Richard Thigpen
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Meeting Room 2 OPEN
Staff Subcommittee on Administrative Law Judges
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SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Barnes
Kim Duffley
Brad Ramsay
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Rock Creek B/C OPEN
Staff Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety
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Damage prevention remains one of the most effective ways to improve pipeline safety and reduce risk to the public. This panel will explore emerging trends in damage prevention with a focus on measurable successes achieved by operators who have transitioned line locating services from contracted providers to in-house programs. Panelists will discuss the operational, training, and accountability changes that accompanied this shift, and how these changes have contributed to significant reductions in excavation-related damages. Using real-world examples and performance data, the discussion will highlight lessons learned, challenges encountered, and key indicators regulators can use to evaluate the effectiveness of damage prevention programs. The panel will also consider how these approaches may be applied across different jurisdictions and operator sizes to strengthen statewide damage prevention outcomes. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Kim David
Chris Anderson
Shantel Norman
Benjamin Warren
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Sunday, February 8
Room: River Birch A OPEN Committee on International Relations |
Nordic experts present a multidimensional strategy for integrating massive AI and data center load growth. By combining proactive energy planning, demand-side flexibility, and circular heat recovery, the Nordics demonstrate how to maintain system reliability and consumer affordability. Discover how these regulatory tools and “sector-coupling” models can be adapted for U.S. markets. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Jennifer Nicholson
Abigail Campbell Singer
Peter Markussen
Teemu Nieminen
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Anacostia D/E OPEN Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest |
This panel explores how utilities are embedding digital tools, like real-time alerts, behavioral nudges, and enhanced caller identification into their customer communications strategies. At the same time, customer risks are increasing as impersonation tactics grow more sophisticated, particularly with the rise of AI-enabled schemes. Speakers will assess which tools are considered most effective and discuss regulatory models that ensure these tools are accessible to all. The panel will also explore considerations for balancing innovation with customer privacy and data protection. In this session, the audience becomes the customer. Panelists will demo real or hypothetical engagement tools (e.g., a confusing email, usage insight app, or hard-to-read bill) and the audience considers: Did it help? Did it confuse? Would you engage? Panelists will share lessons learned from actual utility programs and discuss how customer responses inform program design. There will be brief business conducted at the end of this session to vote on a resolution. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Floyd McKissick Jr.
Julia Friedman
Henry Hayter
Monica Martinez
Lindsay Philemon
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN
Committee on Critical Infrastructure
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FBI-led unclassified threat brief highlighting emerging phsyical and cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure with federal and state homeland security implications. SPEAKERS:
Garris Ference
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Sunday, February 8
Room: Potomac Ballroom 1 & 2 OPEN |
Wear Your Fave Team’s Jersey! |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 16 CLOSED |
(Commission Chairs Only) |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac Ballroom OPEN |
Remarks by Alex Fitzsimmons - Acting Under Secretary of Energy and Director of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, U.S. Department of EnergyGold Medal Defense: Winning Against Cyber Threats to Essential ServicesAdvanced digital technologies are the backbone of today’s power grid and other essential service industries. Yet these same technologies can expose operators to cyberattacks that have the potential to impact service delivery. This session explores the critical role cybersecurity plays in mitigating cyber threats and strengthening defenses. Remarks by Senator Deb Fischer, NebraskaSPEAKERS:
Hon. Sheri Haugen-Hoffart
Kimberly Denbow
Michael Luu
Robert Mayer
Jim Robb
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac 3 OPEN Committee on Gas |
Gas Committee Business Meeting Agenda:
SPEAKERS:
Hon. Stephen DeFrank
Hon. Judy Chang
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Monday, February 9
Room: Ancacostia D-E OPEN
Committee on Water
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Water Committee Business Meeting Agenda:
SPEAKERS:
Hon. Michael Bange
Justin Ladner
Daniel Nowak
Robert Powelson
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Monday, February 9
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment |
DERs are often narrowly thought of as smart thermostats or customer-sited solar photovoltaic systems, but their potential reaches far beyond these applications. This session will highlight how innovative DER deployments can solve complex grid challenges at a pace and scale that traditional infrastructure investments alone fail to efficiently address. This panel will present be oriented around three problems and highlight several examples of how DER solutions have been applied to solve these problems. Each example will explore a specific grid problem, why conventional approaches were insufficient, and how DERs meet system needs in targeted ways. Discussions will also examine cost considerations and how regulatory oversight played a role in each program’s success. By grounding the conversation in real-world, practical experience, this session reframes DERs as adaptable grid resources rather than niche technologies. Attendees will leave the session with greater insights into how creative DER deployment can complement traditional investments during a time when supporting reliability, boosting affordability, and addressing evolving grid complexities make innovative strategies all the more necessary SPEAKERS:
Hon. Stacey Paradis
Will Baker
Arushi Frank
Allison Wannop
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac 1-2 OPEN Committee on Electricity |
Electricity customers across the country are facing sharp increases in their bills, with recent consumer cost increases (5.5% over the last 12 months) well outpacing inflation. These pressures strain household budgets — particularly for low-income families — and raise risks for U.S. competitiveness and national security, as electricity-intensive sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, data centers, manufacturing, and defense expand rapidly. While surging demand from data centers has grabbed headlines as a primary cause of rising costs, the reality is more complex. Additional cost drivers like infrastructure and supply chain delays, inefficient investments, and more, must also be understood by regulators to devise effective responses. This session will spotlight real customers from multiple segments who will identify key drivers of rising costs, explain how those increases impact key sectors like technology, manufacturing, retail, and agriculture, and share thoughts on potential responses. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Kelsey Bagot
Jeff Dennis
Christopher Namovicz
Nidhi Thakar
Rob Threlkeld
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Monday, February 9
Room: River Birch A OPEN Committee on Telecommunications |
February 2026 marks three decades since the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996 reshaped the communications landscape. Over that time, the nation’s telephone, broadband, and video industries have undergone remarkable transformation — moving from monopoly-era regulation to competitive markets, and from copper wire to gigabit broadband and wireless connectivity. This session will reflect on how the Act’s vision of competition and universal service has evolved in an age defined by digital convergence and streaming video, and how state public service commissions have adapted their regulatory missions amid technological and marketplace upheaval. Veteran policymakers and industry experts will explore the lessons of the past 30 years — and the continued importance of state oversight in ensuring fair, affordable, and reliable communications services for all Americans.
SPEAKERS:
Hon. Tim Schram
Hon. Mignon Clyburn
Earl Comstock
Randolph May
Hon. Michael O'Reilly
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 16 CLOSED |
(Invitees Only) NARUC Committee and Staff Sub Committee Chairs |
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Monday, February 9
OPEN |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Ancacostia D-E OPEN Committee on Water |
Explore how AI is transforming the water sector, focusing on innovations that enhance water management, conservation, and quality. Experts share insights on using AI to optimize resources, minimize environmental impacts, and improve operational efficiency. The discussion highlights emerging technologies and AI’s role in addressing the challenges of sustainable water management. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Michael Bange
Deb Degillio
Jay Kooper
John Tang
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac 3 OPEN Committee on Electricity |
1. Welcome from Electricity Committee Chair, Hon. John Hammond 2. Vote on Resolutions 3. Fireside Chat with Hon. David LaCerte, FERC 4. Discussion with Assistant Secretary Catherine Jereza, DOE 5. Legal Issues Update: Looking Ahead to Summer 2026 6. Update from the Staff Subcommittee on Electricity
SPEAKERS:
Hon. John Hammond
Brett Breitschwerdt
Catherine Jereza
Hon. David LaCerte
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Monday, February 9
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment |
Despite growing interest in DERs, persistent barriers limit their ability to scale and deliver full system value. This session focuses on three key challenges inhibiting DERs: interconnection processes, data access, and limited customer value for both participants and non-participants. Panelists will discuss how interconnection requirements (e.g., long timelines, technical uncertainty, and inconsistent utility practices) can impede DER deployment, particularly at large scales. This session will also examine data access limitations, including how restricted visibility into system conditions and DER performance makes planning, participation, and integration more difficult. Lastly, the panel will discuss customer value: how benefits are defined, communicated to customers, and allocated. This discussion will also highlight how unclear or uneven value propositions may discourage customer participation and market development. By connecting these common barriers to tangible regulatory and operational experiences, this session will move beyond problem identification and will provide practical solutions and insights. Attendees will leave the session with a better understanding of how targeted reforms in policy, implementation processes, and utility practices can assist in unlocking the potential of DERs. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Eric Blank
Kelly Crandall
Kristol Simms
Vaughan Woodruff
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac 1-2 OPEN
Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest
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LIHEAP is a tremendous resource for millions of energy consumers nationwide. For more than 40 years, LIHEAP has been a vital lifeline for seniors, families with young children, and individuals with disabilities, helping them afford safe and reliable access to home heating and cooling. This panel will discuss the current state of LIHEAP funding, program staffing, and how LIHEAP can continue to be a significant resource for energy consumers across the country. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Stephen DeFrank
Maria Bocanegra
Katherine Brownlee
Hon. Floyd McKissick Jr.
Katrina Metzler
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Monday, February 9
Room: River Birch A OPEN Committee on Telecommunications |
This panel will discuss the changes in the telecom industry as we enter the 4th decade after the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Cable is losing broadband subscribers, fixed wireless is gaining ground, and LEO has won significant BEAD offers. Will the LEO’s be able to fulfill their commitments? Is the game over for the big ILEC’s as they undertake significant downsizing? How will this impact consumers and the states?
SPEAKERS:
Hon. Chris Nelson
Ben Aron
Chris Boyer
Rick Cimerman
Mike Dano
Blair Levin
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac 1-2 OPEN Committee on Electricity |
Last summer, Texas and California demonstrated that grid-scale battery storage can cost-effectively meet rising peak demand under strikingly different energy policies and market structures. Storage helped ERCOT avoid blackouts and calls for conservation, and enabled California to export power to neighboring states. More recently, storage has also emerged as a tool to address interconnection bottlenecks: in Michigan, DTE Energy executed a novel contract with a hyperscale data center customer to procure 1.4 GW of energy storage to expedite the customer’s interconnection while supporting system reliability. Despite these successes, deployment of grid-scale storage in the Eastern Interconnection continues to lag. While roughly half of U.S. storage projects in interconnection queues target deployment by 2026, the majority are located in the West. In PJM, MISO, SPP, and the Southeast, storage faces persistent barriers including interconnection delays, procurement bias toward traditional resources, market design shortcomings, and outdated planning and cost-allocation approaches. This panel will explore these barriers and highlight emerging solutions, including innovative procurement and contracting models, interconnection reforms, and policy updates that commissions can leverage to accelerate storage deployment, enhance grid resilience, accommodate large new loads such as data centers, and unlock the full value of energy storage for customers. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Katherine Peretick
Miles Farmer
Ariel Horowitz
Angela Wojtowicz
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Monday, February 9
Room: Ancacostia D-E OPEN Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment |
Resolution Presentation and Voting - Hon. Stacey Paradis, Illinois Presentation - Local Large Energy Users Join us for the second installment of our listen and learn with locally headquartered large customers. Jordan Silberman from Monumental Sports, the owner of the Capital One Arena and the Capitols, Wizards, and Mystics, and Mary Sotos, the Director of the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), will share information on which utility programs they currently use and what utilities and commissions can do to help these companies meet their energy and business needs. Energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and meeting renewable energy goals will be on the table, along with novel tariffs and unique cost-saving measures. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Mike La Rosa
Hon. Stacey Paradis
Jordan Silberman
Mary Sotos
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Monday, February 9
Room: River Birch A OPEN Committee on Telecommunications |
Update on USF Working Group SPEAKERS:
Erica Andeweg
Eduard Bartholme
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Monday, February 9
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN Committee on Water |
A discussion on the challenges faced by many state PUCs on regulating the smallest water utilities and promotion of best practices and policies utilized by many states. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Lea Marquez Peterson
Mike Duncan
JT Hand
Steve Olea
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Monday, February 9
Room: Potomac 3 OPEN Committee on Gas |
The debate about the pros and cons of alternative regulatory mechanisms has been going on for decades. Across the country, utilities continue to propose alternative regulatory mechanisms to advance a more constructive regulatory environment and consumer advocates continue to argue for the benefits of regulatory lag to provide incentives to utilities for operational efficiency. During this session we seek to revisit this discussion in the context of today’s utility landscape, which faces increasing compliance requirements, increasing customer needs and expectations, a more competitive environment to secure capital investments, persistent supply chain and labor challenges, and inflationary pressures. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Audrey Partridge
Laurence Daniels
Robert Gee
Amy Liberkowski
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Monday, February 9
Room: Rock Creek C CLOSED |
(Commission Staff Only) |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 12-13 CLOSED |
(Commissioner Emeritus Only) |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 3 CLOSED |
(Invitees Only) |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 2 CLOSED |
(Invitees Only) |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 7 CLOSED |
(Invitees Only) |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 5 CLOSED |
(Invitees Only) |
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Monday, February 9
Room: Meeting Room 4 CLOSED |
(Invitees Only) |
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Rock Creek B/C CLOSED |
(Commissioners Only) |
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac Ballroom OPEN |
Remarks
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Anacostia D-E OPEN Committee on Gas |
As energy demand continues to grow, State commissions are tasked with finding solutions that expand supply, strengthen reliability, and keep costs manageable for customers. Renewable natural gas (RNG) offers a powerful economic opportunity: it leverages existing infrastructure, creates new markets for waste streams, and drives investment and job growth in local communities. Utilities are demonstrating how RNG projects can be advanced cost-effectively, while also providing the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Kathryn Zerfuss
Ashley Duckman
David McCullough
Tommy Oliver
Pamela Witmer
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: River Birch A OPEN Committee on Telecommunications |
The BEAD Benefit of the Bargain round has ended and states have received their funding, but what does that mean for ensuring broadband for all? This panel will discuss BEAD implementation and answer key questions about the winners, losers, and issues as the first shovels hit the ground. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Mary Pat Regan
Drew Garner
Matt Mandel
Lyndsay Moyer
Mike Romano
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN Committee on Water |
As we enter 2026, the meteoric rise of generative AI and hyperscale cloud computing has transformed data centers from digital backbones into critical players in the global water infrastructure equation. This panel brings together experts from the water industry to discuss this issue, as well as Bluefield Research to share the findings of their landmark 2025 report, U.S. Water for Data Centers: Market Trends, Opportunities, and Forecasts, 2025-2030. SPEAKERS:
Hon. De'keither Stamps
James Barbato
Ethan Edwards
Mandy Ulrich
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac 1-3 OPEN
Committee on Electricity
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Opening Remarks: Nicholas Elliot, White House Senior Policy AdvisorLarge Load TariffsIn response to concerns about new large loads and the impacts they may have on electric system resource adequacy, reliability, and affordability, state utility regulators are adopting tariffs and rules focused on large-loads, including rate designs tailored to serve high-demand customers while managing cost, reliability, and infrastructure needs. As more of these tariffs move from pilot to practice, regulators are asking:
This panel will review real-world experiences with large-load tariffs across states, highlighting key metrics and transparency practices regulators can use to assess and develop effective large load tariffs and review their effectiveness. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Jehmal Hudson
Christopher Ayers
Nick Elliot
Jose Esparza
Lakin Garth
Briana Kobor
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Tuesday, February 10
OPEN |
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Dumbarton Oaks CLOSED |
For commissioners who have served less than 12 months |
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Anacostia D-E OPEN Committee on Gas |
North America’s energy system is at a crossroads. Power and gas markets have operated in silos for over a century, but today’s reality is different: record electricity demand, rapid coal retirements, and a wave of renewables, all creating new reliability challenges. Natural gas is the indispensable bridge, but independence between power and gas planning is no longer sustainable. Without modernization and greater coordination, the reliability of both electricity and gas supplies is at risk. This session makes the case for convergence: why aligning these markets is the only path to meet surging demand and ensuring affordable, reliable power to consumers. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Kim David
Mike Bryson
Justin Felt
Rob Homer
John Moura
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac 3 OPEN Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment |
AI is increasingly being touted as a useful tool that can improve grid efficiency, optimize utility operations, and reduce costs for customers. At the same time, the rapid growth of AI (particularly through resource-intensive data centers) raises numerous concerns regarding rising loads, infrastructure investments, and customer affordability. Therefore, the question at the crux of this issue is whether AI will ultimately benefit or unfairly burden ratepayers. Two speakers will debate competing perspectives on AI’s role in the energy space. One speaker will take the position that AI has immense potential to enhance system planning, asset management, and operational efficiency by making the best use of existing infrastructure and resources. The opposing speaker will focus on the risks of AI including increased demand from large-load facilities, significant capital investment requirements, and the possibility of cost-shifting onto other utility customers. Rather than treating AI as a singular solution and/or threat, the discussion will examine how AI’s downstream impacts affect system planning and resource allocation. By assessing AI as both an opportunity and challenge, this session will invite the critical evaluation of how emerging technologies can threaten as well as assist in affordability, reliability, and meeting long-term policy goals. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Christine Guhl-Sadovy
Jeff Bladen
Paula Glover
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac 1-2 OPEN Committee on Electricity |
Electric utilities face simultaneous pressures — rising demand, aging infrastructure, budget limits, clean energy mandates, and workforce shortages — all while maintaining high reliability expectations. To succeed under these constraints, leaders must invest in integrated, high-impact technologies that can deliver multiple benefits at once:
This panel of experts will discuss the institutional and regulatory barriers for adopting new technologies, challenges, and issues experienced by technology providers, and the industry’s commitment and spending on research and development. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Erik Helland
Robert Kenney
Kiran Malone
Will McCurry
Grace Relf
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: River Birch A OPEN Committee on Telecommunications |
This panel will discuss the key questions surrounding the transition from Plain Old Telephone Service (POTs) offered over copper lines to IP-enabled services such as VoIP. How do we discontinue old services, update the PSTN, and replace TDM with fiber and fixed wireless? What is the role of the states in ensuring a successful transition, with no customers left behind? SPEAKERS:
Hon. Karen Charles
Diana Eisner
Harold Feld
Hon. Darcie Houck
Steve Morris
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Rock Creek A OPEN Committee on Water |
Water can be a pathway for building trust within communities and trust in our institutions. Water utilities play a critical role in establishing and maintaining trust in the water they provide. That trust can also create opportunities for water utilities to support broader community needs and elevate the voices of community members. Additionally, regulatory agencies, technical assistance providers, and other organizations play key roles in bridging the gap between utilities and community members. In this session, participants will hear directly from water utilities, agency representatives, and other organizations about their experiences working to build trust with communities around water. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Mary Pat Regan
Natalie Chesko
Bill Madden
Ryan Silvey
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Tuesday, February 10
Room: Potomac Ballroom OPEN |
Fireside Chat: FERC Chairman Laura V. SwettResilience in Action: Teams Working Together When Everything Else Falls ApartFrom hurricanes to wildfires, extreme events test the resilience of critical infrastructure. These emergencies demand more than technical expertise; they require cooperation across sectors. This session examines how essential service providers and public officials overcome silos to share resources, prioritize restoration, and communicate effectively under pressure. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Ann Rendahl
Cory Gardner
Karen Harbert
Hon. Mike La Rosa
Drew Maloney
Jim Matheson
Cheryl Norton
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Wednesday, February 11
Room: Potomac/Anacostia Foyer OPEN |
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Wednesday, February 11
Room: Potomac Ballroom OPEN |
Remarks by Senator Angus S. King, Jr., MaineAre We Skating Toward the Puck? Keeping Up with Rising Utility Investment Needs without Leaving Customers BehindElectricity, gas, and water investment needs are rising while household budgets are not. Regulators are increasingly facing complex decisions about balancing these system needs with customer affordability. This session unpacks the trends and drivers of affordability challenges across sectors and explores what it means to customers. National experts will share current data and tools to identify and ease affordability stress. SPEAKERS:
Hon. Zenon Christodoulou
Matthew Ketschke
Martin Kropelnicki
Sid McAnnally
Morgan Scott
David Springe
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Wednesday, February 11
Room: Anacostia D/E OPEN |
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Wednesday, February 11
Room: Potomac Ballroom OPEN |
This marks the fourth meeting of the Collaborative, which has an overarching topic focused on the impact of growth on affordability. |