Monday, April 7
8:00 – 8:15 • Welcome and Introductions
- Todd Snitchler, CPU Chair; President and CEO, Electric Power Supply Association
- Cindy Blume, Director, CPU
8:15 -8:30 • Opening Comment for CEO Panels
- Todd Snitchler, CPU Chair; President and CEO, Electric Power Supply Association
8:30 -10:00 • CEO and Industry Leaders Panel
The Intersection of Policy and Reality: The power, water, telecommunications, and natural gas industries are experiencing pressures like they have not experienced in literally decades. In light of these issues and the fact that these industries are state and/or federally regulated, how will they respond? What is the role of regulators and other policy makers to make sure that energy remains in abundant supply and that we have the necessary infrastructure to deliver it where it is needed? How do we balance the need to decarbonize our energy systems with the need to fuel our economy? Finally, as utilities confront one of the most capital-intensive eras in infrastructure deployment, they also face what can best be described as a trust deficit. How do energy suppliers tackle a trust deficit with their customers as they implement their investment plans? How do these critical industries shift the dialogue from one about price to a focus on value? How important is it for industry to speak the same language as each communicates and educates customers? Should they and is it possible for them to speak with a unified voice, including with regulators who will oversee the determination of cost recovery and affordability? What role do regulators have to secure accurate, correct, and appropriate information to ensure their decisions reflect the correct balance between customers, costs, and system needs? Our panelists will each discuss various solutions, including where and how to employ strategies to address different types of load growth – from flexible interconnection tariffs to time-of-use rates to new rate classes to grid enhancing technologies and more that apply to their sectors economic value chain.
Moderator: Hon. Tricia Pridemore, President, NARUC; Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission
Panelists:
- Maria Pope, Chairman, EEI; President and CEO, Portland General Electric Company
- Brian Weisker, Board Member, AGA; President Natural Gas Business, Duke Energy
- Curt Morgan, President and CEO, Alpha Generation
10:30 – 12:00 • CEO and Industry Leaders Panel II
The Intersection of Policy and Reality (continued)
Moderator: Hon. Tricia Pridemore, President, NARUC; Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission
Panelists:
- Thomas Puttman, President, NW Natural Water
- Freeman Shaheen, Chairman, NGSA, President Chevron Global Gas
- Hon. Tim Schram, Chairman, NARUC Telecommunications Committee; Commissioner, Nebraska Public Service Commission
1:30 – 3:00 • New Nuclear – The Promise and the Reality
There is much discussion about the potential for building new nuclear power, including advanced nuclear technologies. Anticipated load growth and bi-partisan policies accelerating lower emissions make these discussions very timely. Nuclear advocates tell the story about how it could work if a lot of things all go right. But there are challenges to delivering new nuclear including uncertainty of regarding the cost of the new build options, supply chain including constraints on the fuel production, the need for financial backstops or incentives, and efforts to streamline regulatory frameworks to speed deployment. This discussion will focus on how to address these real-world challenges that will need to be resolved to successfully deploy new nuclear power as part of a lower emission energy future.
Moderator: Richard Mroz, Managing Director, Resolute Strategies, LLC
Panelists:
- Kendal Bowman, State President, North Carolina, Duke Energy
- Robin Millican, Senior VP of Strategy and Policy, Breakthrough Energy / Gates Foundation
- Ben Reinke, Vice President Business Development, X Energy
Responders:
- Hon. Angie Hatton, Chairman, Kentucky Public Service Commission
- Hon. Hon Lea Peterson, Commissioner, Arizona Corporation Commission
- Hon. Dallas Winslow, Chair, Delaware Public Service Commission
3:30 – 5:00 • Treatments, Policies and Costs for Entities PFAs Rules Compliance
The continued emergence of forever chemicals and other PFAS as a priority issue means regulators will have to find solutions to address these concerns. Granulated activated carbon, ion exchange or reverse osmosis may be effective in contaminants’ removal but are expensive. Small water and municipal systems, for the most part unregulated, cannot carry this financial burden. Even large national companies are facing cost-recovery pressure from public utilities commissions and consumer advocates. All water purveyors must comply with the EPA Final Rule (the National Drinking Water Regulation) by 2027 and notify customers of any non-compliance by 2032. This panel will examine true costs and risks of noncompliance; emerging technologies; Virginia’s legislation embracing a point-of-source treatment approach; the controversy setting extremely low acceptable contaminant levels; how consumers will be asked to pay for the needed upgrades, and if we will see more states move to regulate water and wastewater beyond water quality.
Moderator: Mary Anna Holden, Managing Director. Grove Street Advisors
Panelists:
- Josiah Cox, President, Central States Water
- Dr. Chris Crockett, Chief Environmental, Safety & Sustainability Officer, Essential Utilities, Inc.
- Stephen B. Genzer, Esq., Saul Ewing, LLP
- Jay Kooper, General Counsel, Middlesex Water
- David Stanton, President, ClearWater1
Responders:
- Hon. Jeff Hughes, Commissioner, North Carolina Utilities Commission
- Hon. Edward Lodge, Commissioner, Idaho Public Utilities Commission
- Hon. Patrick O’Connell, New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
Tuesday, April 8
8:30 – 10:00 • Minimizing the Risks of Outage: How New Tools and Technologies Will Ensure and Enhance Distribution Grid Resilience & Planning for More Uncertainty
The resilience of the electric grid is central to the success of the clean energy transition. Customers are asking more from the distribution system while threats to resilience– such as extreme weather, wildfires, and cyberattacks–are compounded by growing electricity demand. Optimizing microgrids and other resources, including hydropower, pumped storage, and transmission assets, can aid broader grid resilience, as can a more holistic approach to resource, grid, and transmission system planning. This panel will highlight how utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders can prepare for resilience challenges and electricity demand growth through resource optimization, new technologies that provide greater system visibility and controllability to mitigate risk, and better system planning and integration.
Moderator: Hon. Dan Scripps, Chair, Michigan Public Service Commission
Panelists:
- Dan Killoren PhD., Program Manager, Global Innovation Hub, Electric Power Research Institute
- Jared Leader, Senior Director, Research & Industry Strategy, Resilience. Smart Electric Power Alliance
- Kiran C. Malone, Vice President, Government & Industry Affairs, Anterix
- Michael Purdie, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Markets, National Hydro Association
- Matthew McDonnell, Managing Partner, Current Energy Group
Responders:
- Hon. Katie Anderson, Commissioner, Arkansas Public Service Commission
- Hon. Joshua Byrnes. Commissioner, Iowa Utilities Board
- Hon. Mary Throne, Commissioner, Wyoming Public Service Commission
10:30 – 12:00 • The Future of Broadband
Take a journey with experts and technology leaders as they contemplate and prognosticate on what the future may look like once the broadband networks have been built by ISPs, in part with $42.45B in broadband grant funding under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program and in part by private capital. Has broadband been deployed to all unserved locations? Do any customers still subscribe to landline voice phones anymore? How will the regulatory structure established in the Telecom Act of 1996 apply in the new communications world? What jurisdiction will state commissions have? Will any funding be needed to support the operation of these networks in the most rural and high-cost areas once the grant funding has been spent? Will we achieve universal access to high-speed broadband and what will it mean for our communities and economy? Oh, so many questions.
Moderator: Hon. Sarah Freeman, Commissioner, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
Panelists:
- Navid Motamed, AVP Global Public Policy, AT&T
- Marissa Mitrovich, Vice President of Public Policy, Fiber Broadband Association
- Mark Walker, Vice President, Technology Policy, CableLabs
- Jon Wilkins, Partner, Quadra Partners
- Kathryn de Wit, Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative, Pew Charitable Trusts
Responders:
- Hon. Michael Caron, Commissioner, Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
- Hon. Jerry Fenn, Chair, Public Utilities Commission of Utah
- Hon. Chris Nelson, Commissioner, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
1:30 – 3:00 • People Power – How Do We Grow It and Where Do We Find it?
We spend a lot of time talking and planning for the technological and legal changes to advance operations in all our utilities. The United States utility systems are the marvel of the world and ensures our national security, fosters our economic superiority, and protects the health, safety, and welfare of every American. Are we missing a much-needed focus on a critical element-PEOPLE? This panel will discuss how critical industries will fill the pipeline of trained experts needed to maintain and grow our utility infrastructure and give a holistic approach to the new, more integrated world of electric, gas, water, and telecom industries.
Moderator: Hon. Maida Coleman, 2nd Vice Chairman, CPU Advisory Council; Commissioner, Missouri Public Service Commission
Panelists:
- Amber Fogarty- Veterans in Energy-Director of Talent Pipeline, Consumers Energy
- Jaeson Osborn -Exec. Vice President- Infrasource, a Quanta Services Company
- Matthew Tomc -Vice President- Regulatory Policy and Energy Supply- Ameren Illinois
- Shon Yates- Exec. Vice President, Ardmore Roderick
Responders:
- Hon Kim David, Chairman, Oklahoma Corporation Commission
- Hon. Jehmal Hudson, Chair, NARUC Energy Resources and the Environment Committee; Commissioner, Virginia State Corporation Commission|
- Hon. Dwight Keen, Commissioner, Kansas Corporation Commission
3:30 – 5:00 Combating the Invisible Enemy
It has been almost 20 years after the 9/11 Commissioner Report was released, and the nightmare scenario of a terrorist nuclear attack on U.S. soil is a risk that has not diminished. How is the threat landscape changing? Are law enforcement, utilities and regulators keeping up? The panel will cover preventing attacks; protecting utility infrastructure and what can be done and what happens (who takes the lead - federal, state, county, local) if there is a nuclear attack — dirty bomb (EMP) or otherwise; civil nuclear security, spent fuel storage; and response, recovery and communication surrounding (before and after) a nuclear event.
Moderator: Hon. Zenon Christodoulou, Commissioner, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
Panelists:
- Chris Beck, PhD, Vice President, Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Electric Infrastructure Security Council
- Noel Black, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Southern Company
- Paul Stockton, PhD, Chair Grid Resilience, National Security Subcommittee, DOE Advisory Committee; member Homeland Security Advisory Council
- James Terbush, MD, MPH, Past President, El Paso County Board of Health
Responders:
- Hon. Ron Gerwatowski, Chairman, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission
- Hon. Jeremy Oden, Commissioner, Alabama Public Service Commission
- Hon. David Ziegner, Commissioner, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
