Registration Open 10:00 AM-6:30 PM
8:30 AM-12:00 PM
Room: Grand AB
Joint Meeting with CCIF
Separate registration. No extra fee. Register here.
9:00 AM-10:30 AM
Room: 1L
(Closed Meeting)
10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Room: 2DEF
Closed meeting (open to commission staff and commissioners only) | livestream available to Staff Subcommittee members
Earlier this year, Google, Microsoft, and Nucor announced a joint initiative to develop new demand aggregation approaches to clean energy procurement. With each organization pursuing mid-century net-zero energy goals, all three recognize the importance of emerging technologies like advanced nuclear reactors in generating 24/7 clean power. A Google energy manager will join commissioners and commission staff to discuss how this new framework is structured, what Google hopes to achieve, and how the initiative will engage with state utility commissions, regulated utilities, and key stakeholders.
Moderator: Steve Roetger, Analyst, Georgia Public Service Commission
Speaker: Michelle Chang, Program Manager of Advanced Clean Technologies, Google
10:00 AM-2:30 PM
Room: 2BC
(Closed Meeting, Commissioners and Commission Staff Only)
11:15 AM-12:15 PM
Room: Grand C
12:15 PM-1:15 PM
Room: 1L
(Commissioners and Commission Staff Only)
1:30 PM-2:30 PM
Room: Grand AB
Room: 2DEF
(Joint Meeting)
This panel will kick-off the Select Committee on Regulatory and Industry Diversity’s workforce centered series. After this panel, attendees will have a greater understanding of how evolving workforce demographics, technological advancements, and consumer demands are impacting the energy industry. The panelists will provide actionable insights to identify and address current workforce gaps, challenges, and opportunities so that organizations can build the talent pipeline they need for the energy industry demands of the future.
Moderator: Hon. Ann E. Rendahl, Washington
Panelists:
Paul Douglass, President, The JPI Group
May Va Lor, Research Manager, Laborers International Union of North America
Carla Walker-Miller, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Walker-Miller Energy Services
Room: 1L (1st Floor)
Room: Grand C
In recent years, there has been a reported increase in theft and vandalism related to telecommunications infrastructure. In this panel, we will discuss the driving factors behind this trend, what impact it has on continuity of telecommunications service as well as public safety, and what actions state and utility commissions may take to help address the threat.
Moderator: Daryl Branson, ENP RPL, Telecom Programs Section Chief, Colorado Public Utilities Commission
Panelists:
Donald Alway, Vice President of Corporate Security, Charter Communications
Peter Gose, Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Lumen
Samuel Martinez, Director of Corporate Security, Verizon
Gary Warren, CISA
Pam Montanari, CISA
2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Offsite Tour
Join the CI and SSCI Committees as we go offsite to the Florida Power and Light Command Center, which is located roughly twenty minutes away from the convention center/hotel. The tour will include FPL’s state-of-the art facility, built to withstand a CAT5 storm, which serves as the logistical hub for the company’s operations in all types of emergencies, including hurricanes and other severe weather events. In addition to the center for dealing with physical and cyber emergencies, the tour will include the FPLAir drone command facility and Distribution Control Center. The tour will return by bus to the convention center/hotel by 5:30 pm.
Registration is required. Attendance limited to fifty. Priority will be given to Critical Infrastructure Committee and Subcommittee members.
Travel Information:
Shuttle service will be available to and from the NARUC Summer Policy Summit and Florida Power Light.
For more information please contact:
Jessica Diaz
Events Specialist, Center for Partnerships & Innovation
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Phone: (202) 898-2200
Fax: (202) 898-2213
Email: jdiaz@naruc.org
2:30 PM-2:45 PM
Grand Foyer
2:45 PM-3:45 PM
Room: Grand C
(Joint Meeting)
Staying up to speed on the pressures facing the water industry can be a challenge given the pace of change particularly around regulatory issues. Topics include PFAS, cybersecurity, lead and copper, and affordability.
Moderator: Hon. Michael Bange, New Jersey
Panelists:
Chris Ayers, Executive Director, North Carolina Utilities Commission Public Staff
Christine Keck, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, American Water
Sarah Musiker, Director of External Affairs, California Water Association
Joseph Pearce PE CFM, Vice President, Emerging Contaminant Program, Essential Utilities
Seán Twomey, Senior Vice President of Sunshine Water Services
Room: 2DEF
(Joint Meeting)
This panel will continue the Select Committee on Regulatory and Industry Diversity’s workforce centered series. The panelists will provide actionable insights to help organizations enhance their recruitment, training, and workforce development strategies. The discussion will cover best practices to developing a qualified, diverse talent pipeline through mentoring, networking, apprenticeships, and strategic partnerships.
Moderator: Hon. Ann E. Rendahl, Washington
Panelists:
Paul Douglass, President, The JPI Group
Cornell Johnson, Director, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Center for Energy Workforce Development
David Rutledge, Assistant Business Manager, Southeast Laborers’ District Council
Room:Grand AB
Several major electric reliability-threatening events in the last few years have emphasized the increasingly interdependent nature of natural gas and electric sectors. What are the real causes of these reliability events? What needs to change to increase the reliability and resiliency of the interdependent electric and natural gas systems. And how might state regulators play a critical role in ensuring ongoing reliability and resiliency in their states? The panelists will debate their perspectives.
Moderator: Andreas Thanos, Gas Policy Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Panelists:
Paul Hughes, Generation Policy Manager, Southern Company
Rob Perkins, Vice President, Pipeline Management, Kinder Morgan
Camilo Serna, Senior Vice President, Strategy and External Engagement, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Room: 1L
(Commission Staff Only)
Room: 2BC
Leaders in the public and private sectors are making major investments in new nuclear generation technologies. This panel will feature representatives from the federal government and Google to discuss the potential benefits and risks of their advanced nuclear initiatives.
Moderator: Hon. Tim Echols, Georgia
Panelists:
Dr. Michael Goff, Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
M. Christopher Nolan, Vice President, New Nuclear Generation Strategy and Regulatory Engagement, Duke Energy
Michelle Chang, Program Manager of Advanced Clean Technologies, Google
3:45 PM-4:00 PM
Grand Foyer
4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Room: 2DEF
Arrearage management programs, budget billing, discount rates, percentage of income payment plans, LIHEAP, and fuel fund assistance programs are all ways to help customers manage their bills. Some programs have been around for years while others are newer. With so many ways to help customers manage past debt and ongoing bills, this panel will explore what works, what doesn't, and what needs to be tweaked. What are the critical moments customers face when struggling to pay their bills and how can states and utilities proactively engage customers to minimize negative outcomes? What is the role of technology and community-based organizations to assist customers? What metrics should regulators care about most when seeking to manage uncollected payments and disconnections?
Moderator: Hon. Floyd B. McKissick Jr., North Carolina
Panelists:
Hon. Sarah Freeman, Indiana
John Howat, Senior Energy Analyst, National Consumer Law Center
Carolyn Sloan, Senior Manager - Regulatory Affairs and Market Development, Opower
Room: 2BC
Since 2018, NERC, FERC, studies by advocacy organizations and press reports have been warning that our changing electricity supply mix will lead to less reliability. The problem has grown more serious with the disorderly retirement of dispatchable resources along with economic and technology trends increasing demand for electricity. EPA regulations and other policy changes could increase the number and pace of thermal resource retirements regardless of whether adequate replacement generation is available. This panel will explore what can be done to address the retirement of dispatchable resources, meet electricity demand growth and ensure an orderly grid transition that protects reliability and affordability, including specific stopgaps that exist or could be needed to ensure grid reliability.
Moderator: Hon. Mary Throne, Wyoming
Panelists:
Michelle Bloodworth, President and Chief Executive Officer, America's Power
Fritz Hirst, Vice President, Government Affairs, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Rob Gramlich, Founder and President, Grid Strategies LLC
Jean Schafer, Senior Legislative Representative, Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Room: 1L
Joint Meeting
(Commission Staff Only)
5:00 PM-6:30 PM
Registration Open 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
8:00 AM-9:15 AM
Room: 1L (1st Floor)
Room: 1K (1st Floor)
This is NARUC 101 for new commissioners. Learn more about this unique 135-year-old Association, how it’s structured, how it works, how to get involved, AND meet NARUC leaders.
8:45 AM-9:30 AM
Grand Foyer (2nd Floor)
9:30 AM-10:45 AM
Room: Grand Ballroom
Hon. Mike La Rosa, Chair, Florida PSC
In this session, utility CEOs face regulators and consumers to discuss how they balance new resource investments and grid modernization while ensuring reliability and reasonable rates. How are decisions made concerning how and when to operationalize new initiatives? Are communication and engagement levels adequate?
Facilitators:
Hon. Rory Christian, New York
Hon. Gary Hanson, South Dakota
Hon. Jeff Hughes, North Carolina
Hon. Darcie Houck, California
Ken Thomas, State President, AARP Florida
Panelists:
Calvin Butler, President and CEO, Exelon
Susan Hardwick, CEO, American Water
Ryan Long, President, Xcel Energy Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Helen Wesley, President and CEO, TECO Peoples Gas
10:45 AM-11:00 AM
Grand Foyer
11:15 AM-12:15 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom
For the last twenty years electricity demand has grown by ten percent in the US. Some predict that there will be ten percent load growth in the next four years. This potential substantial load growth is fueled in part by data centers, electrification, and onshore manufacturing. With respect to data centers, colocation models are being discussed. Can demand spur innovation and investment to serve load? What should policymakers and regulators be examining?
Moderator: Hon. Kimberly Duffley, North Carolina
Panelists:
Kathleen Barrón, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Constellation
Tony Clark, Senior Advisor, Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer, LLP
Briana Kobor, Head of Energy Market Innovation, Google
Jason Stanek, Executive Director - Government Services, PJM Interconnection
Room: Grand AB
Electrification-driven load growth and distribution upgrades are increasing attention to utility questions around how the costs of these assets will be recovered and allocated across customer classes. This panel will cover various cost recovery impacts and planning issues associated with the clean energy transition. The following questions will be delved into:
Moderator: Hon. Milt Doumit, Washington
Panelists:
Hon. Darcie Houck, California
Jeff Deason, Energy and Environmental Policy Researcher, Energy Markets and Policy, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
John Howat, Senior Policy Analyst, National Consumer Law Center
Curtis Wynn, CEO, Seco Energy
Room: 2DEF
As the market for electric home appliances grows and the energy sector shifts away from fossil fuels, natural gas utilities are facing new risks that the current planning framework is ill-suited to address. As such, several states have been refining their processes to prevent over-investment in the system, the wrong mix of resources, or a system unable to meet the demands of customers. Hear from the states that are updating their regulations about how they are balancing objectives in an era of uncertainty and risk.
Moderator: Hon. Ann McCabe, Illinois
Panelists:
Hon. Megan Gilman, Colorado
David Barclay, Market Area Manager - DSM and Energy Policy, DNV
Annie Levenson-Falk, Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota
Rajiv Shah, Head of North American Policy and Markets, Octopus Energy Group
Room: 2BC
A carrier (or provider) of last resort (COLR) is a telecommunications company that commits or is required by law to provide service to any customer in a service area that requests it, even if serving that customer would not be economically viable at prevailing rates. A COLR serves the public good. State COLR policies are being re-evaluated as a result of the transition to broadband and increases in competition. This panel will review those changes and the requests by carriers to eliminate or modify this requirement in areas where they believe that competition, subsidized overbuild, and new technologies have removed the need for a single carrier to be designated as a COLR service provider.
Moderator: Hon. Chris Nelson, South Dakota
Panelists:
Hon. John Reynolds, California
Jessica Epley, Vice President – Regulatory & External Affairs for Ziply Fiber
Lynn Follansbee, Vice President – Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, USTelecom
Kara Semmler, Executive Director, South Dakota Telecommunications Association
Room: Grand C
(Joint Meeting)
For the water and wastewater sector, there is little dispute regarding the significant need for infrastructure investment. Layer on top of that important (but expensive) new requirements from EPA regarding lead and copper and PFAS. How will utilities and customers afford to make these investments? While federal and state grants are helpful, they are modest compared to the need and are often difficult or impossible for regulated utilities to access. Where will the capital come to meet these needs and how will the costs of that capital be passed on to consumers? This panel will discuss capital investment in utilities and how states can ensure their utilities have access to the capital markets and revenue collection tools to make needed infrastructure investments.
Moderator: Hon. John Mitchell, Missouri
Panelists:
David Bowler, Deputy CFO, American Water
Heike Doerr, Principal Analyst, S&P Global
Geoff Marke, Chief Economist, Missouri Office of the Public Counsel
Room: 1J (1st Floor)
(Closed Meeting, Commissioners and Commission Staff Only)
12:15 PM-2:00 PM
2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom
Integrated approaches for assessing the dynamic and extreme weather and wildfire risks to the electric grid are needed now more than ever. But for many states and utilities, this remains unchartered territory with no clear path. Planning for a resilient system and determining appropriate levels of insurance continues to be a complex topic for both utilities and regulators as they navigate shrinking coverage limits, higher premiums, and increasing exclusions. This panel will convene experts to explore the various insurance frameworks currently used by utilities, as well as the most-utilized coverages. Participants will also examine typical insurance-reinsurance structures, the unique challenges posed by wildfires, and alternative approaches through capital market innovations to ensure adequate levels of coverage, while maintaining customer affordability.
Moderator: Hon. John Hammond, Idaho
Panelists:
Amy Shaw, Vice President of Finance, Compliance, and Risk, Idaho Power
Andrew Dressel, Vice President, Charles River Associates
Robert LeMoine, Director, Risk Management Insurance and Analytics, Southern California Edison
David Springe, Executive Director, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates
Room: Grand AB
According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, heavy-duty, zero-emission vehicle sales share is estimated to range from 39% to 48% by 2030. Electric load is expected to increase as a result, with some areas requiring over 1000 MWh/ day to meet this new load, according to EPRI’s EVs2Scale Initiative. When and where these loads are coming are the biggest questions for utility grid planners and utility commissions. For example, fleets can acquire electric vehicles in under a year but may be advised that it will be multiple years before grid upgrades are implemented to charge them. Grid upgrades have historically been triggered by verified customer requests for new service to ensure the power will truly be needed, but the timing mismatch for EVs is slowing charger energization and creating bottlenecks. Strategic grid infrastructure upgrades will likely be required to accommodate the magnitude and speed of the new electric vehicle load. Yet, investing in grid upgrades before receiving firm load commitments raises concerns about potentially overbuilding distribution assets and saddling customers with unnecessary costs.
Join this panel to hear how the new Zero Emissions Freight Corridor Strategy seeks to increase visibility of where infrastructure is needed by prioritizing deployment along the National Highway Freight Network. Participants will also hear from experts on how states can meet clean transportation goals by supporting proactive distribution infrastructure upgrades that balance the risks and benefits of vehicle electrification for ratepayers.
Moderator: Hon. David Veleta, Indiana
Panelists:
Kang-Ching (Jean) Chu, Analyst, The Joint Office of Energy of Transportation
Cole Jermyn, Attorney, Energy Transition, Environmental Defense Fund
Ben Shapiro, Manager, RMI
Room: 2DEF
Agenda:
1. Guest Speaker: Ryan Sandmann, Legislative Affairs, Laborers' International Union of North America
A representative of LIUNA will discuss a recent FERC policy statement clarifying how the Commission will treat the use of project-area wage standards in calculating the labor cost component of jurisdictional cost-of-service rates. Discussion will also focus on workforce development opportunities and challenges for natural gas professionals.
2. Consideration of Resolutions
3. Committee Updates
Room: 2BC
The Connect America Fund Phase II and Rural Digital Opportunities Fund Reverse Auctions, better known as the CAF II and RDOF Auctions, respectively, have been hot topics for discussion ever since their inception by the FCC. Controversy about auction mechanisms, bidder vetting, bidding behaviors, and defaults continue through to the present day. Recently, a consortium of entities that were awarded bids in the RDOF auction requested that the FCC provide a period of “amnesty” allowing them to be relieved of the obligations tied to the auction, citing unforeseen rises in costs and other circumstances beyond their control. With the implementation of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program that provides $42.5 billion for broadband deployment, the requestors cite the need to provide clarity on the areas that will, or won’t, be served by the RDOF and CAF II Auction winners. This panel will debate the risks and benefits of providing auction winners with an opportunity to relinquish their obligations, and if such an opportunity were presented, whether there should be any consequences?
Moderator: Hon. Tim Schram, Nebraska
Panelists:
Carol Mattey, Mattey Consulting
Brian Ford, NTCA
Phil Macres, Klein Law
Derrick B. Owens, WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband
Room: Grand C
(Joint Meeting)
Often the discussion about regulated utilities interacting with local governments focuses on issues that arise during sales and acquisitions, but there are many other ways local governments impact the service provided by regulated utilities. Topics to be addressed during this session include understanding local government touch points, bulk sales, and long-term operations contracts.
Moderator: Hon. Jeff Hughes, North Carolina
Panelists:
Hon. Charlotte Lane, West Virginia
Carmelitha Bordelon, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Suburban Water
Paul Rowley, Vice President, Golden State Water
Cynthia Turiczek, Water Engineer, Nevada PUC
Room: 1J (1st Floor)
(Closed Meeting, Commissioners and Commission Staff Only)
3:00 PM-3:30 PM
Grand Foyer
3:30 PM-4:30 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom
Mike Nasi, Partner, Jackson Walker
Christy Walsh, Senior Attorney and Director of Federal Energy Markets, Sustainable FERC Project, Climate and Clean Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council
4:45 PM-5:30 PM
Rooms: MARC (Invitees Only) – Room 1I
MACRUC (Invitees Only) – Room 1G
Western (Invitees Only) – Room 1K
NECPUC (Invitees Only) – Room 1H
SEARUC (Invitees Only) – Room 1J
Room: 1L
Registration Open 9:00 AM-4:30 PM
8:00 AM-9:00 AM
Room: 1BC (1st Floor)
Room: 1DE (1st Floor)
(Limited spaces available)
8:45 AM-9:30 AM
Grand Foyer (2nd Floor)
9:30 AM-10:45 AM
Room: Grand Ballroom
The National Petroleum Council recently released the results of two studies conducted at the request of U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, one of which was titled “Charting the Course: Reducing GHG Emissions from the U.S. Natural Gas Supply Chain.” In this study, the NPC suggest the goals set forth in the Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario are achievable, but not without considerable challenges, including unintended consequences and significant increases in the costs to meet the goals.
This session brings together study leaders to discuss the findings and recommendations for state regulators.
Moderator: Hon. Tricia Pridemore, Georgia
Panelists:
John M. Dabbar, Managing Director, Low Carbon Technologies, ConocoPhillips
Jim Kerr, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Southern Company Gas
Daniel Yergin, Energy Authority; Author; Vice Chair, S&P Global
10:45 AM-11:15 AM
Foyer
11:15 AM-12:15 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom
The need is clear for the U.S. to upgrade its aging grid and expand transmission capacity to meet the expected rapid increase in load growth to support the reliability energy transition. With recent developments on both the distribution (Order 2222) and transmission (NEITC Corridors, FERC Orders 1920, 1977) sides of the system, there’s a continued need for grid planners to leverage the existing infrastructure. Recent studies have found Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) could generate more than $1 billion per year in cost savings in PJM, while High-Performance Conductors can double capacity on existing transmission lines and save tens of billions for consumers through 2035. For distribution systems, high-resolution data will remain an essential building block for meeting a diverse array of rapidly evolving utility needs. The recent approval of the PowerPair program (North Carolina), continue to chart a path to incorporating virtual power plant (VPP) frameworks, while the Aggregated Distributed Energy Resource Pilot Program (Texas) will provide an initial 80 MW of capacity to the grid. This panel will discuss advanced transmission technologies and opportunities on various distribution systems to help unlock additional system capacity in the short and medium term, in parallel with traditional resource planning, system upgrades, and new transmission lines.
Moderator: Hon. Kimberly Barrow, Pennsylvania
Panelists:
David A. Quier, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer - PPL Electric Utilities
Sarah Toth, Senior Associate, RMI
Chris Villareal, President, Plugged In Strategies
Room: Grand AB
Introductions – Hon. Judge Hudson, Virginia
Resolution – Hon. Davante Lewis, Louisiana
Presentation – DOE Update on Their Recent Work on DERs and Grid Edge Technologies
Speaker – Alejandro Moreno, Associate Principal DAS, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Commissioner Roundtable – A Continuation of ERE’s Discussion on Transmission Planning and Siting in Light of Recent FERC Orders
Facilitator – Hon. Stacey Paradis, Illinois
Center for Partnerships & Innovation Update – Danielle Sass Byrnett, Senior Director, NARUC
Room: 2DEF
There is not just one way to address the greenhouse gas footprint associated with natural gas use. This panel will provide insight into the approaches being considered by a diverse array of natural gas and combination utilities as well as non-utility experts. What policies help, hinder, or are needed? What factors influence their individual pathways to decarbonization and what broader factors should be considered? What insights can be gleaned from those evaluating the entire natural gas supply chain?
Moderator: Hon. Ronald Gerwatowski, Rhode Island
Panelists:
Jack Ihle, Regional Vice President, Regulatory Policy, Xcel Energy
Lesley Jantarasami, Managing Director, Energy Program, Bipartisan Policy Center
Jeremy Koster, VP, Sales and Operations Development, Duke Energy
Matt Nelson, Principal, Apex Analytics LLC and Commissioner Emeritus
Room: 2BC
Room: Grand C
(Joint Meeting)
12:15 PM-2:00 PM
2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom
Hon. Kimberly Duffley, North Carolina
Hon. Mark C. Christie, FERC and Hon. Kelsey Bagot, Virginia
Edison Electric Institute (EEI) update, Phil Moeller, Vice President
NARUC Center for Partnerships & Innovation update, Danielle Sass Byrnett, Senior Director
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) update, Ivy Lynn, Senior Advisor
Room: Grand AB
With each passing year there are both new threats to grid infrastructure and new solutions to improve customer and system resilience. On the menu of resilience investments on the distribution system are two broad categories to choose from: 1) traditional grid hardening investments that prevent infrastructure failures, and 2) DERs such as microgrids, battery storage devices, and load-shifting mechanisms. Both categories can enhance resilience, but how can we evaluate a set of criteria at each circuit that helps utilities and regulators decide the optimal investment strategy that affordably satisfies our hunger for resilience? How can distributed generation and storage systems provide resilience not only at the household or building level, but also at the community level through microgrids and virtual power plants? What are the latest approaches to understanding and valuing the relative benefits of each investment pathway, particularly in relation to the benefits of increased resilience in socially and economically vulnerable communities? How can utilities and regulators get the greatest benefit from federal funding such as the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program?
Moderator: Hon. Angie Hatton, Kentucky
Panelists:
Hala N. Ballouz, P.E., President & CEO, Electric Power Engineers, LLC
Thad Culley, Director of Public Policy, Sunrun
Jennifer Kallay, Principal Associate, Synapse Energy
Mishal Thadani, CEO, Rhizome
Room: 2DEF
In addition to powering and heating millions of homes and businesses, natural gas is at the center of an impassioned and complex debate about how the energy system of the future should look. State regulators responsible for setting just and reasonable rates for natural gas and electricity must weigh trade-offs between affordability, reliability, safety, sustainability, equity, economic growth, and other regulatory goals. Comments and data from a broad range of stakeholders are critical to making these decisions, but successful engagement depends on starting from the same set of facts. How can regulators encourage constructive discussions? What questions are more appropriate for the policy sphere than the regulatory world? When stakeholders – or regulators – disagree with one another about inputs, assumptions, or even the end goal, how can they work together to find a path forward? This panel will explore these questions and recommend strategies for productive collaboration.
Moderator: Hon. Lawrence Friedeman, Ohio
Panelists:
James Danly, Partner, Energy Regulatory, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
Robert Kenney, President, PSCo Xcel Energy
Dan LeFevers, Director, State and Consumer Programs, GTI Energy
Walt Trierweiler, Florida Office of the Public Counsel
Room: 2BC
The FCC released its Net Neutrality order reclassifying Broadband Internet Access services (and Commercial Mobile Radio Services) as “telecommunications services,” in May, raising questions about what type of State control over such services will be allowed. At the same time, by the end of its term in June, the Supreme Court will release its decision in the Loper and Relentless cases — where most expect that the Court, at a minimum, will alter and weaken the Chevron Doctrine, which currently requires Courts to uphold federal agency’s “reasonable” interpretations of “ambiguous” federal statutes. The 2005 Supreme Court Brand X decision applied Chevron to confirm an FCC reclassification of a broadband internet access (cable modem service) as an “information service” despite a 9th Circuit ruling that it was a “telecommunications service.” Since its creation in 1984, the Chevron Doctrine has been cited in 17,000 lower court decisions and 77 Supreme Court cases. Whatever the Supreme Court decides in those two cases will impact the inevitable appeal of the May FCC Net Neutrality decision, as well as other federal agency actions going forward. This panel will discuss the implications of the Supreme Court’s actions generally and the future of the FCC’s Net Neutrality decision in particular.
Moderator: Hon. Sarah Freeman, Indiana
Panelists:
Daniel H. Kahn, Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer, LPP
Kay Pashos, Taft Law Firm
Michael Santorelli, New York Law School
Room: Grand C
(Joint Meeting)
Water utilities in the United States produce some of the safest and most reliable drinking water in the world, and yet there are signs that customers have lost confidence in the quality of their drinking, take for example the popularity of bottled water for domestic use and expensive household point-of use (POU) water treatment systems. There are a variety of reasons why customers might be concerned about their water ranging from the overly aggressive and inaccurate marketing on the behalf of bottled water and POU installers to recovering from a legitimate water quality concern/event that while corrected continues to impact customer sentiment. This panel will discuss various ways that regulated water utilities and the utility commissions that oversee them can maintain customer confidence.
Moderator: Hon. Lori Cobos, Texas
Panelists:
Jo Anna Brown, Central States Water Resources
Lori Anne Dolqueist, Attorney, Nossaman LLP
Denise Free, Sr. Director, External Communications, NJ American Water
3:00 PM-3:30 PM
Grand Foyer
3:30 PM-4:45 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom
Swimming in regulatory waters is not for the faint-hearted! The NARUC Shark Tank is an opportunity for organizations to showcase new technologies, programs, resources, etc., that will benefit the regulatory community. Those in the ‘Tank’ are vying for the support of the Sharks who will determine the finalists and ultimate Grand Prize Winner. Don’t miss it!
Presentation Titles:
*NARUC Shark Tank is in no way affiliated with the Shark Tank television program.
Registration Open 9:00 AM-10:00 AM
8:00 AM-9:15 AM
Room: 2ABC
8:45 AM-9:30 AM
Grand Foyer
9:30 AM-10:45 AM
Room: Grand Ballroom
Electricity load is forecasted to multiply over the next decade and beyond. AI data centers, EV charging deployment across the transportation sector and societal electrification are driving resource planning across the country. Novel rates and contracts are needed to supply customer’s insatiable demand for power. Hear from industry leaders on how they are adapting to solve these challenges.
Moderator: Hon. Carleton B. Simpson, New Hampshire
Panelists:
Gene Rodrigues, Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy
John Bozzella, President & CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation
Kim Greene, Chair, President and CEO, Georgia Power
Teresa Ho Kim, Managing Director, JP Morgan Asset Management
Jeff Riles, Director of Energy, Microsoft
12:00 PM-3:00 PM
Room: 2ABC
(12:00 PM-1:30 PM Closed Meeting)
(1:30 PM-3:00 PM Open Meeting)