People

Each October, PUF highlights and celebrates innovators at utilities with our Top Innovator Awards and at our Fortnightly Top Innovators conference.

Speakers showcased technologies and solutions to reduce carbon emissions, save households money, improve the economy, build resilience, and protect U.S. security interests at the 27th Annual expo, hosted by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses.

At the Nuclear Energy Security Summit, the Chairs of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness joined many other leaders at this conference on this latest nuclear renaissance that promises to deliver an impressive variety and number of new plant designs as a part of the energy transformation.

MACRUC President and Kentucky Chair Kent Chandler opened MACRUC's Annual Education Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. He later handed that MACRUC leadership position to Virginia Chair Jehmal Hudson.

Public Utilities Fortnightly hosted its popular Summer Summit Soapbox Luncheon on at the Hilton West Palm Beach in July. Volunteers made two-minute soapbox speeches on anything related to utility regulation and policy, with humor if they chose, in prose, rhyme or song.

The NARUC Summer Policy Summit convened in West Palm Beach under sunny Florida skies in July. The State Commissioners who regulate essential utility services in the public interest had a successful gathering of energy and utilities leaders to share thoughts and ideas in the face of change.

“Even though there are differences of opinions, I try to establish common goals, with both MACRUC and NARUC. I always stress the importance of a Commissioner’s role to ensure reliable and affordable service. Also, I make sure there are opportunities for dialogue and collaboration.”

The USEA's Annual Membership Meeting and Public Policy Forum celebrated its 100th Anniversary this year. Always a top focus is the expansion and enhancement of energy supply and delivery to all peoples of the world and certainly those in developing countries. Panels at the Public Policy Forum discussed impressive advances in South America and eastern Europe particularly.

With Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4 now complete, the four nuclear units together are expected to generate more than 30 million megawatt hours annually. Attending the celebration of the project’s completion were Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Southern Company CEO Chris Womack, and Southern Company’s Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene.

Among those at the ceremony on May 24 to switch on the microgrid were U.S. Senator Dick Durbin; U.S. DOE Assistant Secretary for Electricity Gene Rodrigues; City of Chicago’s Chief Operating Officer John Roberson; Illinois Commerce Commission’s Commissioner Stacey Paradis; and ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones.