People In Power

Ten Commissioners from varied parts of the nation answered these questions: What are the most important needs for electric power infrastructure? What are your greatest concerns about infrastructure? How should utility regulation adjust to these needs and concerns, if at all? How different will electric power infrastructure be in the year 2040?

This panel, Recharging the Role of Regulators with Zero-Emission Vehicles, took on the nascent market of public charging stations with regulated and unregulated players. Regulated entities may, or may not, have rates designed for public EV charging.

This panel at CAMPUT 2024 on Building and Maintaining Trust: The Art and Craft of Today's Communication, examined how in today's energy sector dynamic landscape, effective communication is key to building and maintaining trust. Public trust drives participation in regulatory processes and enhances credibility. This session delved into innovative strategies and platforms.

This panel, Incentivize and Optimize: A Paradigm Shift in Rate Design, discussed new approaches to rate design. How can the abundance of data now available be used to inform decision making? How can or should rate design influence customer behavior to optimize the use of energy resources and the energy transition?

“Our service area is among the lowest cost of living in the country, and we play a big role with our low rates. Our rates need to stay attractive. We’re investing in opportunities to make our communities better so we can continue to widen that competitive advantage we have with our rates.”

Hydro has been critical to the integration of renewable energy. You couldn’t build enough renewables across a portfolio or a geographic area that could provide the kind of flexibility and reliability that hydro brings.

Hydropower’s role as a balancing resource is going to be more important than ever. Hydropower is reliable, flexible, and clean, which makes it a perfect companion to intermittent renewable energy resources.

PUF’s Paul Kjellander talked with two leaders on all issues pertaining to hydropower and what its future looks like. Bonneville Power Administration CEO John Hairston and Idaho Power CEO Lisa Grow have much to say on this important subject.

“The idea of building a safe, resilient utility in California where climate ambitions are high, and the call for PG&E to be able to serve so we can lead the clean energy transition was compelling. I felt that could be a very important body of work professionally, but also personally to know I did something that made a difference.”

“I’m pulling every lever we have to make sure we meet the reliability needs and coordinate the gas and electric side. What’s clear to me is we need somebody, it doesn’t have to be me, FERC, or NERC. We need somebody to step into that gap and make sure they’re focused on the job of protecting our gas reliability.”