GridFWD Virtual Summit: Managing and Modernizing the Grid Under Stress

Join the GridFWD Virtual Summit to hear from industry experts on grid modernization, resiliency and analytics.

Tuesday, November 16th 9am-1pm PST. Register here.

The gathering will feature updates at the federal level about significant legislation and administration priorities as well as at the regional level with on-the-ground updates from key modernization efforts. Detailed agenda below:

Opening and Overview of the Federal Legislation Impacting the Grid

9:00 AM Pacific — Opening Discussion

The House and Senate have passed the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act that puts $1.2 trillion of resources in motion to support critical infrastructure across the country. Included in the package is about $100 billion of funding to capabilities of the grid and energy systems. Leaders on the front line of this package will share an overview of the key pieces of this legislation for advancing our grid. 

Transformation to an Integrated Grid 

9:30 AM Pacific — Group discussion

Seattle City Light and Portland General Electric are not just two of the largest Pacific NW utilities working to meet 100% clean energy requirements. They are also industry-leading organizations that are bridging the path to what advanced grid capabilities can achieve to meet dynamic energy needs. They are each charting a course to a clean energy future, and a smarter, more integrated grid. Portland General Electric has recently filed a comprehensive distribution system plan (DSP); is implementing an advanced distribution management system (ADMS); is expanding the Smart Grid Test Bed project in the community; and has completed its Integrated Operations Center (IOC) to further resiliency and reliability of their grid and more. Seattle City Light has recently completed technology roadmap plans; is implementing its electrification strategy; is deploying more community resources (like microgrids); is determining the best path forward in regional energy markets and more. Join this conversation to see how these two utilities are putting their tech roadmaps into action. 

Importance of Public-Private Partnerships to Accelerate Innovation at Speed and Scale

10:00 AM Pacific — Group discussion

What does it take to bring new advanced critical grid capabilities forward as a reality? Sure it takes technological breakthroughs and funding and certainly markets capable to adopt these solutions. Yet one of the areas often overlooked aspects is the critical partnership between industry and federal agencies. The National Labs are often called the crown jewels of the U.S. DOE. Bringing the fundamental research and analytical weight of agencies like NREL with the innovation and commercial scaling capabilities of industry from leading companies like Microsoft and GE holds the potential to unlock dramatic opportunities for bringing future possibilities into the present reality of how we run our electric grid. This is especially important as the grid ecosystem expands to include grid-interactive buildings, extensive distributed energy resources, electric mobility and electricity for industry at scales heretofore unseen. This discussion will explore how critical partnerships can be formed and the role these relationships play in the unfolding energy transition.

Doug Arent, Executive Director Strategic Partnerships, NREL

Scott Harden, CTO Energy, Microsoft

Danielle Merfeld, CTO, GE Renewable Energy

Energy in Motion in Europe: Markets, Transition, & Recovery 

10:30 AM Pacific — Live podcast

Europe has been quite active with regards to energy of late. Natural gas and other energy-related prices have been quite volatile. The green energy recovery strategy is unfolding but within a complex pandemic backdrop. The energy transition continues, although with some bumps in the road. The UK finished its Brexit and wrapped up hosting COP26 last week. Germany has a new Prime Minister. Did we say it’s been busy? We will have a live edition of the Grid Forward Chats podcast with two podcasters themselves. Gerard Reid and Laurent Segalen are investors in the energy transition who co-host the podcast Redefining Energy and will help us understand some of the complexity around energy and grid issues in motion in Europe. 

Bryce Yonker, Executive Director, Grid Forward

Gerard Reid, Redefining Energy Podcast and Alexa Capital

Laurent Segalen, Redefining Energy Podcast and Megawatt-X

Supply Chain Challenges and Impacts on the Grid and Renewable Energy Markets

11:00 AM Pacific — Presentation

The global emergence from the ‘COVID economy’ and resulting supply chain challenges has emerged as one of the most significant issues impacting both immediate and mid-term transition capabilities to meet grid resiliency and support energy transition objectives. Short-term concerns, such as supply availability and adequacy of key grid technology and replacement parts to address weather and environmental events, are meeting mid- to long-term concerns including the backlog for battery energy storage and solar components and cross-industry competition for chip technology. Front-line experts will provide a brief update and status report cutting across both immediate T&D grid and renewable energy technology delivery requirements impacted by the supply chain crisis.

Scott Roesle, AVP Procurement Operations Power, Black & Veatch

Kelli Thompson, Sr Procurement Operations Manager Renewable Energy, Black & Veatch

Federal Legislation Moves and Impact of the Tax Incentive Package

11:30 AM Pacific — Remarks and in-discussion 

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has long been a champion of supporting the advanced capabilities of our electric grid and energy systems. Still a member of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee (where he formerly served as Chair U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has long been a champion of supporting the advanced capabilities of our electric grid and energy systems. He is a senior member and former chair of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, and currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, which authored the clean energy tax incentives that are the linchpin of efforts to combat climate change. The Senator authored significant provisions in the now-passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act(bipartisan infrastructure bill) to improve grid resiliency and is central in the negotiations for the Build Back Better legislation (reconciliation spending package). Senator Wyden will share thoughts on the impacts of the tax package in the federal legislation to move us toward a clean energy future, as well as other critical aspects supporting the grid in this historic moment of congressional action. 

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee

Pat Reiten. Sr VP Public Policy, Berkshire Hathaway Energy

DOE is Serious about Advancing the Grid

12:00 noon Pacific — Remarks and in-discussion

The U.S. Department of Energy has been active and busy rolling up its sleeves to engage topics for advancing capabilities of the grid. The recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (bipartisan infrastructure bill) will certainly only accelerate this work. From advanced tools for grid simulation and modeling for national resiliency to new competitions for energy storage and planning for transmission corridors, the diversity of work aligns to the complex needs of the electric grid. The Deputy Secretary will share about initiatives and priorities at the agency and how industry can engage with and benefit from the work that DOE is embarking upon. 

U.S. Dept. of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk

Discuss Sessions with DOE Leadership

12:30 PM Pacific — Group Discussions

After the Deputy Secretary’s remarks we will break into smaller discussion groups where leaders from the U.S. Department of Energy will share on some of the latest efforts to accelerate grid capabilities. The agency leaders look forward to your feedback and ideas in these discussion topics. As the DOE dives in even further with its work, take this opportunity to share your insights around priorities for their programs. 

This event is free for the Grid Forward community, register here.

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