We bring regional industry experts to your desktop or smartphone through Grid Forward Chats, our podcast series, and Grid Forward Insights presentations on YouTube.
We work with our members, advisors and friends to bring you current expert insights on how to pursue grid modernization, no matter what challenges are facing our community. Check out:
In about half an hour, each Grid Forward Chats episode gives you candid insights, new observations and a feel for how a prominent industry leader thinks, feels and grapples with the fast evolving energy landscape. You can find Grid Forward Chats on on these top podcast app: Apple, Google, Spotify and Podbean. Or follow the link below to listen through your browser. Subscribe to Grid Forward Chats to be first to hear upcoming episodes.
If you would have a great idea for a topic or a person who should be on Grid Forward Chats, please contact Bryce.
Listen into our in-depth conversation with Carl Imhoff who beyond his role with Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) leads the Grid Modernization Lab Consortium, a partnership of the U.S. national labs. PNNL and other national labs are doing both basic and applied research to make the power grid more resilient, flexible and secure. Don’t know much about dynamic contingency analysis or remedial action schemes for grid operational continuity? This is a great chance to get up to speed. Working on networked phasor measurement units, future grid architectures or grid scale storage? Get a sense for how our national resources are working to move them ahead. Listen into what PNNL and the national labs are doing to support industry.
We chat with Stefan Bird, President and CEO of Pacific Power, a division of PacifiCorp. PacifiCorp serves customers across a number of western states and the scale of its operations is rather unique in the west. Hear about the 6,000 MW – yes, 6GW! – of renewable resources included in its most recent request for proposals. In working across hundreds of communities in the wider region, Stefan explains how the utility is putting innovation to work to continue bringing reliable, low-cost energy to its customers.
Listen to this fascinating chat with Rich Sedano, the CEO of Regulatory Assistance Project, a non-profit that provides policy advice and technical assistance on utility and energy issues to governments around the world. We focus on issues in the US, diving headfirst into deep topics like these: the prospects for performance-based regulation expansion; breaking down silos between agencies and sectors; where energy infrastructure can support equity outcomes; how regulators and government agencies can have more active relationships with utilities and the market; encouraging the diversity of solutions for delivery of electric services; how innovation can come through utilities; shifting utility structures to optimize investments; solutions for expanding customer and grid resiliency; metrics for tracking important progress and outcomes; leveraging the power system as a strategic resource for solving wider societal challenges and more. If you are interested in any way with utility business models and regulatory and energy market structures, don’t miss this discussion! .
Portland General Electric has a long history of innovation with its grid operations and community engagement. Listen to CEO Maria Pope discuss their priorities as they keep customers at the core while ensuring financial stability and putting their innovative thinking into practice. Maria covers topics announced just before the session recording including: Portland General’s new program for 500 customers to install at-home storage; how their three-substation smart grid test bed has reached 56% of customer participation with some flexible load management; projects with regional stakeholders to optimize renewable energy resources; and how they stood at the center of support of the recently passed House bill on transportation electrification support. While the health and economic crises have affected capital expenditures and operating expenses, hear how Portland General remains dedicated to having a clean, resilient system that meets the needs of the customers and communities they serve.
Episode 5 – Making People Part of the Energy Solution at Uplight with Justin Segall, Chief Strategy Officer, Uplight
Episode 4 – Seattle City Light Adjusts Plans and Prioritizes Customers During the COVID-19 Pandemic with Debra Smith, CEO, Seattle City Light
Episode 3 – Putting Grid Modernization to the Test in Tacoma with Jackie Flowers, Director of Tacoma Public Utilities
Episode 2 – Regulatory and Business Model Toolkit in Dealing with COVID Impacts with Matthew McDonnell, Consulting Director at Strategen
Episode 1 – Modernizing Regulation in Hawaii for Renewables Through and Beyond the Pandemic with Hawaii PUC Commissioner Jennie Potter
Subscribe and listen to Grid Forward Chats on the Podbean app and website.
Watch our Grid Forward Insights videos in which you can hear from key people in our community about new data, trends and insights into grid modernization today. Please Subscribe to our YouTube Channel so you are first in line for new videos – and share it with others.
LADWP Load Impacts and Adjusted Forecasts from COVID-19 with Lous Ting, Director of Power Planning Development & Engineering at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Global Electric Load Impacts from COVID-19 with Mark McGranaghan, VP of Innovation at EPRI
Trends in Grid Venture Investing in the Midst of a Health and Economic Crisis with Cassie Bowe, Vice President of Energy Impact Partners.
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