2020 Western Transmission Summit
The 12th Annual Western Transmission Summit will convene leaders and operators from across the Western U.S. grid to discuss new challenges and developments to the regional transmission system. As Western operators and legislators innovate new methods for grid operation, including its recent movement towards regionalization, the rest of the industry will continue to watch the West for what’s next. The 2020 Western Transmission Summit will discuss forward-thinking tools for modernization such as wind and solar integration, microgrids and the influence of DERs, and legislative developments in the aftermath of a more congested and vulnerable system. Speakers represent a variety of different perspectives from RTOs to utilities, federal legislators, and construction contractors. Hear from some of the leading voices on the future of transmission expansion in one of the most advanced areas in the world.
- Event Type:
- Conference/Seminar
- Date:
- Jan. 22-23, 2020
- Venue:
- Hilton Costa Mesa
- Location:
- Costa Mesa , CA , USA
Learning Outcomes
- Progress updates from SCE, Puget Sound Energy, SMUD, and more…
- Discuss new efforts towards system regionalization from CAISO and other Western utility operators
- Review sophisticated methods for transmission siting, planning, and the nuances of the complex western market structure
- Identify the transmission impact of the proliferation of Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) with CAISO and other western utility operators
- Prospect the implications and meaning of the new planning region, NorthernGrid.
- Discuss integration of solar and wind renewable assets onto the grid and peak load challenges
- Cover challenges and vision of FERC 1000 for transmission operators
- Identify cyber and physical resiliency improvement methods to ICS and vulnerabilities on the transmission system
- Explore FERC Order 841 and the applications of energy storage as a transmission resource
Workshop
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2020
Registration and Continental Breakfast: 8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Workshop Timing: 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Overview
The utility industry is facing extraordinary change. Demands for clean, renewable, sustainable power, an aggressively managed carbon footprint, customer choice and preferences, innovative solutions and advances in energy technology & control systems, and the internet of things (IoT) are all driving that change, notwithstanding local and regional variations. Customers, in part with third-party energy entrepreneurs, are leading the charge, demanding affordable, cost-effective, reliable, resilient, flexible and sustainable power supply, and delivery solutions. Demands for clean energy are not just to power up individual homes and businesses, but to power electric vehicles, self-sufficient and connected communities, campuses, industrial sites and smart integrated microgrids as well.
Multiple dynamics that are in play in Energy Markets, Policy Decisions, Regulatory Landscape, Rate Reform, Generation Mix, and Distributed Energy Resources are all attempting to influence, enable, and support next-generation customer demands and requirements, and … the emerging modern grid. Change is underway with a quickening pace. The embodiment of that change is in flux too, in what might be called the “sorting out” phase in the march to the next-generation utility to meet customer demands and expectations.
The traditional utility industry is right in the middle of it all, being pulled along, trying to establish its new legs in a somewhat chaotic “sorting out” environment that will establish the modern electric grid. There is no looking back. Many factors in the march to the modern grid are external to what the utility companies can control. They know the changes are coming; they have some sense of what those changes will be and how they might be accommodated and integrated into the grid. But what can they do to be prepared to ensure a stable and sustainable grid foundation for the next phase? Timing is everything.
This workshop will
- focus on grid readiness as a prerequisite to grid modernization
- examine what it means to be grid ready;
- identify and discuss preparedness considerations; and,
- identify and discuss planning for future considerations.
Workshop Agenda
Introduction: Future Ready Utility Roadmap: A Bias for Action
‘Grid Readiness to Grid Modernization’
- Drivers of Change
- Overarching Tenants
- System Performance
- Resiliency
- Reliability
- System Planning Considerations
- Utility Short Term Actions – Preparing
- Utility Long Term Actions – Sustaining
- What Does It Mean to Be Grid Ready?
- Future Ready Considerations
Workshop Instructor
Richard (Dick) Steeg, PE is a Senior Consultant with WSP USA. His 45-year career in the electric and gas utility, and transportation industries (37 years utility) is uniquely distinguished by significant depth and breadth of experience in management, design engineering, operations, maintenance, and construction. He has held several key management positions in the public, utility, and private sectors related to the effective delivery of services, and improvements in system performance. His utility career has been focused on the operations, maintenance, design, and construction of gas and electric distribution systems, and electric transmission systems. His positions have been as varied as design engineer through key leadership in all facets of the utility environment; and, as senior executive in related functions in the private sector. Dick is a decisive, focused, dedicated professional with experience-backed judgment, inspired and driven by innovation, challenge, and problem solving. He has demonstrated capability as a practitioner in developing and implementing strategic and detailed plans, programs, and solutions; and, in making key decisions. He is keenly focused on transmission and distribution utility systems asset resiliency, reliability, and system performance, namely operations and maintenance practices, all necessary tenants in support of grid readiness for the next generation utility.
Speakers
- Charles Adamson, Principal Manager, T&D Major Projects, Southern California Edison
- Carl Borgquist, President & CEO, Absaroka Energy
- Dana Cabbell, Director of Integrated System Strategy, Southern California Edison
- Johnny Casana, External Affairs and Government Relations, Pattern Energy
- Robert Cummings, Sr. Director of Engineering and Reliability for NERC
- Giovanni Damato, Principal Project Manager- Energy Storage/DER, EPRI
- Gary DeShazo, Director, Regional Coordination, CAISO
- Jerome Farquharson, Sr. Director, Compliance and Risk Management, Burns & McDonnell
- Laura Hatfield, Transmission Policy and Contracts, Puget Sound Energy
- Ali Ipakchi, Executive VP, Smart Grid & Green Power, OATI
- Emmanuel Jaramillo, Project Manager, Bonneville Power Administration
- Daniel Kline, Director of Transmission and Engineering, Black Hills Group
- Laura Manz, Director, Navigant
- Bob Smith, VP Transmission Planning & Development, TransCanyon
- Tom Ray, Project Manager, SunZia Transmission
- Bruce Rew, Senior VP, Operations, Southwest Power Pool
- Erik Takayesu, VP of Transmission, Substations, and Operations, Southern California Edison
- Jeremy Twitchell, Energy Research Analyst, PNNL
- Claudia Valenzuela, Public Affairs Manager, Sempra
- Steve Wellner, Director, Division of Electric Power Regulation- West, FERC
- Byron Woertz, Manager, System Adequacy Planning, WECC
- Tom Wray,, Project Manager, Southwestern Power Group (SPP)
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