7th Annual Grid Modernization Forum
- Event Type:
- Conference/Seminar
- Date:
- May 10-11, 2022
- Venue:
- Chicago Conference Ceter
- Location:
- Chicago , IL , USA
Agenda
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
8:15 - 9:15 am
Registration and Welcome Coffee
9:15 - 9:45 am
Opening Keynote Address
- Scott Vogt, Vice President - Strategy, Energy Policy and Revenue Initiatives
ComEd
9:45 - 11:00 am
Grid Modernization: What is Holding Us Back?
A recent report by the National Conference of State Legislatures shared an eye-opening statistic: '60% of the U.S. distribution lines have surpassed their 50-year life expectancy and it is estimated that $1.5 to $2 trillion will be spent by 2030 to modernize the grid just to maintain reliability'. Utilities and regulators are between rock and a hard place as they try to balance the needs to modernize the grid and ever-increasing affordability concerns. In this panel, we will hear perspectives on how to move forward more quickly on the grid modernization investments and ways to make this transition palatable for utilities, regulators and customers.
- Sanem Sergici, Principal, The Brattle Group
- Carlos Nouel, Vice President - Transformation Programs, National Grid
- Karen G. Wayland, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Gridwise Alliance
11:00 - 11:30 am
Networking Coffee Break
11:30 - 12:00 pm
Achieving Grid Edge Operations Flexibility via Non-Wires Alternatives
Distribution system planners and operators are facing more challenges today than ever before. Maintaining reliable power delivery on a least-cost basis now means managing distributed generation interconnections as well as electrification of both personal vehicles and fleets. Many of these challenges can trigger capital upgrades which are not just costly, but logistically challenging. This presentation will discuss some of the challenges at the grid edge, both from a planning and from a operational perspective, and some of the non-wires technology options for managing these challenges.
- What is typical visibility of the grid edge, and what data is currently being used for distribution planning?
- What planning challenges exist when trying to evaluate non-wires alternative technologies?
- What are the operational limitations of different non-wires alternatives technologies?
- Charles Murray, P.E., President, Switched Source
12:00 - 1:00 pm PDT
Lunch Break
1:00 - 2:15 pm
Serving the Energy Consumer - Current Behaviors, Preferences and Requirements
In this session, we will provide a high-level overview of residential energy customers in the United States and their interests, concerns, motivations and behaviors around energy. Using the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative's nationally representative customer research as a starting place for discussion, we will specifically examine interest in electric vehicles and smart home devices, the needs of renters and lower-income consumers, consumer concerns and interests around their energy data and more. Finally, we will also highlight programs from electricity providers that have successfully educated and/or engaged consumers in the time of COVID-19.
- Jason McGrade, Deputy Director, Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC)
2:15 - 2:45 pm
Networking Coffee Break
2:45 - 3:15 pm
Renewables and the Grid: Friends - Not Enemies - When Managed Collaboratively
Renewable resources on the distribution grid have long been viewed as having a negative impact, but that assumption is being challenged by today's innovative utilities. With grid modeling powered by rich data and active control, renewable generation - especially utility-scale renewable generation - can play a positive role in supporting the grid. Combining fast and robust data communication, collaborative management, and communication between smart inverters and the grid, renewable generation - including distributed energy resources (DER) - can be utilized to improve grid reliability, stability, and power quality.
This session will share perspectives on DER management and data analytics, and what we've learned in helping utilities pioneer the creation of a grid in harmony with distributed generation.
- Leah Crochet, Distribution Engineer, CMY Solutions
3:15 - 3:45 pm
Strategies for Achieving Sustainability Targets While Optimizing Generation and Improving Revenues
Considering changing energy market dynamics as well as increased penetration of renewable energy assets to the electric grid, power producers may increasingly rely on sophisticated energy management software to achieve sustainability targets, while optimizing generation and improving revenues.
This session will examine case studies, including a recently commissioned 40 MW / 80 MWh solar-plus-storage facility in Georgia, that use energy management software and machine learning for value-based asset management. We will also discuss what mainland grid systems can learn from island grids. For example, on the island of Graciosa, Wärtsilä introduced a 6 MW / 3.2 MWh energy storage system and smart energy management software. The result was reduced local grid reliance on imported fuel and lower greenhouse gas emissions by boosting renewable energy penetration from 15% to 65%.
- Kate Sherwood, Business Director, Energy Storage, Wärtsilä Energy
3:45 - 4:15 pm
Next Generation Distribution Management Systems
No portion of the power grid has been impacted more by grid modernization than the electric distribution system. The grid is transforming from a more centralized generation system to one with a significant portion of demand supplied by distributed energy resources (DERs) and the use of microgrids for enhanced grid resiliency. The next generation distribution management system will need to incorporate more intelligence and advanced functionality to support these changes in the operation, monitoring and control of the future distribution grid.
One part of ADMS (Advanced Distribution Management System) functionality that currently lacks adequate consideration is modelling and management of DERs. A standalone DERMS provides services for managing grid level events but is not suitable for managing localized distribution system operating problems and optimizing the reliability, efficiency, and performance of individual substations and feeders. The latter capability is primarily the responsibility of the ADMS. This session will compare the functionality of a standalone DERMS with an ADMS and discuss a proposed approach to accomplish the DER-Enabled ADMS.
- Stuart Borlase, Principal Consultant, ESTA International
4:15 - 5:30 pm
Drink Reception
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
8:15 - 9:15 am
Morning Coffee
9:15 - 10:30 am
Long-Duration Energy Storage: Technology Advances and Business Models
While shorter duration storage is currently being installed to support today's level of renewable energy generation, longer duration storage technologies are needed as more renewables are deployed on the grid. Long-duration technology can output stored energy at full capacity for longer than four hours -- the typical length of storage for lithium-ion batteries. Cheaper and more efficient storage will make it easier to capture and store renewable clean energy for use when energy generation is unavailable or lower than demand.
This session will examine key advances in the long-duration energy storage space, including large-scale advanced compressed air energy storage, geomechanical pumped storage, and thermodynamic compressed C02 storage above ground. Enabling technologies as well as business models for each will be examined.
- Richard Brody, Vice President - Business Development, Quidnet Energy
- Rembrandt Niessen, Chief Commercial Officer, Energy Dome
- Jon Norman, President, Hydrostor
10:30 - 11:00 am
Networking Coffee Break
11:00 - 12:30 pm
Smart Building Electrification and the Next-Gen Grid
Strategies to reduce GHG emissions are being explored and adopted by an increasing number of sectors and industries. Many entities are looking to electrification to replace carbon based fuel sources. The building sector could make a huge impact on GHG reduction with a move toward electrification. Electrification of buildings, in particular, formerly carbon based fuel space heating, will greatly increase the demand on the electric grid. This panel looks at the technologies which may be relied on to increase building electrification. Here we discuss strategies and innovations with companies involved in electrification in commercial, single and multi-family residential sectors. We get input from companies:
- Engaged in building electrification pilots with utilities
- Advancing cold climate heat pump technologies
- Working to bring heat pumps to subsidized or lower income housing
- Introducing advances in magnetocaloric and magnetic induction heating
- The view from utilities regarding the move toward building electrification
- Eric McDonald, Director, Infrastructure Development, NextEnegy
- Scott Schuetter, Principal Engineer, Slipstream
- Louise Sharrow, Manager, Research & Innovation, Elevate Energy
- Steven Labarge, Senior Business Analyst, Commonwealth Edison
- Matt Gurwin, Co-Founder, Heat X
12:30 - 1:30 pm PDT
Lunch Break
1:30 - 3:00 pm
EV Charging, Microgrids and Demand Response: Building the Grid of the Future
The global electric vehicle charging infrastructure market is expected to reach USD 8,037.12 million in 2021, at a CAGR 39.67% to reach USD 46,021.15 million by 2026. Therefore regulators, government authorities, utility providers, charge network operators and technology providers must work together to support the transition into EVs.
In this session, we will discuss experiences and strategies in building a smart charging infrastructure that will ensure the vehicle-to-grid connection is resilient, reliable, and ready to take the needs of the future customer. We will also be examining the linkage between microgrids and integrating electric vehicles, and the technologies required to facilitate the transition. Topics to be addressed include:Grid services and demand response programs needed to manage EV charging loads
Unlocking EV charging as a flexible energy user class and ensure a reliable energy supply.
- Delivering a driver-centric managed charging experience
- Initiatives, plans and policies that leading organizations have taken to electrify mobility
- How to scale up an existing charging networking to meet future demand
- The role utilities play in ramping up charging infrastructure and the challenges they will face
- Different business models that are making electric vehicle infrastructure and microgrids accessible
- Ken Vergara, P.E., Director, Utility Solutions, Schneider Electric
- Ram Ambatipudi, Senior Vice President, Energy & Utilities, EV Connect
- Mathias Bell, Director of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, WeaveGrid
Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities
Highlight your industry expertise as a sponsor or exhibitor
Sponsors receive a range of valuable exposure opportunities for highlighting their involvement in the Forum and maximizing their interaction with attendees. Prominent logo positioning on event website, tabletop exhibit space, and an opportunity to distribute corporate information directly to attendees are just a few benefits of sponsoring or exhibiting.
Event Venue
Chicago Conference Center
205 W. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605
Located in downtown Chicago's Loop, the Chicago Conference Center is steps away from the city's magnificent lakefront with world-renowned Millennium and Grant Parks, marvelous museums, restaurants and retail shopping.
Attendees and Feedback
'The virtual experience was good and the content was well delivered; topics were timely and well curated in terms of who and what was presented. A good mix of speakers and topics.'
- Gary Brinkworth, Senior Advisor - Innovation & Research, TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
'The subjects and the subject matter experts were all highly informative. Very well organized and presented by SGO'
- Eric McDonald, Director - Infrastructure Development, NextEnergy
'Excellent conference, great presentations and Q&A. Great job holding a virtual conference in these difficult times!'
- Matt Haakenstad, Sr Director, Electric Services, World Kinect Energy Services
'Great new topics and new information from presentations. Well done!'
- Steffen Ziegler, Director - Signal Analysis and AI, IMCORP
'Excellent'
- Brian Patterson, Chairman, EMerge Alliance
Organizations That Participated in Prior Editions of the Grid Modernization Forum Incude:
- ABB
- ABB Enterprise Software
- Accenture Strategy
- AECOM
- Alliant Energy
- Ameren
- AES Corporation
- American Renewable Energy
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Black & Veatch
- Boice Dunham Group
- Bourntec Solutions
- CB&I
- CEIVA Energy
- Chicago Booth School of Business
- ClimateWire/Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC.
- Commonwealth Edison
- Con Edison
- CPS Energy
- DataInsights
- DC Public Service Commission
- Department of Energy and Environment, District of Columbia
- DePaul University
- E9 Insight
- Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
- Elevate Energy
- Elmar
- eluminocity US Inc.
- EnergySavvy
- Energyworx
- Enphase Energy
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Eversource Energy
- Exelon Utilities
- G&W Electric
- Gehrs Consulting
- Graycor
- Greenlots
- GrowthFuel
- Hammond Group, Inc.
- Hawaiian Electric Company
- Hendrix Aerial Cable Systems
- ICF International
- Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
- INTECH
- IPERC
- Joule Assets
- Kisensum
- Korea Polytechnic University
- Landis+Gyr
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Leidos Engineering
- LEM USA Inc.
- Lockheed Martin Energy
- Market Strategies International
- Microgrid Institute
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Modern Grid Solutions
- M-WERC
- National Grid
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Navigant Research
- NEMA
- Nexant
- Nord Strategy Group
- Northern Power
- NRG Energy
- NRG Evgo
- Oil and Gas Investments Bulletin
- Oncor Electric Delivery
- Open Access Technology International
- Pacific Northwest National Lab
- PJM Interconnection
- POWER Engineers
- Research Into Action
- Ryn Hamilton Consulting
- S&C Electric Company
- Sargent & Lundy LLC
- Schweitzer Engineering Labs
- Silver Spring Networks
- Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP 2.0)
- SMUD
- Southern California Edison
- Sunrun
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- The Blackstone Group
- U.S. Department of Energy
- University of Illinois - Chicago
- University of Milwaukee
- Utilidata
- UtiliWorks Consulting
- WECC
- West Monroe Partners
- WindyCitySDR
- WIPRO
- Woolpert Inc.
- Xcel Energy
Media partners
ABI Research provides strategic guidance for visionaries needing market foresight on the most compelling transformative technologies, which reshape workforces, identify holes in a market, create new business models and drive new revenue streams. ABI's own research visionaries take stances early on those technologies, publishing groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms. ABI analysts deliver their conclusions and recommendations in easily and quickly absorbed formats to ensure proper context. Visit www.abiresearch.com.
Microgrid Institute, formed in 2013, provides expertise and resources to support sustainable and resilient local energy development. We help communities and commercial energy users to design, develop, and deploy the innovative and competitive onsite energy systems they need to achieve their goals.
Visit www.microgridinstitute.org
The OpenADR Alliance was created to standardize, automate, and simplify Demand Response (DR) and Distributed Energy Resources (DER) to enable utilities and aggregators to cost-effectively manage growing energy demand & decentralized energy production, and customers to control their energy future. OpenADR is an open, highly secure, and two-way information exchange model and Smart Grid standard. Together we are creating the future of smart grid modernization today. Join us!
enerG is North America's leading publication about the renewable energy industry. From wind to solar to geothermal to biomass-and more-enerG covers the entire spectrum of renewable energy. With stories from across North America, enerG provides extensive coverage of what is probably the fastest growing industry in the world today. Visit www.altenerg.com
The Green Button Alliance initiative is an industry-led effort to respond to a White House call-to-action to provide electricity customers with easy access to their energy usage data in a consumer-friendly and computer-friendly format. The Green Button effort was created with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP), the Utility Communications Architecture International Users Group (UCAIug), and the White House. The North American Energy Standards Board's Energy Services Provider Interface (NAESB ESPI standard) serves as the basis for Green Button technology by providing a model for business practices, use cases, and an XML schema for the standard. Visit greenbuttonalliance.org.
Mercom Capital Group is a global communications and consulting firm focused exclusively on clean energy and financial communications. Mercom's consulting division advises cleantech companies on new market entry, market intelligence, and overall strategic decision making. Mercom's consulting division also delivers highly respected industry market intelligence reports covering Solar, Storage, Grid and Efficiency technologies. Our reports provide timely information on industry happenings and ahead-of-the-curve analysis for C-level decision makers. Mercom's communications division helps clean energy companies and financial institutions build powerful relationships with media, analysts, government decision-makers, communities, and strategic partners. Visit www.mercomcapital.com
AltEnergyMag.com is a dedicated online B2B publication featuring minute by minute news, daily hot stories, along with weekly articles, interviews and case studies featuring key issues about various Alternative Energy Technologies ... always at the cutting edge.
northeast group, llc is a research and consulting firm based in Washington, DC with expertise in the smart infrastructure and smart grid sectors. We analyze and forecast how smart infrastructure will be deployed at utilities and in smart cities. This is sometimes referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT) or machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. We publish market research studies, datasets and offer custom research services. Visit www.northeast-group.com.
Guidehouse Insights, the dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, provides research, data, and benchmarking services for today's rapidly changing and highly regulated industries. Our insights are built on in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The team's research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research, and demand assessment, paired with a deep examination of technology trends, to provide a comprehensive view of emerging resilient infrastructure systems. Additional information about Guidehouse Insights can be found at www.guidehouseinsights.com.
Midwest Energy News is a nonprofit news site dedicated to keeping stakeholders, policymakers, and citizens informed of the important changes taking place as the Midwest shifts from fossil fuels to a clean energy system. Check us out and sign up for our daily email digest at www.midwestenergynews.com.
Clocate.com is a leading international directory for worldwide conferences and exhibitions. Clocate.com is equipped with a unique and comprehensive search that helps you find easily any event in any category or location. Each event includes detailed information, like, description, dates, location, map, prices, link to the event's website and more.
Contact Us
To contact us about the Grid Modernization Forum in May, please click here
Or, you can reach out to the program manager at info@grid-modernization-forum.com | +1-815-310-3343
We look forward to seeing you in Chicago!
Customer comments
No comments were found for 7th Annual Grid Modernization Forum. Be the first to comment!