DISCUSSION TOPICS

Advancing Energy Affordability: Moving Past Point Solutions

This session focused on the role of data analytics, automation, and personalization tools to better engage customers, particularly low-to-moderate income customers, in energy assistance, energy management, and weatherization programs. Effective coordination and delivery through a variety of federal, state, and municipal agencies as well as their local electric company can be quite a challenge. Panelists discussed recent breakthroughs.

Opening Remarks: Honorable Emile Thompson, Chairman, Public Service Commission

       of the District of Columbia

Moderator: Bob Rowe, Retired CEO, NorthWestern Energy

Speakers: Jonathan Hirte, Director, Federal Affairs, DTE Energy

  Dr. Henry McKoy, Director, Office of State and Community Energy Programs, 

  U.S. Department of Energy

  Matt O’Keefe, Group VP, Head of Opower, Oracle Energy and Water

  Ted Schultz, Independent Director, E Source

Customers as a Resource: Demand Flexibility, VPPs, and the Future Grid

This session encouraged us all to look out 10 years and explore the role of customers and the resources they may bear so rapid increases in electricity demand along with increased reliance on variable renewable energy generation do not pose unmitigated resource adequacy and system cost challenges. How might market, policy, and technology advancements influence participation of demand-flexible and dispatchable customer-sited assets (e.g., heating/cooling equipment, EVs, stationary storage)? What’s our ‘win-win’ value proposition and go to market strategy with the customer participant?

Moderator: David Hutchens, President and CEO, Fortis Inc. and Co-Chair, Institute for Electric Innovation

Speakers: Lee Evans, Director, Load Flexibility and Economics, Southern Company

  David Nemtzow, Senior Advisor (Virtual Power Plants), Loan Programs Office,

  U.S. Department of Energy

  Brendan Reed, Associate VP, Growth, Sparkfund

  Neil Veilleux, Sr. Director of Market Development, Uplight

Potentials and Perils of AI

This session highlighted the promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to empower consumers and imbue efficiency and productivity throughout the electric industry value chain. Discussion also addressed strategies for AI risk management and lessons we can learn from technology providers that are supporting the integration of AI in other complex, critical industries. 

Moderator: Adam Cooper, Executive Director, Institute for Electric Innovation

Speakers: Sacha Fontaine, Principal Industry Consultant, Energy & Utilities, SAS Institute

  Maria Kretzing, General Manager, EV and Analytics, Bidgely

  Caroline Roche, VP and Senior Partner, IBM

  Raiford Smith, Chief Utility Innovation Officer, AES Corporation

Tom Kuhn, President & CEO, Edison Electric Institute

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