2021 CUB Conference Panel Preview - Meeting Oregon’s Energy Demand
Posted on September 10, 2021 by Will Gehrke
Tags, Conference & Events
The 11th annual CUB Energy Policy Conference, Changing Climates: Reliability and Resilience in our Energy Systems, is only five weeks away! Taking place virtually on October 15, this conference is designed to educate energy and utility policy analysts, attorneys, advocates, regulators, and others working in and around the energy industry. Early Bird pricing ends on September 24, so now is the time to register. Today we’re pleased to offer a sneak peek at the breakout panel Meeting Oregon’s Energy Demand: Lessons from California and the Northwest.
During a region-wide wide heat wave in August 2020, California was forced to implement rotating outages due to capacity shortfalls. Last winter, Portland experienced three consecutive days above 105 degrees. Extreme weather events are making it harder for utilities to estimate electricity demand and supply based on seasonal patterns. Combined with the shift to less-predictable clean energy, this challenges system reliability.
As part of the clean energy transition, regional coal units such as Centralia, Boardman, and Colstrip are being retired. No region in the Western United States generates enough electricity to meet needs during periods of high demand; each relies on imports. How should Oregon handle peak electricity demands? What role does the Northwest Power Pool’s Western Resource Adequacy Program have in ensuring reliable electricity? Are storage resources an economic way to meet peak demands?
This panel discussion will help answer these and other questions for the CUB Conference audience. We are grateful to have a remarkable group of panelists on board for this session: Ahmad Faruqui, PhD, Principal at The Brattle Group; Lea Fisher, Senior Policy Analyst, Public Generating Pool; Ben Kujala, Director of Power Planning at Northwest Power and Conservation Council; and Darrington Outama, Senior Director of Power Operations, Portland General Electric.
CUB could not put on this event without the generous support of our sponsors, particularly Polar Bear sponsors NW Natural, Pacific Power, and Portland General Electric; and Media sponsor Clearing Up. Sponsorship packages are available at a variety of levels; for information about CUB Conference sponsorship opportunities, contact Thomas Jerin at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (503) 227-1984 ext. 0.
Stay tuned to the CUB Blog for continuing previews of the 2021 CUB Conference agenda. You can also receive conference news right in your inbox by joining our email list (select “Policy Conference” in the sign-up form), and we encourage readers to join the conversation on Twitter at #CUBCon21.
To keep up with CUB, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
10/01/21 | 0 Comments | 2021 CUB Conference Panel Preview - Meeting Oregon’s Energy Demand