CUB Conference Preview: Empowering Customers in New Utility Partnerships
Posted on August 14, 2019 by Will Gehrke
Tags, Conference & Events
We are fast approaching the ninth annual CUB Policy Conference, Clean Energy Communities / Reliable Systems, on Friday November 8 at the Downtown Portland Hilton! And that means plans are taking shape for the six breakout discussions that will take place throughout the day on a variety of engaging topics. Today, I am pleased to offer a preview of one of these breakout panels: Empowering Customers in New Utility Partnerships.
The relationship between utilities and customers is changing. The traditional model of energy utilities providing service to their customers is disrupted, with new opportunities to empower customers to provide services to their utilities. To avoid costly distribution system upgrades, natural gas utilities are exploring geographically targeted energy efficiency programs. Electric utilities have launched a range of demand response, a.k.a. smart grid innovations, ranging from peak time rebates to managed EV charging. These programs involve communication between the utility and the customer, with benefits to both parties. And when the interaction is on the customer side of the meter and can provide the utility firm capacity, the benefits are even more significant.
These innovations require reliable broadband access and adjustments in customer behavior. What incentives are most effective? What steps are needed to ensure equitable benefits to both the utility and customers, especially low-income households? How are affordability and privacy concerns addressed?
Four panelists are confirmed thus far to participate, and they are a distinguished group.
Quinn Cherf, Senior Project Manager at Energy Trust of Oregon, is a team leader in collaborative work with utilities on targeted renewable energy and energy efficiency pilot projects. On this panel, Quinn will focus on ETO’s targeted load management projects.
Hector Dominguez is a CUB board member, and works as the Smart Cities Open Data Coordinator at the City of Portland. He will discuss privacy issues related to broadband access and new relationships between utilities and customers.
Dan Elliott is with the Housing Stabilization Division of Oregon Housing and Community Services. Dan will elucidate opportunities and challenges for low-income households as relationships shift between customers and utilities. Smart technology options can be of particular benefit to our low-income neighbors, but not without intentional and strategic program design.
Anna Kim, Senior Utility Analyst at the Oregon Public Utility Commission, is the primary liaison between the Energy Trust and the PUC. She will discuss issues related to new utilities programs and energy efficiency programs from the viewpoint of a regulator.
Finally, we are pleased to welcome Andy Macklin, Director of Grid Products and Integration at Portland General Electric. Andy will shed light on PGE’s smart grid test bed effort.
We look forward to informative discussion so bring your questions to this great panel.
Registration is now open for Clean Energy Communities / Reliable Systems, and you can follow conference updates by signing up for our email list, and on Twitter using the hashtag #CUBCon19. The CUB Policy Conference is designed to educate energy and utility policy analysts, attorneys, advocates, regulators, and others working in and around the energy industry. All past CUB Conferences have offered Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits from the OR and WA Bars, and we anticipate renewed accreditation for 2019.
CUB is grateful to our Polar Bear sponsors: NW Natural, Pacific Power, and Portland General Electric, as well as our Media Sponsor Clearing Up, for their invaluable support of this event. Sponsorship packages are available at a variety of levels; contact Deputy Director Janice Thompson for more information at (503)227-1984 x24, or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Stay tuned to the CUB Blog for upcoming previews of our other five breakout panel topics, as well as announcement of the 4th annual Consumer Champion award honoree!
To keep up with CUB, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
09/25/19 | 0 Comments | CUB Conference Preview: Empowering Customers in New Utility Partnerships