CUB Conference Preview: Wholesale Markets: Decarbonization and Reliability
Posted on October 29, 2019 by Bob Jenks
Tags, Conference & Events
CUB’s ninth annual Energy Policy Conference, Clean Energy Communities / Reliable Systems, will take place on Friday November 8 at the Downtown Portland Hilton. Tickets are still available, but we are now just one week away from the deadline for advance registration (12pm on Tuesday November 5)! A limited number of tickets will be available at the door, but we recommend securing your ticket now to ensure you can participate in this engaging day of energy policy discussion. I’m pleased to offer the sixth and final installment of our CUB blog series previewing each of the breakout panels at this year’s conference. Today’s blog is an overview of the panel Wholesale Markets: Decarbonization and Reliability.
Our utilities are constantly buying and selling power in wholesale energy markets. These markets are competitive and volatile with cost implications for participating utilities and, in turn, the customers of those utilities. Utilities in the northwest have found that joining the Regional Energy Imbalance Market has lowered costs. Our panelists will explain current and emerging options for moving this power around, emphasizing how regional wholesale markets could bolster decarbonization while also addressing reliability.
What, for instance, is the interplay between the growing energy imbalance market and possible creation of a day-ahead market? How might regional markets affect our ability to meet current and future decarbonization goals? Wholesale markets focus on energy and not capacity. How does this affect the distinction between a utility’s variable and fixed costs, and the ability to fairly allocate those costs as new wholesale market opportunities are developed? What advantages might come with a fully integrated regional market, and how do they stack up against the challenges, notably governance and state vs. FERC regulation, that affect regionalization in the West? What are the interconnected and separate roles of markets, renewables, and transmission?
Those in attendance will hear from the following experts:
- Ralph Cavanagh, Energy Co-Director, Climate & Clean Energy Program at NRDC
- Sarah Edmonds, Director of Transmission Services & Reliability at Portland General Electric
- Jason Eisdorfer, Utility Program Director at Oregon Public Utility Commission
- Nicole Hughes, Executive Director at Renewable Northwest
A special thanks goes to Clearing Up Associate Editor, Dan Catchpole, for moderating this panel. This will be a rousing discussion - be sure to bring your questions as well for the Q&A session!
The Materials page of the CUB Conference website features links to this and all previous breakout panel preview blogs, as well as a variety of presentations, white papers, and law review articles for our audience’s reference and education. Take a look!
This CUB conference has been approved for 5.75 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits from the OR State Bar, and 5 CLE credits from the WA State Bar. Attorneys seeking CLE credits must sign the CLE sign-in form on-site at the registration/check-in desk.
CUB is grateful to our Polar Bear sponsors NW Natural, Pacific Power, and Portland General Electric; and Media Sponsor Clearing Up. Please check out our Sponsors page for a full list of the generous sponsors whose support make the CUB Conference possible.
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10/29/19 | 0 Comments | CUB Conference Preview: Wholesale Markets: Decarbonization and Reliability