Special CUB Policy Conference Preview: Let’s Get Loaded
Posted on October 8, 2015 by Samuel Pastrick
Tags, Conference & Events
In advance of CUB’s fifth annual Policy Conference, Utility 2025: Building the Northwest’s Energy Future, taking place at the Downtown Portland Hilton on Friday October 23rd, we’ve set out to introduce each panel discussion to build excitement among this year’s attendees. We’ve only one introduction left to make, and it’s certain to jump-start some lively discussion: “Let’s Get Loaded: Weed, Web, Wheels and a Growing Load”.
In this case, I think we can all agree that the title says it all. For well over a decade now, Oregon – and the Pacific Northwest region at large – has experienced little if any load growth. We largely attribute this to technical advances and important investments made in renewables and efficiency programs. New research also suggests that the Great Recession mustn’t be overlooked when it comes to identifying the sources of flat demand growth.
All this is to say that while our region has experienced its share of struggles in the past ten years, upward strain on the electric grid hasn’t been among them. But unless utilities, new and existing industry, and regulators can align more strategically with one another over the next decade or more, the Northwest might find itself in the unviable position of needing to respond to conditions as they unfold as opposed to conditions which have already been anticipated and planned for.
When it comes to energy planning, an old adage (made unceremoniously famous by former Secretary of State Donald “Rummy” Rumsfeld) comes to mind:
“There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. There known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.”
Now – politics, dizzying rhetoric, and offbeat references aside, the thought process holds up remarkably well when we think about planning for changes from both the supply and demand side.
For us to think about and respond to “known unknowns” and, worse yet, “unknown unknowns” we must first discuss the “known knowns”. And those are, as the panel title so aptly describes, “weed, web, and wheels”.
It’s no news to CUB’s readership (or anyone not living under a rock) that recreational marijuana is now legal in the state of Oregon. It’s also no news that this will, without a shred of doubt, affect the utilities that supply electricity, and the programs that aim to encourage conservation among utility customers. Other emerging industries (particularly electric vehicles and data storage) will also change the important conversation that continues to happen around State and regional energy planning.
Some important considerations for this panel, which will be moderated by Mark Ohrenschall from Energy NewsData, will include State and regional economic growth strategies and how they relate to energy planning, as well as new industry perspectives and how they affect the public interest (for better and for worse). We anticipate active debate among the panelists: Jeff Allen - Executive Director of Drive Oregon; Peter Freed - Data Center Energy Program Manager at Facebook; Wendy Gerlitz - Policy Director at NW Energy Coalition; Brendan McCarthy - State Government Affairs Specialist at Portland General Electric; John Morris - Policy and Regulatory Affairs Director at CLEAResult; and Geoff Sugerman - Director of Public Affairs and Compliance at Groundwork Industries.
Early Bird pricing has closed, but advance tickets are still available until 12:00am Tuesday, October 20th. After that, ticket sales will resume at the registration table on the day of the event. Get yours today, and we’ll see you there!
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09/05/22 | 0 Comments | Special CUB Policy Conference Preview: Let’s Get Loaded