Southeast Clean Power Summit 2019

February 25, 2019 | New Orleans, LA ::

0219-southeast-clean-power

Generation of electricity by renewable sources like solar and wind continues its swift ascendancy in the southeastern U.S., as wind turbines spin on hilltops and solar panels stretch across roofs and fields. This increased renewable generation plays a significant role in advancing sustainability goals and reducing carbon outputs. Even so, the drivers of these new solar and wind farms in the southeast are as much economic as regulatory.

This embrace of renewables owes in no small part to large companies like Facebook and Google developing new facilities in the Southeast (SE) and stipulating that those loads with their power-hungry computer banks be served by 100% renewable energy. One example is Facebook’s installation of a new one-million-square-foot data center near Atlanta, which will be powered by hundreds of acres of solar panels. Typically, people in the SE are wary of government-led energy projects, but the demand by these private companies for clean energy generates more widespread support.

EUCI’s 8th annual Clean Power Summit is the key event to learn about what’s happening and what the outlook is for renewable energy developments in the SE. It will feature utilities, project developers and industry experts discussing the most current information and what it’s likely to mean for stakeholders in the region.  

[ymae_line]

Learning Outcomes

• Discuss best practices in renewable energy development and implementation
• Evaluate the progress of renewables in the Southeast region
• Critique policy perspectives on the future demand for renewable resources
• Discuss how green power tariffs and blockchain are accelerating the transformation of renewable energy
• Identify the positive impact of distributed generation
• Identify the ways in which solar development is having a meaningful impact on the SE region
• Evaluate how incorporating new technologies to modernize the grid helps meet customer demands
• Discuss how companies are managing their REC portfolios

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.0 CEUs for this conference and 0.4 CEUs for the workshop.

 

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

Case Studies, PowerPoint presentations, case studies and panel discussions will be used in program

Monday, February 25, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:40 a.m. :: Announcements

8:40 – 9:00 a.m. :: Welcome Address from Entergy

Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In these changing times, Entergy recognizes new technologies and growing customer expectations as they pertain to clean power are leading to rapid changes at the company and more generally throughout the industry. Kimberly Fontan will welcome her power industry colleagues to New Orleans and review how the focus of this conference supports this fundamental industry requirement.

Kimberly Fontan, Vice President, System Planning, Entergy

9:00 – 9:45 a.m. Community Solar Programs:  Lessons in Implementation and Contracting

This presentation will provide a case study of a community solar with storage program at the Fayetteville Public Works Commission in North Carolina. There is an increasing interest in Community Solar programs in the Southeast. Legislative mandates are spurring some programs to be created, while some utilities are setting up programs independently. Electric utilities interested in adopting a community solar program will benefit from the lessons in program implementation and contracting provided by the case study. We will also touch on the means by which utilities credit participants for the electricity generated, including net metering and recently developed alternatives.

Achyut Shrestha, Project Manager, NC Clean Energy Technology Center

 9:45 – 10:30 a.m. :: CASE STUDY: Where Should the Utility Play in the EV Market?

Georgia Power is working hard to better understand the impact of electric vehicle charging on the electricity grid. The utility is also helping to develop industry standards for multiple levels of charging and studying the impact of electric transportation on grid reliability, including vehicle-to home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies. This segment will explore how utilities can help bring economically and technologically viable on-road electric transportation technologies to the marketplace.

Darren Epps, Product Development Specialist, Southern Company

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. :: Networking Break

 10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. :: Role of Green Power Tariffs and Blockchain in Accelerating the Renewable Energy Transformation

Large customers are increasingly requesting tariffs or services that allow them to meet most of their loads through clean energy to meet corporate sustainability goals.  Green tariffs are utility created programs that allow eligible customers to buy bundled renewable energy and RECs from specific projects, especially in regulated markets.  This presentation will review different green tariff options, adoption to date in the US, impacts on economic development and lessons learned from these offerings to date. The presentation will also include discussion of how blockchain technology could be used to accelerate the adoption and integration of distributed energy resources such as dispatch-grade demand response, electric vehicles, storage, as well as large scale renewable resources.

Sanem Sergici, Partner, The Brattle Group

 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. :: CASE STUDY: New Technology and Customer Offerings to Enhance Entergy’s Renewable Procurement Efforts

Entergy’s Renewable Procurement Efforts Incorporating new technologies to meet evolving customer demand demands are reshaping electric utility services and helping modernize the grid. Entergy’s five utilities continue to develop new pilots and programs to better meet customer interests as well as incorporate new technologies. In this presentation, Entergy will provide an update on how their new programs are performing, related technology investments, and perspectives on policy matters.

Elizabeth Ingram, Manager – Regulatory Research, Entergy

12:15 – 1:15 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. :: Renewable Energy Initiatives in Georgia

This regulatory session will take a comprehensive look at the state of Georgia and its recent growth in renewable energy. This panel will consist of the Chairman of the Georgia Commission and the manager of the Georgia Commission’s Renewable Energy group. This session will also include an opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the panel regarding the future demand for renewable resources.

Honorable Lauren McDonald, Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission

Jamie Barber, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Manager, Georgia Public Service Commission

 2:15 – 3:00 p.m. :: Clean Energy Policies and Activities in Mississippi

The state of Mississippi has several policies in place to help keep the clean energy market moving forward. Sumesh Arora with the Energy & Natural Resources Division will share how Mississippi is advancing sustainability goals and reducing carbon outputs. The following topics will be covered:

• Major energy assets in Mississippi
• Economic impact of the energy sector in Mississippi
• Policy measures
• Financial incentives and programs
• Projects and activities
• Public and private stakeholders

Sumesh Arora, Ph.D., Director of Energy & Natural Resources Division, Mississippi Development Authority

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:30 – 5:00 p.m. :: Purchasing Green Power: RECs, Green Tariffs and PPAs

This session will review development and markets for selling and purchasing renewable energy in the Southeast through PPAs, utility tariffs and Renewable Energy credits:

Key Considerations for Power Purchase Agreements

The focus of this presentation will be on the contracts used to purchase and sell green energy and RECs for both utility scale and distributed generation projects. We will look at key issues, considerations and negotiation points associated with the purchase and sale of power (and other attributes) from renewable technologies, with special emphasis on how PPAs or other contractual structures can best be used in the context of the Southeast region.

Ashley Wald, Partner, Holland & Hart LLP

Driving Value with Voluntary Green Power Programs

3Degrees will present case studies and best practices for utilities who want to offer customers green power programs that create value for customers, the utility, and the market and demonstrate a case for investing in voluntary programs.

David McDougall, Senior BDM, Utility Partnerships, 3Degrees Group, Inc.

The SE Market for Renewables

How large is the voluntary market for renewable energy in the Southeast? What kind of green power products are project developers and utilities offering customers interested in renewable energy? Where can project developers sell Southeast RECs? How do buyers track their purchases? APX will answers these questions and more, including a discussion of how companies in the Southeast are managing REC portfolios, supporting C&I purchases, monetizing RECs and providing transparency for their initiatives using the North American Renewables Registry (NAR).

Lars Kvale, Managing Director, APX

Panel Discussion: RECs/Green Power

This panel discussion will allow conference attendees to ask specific questions of the presenters for discussion related to this RECs Session.

Ashley Wald, Partner, Holland & Hart LLP

David McDougall, Senior BDM, Utility Partnerships, 3Degrees Group, Inc.

Lars Kvale, Managing Director, APX

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. :: Networking Reception

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Continental Breakfast

 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. :: CASE STUDY: Distributed Energy Resources (DER) – Game Changer or another Tool in the Toolbox?

The advent of distributed energy resources (DERs) is changing the way power is generated and transmitted to the electric grid. DERs, the smaller power sources that can be used individually or aggregated to serve the grid, have paved the way for a two-way flow of energy and allowed the incorporation of new, connected technologies for power generation. This presentation will highlight some of the uniqueness and complexities of DER and identify questions and issues that must be addressed. Some of these broad issues and questions include: DER’s interface with the distribution grid, federal and state regulatory policies, cost allocation (winners and losers?), planning and integration of DERs. Also, do DERs have different roles in the various market designs – RTOs, vertically integrated systems, IDSOs and future markets?

Howard Smith, Manager, Distributed Energy Resource Policy, Southern Company Services

 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. :: CASE STUDY: Expanding Solar at Cobb Electric Membership Corp. (Cobb EMC)

Cobb EMC continues to diversify their energy portfolio by getting power from a variety of sources, which enables the company to keep costs low for members. Cobb EMC and its members both benefit as the company continues to plan by expanding their renewable energy mix while continuing to offer members low rates.  The latest solar expansion will balance the company’s overall energy mix and supply the cooperative solar energy at a record low price of less than 3 cents per kWh.  This presentation will include an overview about the company’s plans to install on campus solar and battery storage to move towards a net zero campus. 

Manish Murudkar, Supervisor, System Protection & Reliability, Cobb Electric Membership Corp. (Cobb EMC)

Kevin Milman, Director of Power Supply, Cobb Electric Membership Corp. (Cobb EMC)

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:15 – 11:00 a.m. :: Storage, EVs, Microgrids, Oh My! How Power Electronics are Leading to Grid Modernization.”

Advances in power electronics will enable tremendous changes to the US electric grid. Extreme fast chargers for electric vehicles, utility scale and distributed storage, microgrids that can electrically separate from the larger grid and provide services while connected to the grid. This presentation will provide an update on research from the FREEDM Systems Center at NC State, a review of the NC Storage Study, and provide insight into future technologies.

Ken Dulaney, PE, Director of Industry and Innovation, FREEDM Systems Center

 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. :: CASE STUDY: Demand Response Programs in South Carolina

Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPC) has implemented several demand response (DR) programs. In this presentation, CEPC will share with attendees the successful results of their various DR programs including:

• Water Heater Load control-switches
• AC Load control-switches
• Beat the Peak-voluntary program
• Smart Thermostats

John Becker, Member Services Analyst, Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

11:45 a.m. :: Conference Concludes

Getting Past Net Metering: What are the Alternatives?

Tuesday, February 26, 2018

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. :: Workshop Timing     

Overview

Net energy metering (NEM) is the dominant pricing arrangement that utilities use to serve customers with distributed energy resources (DER). NEM is well-known for the problems that it creates in distribution cost recovery and resulting cross-subsidy. This workshop will review the problems with the NEM design and set out alternative pricing mechanisms for serving DER customers. Conference participants may find this a useful reminder of the pricing issues that challenge development of customer site-based clean power as a bonus to their attendance at the Clean Power Summit.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the shortcomings of NEM pricing structures
• Review the structures of alternatives: including buy-all/sell-all, residential demand charges, time-of-use pricing
• Explore how alternatives to NEM overcome, or fail to overcome, NEM’s shortcomings
• Discuss why avoided cost matters and explore controversies surrounding its measurement

Workshop Agenda

1. Introduction to NEM pricing: information, design, and pricing incentive issues
2. Avoided costs perspectives and the gulf between opposing positions
3. Established rate designs for DER service
4. Design alternatives to NEM
5. Economic viability of DER
6. Summary

Instructor

Bruce R. Chapman, Vice President, Christensen Associates Energy Consultant

Bruce R. Chapman is a Vice President at Christensen Associates Energy Consulting. He assists clients in the electricity and natural gas industries to improve their costing and pricing capabilities. Mr. Chapman advises clients in such areas of expertise as: cost-of-service analysis and rate design based upon both established regulatory and market-based principles; innovative rate design including demand response products, renewables pricing, fixed billing, and other market-based retail pricing products; load forecasting and load research analysis. Additionally, he has supervised the development of software required for the implementation and support of innovative retail products.

Sumesh Arora, Ph.D., Director of Energy & Natural Resources Division, Mississippi Development Authority

Jamie Barber, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Manager, Georgia Public Service Commission

John Becker, Member Services Analyst, Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

Ken Dulaney, PE, Director of Industry and Innovation, FREEDM Systems Center

Darren Epps, Product Development Specialist, Southern Company

Kimberly Fontan, Vice President, System Planning, Entergy

Elizabeth Ingram, Manager – Regulatory Research, Entergy

Lars Kvale, Managing Director, APX

Honorable Lauren McDonald, Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission

David McDougall, Senior BDM, Utility Partnerships, 3Degrees Group, Inc.

Kevin Milman, Director of Power Supply, Cobb Electric Membership Corp. (Cobb EMC)

Manish Murudkar, Supervisor, System Protection & Reliability, Cobb Electric Membership Corp. (Cobb EMC)

Sanem Sergici, Partner, The Brattle Group

Achyut Shrestha, Project Manager, NC Clean Energy Technology Center

Raiford Smith, VP, Energy Technology & Analytics, Entergy

Howard Smith, Manager, Distributed Energy Resource Policy, Southern Company Services

Ashley Wald, Partner, Holland & Hart LLP

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Southeast Clean Power Summit 2019

February 25, 2019 | New Orleans, LA

---

RELATED WORKSHOPS:

Getting Past Net Metering: What are the Alternatives?

February 26

Individual attendee(s) - $ 595.00 each
	Add to Order

Sponsors