Transmission Expansion in the Midwest

At this unique forum, you will hear top executives from the area’s RTOs, utilities, transmission developers, and state regulatory agencies discuss and debate the most critical issues surrounding transmission expansion in the Midwest region. You will have the opportunity to brainstorm with these thought leaders on how to address complex planning, siting, and market structure issues while balancing reliability, policy directives and economic interests. You will also hear key project managers reveal the inside details of the most important transmission projects in the region in several case study sessions. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and network with the key players in the Midwest energy market.

Learning Outcomes

• Assess the main barriers to planning a more robust transmission grid
• Review how the competitive bidding process is shaking out
• Discuss key issues with interregional coordination
• Examine how new state regulation is impacting transmission
• Evaluate the current and future state of renewable integration and the effect on transmission development and reliability
• Define how to maintain grid security and reliability while integrating increased penetrations of renewable energy
• Discuss the importance of interregional transmission projects to advance renewable development
• Identify landowner and community concerns in order to develop successful route planning, outreach and negotiations
• Analyze one company’s approach to developing multi-state, direct current, transmission lines to deliver renewable energy to market
• Discuss how to contain costs through proper project controls and management
• Examine a long-haul direct transmission line project designed to deliver low-cost wind energy to communities

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 and group discussion will be used in this event.

Who Should Attend

• Transmission planners, engineers, and operators
• Transmission project managers and engineers
• Utility finance executives
• Transmission developers and consultants
• Renewable energy developers
• Lenders and financial institutions
• Construction executives
• Permitting and environmental planners and managers
• State public utility commission advisors and staff

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

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

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. :: Update on RTOs

This session will provide an overview of the planning process and recent regional and interregional studies for each RTO in the Midwest.

Adam Bell, Interregional Relations, Southwest Power Pool (SPP)

Adam Solomon, Transmission Engineer, MISO

Chuck Liebold, Manager of Interregional Planning, PJM Interconnection

Thompson Adu, Sr. Manager, Expansion Planning, MISO

9:30 – 10:00 a.m.  :: Networking Break

10:00– 11:15 a.m.  :: Tackling Key Transmission Challenges in the Midwest

• Are FERC’s objectives in implementing Order 1000 being met?
• How are interregional plans addressing seams issues?
• How is the competitive bidding process shaking out? What does the competitive landscape currently look like?
• What key issues remain unresolved with cost allocation?

Adam Bell, Interregional Relations, Southwest Power Pool (SPP)

Bob McKee, Director of Regulatory Relations & Policy, American Transmission Co. (ATC)

Chuck Liebold, Manager of Interregional Planning, PJM Interconnection

Doug Collins, President, MISO Classic Region, Gridliance

Jared Alholinna, Regional Transmission Planning Strategist, Great River Energy

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Off the Grid:  Project Planning and Due Diligence Beyond the Wires

With population growth, environmental opposition and increased local, state and federal regulations with respect to land use, companies in the energy industry are competing for scarce land rights suitable for needed infrastructure development.  Beyond the historical considerations of zoning, environmental, special use, conservation and damages determination, communities are becoming more and more vocal in their requirements in infrastructure development.  As social media and cyber-activism have become the norm (even for landowners not impacted by a project), companies need to become social-savvy in route planning, outreach and negotiations.  More often than not, whether in the electric industry or in other related industries, projects are successful or fail spectacularly due to communication issues, lack of messaging and poor understanding of the locale impacted.

“Off the Grid” will explore routing considerations beyond the wires, poles and towers, to understand routing concerns and potential impacts to communities.  Before, during or after “FEED” studies for engineering and route determination, this presentation will provide advice as to how analyze and identify landowner and community concerns.  We’ll explore how to “find” the project message, develop specific outreach protocols, develop and use technology and social media for project success and how to craft and train talking points for land agents to incorporate into negotiations.

By the end of the presentation, attendees should be able to examine past projects to identify areas of communications improvement and hone communication plans for existing and future projects.  Companies should be able to identify skill sets and best practices that work for them in due diligence, outreach and messaging, learning how to analyze communities and regions for important issues that align with the company’s own goals.  They will obtain tips and tools for using social media to its strength and potential to impart and reinforce project messaging.  Whether attendees have rebuilds, vegetation management issues, or new construction, “Off the Grid” will help project planning beyond the infrastructure.

Beth Minear, Esq, Vice President and Project Management Strategist, Contract Land Staff

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. :: State Regulatory Viewpoint on Transmission Developments in the Region

State regulators and experts will share their perspectives on key issues such as:

• Overview of new state energy regulation and its implications for transmission
• The impact of FERC 1000 on transmission expansion in the Midwest
• The benefits and challenges that competition for regionally cost-shared transmission projects creates for the PUCs and the ratepayers
• The current status and future plans of renewables and the CPP

Angela Rapp Weber, Commissioner, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

Christopher J. Townsend, Member, Clark Hill PLC (Illinois)

Scott Rupp, Commissioner, Missouri Public Service Commission

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. :: Cost Containment Through Proper Project Controls and Management

Join this presentation to understand how proper project controls and management can help you control your costs and anticipate issues that ultimately affect your project budget.  We will look at what is needed to understand cost controls, as well as discuss the importance of the Change Management process and how essential it is to have a process in place.  We’ll address questions such as:

• What should you look at to track project costs?
• How do Cost Controls factor into Project Controls?
• How do you monitor your costs to anticipate issues and deal with them proactively?

Phil Pack, Chief Projects Officer, Contract Land Staff

Amanda Sloan, Director, Electric Transmission, Contract Land Staff

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. :: Networking Break

3:15 – 4:15 p.m. :: Renewable Energy Integration and its Impact on Transmission

• The technical and economic issues associated with managing variable energy delivery resources
• Maintaining grid security and reliability while integrating increased penetrations of renewable energy
• With transmission costs rising in order to access lower cost and renewable generation to load centers, what is the true cost of a renewable portfolio?
• The importance of interregional transmission projects to advance renewable development

Amy Kurt, Director of Development, Clean Line Energy Partners

Dale Osborn, Transmission Planning Technical Director, MISO

Gerald Deaver, Manager, Regional Transmission Policy, Xcel

4:15 – 5:00 p.m. :: Case Study: Delivering Wind Energy to Market

The United States possesses some of the best renewable energy resources in the world. However, continued growth of the renewable energy industry in the U.S. faces a serious challenge: the lack of transmission. Clean Line Energy is developing a series of long-haul direct current transmission lines to deliver low-cost renewable energy to communities that have a strong demand for clean power.

This presentation will focus on the Grain Belt Express Clean Line, which will deliver wind energy from Kansas into Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. The project has received its regulatory approvals in Kansas, Illinois and Indiana and is currently working through the final state approval process in Missouri. The presentation will provide an update on the regulatory, routing, and other milestones accomplished with a focus on the benefits this project will bring to Missouri.

Amy Kurt, Director of Development, Clean Line Energy Partners

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. :: Networking Reception Sponsored by HDR

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

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

8:30 – 9:15 a.m. :: Case Study –  CapX2020 Projects:  Lessons Learned Along the Way

Four utilities serving the Upper Midwest joined together in 2004 to create a vision and justification for grid expansion in the region.  Eventually, it was eleven utilities that invested nearly $2 billion in four projects, totaling 700 miles of mostly 345 kV transmission.  The institutional environment for planning large scale transmission expansion was not mature and major issues such as cost allocation and recovery were unresolved.  A broad coalition of utilities, environmental groups, renewable energy developers, regulators and others was able to agree on project needs, regulatory reforms that addressed many of the issues at the state level.  Meanwhile, MISO, through stakeholder processes was able to address issues related to cost allocation and recovery.  Extensive public outreach activities were effective in building support for the projects and allowed for a timely and relatively non-controversial permitting process.  It was during construction that some of the most difficult challenges were encountered.

In this session, you will hear the details of how these issues were successfully analyzed and addressed so that these projects are now nearing completion on schedule and within budget.

Jared Alholinna, Regional Transmission Planning Strategist, Great River Energy

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. :: SCN: We’ve Got Worms

This session will discuss the Big Stone to Ellendale (BSSE) 345 kV transmission line project construction mitigation, required by the South Dakota PUC, for the soybean cyst nematode (SCN).  SCN, a microscopic roundworm, is a prevalent pest spreading across the United States and infecting soybean crops. Currently, SCN is the most damaging pest to soybean yields, causing an estimated annual loss of $1.5 billion to farmers across the U.S. During the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hearings for permitting the BSSE project, the issue of construction spreading SCN to cultivated land was raised as a concern by landowners.  In response to concerns, the PUC ordered, as a permit stipulation, that the Owners test for and develop a plan to mitigate the spread of SCN during construction. This presentation will outline the strategy, budgeting and outcome of the PUC stipulation and lessons learned.:

Monica Peterson, Environmental Scientis, HDR Engineering

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. :: Networking Break

10:30 – 11:15 a.m. :: Stakeholder Engagement – a Key Component in MISO Regional Transmission Expansion Planning Process

The MISO Tariff Attachment FF (Transmission Expansion Planning Protocol) requires the Transmission Provider (MISO) to facilitate discussions and solicit inputs from its stakeholders about transmission issues and solutions involving both the transferred and non-transferred facilities.  This presentation will describe the MISO Transmission Expansion Planning (MTEP) process and how stakeholders are engaged throughout the MTEP cycle to comply with the tariff requirement for effective planning of the transmission facilities under MISO’s functional control.

Thompson Adu, Sr. Manager, Expansion Planning, MISO

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Cyber Security Regulation of Transmission Lines: Where Things Stand and What’s Next

NERC CIP is the leading guidance on cyber security for the energy sector.  As with all standards related to cyber security, NERC CIP has been in a constant state of transition.  FERC currently is in the process of reviewing and revising the sixth version of NERC CIP.  This presentation will cover:

• NERC CIP basics
• Information sharing basics for Transmission Owners
• FERC’s NOPR on revised NERC CIP and industry’s response
• What to expect in the future

Christopher J. Townsend, Member, Clark Hill PLC

12:00 p.m. Conference Adjourns

 

Stakeholder Outreach:  Myths, Facts & Best Practices

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Overview

This workshop will explore the specifics of how to develop and maintain positive landowner relationships while negotiating in good faith for pipeline, electric transmission, wind and solar, rail and public sector projects. This would include whether pursuing site leasing, site purchase, easements, right of ways and/or workspace, and whether coming from the perspective of project management, design engineering, environmental, appraising, permitting, survey, right of way, inspections, construction, operations, and others, this presentation is a must in helping ensure a successful project, on time and on budget with happy landowners.

Join this interactive workshop to learn about good faith negotiations and landowner relationships. Due to the increase in activity in the energy industry, it has become progressively more important for all professionals to be highly sensitive to landowners and any and all stakeholders’ needs, concerns and issues. Whether they are legal, environmental, aesthetic, social or cultural issues, the relationships we establish will set the tone of the project and can make the experience pleasant for the landowners, developers, engineers and all other consultants. These common sense approaches and processes are based on the psychology of healthy human relationships, and will have major impact as to whether or not your project will be a success.

Learning Outcomes / Agenda

12:30 – 1:00 p.m. :: Registration

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. :: Workshop Timing

• Recognize and understand landowner’s perspectives and the importance of dealing with unique differences in various landowners, their personalities and their needs/concerns
• Develop strategies for establishing a positive message and the various ways it must be communicated
• Identify best practices for stakeholder outreach
• Dispel myths often mistakenly believed and then utilized to support unsuccessful practices
• Define successful protocols for outreach strategies
• Explore FERC’s concern and INGAA’s commitment regarding landowner/stakeholder relationships, now a standard for the entire right of way industry, whether electric, alternative or pipeline

Instructors

Beth Minear, Esq., Vice President and Project Management Strategist, Contract Land Staff

Serving as Contract Land Staff’s (CLS) Project Management Strategist and FERC resident expert, Beth works out of the CLS Northeast Regional Office in Ripley, West Virginia. Her responsibilities include assisting clients in pre-planning of stakeholder outreach and messaging, ROW title and acquisition cost estimates and route feasibility. Prior to joining CLS, Beth served as Senior Counsel for NiSource Inc., a diverse Fortune 500 energy company, in the Commercial/ Real Estate Department. Throughout her tenure at NiSource, she represented its electric, natural gas and microwave tower > subsidiaries in real estate and commercial strategies, negotiations and acquisitions. The bulk of her practice was focused on multistate

capital growth projects, as well as modernization and operations/maintenance projects. Including the years prior to NiSource, Beth’s practice throughout her career has included capital infrastructure improvement projects including public financing for local and state projects (i.e. water and sewer), coal rights, timbering agreements and private development of large commercial complexes and resorts. In addition, she has experience in real property representation and litigation in state and federal courts including both prosecution and defense of Eminent Domain matters.

Beth earned her J.D. at Capital University Law School and was accepted into the Summer Law program at St. Anne’s College, University of Oxford, in 1997. Beth is a member of both the Pennsylvania Bar and the West Virginia Bar, serving on the ADR Committee for the WV State Bar.  She has also been elected to the Board of Trustees as Trustee at Large, for the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, where she remains active on the Membership Committee. Beth founded the Legal Roundtable for Southern Gas Association, where she served as Chair for its inaugural two years, and has served on the Roundtable Committee for the past two years. Beth is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences within the energy industry as well as having written articles about various issues confronting the industry.  Finally, Beth is a member of IRWA Chapter 21, supporting education and advancement efforts thereof.

Phil Pack, Chief Projects Officer, Contract Land Staff

Phil has over 30 years of experience in transmission generation in all phases of projects including public involvement, routing, permitting, land acquisition, engineering, procurement and construction. He oversees all electric transmission and distribution projects, and focuses on enhancing communication, education and management of client expectations.

Prior to joining CLS, Phil was with Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) for over 30 years. Phil’s experience includes assignments in all aspects of Transmission Projects including the Major Projects, Outage Management, Technical, Engineering and Operations Departments. He joined NIPSCO as an engineer in 1981.   Pack earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Western Michigan University. He also completed the Executive Development Program at Indiana University Kelly School of Business and the Leadership NiSource program. He also is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Indiana.

Thompson Adu, Sr. Manager, Expansion Planning, MISO

Jared Alholinna, Regional Transmission Planning Strategist, Great River Energy

Adam Bell, Interregional Relations, Southwest Power Pool (SPP)

Doug Collins, President, MISO Classic Region, Gridliance

Gerald Deaver, Manager, Regional Transmission Policy, Xcel

Amy Kurt, Director of Development, Clean Line Energy Partners

Chuck Liebold, Manager of Interregional Planning, PJM Interconnection

Bob McKee, Director of Regulatory Relations & Policy, American Transmission Co. (ATC)

Beth Minear, Esq, Vice President and Project Management Strategist, Contract Land Staff

Dale Osborn, Transmission Planning Technical Director, MISO

Phil Pack, Chief Projects Officer, Contract Land Staff

Monica Peterson, Environmental Scientis, HDR Engineering

Angela Rapp Weber, Commissioner, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

Scott Rupp, Commissioner, Missouri Public Service Commission

Amanda Sloan, Director, Electric Transmission, Contract Land Staff

Adam Solomon, Transmission Engineer, MISO

Christopher J. Townsend, Member, Clark Hill PLC (Illinois)

Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel
163 East Walton Place
Chicago, IL 60611

To reserve your room, please call 1-312-751-8100 or book online here.
Please indicate that you are with the EUCI group to receive the group rate.

ROOM RATE:

The room rate is $199.00

ROOM BLOCK DATES:

A room block has been reserved for the nights of October 24-26, 2016.

RATE AVAILABLE UNTIL:

Make your reservations prior to September 24, 2016. There are a limited number of rooms available at the conference rate. Please make your reservations early.

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Transmission Expansion in the Midwest

October 25-26, 2016 | Chicago,IL

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