Transmission Planning & Capacity Expansion Summit

December 6-7, 2023 | Online :: Central Time

1223-transmission-planning

“The conference offered an in-depth look, through balanced panel discussions and case studies, into the current state of transmission planning and development in the U.S.” – Attorney, Montana PSC

“Conference delivered expert knowledge to attendees in a clear concise format relevant to expectations for a reasonable cost.” Project Manager/Engineer, Mott MacDonald

“An amazing conference to learn about the different struggles and lessons learned from coast to coast of different utilities around the country.” Director-Business Development, K&A Engineering

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“I learn more every year about transmission project design, execution and decisions-making at this conference than any other event.” Director, Business Development NE US, CTC Global

“It was great to network with members of other utilities and from other areas from within the industry that I normally would not have had the chance to meet at a regional conference.” Sr. Project Manager, Entergy

“The conference provided a good mix of topics presented by personable subject matter experts.” Group Leader – Transmission Planning, LG&E and KU

“I appreciate EUCI’s opportunity to bring decision makers together in an intimate setting to get to know each other on a 1st name basis.” Site Manager, Newpark

“This conference had topics that were relevant to me which added value to attending.” Manager, Tx Project Management, FirstEnergy

“EUCI tries to find the right people in the industry to speak on the most relevant topics.” Senior Analyst, The Energy Authority

The U.S. power grid faces significant challenges with the energy transition. The need to expand the grid, resolve transmission bottlenecks, and meet growing demand is pressing. At the EUCI Transmission Planning & Capacity Expansion Summit industry stakeholders will tackle these issues head-on.

Register now to directly engage with regulators, Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), Independent System Operators (ISOs), and utility leaders. Attendees will gain a comprehensive outlook on the latest policies, regulations, technologies, and funding avenues while acquiring best practices for project implementation.

Learning Outcomes

• Review Federal legislation, the Infrastructure Bill, and other sources of funding 
• Discuss regulatory reforms, FERC ANOPR, and cost allocation proposals 
• Identify regional/interregional transmission planning and best practices for local/state obstacles 
• Explore the business case for transmission buildout 
• Review strategies to improve grid reliability and resilience 
• Assess increasing capacity of existing infrastructure and grid-enhancing technologies for improved efficiency and energy management 
• Discuss offshore wind developments 
• Review digital infrastructure, connectivity, and cybersecurity  
• Explore financing options for transmission upgrades 

Wednesday, December 6, 2023 : Central Time

 

9:00 – 9:05 a.m. :: Welcome

9:05 – 10:15 a.m. :: 2023 National Transmission Needs Study Implications

Adria Brooks, Ph.D., Senior Technical Advisor in Transmission Planning, Author of National Transmission Needs Study, Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office

10:15 – 10:45 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: PANEL: Regional/Interregional Transmission Planning

• State jurisdiction and regional planning
• Strategies for siting and working with local stakeholders
• Long-term planning

Senior Transmission Advisor, FERC 

Natasha Henderson, Director, System Planning, SPP 

12:00 – 1:00 pm :: Lunch Break

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. :: Investors Viewpoint on Transmission Buildout

Substantial investment is needed to integrate large-scale renewable energy, boost grid resiliency to manage weather adversities and cybersecurity threats, and for greater participation of distributed energy resources.

• Critical components
• Key drivers
• Removing barriers
• Assessing Risk

Ali Amirali, Lotus Infrastructure Partners

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. :: Coordination Between Regional Transmission Planning & Cost Allocation

• Role of State Transmission Authorities
• Regional Transmission Planning – Earlier Adoption

Kathleen Staks, Executive Director, Western Freedom; Chair, Colorado Electric Transmission Authority

Riley Allen, Commissioner, Vermont Public Utility Commission

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:15 – 4:00 p.m. :: Unique Challenges of Increasing Capacity of Existing Infrastructure

In this session attendees will hear about collaboration in New York between the department of Public Service, NYSERDA, joint utilities, and NYISO. These organizations are working on finding a pathway to better incentivize renewables and develop a plan for increasing capacity with existing infrastructure.

Yachi Lin, Director, System Planning, New York ISO

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. :: Panel: Meeting the Challenges of Transmission Planning & Capacity Expansion 

The need for expanding the nation’s electric transmission infrastructure is well-documented. But planning and implementing a transmission project brings about a multitude of challenges: 

• Supply Chain Challenges
• Rising Costs of Implementation
• Permitting & Contract Delays
• Increased Workloads
• Project Siting
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Unique Challenges of Increasing Capacity with Existing Infrastructure

John Waterhouse, Director, Project Management, Ameren 

Kamran Ali, Vice President, Transmission Planning, American Electric Power (AEP)

5:00 p.m. :: Day 1 Adjourns

Thursday, December 7, 2023 : Central Time

 

9:00 – 9:45 a.m. :: Digital Infrastructure, Connectivity, and Cybersecurity

• Electric Grid Cybersecurity
• Recent Work on Offshore Cybersecurity

Kaelin Kuhn, Assistant Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, United States Government Accountability Office

Matt Tabbert, Assistant Director, Natural Resources & Environment, United States Government Accountability Office

9:45 – 10:30 a.m. :: Planning for DERs and Storage 

FERC Order 2222 is expected to bring about an increase in DERs and virtual power plants. This session will discuss how to incorporate these projects into transmission planning.  

Jeremy Twitchell, Senior Energy Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. :: Transmission Planning for Offshore Wind 

Coordinated transmission planning and development is crucial for integrating offshore wind projects into the grid in a cost-effective manner.   

• Technology alternatives – AC vs. DC 
• Benefits and drawbacks of an offshore grid  
• Regional approaches to onshore upgrades 

Johannes Pfeifenberger, Principal, The Brattle Group

11:45 am – 12:00 p.m. :: Review / Q&A

12:00 p.m. :: Summit Adjourns

• Riley Allen, Commissioner, Vermont Public Utility Commission (invited)

• Kamran Ali, Vice President, Transmission Planning, American Electric Power (AEP)

• Ali Amirali, SVP, Starwood Energy Group Global 

• Adria Brooks, Ph.D., Senior Technical Advisor in Transmission Planning, Author of National Transmission Needs Study, Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office

• Natasha Henderson, Director, System Planning, SPP 

• Kaelin Kuhn, Assistant Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, United States Government Accountability Office 

• Yachi Lin, Director, System Planning, New York ISO

• Jennifer Murphy, Director of Energy Policy, NARUC

• Johannes Pfeifenberger, Principal, The Brattle Group

• Kathleen Staks, Executive Director, Western Freedom; Chair, Colorado Electric Transmission Authority

• Matt Tabbert, Assistant Director, Natural Resources & Environment, United States Government Accountability Office

• Jeremy Twitchell, Senior Energy Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 

• John Waterhouse, Director, Project Management, Ameren 

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

• Microsoft recommends downloading and installing the Teams app if possible. You may also use the Edge browser or Chrome.
• You will receive a separate email with a unique link to a personalized landing page which will include links to join all sessions of this event.
• If you are using a microphone, please ensure that it is muted until such time as you need to ask a question.
• The remote meeting connection will be open approximately 30 minutes before the start of the course. We encourage you to connect as early as possible in case you experience any unforeseen problems.

Please Note: This event is being conducted entirely online. All attendees will connect and attend from their computer, one connection per purchase. For details please see our FAQ

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Transmission Planning & Capacity Expansion Summit

December 6-7, 2023 | Online

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before November 03, 2023 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

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 0.9 CEUs for this event

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Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Conference CPE Credits: 10.5
There is no prerequisite for this Conference.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

 

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must log in and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods:

Panel discussions, PowerPoint presentations, and Q&A sessions will be used in the program.

Who Should Attend

• Utilities, transmission owners and operators
• Transmission developers, project managers and engineers
• Renewable energy developers
• EPCs and solutions providers
• Power grid solutions providers
• Environmental planners
• Financiers and investors