I’m honored to be in the nation’s capital today, participating in the National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid 2011. The event gathers the leaders who determine the nation’s energy future, and it’s an honor to be included among them.
It’s a wonderful opportunity I have today, to speak about energy regulation on a panel alongside Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman of FERC; Patricia Hoffman, Secretary for Electricity at the Department of Energy; Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund; and Tammy McLeod, Chief Customer Officer at Arizona Public Service. We’ll discuss the current regulatory framework for the energy industry, what lies ahead, and how these mandates will change the market.
It’s a hot topic, regulation, and for good reason: it determines the future of the Smart Grid. I’ve blogged before about the changing regulatory landscape that shapes the development of the smart grid. These regulations have helped the nation to prioritize energy efficiency by supporting solutions like demand response. Recent developments include FERC establishing price parity between DR and generation resources, and subsequently finding unjust PJM’s proposed reductions in compensation for “negawatts” generated from DR solutions.
Beyond FERC, the government clearly prioritizes energy conservation and innovation. President Obama’s Council of Advisors has called for a new nationwide energy policy, one that emphasizes research and development, environmental consciousness, and economic competitiveness. Supporting Smart Grid development lies at the heart of the administration’s goals, as evidenced by Department of Agriculture initiatives to upgrade electric grids in rural areas, and Department of Energy efforts to encourage Smart Grid privacy and security measures.
With regulations that support Smart Grid innovation and encourage the implementation of DR solutions, the clean energy sector will flourish. I’m excited to join the conversation with the government officials and industry leaders working to put these necessary regulations in place.
Hope to see you at the roundtable, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to share perspectives throughout this great event.
