Electric Co-op Today

NRECA’s participation in the GridWeek conference, which began Sept. 12, provides an important opportunity to present co-op perspectives on smart grid issues to the many policymakers, regulators and industry leaders attending the session, association executives said.

Co-ops will share their perspectives on development of the smart grid with policymakers at a conference in the nation’s capital. (Photo By: trotsche)

Bringing these views to the table during the four-day conference will help to guide industry discussions of what the smart grid is and where it is going, agreed Jay Morrison, NRECA vice president for regulatory issues, and Dave Mohre, executive director of the energy and power division.

“It helps us position ourselves with the legislative and regulatory leaders who attend,” said Mohre.

The Washington, D.C., event provides a strong opportunity to do so, as it brings together stakeholders from across the smart grid spectrum to explore its impacts on the economy, utility infrastructure, consumers and the environment.

NRECA’s role goes beyond participation in the meeting, to helping plan the agenda. The association served on an advisory board of 15 industry stakeholder groups, including utilities, regulators, environmentalists, trade organizations and government.

During the conference, Morrison will participate in a Sept. 13 “Looking Ahead” panel focused on energy consumption 10 years from now. “Smart grid evolution does not happen in a vacuum,” the agenda notes. “How can we know we are developing the right smart grid if we don’t understand how energy will be consumed?”

Later that day, Mohre will join a panel on “The Future of Energy Policy.” The session’s premise is that “radical” changes in grid architecture to adopt evolving technologies for the smart grid will require similar far-reaching changes in policymaking. The panel will explore possible changes and the challenges they entail.

Two co-op CEOs are also on the agenda. On Sept. 14, Dave Hallquist of Vermont Electric Cooperative, Johnson, will participate in a discussion of “Business Drivers and Impact,” looking at challenges to building a business case for smart grid technology.

The same day, Mark Rose, CEO of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, Bastrop, Texas, will join in a panel discussing “Systems Integration.” Members will look at the differences between back-office and field-level integration challenges and address issues such as commissioning new systems, the role of standards, business issues, and managing technology change.

“Our members’ strong leadership role on smart grid gives us credibility,” Morrison noted.

Tags: GridWeek Conference, Smart Grid