Category Archives: New Energy Professionals

CPES Policy Committee Update: December 18, 2018

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update:

FERC accepts ISO-NE proposal to retain retiring resources for fuel security
ISO-NE announces 2019 classroom and webinar training schedule
Report Published by GC3 on Strategies for CT to Reduce GHGs
NYISO Recently Launched New Website
Lamont Transition Energy Report
PURA issues Final Decision declaring Millstone Power Station “At Risk” of Premature Retirement
Connecticut Water merger tentatively rejected
Recent PURA Updates

REGIONAL/INDUSTRY

FERC ACCEPTS ISO-NE PROPOSAL TO RETAIN RETIRING RESOURCES FOR FUEL SECURITY
Dec. 3, FERC issued an order accepting ISO-NE’s interim tariff changes to retain resources seeking retirement on the basis of fuel-security reliability need.

ISO-NE ANNOUNCES 2019 CLASSROOM AND WEBINAR TRAINING SCHEDULE
ISO’s 2019 Wholesale Energy Markets and Forward Capacity Markets classroom sessions are scheduled.

REPORT PUBLISHED BY GC3 ON STRATEGIES FOR CT TO REDUCE GHGS
Early this month, the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) released a draft of their analysis Building a Low Carbon Future for Connecticut: Achieving a 45% GHG Reduction by 2030.

NYISO RECENTLY LAUNCHED NEW WEBSITE
Click here to visit the new website

CONNECTICUT

LAMONT TRANSITION ENERGY REPORT
The Energy Transition Policy Committee provided the following update yesterday at at Curtis Packaging in Sandy Hook. Report

PURA ISSUES FINAL DECISION DECLARING MILLSTONE POWER STATION “AT RISK” OF PREMATURE RETIREMENT
The final decision by the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority found that the Waterford facilities are “at risk of retirement.” Dominion’s bids in the DEEP Zero Carbon RFP will be judged on their price, as well as environmental and economic attributes.

CONNECTICUT WATER MERGER TENTATIVELY REJECTED
PURA issued a Proposed Final Decision rejecting the proposed $1.1 billion merger of Clinton-based Connecticut Water Service and California-based SJW Group. The tentative rejection of SJW Group’s proposed acquisition of Connecticut Water came in the form a 33-page draft ruling in which commissioners with the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority expressed concern about how the deal would affect local ratepayers. PURA granted an extension of time requested by Connecticut Water Service and SJW Group to file supplemental information on or before December 14th.

RECENT PURA UPDATES
On December 13, 2018, PURA established Docket No. 19-06-01: Annual Review of Connecticut Electric Suppliers’ and Electric Distribution Companies’ Compliance with Connecticut’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards in the Year 2018

On December 10, 2018, PURA established Docket No. 18-12-12: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-262c(c) Reports

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 101 [New Energy Professionals]

REGISTER

Co-sponsored by CPES New Energy Professionals and EBA, FERC 101 provides an overview of FERC’s role and jurisdiction, energy markets, and how the gas and electric industries are regulated by and interact with FERC. Panelists will also discuss current issues and trends in the electric and gas industries.

FERC 101 is the fourth in a series of informational sessions established to assist those new to the industry. The overarching goal of the 101 series is to provide a meaningful overview of agencies and businesses with whom professionals in the industry interact.

This session of FERC 101 will be in Day Pitney’s offices in both DC and Hartford. Moderated by Joseph Fagan, panelists will include Andy Katz* (DC), Eric Jacobi** (CT), and Sebastian Lombardi (CT). The panel will run from 9:30 to 11:00 AM on November 13, 2018.

Free, but registration is required.

*Andrew S. Katz, Mr. Katz is a Senior Counsel in the Eversource Energy (“Eversource”) Legal Department. His primary responsibilities include FERC wholesale electric market and interstate natural gas transportation regulation, specializing in compliance, and enforcement issues. Before joining Eversource, Mr. Katz was a Counsel with Constellation Power Source, Inc. (now Constellation Energy Commodities Group), supporting the trading and structured transactions business. He also was a Director of Industry Legal Affairs with the Edison Electric Institute (“EEI”), where he coordinated the drafting team that developed the EEI Master Purchase and Sale Agreement. Before joining EEI, Mr. Katz served as Chief Staff Counsel for the Maryland Public Service Commission. He was a Senior Associate with the law firm of Metzger, Hollis, Gordon & Alprin. Mr. Katz began his career in energy law as a Trial Attorney and Advisory Attorney with the FERC in the oil and natural gas regulatory program.

**Eric Jacobi is an Energy Industry Analyst with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), in the Office of Energy Market Regulation. At FERC, Eric works on New England energy issues in a decisional capacity, monitors ISO-NE and NEPOOL stakeholder meetings, and represents FERC regionally to enhance FERC’s interactions with representatives of the parties involved in the electric markets. Prior to joining FERC, Eric worked for the CT DEEP in the policy unit on complex issues such as the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, the Integrated Resource Plan, Renewable Resource Procurements, represented the state on the Eastern Interconnection States’ Planning Council, led the state on NEPOOL and ISO-NE issues within the regional process and on FERC filings. Prior to working in the policy unit at DEEP, Eric worked for twelve years as a member of the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC). At the DPUC, Eric served as the lead technical expert representing the state in reliability must run proceedings and facilitated the state’s role in the locational installed capacity settlement proceedings at FERC. Additionally, Eric worked on the procurement of baseload and peaking resources, and served as a financial analyst in complex rate cases. Prior to joining the DPUC, Eric worked as a bond trader/industry analyst for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Eric has an MBA in finance from the University of Connecticut.

UCONN PhD Student Yan Li to be Honored with the 2018 Rising Star Award

Hartford, CT (October 10, 2018): Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) is thrilled to honor Yan Li, a University of Connecticut PhD student, with the 2018 Rising Star award at its 19^th annual The Future of Energy: What’s the Deal? Conference and Exposition on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington, Connecticut.

“Yan has helped shape the energy landscape in Connecticut and the New England region by inventing new technologies that have significantly increased the hosting capacity of distributed energy resources (DERs, especially PVs) for CT’s power grids and protected our energy infrastructures against cyber-physical attacks,” said CPES Board Member and UCONN Director of Utility Operations and Energy Management Stanley Nolan.

A gifted young scholar full of creative ideas, Yan has demonstrated strong creativities in important areas including smart grids, cybersecurity, software-defined networking, microgrids, and networked microgrids. She has made outstanding contributions in smart grid and cyber-physical security.

Yan has pioneered two important areas Networked Microgrids and Software-Defined Smart Grids, which are of special interest to the renewables utilization and power grid modernization in Connecticut. Yan has developed a tool for the real-time dynamic analysis of renewable-energy-dominated power system (including networked microgrids) in Connecticut and its stability margin predictions. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted $1.05 million and U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has granted near $1 million to sponsor the aforementioned research.

Counting already eight prestigious research awards, contributions to 28 peer-reviewed publications, and her ability to secure over $3.4 million federal funding for UConn to conduct research in power and energy resilience and cybersecurity; Yan is entering her final year of PhD program with the career goal of being an outstanding female professor in a top university in the New England region.

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The Connecticut Power & Energy Society (CPES) is Connecticut’s leading association of energy professionals; dedicated to generating information, sharing ideas, and educating Connecticut about energy. www.ctpower.org

CPES Policy Committee Update: May 29, 2018

In this Update:

Executive Order Regarding Efficient Federal Operations
The Day: “New London, state leaders push offshore wind development as Mass., R.I. projects move forward”

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

EXECUTIVE ORDER REGARDING EFFICIENT FEDERAL OPERATIONS
Read more here.

THE DAY: “NEW LONDON, STATE LEADERS PUSH OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT AS MASS., R.I. PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD”
Massachusetts and Rhode Island on Wednesday tapped two offshore wind developers who also remain in the hunt to provide offshore wind power to Connecticut, where local officials and energy companies are pushing for a new hub of manufacturing in a growing industry. Read more here.

NEP: Energy Legislation 101: The Process and What Passed in 2017

Half Day Event, 9am – Noon
Connecticut Legislative Office Building
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Lobbying 101 Presentation

Wrap Up:

CPES Holds Second 101 Series Event for New Energy Professionals!

On September 28, 2017, the Connecticut Power and Energy Society’s New Energy Professionals Committee hosted “Energy Legislation 101: The Process and What Passed in 2017” at the Legislative Office Building and State Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut. Energy Legislation 101 is the second in a series of informational sessions established to assist recently joined CPES members and those new to the industry as they become acclimated and involved within the organization. The overarching goal of the 101 series is to provide a meaningful overview of state agencies and businesses with whom professionals in the industry interact. While the event was geared toward New Energy Professionals, many established professionals were also in attendance.

The day began with an overview of the legislative process in Connecticut from Melissa Biggs, a partner at DePino, Nunez & Biggs, LLC, and Christopher Cordima, an attorney in the Connecticut Legislative Commissioners’ Office.

The overview was followed by a timely discussion of energy legislation that passed during the 2017 legislative session and what issues may arise next session. Joining the conversation were Senator Bob Duff, Representative Tim Ackert, Representative Holly Cheeseman, Representative Mike Demicco, Representative Stephen Harding, and Representative Jonathan Steinberg. All serve on the General Assembly’s Energy & Technology Committee, Environment Committee, or both!

The day ended with a tour of the Legislative Office Building and State Capitol.

Blurb:
Please join us as Connecticut’s key energy and environment legislative staff and leaders offer a three-part Energy Legislation 101 to CPES New Energy Professionals*! Come brush up on all the details of the legislative process. Continue into a timely discussion of the bills which become effective as of October 1st. Finish with a tour of the Legislative Office Building and Capitol.

This is a free event, but please register at your earliest convenience as space is limited.

Agenda:
9:00am – Networking, Coffee and Danish
(Second Floor Atrium of the Legislative Office Building)

9:30am – Energy Legislation 101: Basics and Procedures (Hearing Room 2E)
Melissa Biggs, DePino, Nunez & Biggs, LLC
Christopher Cordima, CT Legislative Commissioners’ Office

10:00am – Current and Future Legislation Discussion: A detailed and timely conversation about the energy bills that just passed and become effective as of October 1st. (Hearing Room 2E)

11:15am: (Optional) The League of Women Voters is offering a tour of the Legislative Office Building and Capitol

*This group is not limited to age range or years of experience. We welcome everyone to reach out to us.

The goal of the 101 series is to provide a meaningful overview of state agencies and businesses with whom professionals in our industry interact. While this series was established with our New Energy Professionals in mind, all are welcome.” – Alex Isaac, NEP Group Member