Strategy & Planning

The PUC opened its doors to PUF, and Commissioners and Staff took time from their busy schedules to discuss priorities, including affordability, electric-gas coordination, transmission, permitting, and more. Enjoy these conversations with Minnesota Chair Katie Sieben, Vice-Chair Joseph Sullivan, Commissioner Audrey Partridge, Commissioner Hwikwon Ham, and Commissioner John Tuma. Plus, the all-important PUC Staff.

Energy is often measured in megawatts, miles of line, and capital investment. But at its core, it is still about people making thoughtful decisions on behalf of the communities they serve. This month’s issue is filled with examples of exactly that.

One of the things I value most about SEPA is that our membership reflects the full complexity of the energy sector itself. SEPA operates differently because the challenges facing the sector no longer fit neatly within traditional boundaries.

“As early as the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement in 1607, drinking water was of paramount concern to our English ancestors. However, the only water considered in that site’s selection was a deep-water anchorage and not its drinking water source.”

“The Iberian Peninsula blackout is a case study the U.S. cannot ignore. Electricity markets with high IBR penetration and limited external interconnections, such as ERCOT and CAISO, are similar to the Iberian grid. The centralized regulatory and operating environment in the Southeast faces similar risks.”

“For the past six years, Ernst & Young LLP has surveyed global energy consumers across diverse markets. Consumers are stretched like never before. Energy vulnerability is rising, with 26 percent of respondents now in energy poverty.”

“They want to pay their fair share but run into issues when the Independent Market Monitor and PJM attribute a large amount of the increase in capacity market auction costs to data centers, but those costs are not necessarily being allocated to data centers.”

“Today, hydropower isn’t just about producing energy — it’s keeping the system reliable and responsive, and allowing us to use water more strategically as the grid becomes more dynamic. As demand continues to grow, that flexibility becomes even more valuable.”

The PUF series with Commission Chairs continues with conversations with Idaho Chair Edward Lodge and Illinois Chair Doug Scott, with PUF Senior Advisor Paul Kjellander, featuring his original paintings.

“Our goal is to facilitate productive and creative discussions about the regulatory and policy issues affecting our states and the region, and most importantly, to welcome solutions. We are striving to emphasize a solution-oriented focus within the conference content.”