NERC
Jim Robb is CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corp.
Nearly a thousand gathered in San Diego for NARUC's Summer Policy Summit. Though a number of meetings and lots of networking had already taken place, the conference kicked off in earnest with the first general session. On arguably the top regulatory and policy issue of our time, "transforming the grid, embracing change while preserving reliability," an extraordinary panel was introduced by NARUC President Judy Jagdmann. PJM's CEO Manu Asthana, Edison International's Caroline Choi, Google's Briana Kobor, Itron's Don Reeves, and NERC's CEO Jim Robb, filed onto the stage of the large conference hall.
NARUC's Jagdmann moderated the discussion and dished out the tough questions. There were points agreed by all. But with each disagreement among the discussants, however modest, and respectfully voiced of course, the audience of regulatory and utility leaders and the like listened ever more closely. After the scrum, the PUF team enlisted one of the panelists — NERC's Robb — to take you through the agreements and disagreements, in the Q&A below.
PUF's Steve Mitnick: At the NARUC Summer Policy Summit, you had strong opinions about the diversity of the grid, and its ability to manage through the load day, especially during extreme conditions. Give an overview of how you see it.