Grid leaders from around the globe gathered in Washington, D.C. in May. Just on the first day of the week-long conference, speakers represented Australia, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Finland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Zambia. Plus the United States.

“We came across a neat wrinkle around the untapped potential of existing retired infrastructure, like a retired coal plant, which in many cases has transmission interconnection and substation infrastructure. There are about 180 or so that have adequate infrastructure for utilities to consider retrofitting.“

“Every year, 10 million miles of conductor are needed. Even with our South Carolina expansion, we’re looking at about 30,000 miles of conductor. That is a drop in the bucket. That 150 million miles of conductor needed in 15 years is for the global marketplace, but it is still a massive number.”

CAMPUT 2025 held many panels and networking opportunities at the Canadian Regulator’s conference.

Extreme weather events can devastate utility infrastructure. This panel on Weathering the Storm (Resilience and Extreme Weather) discussed resilient, cost-effective strategies for safeguarding energy systems while exploring critical questions on responsibility and costs in the face of extreme weather.

As the global energy landscape pivots toward decarbonization, the role of natural gas has become the subject of intense debate. Given the continued uncertainty surrounding the future of natural gas, how should regulators proceed? This panel, Natural Gas: Risk, Uncertainty, and the Road Ahead, examined ways regulators can navigate the challenges presented by the unsettled role of natural gas as a tool for decarbonization.

CAMPUT’s annual conference is Canada’s prestigious energy regulatory conference and was held this year in Halifax, Nova Scotia from May 4 – 7. The theme, Adjusting the Sails of the Energy Sector, was carried throughout the event. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with industry experts, policymakers, and regulators as Canada charts a new course for the energy sector.

“SEARUC will focus on promoting best practices, improving efficiency, reducing regulatory burdens where appropriate, and strengthening the financial prudence of utility operations, all with the goal of delivering value to the consumer.”

“One of the big issues we’ve been struggling with for a long time is that we are constrained in terms of natural gas pipelines coming into the region. That puts us at risk, particularly during winter months when gas gets prioritized for home heating, and there’s limited ability to bring in more gas to meet peak demand.”

“The Western Conference is also initiating a Commissioner-only meeting. Other regions have done that, and it might be the first one in recorded memory for the WCPS. We’re all looking forward to getting together in Scottsdale Arizona this fall and working through issues.”