PUF Top Innovators: An Update

Fortnightly Top Innovators

PUF Executive Editor Rachel Bryant speaks with APS Director of Customer Grid Solutions Kerri Carnes, Eversource Manager of Transmission System Planning Clean Energy Integration Meiyan Li, LUMA ENERGY Program Manager for EVs and Demand Response David Cruz.

Regulating Load Growth: Jeremy McDiarmid

Massachusetts DPU

“We’re working closely with utilities and stakeholders to identify places in the distribution system where upgrades will be high value. That is to increase the amount of distributed generation and storage on the grid and to improve reliability and access for high-load-demand customers.”

Regulating Load Growth: John Harvey

PSC of Utah

“Our legislature has put statutes in place that allow the utility to obtain pre-approval for significant energy resources. It’s not an absolute final approval, but it sets parameters, so they have more confidence in building infrastructure.”

Regulating Load Growth: Katie Anderson

Arkansas PSC

“Before significant infrastructure is constructed, utilities should carefully evaluate whether operational improvements, planning enhancements, or other measures can allow existing assets to continue serving ratepayers efficiently and reliably.”

Regulating to Meet Load Growth Challenges

The States

Load growth and system planning all require adding electric utility infrastructure but building that runs smack into many reasons for delays, including permitting, NIMBY-ism, supply chain disruptions, and more. The situation threatens to stunt the needed industry growth to handle increased demand.

Throw in affordability, and the issues surrounding meeting the energy required to allow modern society to thrive become even more fraught. Regulators are charged with the difficult task of figuring it all out, culminating in decisions that serve the public interest.