The U.S. electric grid is at an unprecedented inflection point. After two decades of zero growth, rapid demand from new industries and data centers is stressing the grid, even while new supply resources have been slow to respond. The power grid is aging, with billions of dollars of infrastructure nearing end of life, even as new equipment has become more expensive and difficult to source. As a result, even while society is increasing its reliance on the power grid, it has never looked more fragile. This online course - spread over two days - will examine the underlying drivers on both sides of the equation that are causing unprecedented stresses on the U.S. power grid. We will discuss the short-and long-term responses that are necessary, and the evolving commercial and regulatory strategies to address these issues and keep us from future grid failure.
Who Should Attend
This course will be relevant to energy professionals who are worried about the growing supply-demand imbalance and who need to fully comprehend the bigger picture. It is designed to help attendees contextually see how all the elements of the grid fit together and understand why the grid is facing these enormous challenges. The course is relevant to traders, retail power providers, generation companies, large energy consumers, and regulators and consumer advocates.
How This Online Course Works
Our live online training programs are Internet-streamed presentations that can be viewed on your computer, tablet, smartphone, or other Internet connected device.
You also will receive PDFs of all presentation materials in case you want to print or keep a copy.
You can direct additional questions to the instructor via email or phone after the live presentation.
There is no limit to how many people can attend a training program presentation as long as access has been purchased for each attendee.
Course Access
You will receive a video link and instructions on how to access the live event via your Internet connection.
Your Instructor
Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Co-Founder, Northbridge Energy Partners
Peter Kelly-Detwiler has over 35 years of experience in the electric energy industry, with much of his career in competitive power markets. As an SVP leading Constellation Energy’s Demand response team, he helped build the second largest virtual power plant in the world.
He’s currently a leading consultant, researcher, speaker and trainer in the electric industry providing strategic advice to clients and investors and helping them to navigate the rapid evolution and complexities of the electric power grid.
His book on the transformation of electric power markets - “The Energy Switch: How Companies and Customers Are Transforming the Electrical Grid and the Future of Power” - was published by Prometheus Books in June of 2021.
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January 27 & 29 | 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Savings Time)
Session 1: The Factors Driving Growing Demand:
January 27th 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
What You Will Learn- Key drivers of demand by region, with a focus on large industries and data centers
- Data center location preferences and key factors in decision-making
- Key factors that will influence the gigawatts of required capacity
- The difficulties in forecasting future demand
- The regions of the U.S. under greatest stress
- Interconnection-related issues affecting large loads, with a focus on data centers
- Power quality issues associated with large loads, especially data centers
- Data center technologies and power quality issues affecting other energy users
- Evolving contractual structures meant to protect other ratepayers
- Why this challenge is initially related to capacity constraints, but eventually evolves into an energy-related issue
- Proposed approaches to interconnection in markets such as PJM and ERCOT
What You Will Also Learn- The challenges related to introducing new technologies into the power industry
- Why the data industry is so extremely power-intensive and likely to become even more so
- The difference between large language models and inference
Session 2: The Associated Supply Challenge
January 29th 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
What You Will Learn- How vertically integrated utilities and competitive markets are addressing these new challenges
- The interconnection planning process for new supply resources, why it has been so slow to respond to market dynamics, and the regulatory responses
- The transmission challenge, why insufficient infrastructure gets built, and possible alternatives in the short- and long
- The challenge of integrating variable renewable resources, and the value of energy storage
- The growing pressures on the natural gas resource, including LNG exports and direct service to gigawatts of data center load
- New supply resources and the outlook for modular nuclear, fusion, and enhanced/advanced geothermal
- Emerging strategies to supply large loads, including co-location and bridging strategies to eventual future grid supply
- Opportunities for distributed energy resources to contribute to the solution
What You Will Also Learn- Why we are headed into an inflationary cost environment, and the initial indicators that all ratepayers will be affected
- A summary of the critical issues affecting the U. S. electric power industry, and the near-term risks and possibilities.
Venue
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