AGENDA - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
7:00 AM REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:00 AM GCPA President’s Welcome: Mark Dreyfus, Principal, MD Energy Consulting
Recognition of Chairs: Kim Casey, Executive Director, GCPA
Conference Introduction: Suzanne Bertin, Owner, S. Bertin Consulting
Bryan Sams, VP Government & Regulatory, Calpine
8:10 AM KEYNOTE ADDRESS: William H. “Bill” Flores, Vice-Chair & Independent Board Member, ERCOT; Former Member of Congress, U.S. House of Representatives
8:40 AM Session I - Market Design Redux
State agencies and market participants are interpreting and implementing statutory changes passed in 2021 to enhance the ERCOT market. This panel of market experts will explore the content of recent agency rules and orders, and look ahead to any additional regulatory changes. Recent and ongoing projects to enhance the market include weatherization, Market Design Phase I, Market Design Phase II, and state agency rulemaking projects to incorporate demand response, distributed generation and energy storage as well as meaningful transmission planning reform.
Moderator: Carrie Bivens, Vice President, Potomac Economics; ERCOT IMM Director
Panelists:
Clif Lange, Manager of Wholesale Marketing/QSE, South Texas Electric Cooperative
Tonya Baer Miller, Executive Director, Texas Solar Power Association
Michele Richmond, Executive Director, Texas Competitive Power Advocates
9:35 AM NETWORKING BREAK
10:05 AM KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Thad Hill, CEO, Calpine
10:35 AM Session II - Lincoln Douglas Debate: Transmission Reforms and Market Design
The Lincoln-Douglas debate traces its roots to the 1858 Illinois U.S. Senate race when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held nine debates across the state. We will be using a modified Lincoln Douglas debate format to address this proposition: Transmission planning and regulatory reforms to “relieve congestion” are compatible with market design regulatory reforms to retain and incentivize dispatchable generation in ERCOT’s Energy Only Market. Mark Stover will present the affirmative case and Bill Barnes will present the negative case.
Moderator: Barbara Clemenhagen, Vice President, Market Intelligence, Customized Energy Solutions
Debaters:
Bill Barnes, Sr. Director, Regulatory Affairs, NRG Energy
Mark Stover, Director, State Affairs, Apex Clean Energy
11:15 AM Session III - Transmission Planning for the Future
In 2021, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1281, requiring the PUC to implement a consumer benefits test for transmission planning. As the PUC examines how best to implement this additional tool, it is also weighing significant market design changes. This panel will discuss the ongoing challenges to transmission development within ERCOT, including their views on whether more transmission is needed and whether the addition of the consumer benefits test or criteria allowing for transmission projects based on resiliency will be enough.
Moderator: Woody Rickerson, Vice President, System Planning & Weatherization, ERCOT
Panelists:
Bob Bradish, Sr. Vice President, Regulated Infrastructure Investment Planning, AEP
Amanda Frazier, Sr. Vice President, Regulatory Policy, Vistra Energy
Eric Schubert, Energy & Climate Change Regulatory Affairs Advisor, LyondellBasell
12:00 PM LUNCHEON
1:30 PM KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Jim Burke, CEO, Vistra
2:00 PM MOONSHOT: “Modernizing the Grid with DC Transmission” - Kris Zadlo, Chief Development Officer, Grid United
2:15 PM Session IV - Outlook for Electric Issues in the 2023 Texas Legislative Session
Time to get ready for the Texas Legislature! Every other year, the members of the Legislature descend on Austin to deliberate issues affecting the lives of Texas citizens and businesses. Hear a panel of senior legislators discuss their expectations for the upcoming legislative session. This is a can’t-miss session for anyone interested in legislative and regulatory issues affecting the energy industry in Texas.
Moderator: Phil Wilson, General Manager, LCRA
Panelists:
Donna Howard, Representative, Texas State Legislature
Nathan Johnson, Senator, Texas State Legislature
Phil King, Representative, Texas State Legislature
3:00 PM emPOWERing YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AWARD PRESENTATION
3:10 PM NETWORKING BREAK
3:40 PM KEYNOTE ADDRESS: A Conversation with Tanya Sessions, U.S. Power & Grid Segment Leader, Schneider Electric; Facilitated by Dr. Michael E. Webber, Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, UT Austin
4:10 PM Session V - Keeping Up with the Joneses: A Roundtable Discussion
Industry experts with the last name Jones who have had direct involvement in the creation and ongoing regulation of today’s Texas competitive market will discuss perspectives on the beginning days of ERCOT, lessons learned, recent market issues, hopes for the future and the continued evolution of the competitive market in Texas.
Roundtable Members:
Brad Jones, Interim CEO, ERCOT
Dan Jones, Independent Consultant
Liz Jones, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Oncor
Sam Jones, Former CEO, ERCOT
5:10 - 7:00 PM COCKTAIL RECEPTION
AGENDA - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
7:45 AM REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:30 AM KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Evan Smith, CEO, Texas Tribune
9:15 AM Session VI - A Buyer’s Perspective on the Current ERCOT Retail Market
All retail electricity buyers in ERCOT are experiencing a bit of sticker shock in 2022. Increased natural gas prices, a tight summer supply/demand balance, and a shift to more conservative operations at ERCOT are among some of the contributing factors. This panel led by the Interim Public Counsel of OPUC will discuss their observations on the current state of the retail market, buying strategies, the impact of regulatory changes, and the outlook for the future.
Moderator: Chris Ekoh, Interim Chief Executive & Public Counsel, OPUC
Panelists:
Matt Hobson, Principal, Energy Edge
Andrew Spankuch, Director, Commercial, Freeport LNG
Monica Walker, Green Electron Accelerator, Power & Utility Strategy Team, General Motors
10:00 AM MOONSHOT - “Green Hydrogen: Is It the Future?” - Brian Maxwell, Founder & CEO, GHI
10:15 AM NETWORKING BREAK
10:45 AM KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Will McAdams, Commissioner, Texas PUC
11:10 AM Session VII - Small But Mighty
Customer preferences and enabling technologies are driving the rapid adoption of DERs including demand response, solar, storage, EV fleets, and other small fast ramping generators. This panel will discuss the key benefits including greater reliability, resilience, customer engagement, and cost savings that these "small" resources can offer to customers and the ERCOT grid,. Panelists will also discuss market barriers such as metering and telemetry requirements, evolving market and regulatory frameworks, interoperability, conflicting utility and customer incentives that need to be addressed to realize their "mighty" potential.
Moderator: Rahul Kar, Sr. Vice President, AutoGrid
Panelists:
Claire Alford, Associate, Market Development, Highland Fleets
Amy Heart, Vice President, Public Policy, Sunrun
Cory Redding Sr., Founder & CEO, Redding Technologies Inc.
12:00 PM CONFERENCE ADJOURNS