INTERESTED IN A SPONSORSHIP OR EXHIBIT? To learn more about sponsorships and exhibits, please review our Sponsor/Exhibitor Brochure and contact Mary Armstrong, Deputy Executive Director, at 281.460.3054 or marmstrong@gulfcoastpower.org.
 

DIAMOND SPONSORS

 

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

ROOM BLOCK & PARKING INFORMATION

GCPA has a room block with a limited number of rooms at the AT&T Conference Center located at 1900 University Ave., Austin TX 78705. Standard King and Double Queen rooms are available at the special rate of $235 per night. Rate includes complimentary in-room high speed wireless internet service.

Reservations must be received on or before the room block cutoff date of Monday, September 9th.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR ROOM RESERVATION

Call 512-404-3600 if you need assistance; mention the GCPA room block

TO VIEW THE AT&T CONFERENCE CENTER WEBSITE: Click Here

Parking is available in the attached Conference Center Garage. Guests may self-park for 8-24 hours for $21 per day. Valet services are also available at the University Avenue entrance for $21 per day or $38 for overnight.

AGENDA - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1

7:30 AM   REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:15 AM   GCPA President’s Welcome Beth Garza, Sr. Fellow, R Street Institute; Recognition of Chairs Barbara Clemenhagen, Executive Director, GCPA; Conference Introduction Julia Harvey, Vice President, Government Relations, Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. and Lindsey Hughes, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs, ENGIE

8:25 AM   KEYNOTE ADDRESS: A Fireside Chat with Rep. Todd Hunter, Chair, State Affairs Committee, Texas House of Representatives and Pablo Vegas, CEO, ERCOT; Facilitated by Barbara Clemenhagen, Executive Director, GCPA

8:55 AM   Session I - AI Gets Real in ERCOT
This panel will explore the growing impact of AI applications in and around ERCOT, from revolutionizing asset maintenance to optimizing forecasts through deep learning models. For many market participants, intelligent automation and AI are already transforming the way they operate and plan for the future. Our panel will discuss real-life use cases around AI  as well as their expectations for its expanding role in the energy sector.    

Moderator: Theo Piletski, Vice President, Intelligent Automation, EPAM Systems Inc. 
Panelists:
Dr. Erin Boyd, Chief Digital Commercial Transformation Officer, AES
Scott Hublou, Sr. Vice President, Product Development, Splight
Mike Kirschner, Managing Director U.S., Habitat Energy
Venkat Tirupati, Vice President, DevOps and Grid Transformation, ERCOT

9:45 AM   emPOWERing Young Professional Award

10:00 AM   NETWORKING BREAK

10:30 AM   Vignette - Oil and Gas Perspective on the Permian Basin Load
Speaker: Dr. Dean Foreman, Chief Economist, Texas Oil & Gas Association

10:45 AM   Session II - Emerging and Revolutionary Grid Technologies
As the ERCOT grid becomes increasingly complex, new and unique reliability challenges are continually emerging. This panel will discuss some of the operational issues the ERCOT market is facing, and how new technologies may be able to help.

Moderator: Warren Lasher, Owner, Lasher Energy Consulting
Panelists:
Michael McNamara, CEO & Co-Founder, Lancium
Fernando Palma, Program Manager - Office of Electricity, Department of Energy
Dr. Mandhir Sahni, Principal / Vice President, EE PLUS
Dan Woodfin, Vice President, System Operations, ERCOT

11:30 AM   KEYNOTE ADDRESS - Glenn Hegar, Comptroller, State of Texas

12:00 PM   LUNCHEON

1:30 PM   Session III - Turning the Tables on Energy Media
We read their work, but what do we know about how they do their work? This panel of leading names covering our industry will discuss how they cover energy stories and how we can best help them do their work. The panelists will also share what they see as the biggest upcoming issues - maybe even share a scoop!

Moderator: Beth Garza, Sr. Fellow, R Street Institute
Panelists:
Russell Gold, Sr. Editor, Texas Monthly
Claire Hao, Energy Reporter, Houston Chronicle
Jennifer Hiller, Energy Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
Tom Kleckner, ERCOT / SPP Correspondent, RTO Insider

2:15 PM   Vignette - TEF Talk: The State of the Texas Energy Fund 
Speaker: Tracie Tolle, Project Manager, Texas Energy Fund, Public Utility Commission of Texas

2:30 PM   KEYNOTE ADDRESS “Perspectives from an ERCOT Participant: Customer’s Version”: Deborah Merril, President, bp Energy Retail Company

3:00 PM   NETWORKING BREAK

3:30 PM   Session IV - Resource Adequacy Approaches in Single State RTOs
ERCOT isn’t the only system grappling with resource adequacy, a changing resource move, and significant supply and demand changes. California, New York and Alberta are similarly-situated to ERCOT in that they are single-state electric systems and, in some cases, they have a similar market to ERCOT’s energy-only market. This panel will compare and contrast the features of each region and how the region is approaching changes to their market to ensure reliability, including changes related to policy directives, supply and demand, and larger energy trends. Comparing and contrasting similarly-situated systems with ERCOT and each other is guaranteed to provide new food for thought to anyone interested in resource adequacy and markets.

Moderator: Keith Collins, Vice President, Commercial Operations, ERCOT
Panelists:
Marie-France Samaroden, Vice President, Grid Reliability - Operations, AESO
Carrie Bentley, President, Gridwell Consulting
Emilie Nelson, Executive Vice President & COO, NYISO

4:15 PM   Vignette - Co-op Innovation: Bandera
Speaker: John Padalino, General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer, Bandera Electric Cooperative

4:30 PM   Session V - Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovations in Managing Loads in ERCOT
Load serving entities (LSEs) serve a critical function as the organizations that directly interface with both retail end users and wholesale suppliers. The challenges faced by LSEs in ERCOT have grown more complex in recent years, not just because of changing market fundamentals but also due to emerging technological capabilities and changing consumer preferences, all against the shifting policy landscape. New ancillary services, ERCOT’s conservative operational stance, and the possibility of novel programs such as PCM deeply implicate how LSEs strategize to optimally serve their customers. Hear from Retail Electric Providers and Non-Opt-In Entities on the opportunities and challenges these dynamics present.

Moderator: Carrie Collier-Brown, Partner, Husch Blackwell
Panelists:
Mike Enger, Vice President, Energy Market Operations & Resource Planning, Austin Energy
Gary Franzen, Sr. Vice President, Energy Resources, CoServ
Krishna Kasiviswanathan, Chief Risk Officer, Chariot Energy
Sam Sen, Vice President, Energy Transition Solutions, Vistra

5:15 - 7:00 PM   COCKTAIL RECEPTION
 

AGENDA - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2

7:45 AM   REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:25 AM   Announcements: Barbara Clemenhagen, Executive Director, GCPA

8:30 AM   KEYNOTE ADDRESS - Leslie D. Biddle, Deputy Under Secretary for Commercialization and Finance, U.S. Department of Energy

9:00 AM   Vignette - Federal Solar for All
Speaker: John Hall, President & CEO, Houston Advanced Research Center 

9:15 AM   Session VI - Consumer Perspective on ERCOT Market
Consumers in the ERCOT market must continually adapt to face the new challenges related to growing demand, new regulations, and emerging technologies. Join us for an engaging discussion where our panelists will explore some of the varied consumer perspectives on the ERCOT market and its challenges. This panel will explore the various issues consumers encounter, such as the impacts of extreme weather, and provide insight on proposed solutions aimed at increasing reliability and resiliency throughout the ERCOT market.

Moderator: Julie Davis, Chief of Staff, Office of PUCT Commissioner Hjaltman
Panelists:
Bryn Baker, Sr. Director, Policy and Market Innovation, Clean Energy Buyers Association
Lori Cobos, Commissioner, PUCT
Nate Murphy, Sr. Counsel, Valero
Jim Stanway, Head of Energy Procurement, Samsung Semiconductor US

10:00 AM   NETWORKING BREAK

10:30 AM   KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Thomas J. Gleeson, Chairman, PUCT

11:00 AM   Session VII - Future Policy Trajectory: Former Commissioners’ Perspectives
The ERCOT market has continued to evolve since its inception, but the last several years have seen transformational shifts in the policy landscape. Listen as former regulators and policymakers relay their views and perspectives on the recent actions of the Texas Legislature, PUC and ERCOT, and discuss their insights on the future policy trajectory of electricity in Texas.

Moderator: Pat Wood III, CEO, Hunt Energy Network; Former Chairman, FERC & PUCT

Former Commissioners:
Paul Hudson, President, General Infrastructure LLC
Brandy Marty Marquez, Principal, Marquez Public Affairs
Will McAdams, Partner, Texas Lobby Strategies; Founder & President, McAdams Energy Group, LLC
Julie Parsley, CEO, Pedernales Electric Cooperative

11:45 AM   CONFERENCE ADJOURNS

PRE-CONFERENCE ADD-ONS - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

PRE-CONFERENCE HALF DAY WORKSHOP

“Texas Wholesale Electricity Market Redesign: Where are We Now and Where Are We Going?”
Monday, September 30
AT&T Conference Center 1:00 - 5:15 (Check-In at 12:30 PM)

AGENDA AVAILABLE ON NEXT TAB

In the aftermath of February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 3 and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and ERCOT have launched the most dramatic reforms to the Texas wholesale electricity market since Senate Bill 7 (retail competition).  ERCOT’s energy-only market structure is being reevaluated to consider how to align market outcomes with policy objectives, which may require extensive changes and introduce novel concepts.   

Under the Texas Wholesale Electricity Market Redesign are several pending changes that will be discussed in the Workshop:

• The PUC and ERCOT are evaluating the Value of Lost Load (“VOLL”) with survey company PlanBeyond and the Brattle Group. The survey itself was developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a tool for RTOs/ISOs to evaluate the cost-benefit ratios for reliability infrastructure and pricing.
• At the same time, ERCOT and Stakeholders are continuing to evaluate the novel Performance Credits Mechanism (“PCM”), which has never been implemented in any jurisdiction.  An alternative to the PCM has also been mandated by statute - the Dispatchable Reliability Reserve Service (“DRRS”).
• Also in the mix are the long studied and soon-to-be implemented Real-Time Co-optimization (“RTC” or “RTC+B”), performance requirements (or firming) for generation resources, and the PUC’s pending Review of Ancillary Services in the ERCOT Market.

Finally, the Workshop will consider the new challenges (load growth, cost allocation, interconnection) and opportunities (new technologies, coordinated planning, responsive load) that are already starting to shift the context in which the ERCOT wholesale electricity market redesign efforts are playing out. 

Early Bird Price WITH Conference Registration: $250
Early Bird Price WITHOUT Conference Registration: $350

 

WELCOME COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Mingle and network at a Welcome Cocktail Reception
Monday, September 30
AT&T Conference Center - 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Pricing: $45

FULL AGENDA
PRE-CONFERENCE HALF DAY WORKSHOP ON MON. SEPTEMBER 30
“Texas Wholesale Electricity Market Redesign:
Where are We Now and Where Are We Going?”
AT&T Conference Center 1:00 PM - 5:15 PM (Check-In at 12:30 PM)

In the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri, Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and ERCOT, at the direction of the Texas Legislature, have launched the most dramatic reforms to the ERCOT market since Senate Bill 7 (retail competition).  ERCOT’s energy-only market structure is being reevaluated to consider how best to align market outcomes with policy objectives.  Under the Texas Wholesale Electricity Market Redesign are several pending changes that will be discussed in the Workshop, including: the Value of Lost Load (“VOLL”), Performance Credits Mechanism (“PCM”), Dispatchable Reliability Reserve Service (“DRRS”), Real-Time Co-optimization (“RTC” or “RTC+B”), performance requirements (firming), and the Review of Ancillary Services.  The Workshop will also consider the new challenges and opportunities influencing the market today and in the future. 

1:00 PM   KEYNOTE - What is the Value of Lost Load and How Do you Measure it?
Speaker: Dr. Peter Larsen, Leader, Energy Markets and Policy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

1:25 PM   PANEL I - What Are the Use Cases for a Value of Lost Load?
Moderator: Barksdale English, Deputy Executive Director, PUCT
Panelists:
Chris Brown, Program Manager, Data Analysis, PUCT
Eric Goff, President, Goff Policy
Mark Spencer, Vice President, Analytics and Wholesale Market Policy, LS Power
Greg Thurnher, Staff Technical Program Manager, Tesla

2:15 PM   BREAK

2:45 PM   DEEP DIVE - Level Set: What’s Been Done So Far
Speaker: Steve Reedy, CEO, CIM View Consulting

3:15 PM   PANEL II - What’s Still Under Development 
Moderator: Steve Reedy, CEO, CIM View Consulting
Panelists:
Campbell Faulkner, Sr. Vice President, OTC Global Holdings
Julia Frayer, Managing Director, London Economics International
Matt Mereness, Sr. Director, Market Operations & Implementation, ERCOT
Will Zapalac, Partner, Rockland Capital, LLC

4:15 PM   PANEL III - New Challenges and Opportunities Ahead  
Moderator: Bill Flores, Interim Board Chair, ERCOT
Panelists:
Olivier Beaufils, Market Lead - ERCOT, Aurora Energy Research
Ellen Buck, Vice President, Business and Operations Services, Oncor
Clayton Greer, Vice President, Energy Division, Cholla Petroleum Inc.
Andrew Harmon, Vice President, Operations and Business Development, Natura Resources

5:15 PM   ADJOURN

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT INFORMATION

PEs: As part of the Continuing Education Program requirements for Professional Engineers in Texas, each licensed engineer is required to earn 15 hours per year of Professional Development Hours (PDH). Attendees will receive approximately 8.75 hours of credit if all conference sessions are attended. 3.75 credit hours will also be available for the 9/30 workshop. You can sign up to receive your certificate at the conference registration desk.

CPAs: GCPA is a Board Registered CPE Sponsor with the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. This registration does not constitute an endorsement by the Board as to the quality of our CPE program. The learning objectives for CPAs attending the conference are: in-depth knowledge of AI in ERCOT, new grid technologies, media approach to power, single state RTO’s response to RA, load management, ERCOT consumer perspective, and Texas energy policy. There are no prerequisites. Attendees will receive approximately 11.5 hours of credit if all sessions are attended. 4.0 credit hours will also be available for the 9/30 workshop. The learning objectives for the workshop are: an in-depth understanding of Texas Wholesale Electricity Market Design and upcoming changes. You can sign up to receive your certificate at the conference registration desk.

Attorneys: The Texas State Bar has approved 4.5 CLE hours for the conference as follows: 0.75 hours each for Sessions I, II, IV, V, VI and VII. Also approved were 3.75 hours for the 9/30 workshop. Attorneys can self report using sponsor number 2661 and course number 174251460.

PRICING INFORMATION

CONFERENCE PRICING - price includes one and a half day conference on 10/1-10/2 and cocktail reception on 10/1.*Non-Member rate includes 2024 Individual Membership good through 1/31/25.

CONFERENCE	Early Bird Reg. through 9/9/24	Regular Reg. 9/10/24 - 9/27/24	On-Site Reg. 10/1/24 & 10/2/24
GCPA Member	$895	$1045	$1145
Non-Member*	$1145	$1295	$1395
Govt./State Agency Employee	$395	$395	$445
GCPA Members in Job Search Mode	$450	$450	$550
Non-Members in Job Search Mode*	$700	$700	$800
Full Time Students	$175	$175	$225

 

WORKSHOP PRICING - price includes half day workshop on 9/30, beverages and snack.

WORKSHOP	Early Bird Reg. through 9/9/24	Regular Reg. 9/10/24 - 9/27/24	On-Site Reg. 9/30/24
Fee w/ conf. registration	$250	$300	$350
Fee W/OUT conf. reg.	$350	$400	$450

 

WELCOME RECEPTION PRICING - price includes welcome reception on 9/30, one drink ticket and hors d’oeuvres. Additional cocktails can be purchased at the bar. Reception is only available with conference and/or workshop registration and is not available as a stand-alone purchase for non-conference or non-workshop attendees.

RECEPTION	Early Bird Reg. through 9/9/24	Regular Reg. 9/10/24 - 9/27/24	On-Site Reg. 9/30/24
Fee	$45	$45	$50

 

REFUND POLICY - Cancellations must be received by 5 PM on Friday, September 13 in order to receive a refund. A 10% service fee (minimum fee of $10) will be charged against all refunds. Please direct all cancellation requests to Mary Armstrong at marmstrong@gulfcoastpower.org.