Webinar: Understanding Key Challenges to Conducting Integrated Energy Network Planning

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Featured Speakers: Adam Diamant is a Technical Executive in the Energy and Environmental Analysis Group at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Mr. Diamant manages EPRI’s research program on Resource Planning for Electric Power Systems (Program #178). This research program focuses on improving understanding of the cost and performance of power generation and storage technologies and developing new methods to address emerging challenges to long-term integrated energy system planning resulting from the transformation of the electric power system, including large-scale deployment of variable renewable energy and distributed energy resources. Prior to joining EPRI, Mr. Diamant was a Desk Officer in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Executive Office of the President of the United States. He also founded and managed a private consulting firm and an Internet start-up company. Mr. Diamant earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Dr. Aidan Tuohy is a Principal Project Manager at EPRI. He joined EPRI in October 2010 and works in the Grid Operations and Planning group. He is the program manager for the EPRI research program on bulk system integration of variable generation, with research focusing on the impact of variable generation on power system operations and planning. Prior to joining EPRI, Dr. Tuohy completed his PhD at the University College, Ireland, and consulted at the IEA. He has published several journal papers and frequently presents at industry conferences. He chairs the ESIG working group related to power system and market operations with variable generation, is the secretary of the IEEE Wind and Solar Coordinating Committee and is also involved in IEA, IEC and CIGRE.

Moderator: Charlie Smith, ESIG

Registration Cost: FREE

Webinar Abstract: Adam Diamant and Aidan Tuohy will summarize the findings and implications of a recent initiative by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) that identified ten complex, large-scale challenges electric power system planners and regulators are beginning to confront today, and which are expected to become more pressing and widespread in the future. The resulting white paper, “Developing a Framework for Integrated Energy Network Planning” is based on extensive review and feedback with various industry stakeholders. It describes how traditional electric sector resource planning will need to evolve so electric companies, regulators and other stakeholders effectively can address emerging challenges and benefit from new opportunities arising from the ongoing transformation of the electric sector. The webcast will discuss needs for new methodologies and functionality, new planning processes, and organizational changes that may be needed to continue to develop robust plans. The Integrated Energy Network Planning (IEN-P) framework that will be described begins to lay the foundation for approaches that may be used by electric companies and others as part of their future electric sector resource planning efforts.