Webinar: Flexibility Up Front: Integrating Large Loads into Resource Adequacy Planning

Featured Speakers: Derek Stenclik, Founding Partner, Telos Energy; Aaron Schwartz, Senior Engineer, Telos Energy

About the Webinar: As the United States faces unprecedented electricity demand growth driven by data centers and industrial electrification, traditional resource adequacy frameworks are being tested by the scale and speed of these new large loads. This webinar explores a comprehensive framework developed by the Energy Systems Integration Group to improve resource adequacy planning for large loads and how to integrate large-load flexibility—including temporal shifting, geographic redistribution, and onsite resources—directly into long-term utility planning and market design.

Attendees will learn a structured six-step process for integrating large load flexibility up-front in long-term utility planning. This process begins with characterizing diverse load types and improving forecast accuracy, enabling planners to then quantify the capacity contributions of flexible loads using “demand-side ELCC” methodologies and assess the long-term system benefits of flexibility. By shifting from reactive, near-term measures like development moratoria to proactive, upfront flexibility programs, utilities and grid operators can accelerate interconnection timelines, reduce the need for costly new firm capacity, and lower system-wide costs while maintaining grid reliability.

About the Speaker: Derek Stenclik is a founding partner of Telos Energy and is an industry leader in power grid planning, operations, and reliability. He has nearly a decade of experience helping clients across the electric power industry navigate evolving markets, adapt to rapidly changing technologies, and accelerate clean energy integration. He is a recognized expert on deregulated power markets, wind and solar integration, battery energy storage, and distributed energy resources. He is passionate about guiding the development  of the future power grid and accelerating renewable energy adoption. 

Aaron Schwartz is Senior Engineer at Telos Energy, where he supports the firm’s work on utility resource planning and grid modeling. Aaron was most recently a manager on RMI’s electricity program, where he supported government, utility, and non-profit partners in advancing climate-aligned utility planning. Aaron holds a Master’s degree in Technology and Policy from MIT, and a Bachelor’s degree in Operations Research and Financial Engineering from Princeton University.

Registration Cost: FREE

Moderator: James Okullo, Director of System Planning, ESIG

Q&A Session: We will be using the Slido platform for Q&A. Please submit your questions and follow along during the event at this link.