Last Year's Schedule
Conference Program Annual Meeting 2023
Sunday, September 17
- 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Alderbrook lobby
Conference registration
- 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Members only
NIPPC Annual Board Meeting
- 4:00 pm – 4:15 pm
Conference opens
Welcome
Spencer Gray, Executive Director, NIPPC
- 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Armchair Discussion
NIPPC’s opening session with guest speaker
Ben Salisbury, Heights Capital Markets
Moderator: Spencer Gray, NIPPC
- 5:30 pm – 7:15 pm
Opening Reception
Sponsored by NextEra Energy Resources.
No host bar.
- 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Firepit marshmallow roast
Informal gathering for all guests on the waterfront lawn.
Monday, September 18
- 7:45 am – 8:30 am
Continental breakfast
- 8:30 am – 9:15 am
Special Seminar 1
Transmission Siting Reform and Potential Impact on Transmission Development in the Northwest
Ben Mayer and Jennifer Mersing from K&L Gates will review FERC’s pending Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Applications for Permits to Site Interstate Electric Transmission Facilities (Docket No. RM22-7) and various state initiatives to encourage the development of electric transmission facilities.
The presentation will also analyze the potential impact of these initiatives on transmission development in the Northwest.
- 9:20 am – 9:45 am
NIPPC 'TED Talk'
Charting a Path to a Decarbonized Grid with Form Energy
Join an engaging conversation with clean energy industry veterans, Nidhi Thakar and RJ Johnson, as they share insights around the challenges and opportunities of launching a pioneering battery technology during a period of rapid electric industry expansion and electric grid reliability challenges.
- 9:50 am – 10:35 am
Special Seminar 2
Electric Power Trading During the Implementation of Washington State’s Cap and Invest Program
Washington State’s Cap and Invest Program (CCA) to manage carbon emissions and achieve greenhouse gas limits became effective on January 1, 2023.
The presentation by Van Ness Feldman will focus on providing an overview of Ecology’s implementation of the CCA – contextualizing this implementation within the world of electric power trading.
The presentation will include information about how the energy market has reacted since the CCA went into effect, filings and requests from market participants requesting changes to address the uncertainty in electric power and Ecology’s response, Ecology’s exploration of linking Washington’s carbon markets with those in California and Quebec, and other uncertainties that remain as the first compliance period appears on the horizon.
- 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Panel 1
Capital in the Capitol: Ratebase in the New Regulated West
- Julien Dumoulin Smith, Bank of America
- Michael Gorman, Brubaker & Associates
- Jason Thackston, Avista Corp.
Moderator: Phil Jones, Former Washington UTC Commissioner and Past President of NARUC
- 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm
Buffet Lunch
Luncheon Address
- John Hairston, Administrator & CEO, Bonneville Power Administration
- 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm
Panel 2
Penciled Out: New Business Cases for Transmission
Jeff Cook, Bonneville Power Administration
Neil Millar, California ISO
Monica Opderbeck, Pattern Energy
Moderator: Rich Glick, GQ Consulting
- 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
Panel 3
Speedbumps and Sinkholes: Western Market Connectivity
Andrew McLain, Northwestern Energy
Keegan Moyer, Energy Strategies
Pam Sporborg, Portland General Electric
- Kevin Thompson, Arizona Corporation Commission
Moderator: Letha Tawney, Oregon Public Utilities Commission
- 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm
Beer Garden Reception
- Hosted bar and appetizers.
- All guests invited.
- 7:00 pm – 8:45 pm
Banquet program
Banquet Address
Elliot Mainzer, California Independent System Operator
Introduction: Karen McGaffey, Perkins Coie
- 8:45 pm - 10:30 pm
Sponsored
Evening Receptions
- NIPPC’s unofficial after-parties, hosted by two of our sponsors.
Tuesday, September 19
- 7:45 am - 8:45 am
Full Buffet Breakfast
- 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Panel 4
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya: Innovation in Regional Governance
Sarah Edmonds, Western Power Pool
Megan Decker, Oregon Public Utilities Commission
- Laura Trolese, The Energy Authority
Moderator: Stephanie Lenhart, Boise State University
- 10:00 am – 10:15 am
Closing Comments
- Spencer Gray, Executive Director, Northwest & Intermountain Power Producers Coalition
- 10:15 am
Conference Adjourns
Please note: Conference program may be subject to change. Correct as of August 30, 2023.
