Albany, NY - May 21, 2014 - The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) announced today that it would hold a first-of-its-kind symposium to discuss the future of the energy grid in New York State. The daylong event scheduled for Thursday, May 22 features a wide range of energy experts brought together to advance the Commission’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative announced last month to fundamentally restructure New York’s energy industry.
“We are pleased to be able to convene such a distinguished group of international, national and state energy experts to help inform the Commission’s groundbreaking initiative to create the energy grid of the future,” said Commission Chair Audrey Zibelman.
As part of the symposium, energy experts will share thoughts about how electric utility practices and regulatory requirements can be aligned with technological advances to achieve system efficiency, greater customer choice, and greater penetration of clean generation and energy efficiency technologies.
The symposium, co-sponsored with Albany Law School Government Law Center, will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Albany Law School, in Albany, New York. The symposium will be opened by Government Law Center Director Ray Brescia, followed by a welcome from Chair Zibelman and remarks by Richard Kauffman, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Chairman for Energy and Finance for the State and Chairman of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Other nationally recognized speakers include Patricia Hoffman, Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, U.S. Department of Energy; and Jon Wellinghoff, Partner, Stoel Rives LLC and former Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The symposium will also feature representatives from the Electric Power Research Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory discussing drivers of change in the electric system as it relates to customers and technology.
In addition, representatives from Advanced Energy Economy, the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development of West Virginia University College of Law, and the Rocky Mountain Institute will discuss changing trends on the electric grid, the role of the utility and regulation, and resilience strategies for the future.
The information shared at the symposium will provide the Commission’s staff with a broader context for analysis of the issues that will be before the Commission, and that the Staff is currently examining.
Individuals interested in viewing the symposium are encouraged to watch the webcast using this link. A video of the symposium will also be posted on the Commission's website following the event.