Infrastructure Modernization Options in an Uncertain Economy

February 18-19, 2009   •   Renaissance Hotel   •   Washington, DC

2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum Overview

The 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum (2009 Forum) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and is held annually in conjunction with the NARUC Winter Committee Meetings. The 2009 Forum is planned by the U.S. Electricity Delivery Working Group, which is an ad hoc group consisting of a broad cross section of stakeholder interests.

The 2009 Forum will be held on February 18 and 19, 2009 and will be the first conference to address the Nation's electric power needs since the new Administration has been in office. The 2009 Forum will address cutting edge issues and will include national leaders. The Keynote Panel will include some of the Nation's greatest thinkers on the issue of delivering clean, reliable and affordable electric power to the Nation's consumers. The Keynote Panelists will provide their vision of what is needed to provide an electric power grid that includes new, innovative technologies and will keep the U.S. competitive in a global economy.

Day 1 of the 2009 Forum will also include a series of panel discussions that will address how the uncertain economy affects the move to modernizing the Nation's electric power delivery system. The panels will discuss what new policies the new Administration should enact and how the new Administration should work with states and industry to ensure that reliable and affordable power is provided through new technologies and market innovations. The panel discussions will also include a focus on what is needed to attract new capital investment into the electric power industry and how the credit crisis is impacting the electric power industry. Discussions will include how the U.S. is preparing the electric power workforce and what the solutions are for meeting global competition for skilled workers. Panelists in each of these discussions will represent experts from various industries, academia and other stakeholder perspectives.

The discussion on Day 2 of the 2009 Forum is focused on how the Nation's electric power delivery system operates, how planning is conducted, and how resources are determined. These panel discussions will address which technologies will transform the U.S. electric power market and allow it to compete globally; what actions grid operators need to take to meet growing demands, manage the system efficiently, and meet security challenges; how generation resources are managed and integrated into the system; and what regional approaches to transmission planning are being successfully utilized.

2009 Forum's Goals

  • Inform the new Administration on successful strategies to undertake to enact policies that support the modernization of the Nation's electric power system infrastructure and delivery mechanisms;
  • Exchange ideas by the Nation's thinkers on the solutions to address the challenge of infrastructure modernization in an uncertain economy;
  • Evaluate proposed policy and technical issues associated with electric power system delivery and operation, including integration of renewable energy resources, implementation of smart grid technologies, and impacts of climate change policies;
  • Examine ways in which the U.S. remains competitive through a modern, technically advanced power delivery system and a skilled workforce;
  • Evaluate the steps needed to deploy innovative technologies and to attract new capital investment to modernize the U.S. electric power delivery system.

Why is the National Electricity Delivery Forum Needed?

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability is responsible for working with many stakeholder groups on the complex technical and policy issues related to modernizing the electric delivery system. At the same time, states and regional entities have also undertaken a variety of measures to coordinate and plan for a robust system that meets the increasing demands on the system. As the new Administration begins its tenure, it is important that issues be examined by the Nation's electric power delivery experts to help the Administration and the states set the course for modernizing the grid.

Decisions made today by the new Administration will impact the modernization efforts of the system for decades to come. It is essential to get policies, incentives, investment strategies, and regional planning and siting objectives correct so that the much needed system upgrades can be constructed and efficiency and demand response measures be successfully implemented. The 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum will ascertain the status of federal, state and regional efforts to modernize the U.S. electricity delivery system and will discuss how these efforts can help solve the Nation's need to address infrastructure modernization in an uncertain economy and compete globally.

The 2009 Forum will be the first public setting in which new Administration policies will be discussed. The 2009 Forum presents an opportunity to identify solutions for system planners and others involved in the electric power delivery system. The options discussed at this preeminent policy forum will help decision makers accomplish the goal of a robust, reliable electricity delivery system to serve U.S. consumers for generations to come.

Who Should Attend

  • Industry chief executive officers and senior management
  • State policymakers, including state legislators and public utility commissioners and staff
  • Smart grid proponents and other technology providers
  • Investment community and venture capitalists
  • Consumer Advocates
  • State legislators
  • State energy office officials
  • Federal energy officials
  • Members of Congress and staff
  • Academia
  • Press and commentators
  • Researchers and analysts with interest in the U.S. Electric Power System

General Information

The 2009 Forum is being managed by Energetics Incorporated. Energetics is a consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information regarding the 2009 Forum please contact Peggy Welsh, Senior Consultant, Energetics Incorporated at pwelsh@energetics.com or call 202-406-4108.