Webinar: Demand Response - Tales from Two States

There is no lack of policy activity these days when it comes to demand response and related areas like the smart grid.  On this Webinar you will hear from:

The Majority Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the Demand Response and Smart Grid Provisions in play in Congress,

The Team Leader for Demand Response at FERC on the Agency's Second Annual Assessment of Demand Response, and

The Executive Director of the U.S. DRCC on State Implementation of the Smart Metering and Demand Response Provisions in EPACT 2005

While other energy issues on Capitol Hill in Washington - like the battles over CAFÉ standards and Renewable Portfolio Standards - are getting all of the attention, there is a considerable amount of smart grid and demand response policy quietly making its way through the U.S. Congress this summer.  Both the House and Senate have passed energy bills that include provisions such as the following:

Accelerated Depreciation for Advanced Metering

Establishment of a Grid Modernization Commission

Funding for Smart Grid Deployment

Development of a National Action Plan on Demand Response

Peak Reduction Standards for Federal Buildings

Development of Interoperability Standards

Establishment of a Federal Matching Grant Program for Smart Grid and Demand Response investments

While the two bodies will have to get together to iron out any differences between their respective bills, this timely Webinar will give you a chance to hear from one of the key staff members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and get an early look at what kind of things may potentially be sent to the President's desk for his signature.  

Elsewhere in Washington, FERC has recently undertaken its Second Annual Review of Demand Response and Advanced Metering.  Acting pursuant to a provision of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, FERC issued its first such Assessment in August of 2006 and it quickly became one of the key documents for the demand response community.  It is now one year later and FERC has done a fresh assessment to see what has changed in the past year. On this Webinar, the leader of the FERC team that conducted the recent assessment will present the agency's latest findings

There is a lot of policy in these areas being made at the State level these days.  Much of that is happening as a result of state regulatory proceedings taking place pursuant to the smart metering and demand response provisions of the last significant federal energy legislation enacted - the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005).   A number of states have made their decisions on whether to implement those provisions.  A number of states have taken steps outside of those provisions.  The U.S. DRCC has been monitoring these developments and the DRCC Executive Director will tell you who is doing what and give you an overall appreciation of what kind of policy is under development.

The DRCC is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the development and exchange of information about demand response.  More on the DRCC can be found at www.demandresponseinfo.org.

Members of the DRCC include American Electric Power, Ameren, Arizona Public Service,

DTE Energy, Hess Corporation, IBM, ISO-New England, MeterSmart, MidAmerican Energy, Midwest ISO, National Grid, NYISO, NYSERDA, Pacific Gas & Electric, PJM Interconnection, Progress Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric, Salt River Project, Southern California Edison, Southern Company, Southwest Power Pool, Tennessee Valley Authority, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc, and Xcel Energy.