Paul Hauffen

In this week’s AEIC (Association of Edison Illuminating Companies) Grid Mod Pod episode, we’re excited to be joined by Mark Esguerra, Director of Distribution System Planning and Strategy for Southern California Edison (SCE) California Edison. Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen in: -Why planning for increased transportation and building electrification is a top priority for Southern California Edison -How changes in overall load have impacted the evolution of grid planning technologies -How Southern California Edison is enabling a faster interconnection process for customers, and how other utilities can do the same -Why automation will play a critical role in supporting increased demand on the grid -How forecasting can get key customers and stakeholders on board with transportation electrification projects – This podcast is brought to you by AEIC, the place where operations leaders come together to share knowledge and provide guidance to the electric utility industry. We'll be back with a new episode next week. Until then, keep powering on! https://lnkd.in/eWQ-DjUh

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California's fight against wildfires gains momentum with the approval of a new initiative to accelerate power line undergrounding. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has given the green light to major utilities to craft 10-year plans aimed at bolstering the state's electric grid against wildfire risks while minimizing costs. Undergrounding, championed by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), is hailed for its potential to reduce wildfire ignition risks by 98%. However, concerns over the hefty costs and recent rate increases underscore the delicate balance between safety and affordability. As California presses forward, this program marks a crucial step in safeguarding communities and infrastructure from the wildfire menace. #seetheopportunityineverydifficulty #utilties #CPUC #california #undergrounding #gridofthefuture ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ https://lnkd.in/e8Zg37sF

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UtilityDive reporting that utilities are starting to consider climate resilience as part of their planning. "APS, Duke, other utilities pursue new climate resilience strategies as some await upcoming tools APS and Duke, along with PacifiCorp, Central Hudson Gas & Electric and Puget Sound Energy, see different paths to reach resilience planning’s potential while awaiting EPRI metrics. The U.S. has experienced 24 events so far in 2024 “with losses exceeding $1 billion each,” and billion-dollar events have impacted all 50 states in the last decade, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported. There were 20.4 events per year from 2019 to 2023, but that jumped to 28 events in 2023 that cost $95.1 billion, NOAA added. “The utility industry is shifting from responding to an individual event to mapping vulnerability to financial risk and quantifying benefits of potential investments on four pillars,” said Aditya Ranade, GuideHouse director of energy, sustainability, infrastructure. “The first of the four pillars is hazard mapping,” which identifies types of threats, from flooding to wildfires." Read more at https://conta.cc/3C35zJJ #solar #energy #solarenergy #renewables #renewableenergy #electricity #energystorage #ESS #distributedenergy #solarpower #batteries #EVCha

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According to the latest report from the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee, the Northwest is looking at a projected 25% increase in demand within the next decade! Read more below ⚡ #edo #utilities #energymanagement #grid https://lnkd.in/gC2itdm6

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California's Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) marks a significant step forward in promoting corporate accountability for greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board's decision to provide enforcement flexibility during the initial reporting phase reflects a practical approach, recognizing the challenges companies face in building robust emissions reporting systems. This transition period is an opportunity for businesses to lay the groundwork for sustainable practices while aligning with evolving climate regulations. As organizations adapt, it's clear that transparency and data integrity in emissions reporting are becoming non-negotiable for long-term success in a rapidly decarbonizing economy.

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We are delighted that CalMTA, California’s new statewide market transformation administrator, will be presenting their work at #ETSummit2024, along with #demonstrations of decarbonization technologies that increase comfort and safety for utility customers! CalMTA will share an update on the creation of the first market transformation initiatives for California, including the six technologies under development and the activities conducted to inform full MTI plans for two ideas: induction cooking and room heat pumps. This #interactive session will include discussion of the recently completed market characterization studies, strategy pilot findings, application of an equity lens, and the evaluation framework used to measure the impact of MTIs on the market. The panelists—Resource Innovations/CalMTA's Jeff Mitchell and Stacey Hobart—will also take a deep dive into the logic models created for each MTI to capture specific barriers, opportunities for leverage, strategic interventions, and desired outputs and outcomes. ✅ #ProTip: Book your hotel room before our special reduced rate ends on 9/16! Visit ETSummit.com for hotel info and more. #CalMTA #InductionCooking #RoomHeatPumps #Decarbonization

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Our recent webinar “Water Utilities: Building Stronger Customer Relationships” provided valuable insights from industry experts Ty’Esha Torres, Lead Utility Services Specialist, and Jason Gardea Stinnett, Lead Account Advisor, from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Connecting with water utility customers starts with better understanding their needs, goals and preferences. Torres and Stinnett shared the following best practices: · Provide ongoing communications with customers and check in on a regular basis. · Learn what platforms customers prefer and how frequently they want to communicate with you. · Give customers the tools and educational resources to help them accomplish their goals. · Go the extra mile with customers through responsive and personal communications. · Offer the opportunity for customers to provide feedback via surveys, email, website contact forms and/or the call center. Learn more in our latest webinar, available on demand! Check out the highlights in our recap: https://lnkd.in/gqadWrnp #Webinar #WaterUtilities #CustomerEngagement

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Our Southern California Edison (SCE) colleagues Anna Brockway, Anuj Desai and Alex Chwierut collaborated with Olga H. and others at Sandia National Laboratories to develop a social burden metric that builds on SCE's Community Resilience Metric (CRM) work used in its 2022 vulnerability assessment to prioritize climate adaptation investments #climateaction #climateadaptation #impact https://lnkd.in/gpVFQXKh

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The California Hydrogen Leadership Summit is around the corner, June 16-17, in Sacramento! Join California policymakers & #hydrogen industry experts to discuss the challenges, opportunities & innovative solutions critical to bolstering the state’s #hydrogenmarket to propel California toward a cleaner & more sustainable future. At the Summit, attendees will: ▶️Learn the latest advancements in hydrogen technology from industry leaders. ▶️Participate in discussions on essential hydrogen policy frameworks and market mechanisms. ▶️Connect with key stakeholders and innovators across the hydrogen value spectrum. Register now to contribute to #decarbonizing California with hydrogen: https://okt.to/2ix0MW #hydrogeneconomy #fuelcell #cleanair #sustainability #cleanenergy

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Enjoying panel discussion today re: clean energy for AI here in my hometown of Seattle and catching up with clients, partners, and colleagues. Of course long distance transmission top of mind, also interesting discussion of nuclear energy growth as well https://lnkd.in/g64QEukh

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This is the most authoritative piece I’ve read on emissions, and really highlights the benefit of living and operating a business in California. It should make emissions accounting much easier if the cost is already included in electric rates. It should make businesses outside California want back in. https://lnkd.in/eeVkj-_3

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Some good news to round out the year: Yesterday the California Public Utilities Commission approved the General Rate Case (GRC) decision for SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric covering 2024 - 2027. The decision, in part, authorizes the SoCalGas Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) budget of $15.95M for 2024. The budget will escalate each year through 2027, but I'll let the regulatory accountants run those numbers. Just to give you a sense of the enormity of this process, we started putting together data and testimony to support our budget request in the Summer of 2021(!). It takes about a year to prep the request and then 2.5 years to litigate it: there's rebuttal testimony from intervenors to review, responses to data requests to complete, rebuttal testimony to write, witnesses to prep, oral arguments to watch, etc. And, of course, it's like painting the Golden Gate bridge. Now that we're done, we get a very short break before starting it all over again for Test Year 2028! Congrats to the RD&D team! Now let's get back to the real work: Advancing clean energy technology that will benefit our ratepayers! #regulation #research #development #demonstration #energytransition

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The California Energy Commission has launched an RFP for "Distributed Energy and Electrification Analysis" using the LF Energy Arras project. The goal of the initiative is "to buildout the state’s electric distribution grid model to support the CEC in assessing various electrification and distributed energy resource (DER) adoption scenarios." Learn more about the RFP and how to submit a proposal at https://hubs.la/Q02TtnTR0 #lfenergy #energy #utilities #arras #energytransition #der #climatetech

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Most interesting article this morning about the complexities of setting #rates, energy demand vs supply timing, the work of PUCs (Public Utility Commissions - in this case California's), all in the context of #renewable energy. Key concepts are #curtailment (throwing away) of power 😮because of the #duckcurve (less demand than supply of solar available) 🦆 It is a 5-minute read. Here is a summary: Solar Surplus: California has installed nearly 47 gigawatts of solar power, leading to an excess of energy on sunny days, causing electricity prices to go negative. Curtailment Issue: The state is facing the challenge of “curtailing” solar power, which means a significant amount of solar energy is being wasted. Economic Impact: Changes in net-metering policies have reduced incentives for rooftop solar, potentially slowing down solar development and affecting solar-related businesses. Future Strategies: California is exploring solutions like selling excess power to other states, increasing storage capacity, and improving transmission lines to manage the solar surplus. https://lnkd.in/gHujv7xG Strategic Business Solutions #rates

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