Former FERC Chair Rich Glick, Prof. Jacob Mays, and Pamela Quinlan discuss transmission planning, investment, and policy. Topics include FERC Order 1920 impact, transmission benefits, cost allocation, energy system analogies, and grid resilience. The guests provide valuable insights on the energy transition and the challenges faced in the industry.

Energy experts Ahlmahz Negash, Conleigh Byers, and Farhad Billimoria discuss FERC Order 1920, resource adequacy, hedging tail risk, and institutional capability in the electric sector. They explore challenges in grid modernization, energy market trends, strategic planning, information asymmetry, reliability externality, fat tail events, and the evolution of the energy sector.

Apoorv Bhargava discusses his work at WeaveGrid optimizing electric vehicle charging within distribution systems. The interview is wrapped by context and insights from the regular hosts: Ahlmahz Negash, Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, and Paul Dockery.You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!01:21 - 30 seconds of TheoryFarhad Billimoria on Distribution System Operators (DSOs)Conleigh Byers on Transactive EnergyAhlmahz Negash on the Energy Equity Gap10:28 - Apoorv Bhargava on WeaveGrid and the Grid53:38 - Apoorv Bhargava’s analogy; the electric grid is like a well stocked bar1:00:27 - Updating our PriorsFred Scweppe: Power systems `2000': hierarchical control strategiesPaul Joskow & Richard Schmalensee: Markets for Power1:20:24 - Community Planning as Energy PlanningWe Need to Make Cities Less Car-Dependent, Scientific American, 2024Car harm: A global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment, Journal of Transport Geography, 20241:28:20 - ESA World Cup StandingsPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpowerunderground.substack.com

Katherine Blunt joins Crystal Ball and Paul Dockery to discuss her reporting at the Wall Street Journal on the energy industry and her book, California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power Grid.Matthew Schroettnig joins Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, and Paul Dockery for the rest of the episode to cover utility risks, load growth, and the current landscape of America’s power grid.You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!03:13 - Short-to-Ground; a segment where we blow a fuse covering the newsEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a suite of standards to cut greenhouse gas emissions as well as toxic air pollution, water pollution, and land contamination from fossil fuel plantsBureau of Land Management (BLM) updated regulations on Broadband Authorization, Cost Recovery, and Vegetation Management for Fire Risk ManagementLetter from twenty-six entities from across the West to the Southwest Power Pool expressing interest in continuing the development of Markets+Portland General Electric is seeking approval for a new, 7.4 mile, 115 KV transmission lineSpot market power in the U.S.Wholesale spot prices for the National Electricity Market (NEM)Energy Information Administration’s Natural Gas Weekly UpdateHedging and Tail Risk in Electricity Markets18:39 - Katherine Blunt joins Crystal Ball and Paul Dockery to discuss her reporting at the Wall Street Journal on the energy industry and her book, California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power GridCalifornia Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power GridWildfires Make Utilities a Tricky Investment. Just Ask Warren Buffett.Big Tech’s Latest Obsession Is Finding Enough Energy49:13 - Katherine Blunt’s analogy; the grid is like a network of roads and highways51:08 - Updating our Priors1:07:20 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup Standings1:08:11 - Matt Schroettnig’s analogy; electricity is like water in a biomePublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpowerunderground.substack.com

Dr. Kyri Baker, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializes in AI and machine learning for power grid optimization. In the discussion, she delves into how neural networks can enhance optimal power flow, making grid operations more efficient. The conversation also covers the differences between AI, machine learning, and their specific applications in energy systems. Additionally, they tackle adopting these technologies for improved grid security and the transformative potential of AI in electricity pricing.

Katherine Blunt, author of California Burning, joins Crystal Ball and Paul Dockery to discuss the eras of the electric sector (Taylor's Version).To celebrate Taylor Swift’s April 19th release of The Tortured Poets Department (and Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology), Katherine Blunt, Crystal Ball, and Paul Dockery recorded a special, bonus, episode dedicated to the Eras of the Electric Sector.Katherine Blunt is the author of California Burning; The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power Grid which is the most approachable introduction to the history of the electric sector ever published! The book interprets, unpacks, and conveys the complex history of Pacific Gas & Electric, and, through it, provides an introduction to the history of the electric sector as well. Katherine Blunt joined Crystal Ball and Paul Dockery for an interview that’ll be part of an upcoming, regular, episode of Public Power Underground, but while we were together we took some time to record a discussion of the sector’s history.In the recording (and attached 20 slide power point) Katherine, Crystal, and Paul explore the history of the electric sector and Pacific Gas & Electric through Taylor Swift’s discography. The exploration answers the age old question of what electric sector milestone Taylor Swift wrote “You Belong With Me” about. And, because you know it’s what you wanted, there’s an official Eras of the Electric Sector Spotify playlist.Yes, my wife and I share a Spotify account. And, yes, my whole family contributed to the playlist including the additions, modification, and resorting of songs like “The Last Great American Dynasty” starting the Efficiency Era instead of “Cardigan” and the addition of Jimmy Carter’s sweater speech as an electric sector milestone. But, no, we didn’t get a preview of The Tortured Poets Department to include songs from the new album in the playlist. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpowerunderground.substack.com

exploration of approaches to distribution systems from microcontrollers and software to MOAR HARDWAREDistribution infrastructure, microcontrollers in everything, hardware vs software solutions, and prices-to-devices get covered in a distribution systems episode with Ahlmahz Negash, Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, and Paul Dockery featuring an interview with the enthusiastic Francis Sammy! A discussion that manages to navigate the nuances of MOAR HARDWARE as an actionable energy transition strategy while articulating the benefit of deploying smart, controllable, and price-responsive devices.You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!01:18 - 30 second theorySchweppe, Fred C., et al. Spot pricing of electricity. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.Schweppe, Fred C. "Power systems2000': hierarchical control strategies." IEEE spectrum 15.7 (1978): 42-47.08:59 - Short-to-Ground; a segment where we blow a fuse covering the newsThe Major Drivers of Long-term Distribution Transformer DemandCybersecurity baselines for both electric distribution systems and distributed energy resources (DER)Portland-based GridStor announced its acquisition of a planned 450-MW/900-MWh lithium-ion battery storage installationThe National Renewable Energy Lab recently released a report studying the economics of building long-distance, high-voltage transmission linesSpot market power in the U.S.Wholesale spot prices for the National Electricity Market (NEM)Energy Information Administration’s Natural Gas Weekly Update23:21 - Francis Sammy provides a practitioner perspective on distribution systems and the energy transitionFrancis Sammy is a licensed professional engineer that works as the supervisor of the Systems Distribution Engineering workgroup for Seattle City Light. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, studied electrical engineering at Howard University, and works on distribution systems for Seattle. Francis lives in Beacon Hill with his family of 3 and says you can find him riding around town on his bike, vibing out at a concert, laboring up the basketball court, or sliding down a mountain face first.54:06 - Francis Sammy’s analogy; the grid is like an old, reliable car56:38 - Updating our priors1:17:55 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup StandingsPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpowerunderground.substack.com

John Hairston returns to discuss what BPA is doing to navigate an era of transmission expansion for the grid.John Hairston, the CEO and Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, shares his enthusiasm for transmission and people in an interview with Paul Dockery and Crystal Ball. The interview is wrapped in informative discussion on energy industry news, research, and reflection by Ahlmahz Negash, Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, and Paul Dockery. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!01:36 - How transmission is addressed in seminal textsPower System Economics: Designing Markets for Electricity by Steven Stoft Imperfect Markets and Imperfect Regulation: An Introduction to the Microeconomics and Political Economy of Power Markets by Thomas-Olivier Léautier05:23 - Short-to-Ground; a segment where we blow a fuse covering the news.Wednesday February 28th the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hosted the eighth public meeting of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric TransmissionRob Gramlich and his team at GridStrategies released a report in February titled “Fostering collaboration would help build needed transmission”Utility Dive published an opinion piece by Will Kenworthy and Boratha Tan titled “Advancing energy justice: A new paradigm in grid equity and reliability analysis”The Bonneville Power Administration identified 14 new transmission projects costing an estimated $3.9 billion in its 2023 TSR Study and Expansion ProcessThe Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC or Commission) has released a draft determination on a 'flexible trading' ruleThe Western Transmission Expansion Coalition announced the members of its Regional Engagement CommitteeSpot market power in the U.S.Wholesale spot prices for the National Electricity Market (NEM)Energy Information Administration’s Natural Gas Weekly Update17:17 - John Hairston’s interview with special-correspondent Crystal Ball41:00 - John Hairston’s analogy; the electric system is like golf45:24 - Crystal Ball’s analogy; the electric sector is evolving like the eras of Taylor Swift1:17:33 - Updating our priorsRisanger, Simon, and Jacob Mays. "Congestion risk, transmission rights, and investment equilibria in electricity markets." The Energy Journal 45.1 (2024). Baker, Erin, et al. "Who is marginalized in energy justice? Amplifying community leader perspectives of energy transitions in Ghana." Energy Research & Social Science 73 (2021): 101933.1:15:22 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup StandingsPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpowerunderground.substack.com

Conleigh, Farhad, Ahlmahz, and Paul start season six with a discussion of ways to understand the energy system and analogies that can be used to explore its complicationsConleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, Ahlmahz Negash, and Paul Dockery discuss various ways of understanding the energy system in the Season 6 Premiere of Public Power Underground. The episode starts with “Short-to-Ground,” a TL;DR segment where the hosts run through summaries of topical news from around the world and then have a short discussion of trends in the industry. Paul then introduces the ground rules for a season-spanning Energy System Analogies World Cup tournament. Lastly, the hosts discuss analogies for the energy system for consideration by future guests on Season 6. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!04:17 - Promotion for Conleigh’s upcoming presentation for the Harvard Kennedy School’s Energy Policy Seminar: “The Future of Resource Adequacy in a Decarbonized Grid" - March 25, 2024 - Register with the link06:54 - Short-to-Ground; a segment where we blow a fuse covering the news.Increased EV-Charging Demand and Changing Load Profile Underscore Need for Cross-Sector CollaborationUtilities, EV charging companies must collaborate to avoid bulk power system disruptions: NERCAnother tower collapse poses more questions about transmissionPreliminary Thoughts after Preliminary Report: A few early thoughts following the release of the AEMO Preliminary Report into the recent Victorian power system event.Industry to drive tripling of natural gas consumption in India by 2050ISO-NE recommends capacity market reformsISO New England proposes capacity market changes, further 2-year delay for upcoming auctionCAISO Postpones New Interconnection Requests Due to High Volume27:57 - 2024 ENERGY SYSTEM ANALOGIES WORLD CUP33:04 - The electric sector is like the human body37:00 - The electric sector is like a water catchment and irrigation system44:30 - The electric sector is like back country skiiing49:38 - Electric utilities function like a P-I-D controller for the energy system59:43 - The electric sector is like air01:01:20 - The electric sector is like the Mumbai dabbawala tiffin service01:06:03 - The electric sector is like a game of twister01:08:59 - Ways of understanding the energy system are like moral theories for right actionPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpowerunderground.substack.com

The next season of Public Power Underground is coming soon with a new format and new regular hosts. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss the season premiere!After a short break, Public Power Underground is coming back for its sixth season of energy enthusiasm! This season Paul Dockery and Ahlmahz Negash will be joined by world-renowned energy researchers Conleigh Byers and Farhad Billimoria to investigate energy industry and energy-industry-adjacent topics by bringing together expert insights with practitioner perspectives. The episode format for Public Power Underground has evolved for Season 6, which will include a new, season-spanning energy-inspired game. Tune in for the season premiere for more.Season 6 ContributorsPaul Dockery is a Senior Manager of Energy Resource Strategy & Planning for Seattle City Light and the Creative Director of Public Power Underground. Ahlmahz Negash is a Principal Data Analyst for Tacoma Power, an energy system researcher, and Executive Producer of Public Power Underground.Conleigh Byers is an Environmental Fellow at the Harvard University Center for the Environment based at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She uses tools from operations research, electrical engineering, and economics to design decarbonized energy systems, with a focus on power systems operations and planning. Her current research focuses on achieving resource adequacy under deep decarbonization, hosted by Professor William Hogan. She holds a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from ETH Zürich and a dual masters in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Technology & Policy from MIT.Farhad Billimoria is the Director, Electricity Markets for S&P Global and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. He has previously served as a Principal in Market Design at the Australian Energy Market Operator and has a background in international infrastructure and energy finance, investment and capital markets.The Sisterhood of the Traveling ElectronDuring the Season 5 Finale, friend-of-the-underground Jordan White referenced the buildout of transmission infrastructure as a “Sisterhood of the Traveling Electron”. As an enthusiast of both romantic comedies and electric utilities, the cross-over merch idea was too perfect to pass up. After-all, just like the magical pants from the early-aughts classic The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, transmission keeps us connected across distances during tough transitions.Public Power Underground doesn’t have a storefront to sell merch anymore, but there is a feature where I can share a design for others to order from Printful. There’s no revenue coming to Public Power Underground from the sale and I provide no warranty or guaranty for the merch. But I did promise that if I ever translated concept to merch, I’d send it to subscribers of the newsletter. For links to Sisterhood of the Traveling Electron merchandise subscribe on substack at publicpowerunderground.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpowerunderground.substack.com