Spring 2024 Clean & Affordable Energy Conference, May 7 in Boise, ID!
Join the NW Energy Coalition for our Spring 2024 Clean & Affordable Energy Conference!
Tuesday, May 7
10am – 5pm
The Grove Hotel – Boise, ID
Join us on May 7 in Boise for our Spring Conference! Network with peers in the clean energy community and hear from experts on the pressing energy issues in our region. Panelists will discuss next steps in Columbia basin salmon recovery and decarbonizing our energy system, how new opportunities in broader power markets and transmission can benefit Northwest communities, and protecting customers and communities as the region decarbonizes and changes rates and regulatory structures.
Members of the NW Energy Coalition are encouraged to join our Member Meeting on May 7 from 8am – 10am.
Don’t miss our reception on Monday, May 6 from 5pm – 7pm at Barbarian Downtown Beer Bar! Stop by for a drink and connect with folks in the clean energy sector.
Keynote speaker:
10:30am – 11am
- Shannon Wheeler, Chairman, Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee
Panel 1: 11pm – 12:25pm
Affordable, reliable energy services and Columbia basin salmon recovery
The Biden Administration commitments with Northwest Tribal Nations and the States of Oregon and Washington sets the stage for the future of Columbia and Snake River salmon recovery efforts. This panel will explore the implications of the agreement, and the next steps to develop new energy resources to fulfill both energy system decarbonization and salmon recovery goals while maintaining affordability and improving reliability. We will discuss what’s next in terms of building a suite of new clean energy resources, including energy efficiency, demand response, storage, and new renewables, in preparation for when Congress authorizes lower Snake River dam removal in the coming years. Tribal energy development is a central component of the federal commitments, we will learn how this project development is beginning to unfold.
Moderator: Mitch Cutter, Salmon & Energy Strategist, Idaho Conservation League
Panelists:
- Shannon Wheeler, Chairman, Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee
- Anna Lising, Senior Climate Advisor, WA State Office of the Governor
- Jeremiah Baumann, Senior Advisor, Director of Policy and Implementation, Office of the Secretary, USDOE
Panel 2: 1:25pm – 2:50pm
Ensuring electricity markets and transmission expansion benefits Northwest communities
Broader West-wide electricity markets and expanding the transmission grid are increasingly important to meeting our climate goals and addressing growth in power demand. This panel will review the benefits of a broader connected market for communities in Idaho, Montana, and across the West. Panelists will explore the current landscape, and emerging opportunities for communities to shape and benefit from new market structures. We will also explore how the region can use existing transmission more efficiently, and the importance of ensuring that communities and Tribal nations are engaged early in new transmission development to ensure that projects are appropriately sited.
Moderator: Lauren McCloy, Policy Director, NW Energy Coalition
Panelists:
- Kyle Unruh, Montana & Idaho Policy Manager, Renewable Northwest
- Crystal Ball, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee
- Donald Williams, Principal, From the Light Consulting
- Connor Reiten, Vice President of Government Affairs, PNGC Power
Panel 3: 3:20pm – 4:45pm
Protecting consumers and communities as the region decarbonizes
Consumer advocates, utilities and regulators are grappling with policies and programs that motivate decarbonization investments and reflect the changing energy landscape while still protecting customers and bringing direct benefits to communities. Changes in rate structures and customer charges, like incentives and benefits for distributed resources like rooftop solar, can either encourage or disincentivize energy efficiency, electrification, and other customer-side resources. We will explore the impacts of these mechanisms on communities, and the opportunities for more effective rate design across the region.
Moderator: Will Gehrke, Senior Technical Analyst, NW Energy Coalition
Panelists:
- Anahí Segovia Rodriguez, Energy Justice Coordinator, Verde
- Courtney White, Managing Director, Clean Energy Opportunities of Idaho
- Lara Ettenson, Strategist, Western Equitable Infrastructure Solutions, Natural Resource Defense Council
- Brad Heusinkveld, Energy Policy Associate, Idaho Conservation League
Sponsorship, scholarship, and volunteer opportunities are available. Please email matt@nwenergy.org for more information.