Webinar Description:
New retail pricing strategies will impact the economics of all DER investments (storage, renewables, energy efficiency, EVs, and other DERs). It is important for energy service professionals to understand the trends and implications of these initiatives in designing programs, assessing potential, and looking at customer response to markets driven by technologies AND prices. The pricing of our energy product (kWh produced and kWh saved or deferred) and will directly impact the economics of energy services including grid resiliency and reliability, and end-use home and building energy services from comfort to lighting to operations.
This webinar will examine new trends in rates and pricing that will impact the opportunities of all energy services professionals:
Matt Nelson, M.S. will address how future Performance-Based Ratemaking (PBR) initiatives can be used for determining goals, cost-recovery, earnings, and incentives for utility industry investments in EE, DR, other BTM DERs, and grid services.
Achintya Madduri, Ph.D. will address new directions in retail rate strategies and pricing offers and how they will support the economics of electrification (EV transportation and buildings), adoption of DER technologies (EE, DR, storage, renewables and other DERs), and determine the end-use cost of energy services to customers. In addition, retail rate strategies will be to address emerging grid issues associated with increased electrification and use of DER technologies.
3 Learning Objectives / Key Takeaways:
Principal of Regulatory Strategy, Apex Analytics
Mr. Nelson is a Principal of Regulatory Strategy at Apex Analytics, where he leverages both his recent experience as the Chair of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (MA DPU) and his experience leading the regulatory team at Eversource Energy. At the MA DPU, he presided over rate cases for National Grid and Eversource that include performance-based rates (PBR). Matt Nelson is a results-driven regulatory strategist and energy efficiency expert with a track record of implementing forward-thinking policies and practices to advance energy efficiency, distributed generation, renewable resources, and he pioneered a pathway for the future of natural gas. He is a seasoned public speaker who has provided expert testimony on a wide range of topics ranging from consumer issues to system planning and competitive electricity markets. Mr. Nelson has served on numerous energy-related boards and committees, demonstrating his expertise and commitment to the industry. Matt completed his Masters in Economics at Tufts University and his Bachelors in Economics at Stonehill College.
Senior Regulatory Analyst at California Public Utilities Commission
Mr. Madduri, Ph.D. is a lead author of the CPUC’s Energy Division report on “Advanced Strategies for Demand Flexibility Management and DER Compensation” with new pricing strategies being a key component of DER economics and regulatory frameworks. This work at the CPUC represents latest thinking on directions in retail pricing. It sets out principles, and a policy roadmap to drive flexible demand and DER management solutions for all customers. This roadmap sets out retail rate strategies that can effectively address the emerging grid issues and opportunities associated with the growth of renewables, building and transportation electrification, and behind-the-meter DER deployment by electricity customers. He has led workshops on demand flexibility and pricing, and he is a frequent speaker at conferences. Mr. Madduri has a diverse background with over 10 years of experience working on cutting-edge projects with a focus on renewable energy, energy storage and behind the meter (BTM) DERs. Prior to joining the CPUC, he was a senior engineer at Amber Kinetics, Inc. working on energy storage systems. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering PhD from UC Berkeley 2015), and an M.S. from UC San Diego, and B.S. in mechanical engineering from Rice University.