Voices of Experience | Electrification & Equity

Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) experience their own set of unique requirements and standards to serve electric customers. Given these requirements, how must IOUs balance traditional legal requirements for service with addressing energy equity? What are the interpretations and notions of addressing energy equity and how are utilities moving past this to implement equity strategies and actions? This discussion focuses on the experiences of IOUs and include topics such as terminology around energy equity, internal messaging, and equity strategies.
Presenter:
Kristin Munsch, Senior Assistant General Counsel for the Commonwealth Edison Company

Energy companies are beginning to reflect on what incorporating energy equity and environmental justice means at their organizations.  The industry’s transition into a carbon-free future still leaves many unanswered questions to address in ensuring no one person or community is left behind.  Incorporating energy equity into a large utility organization takes a village - this discussion, “reflecting on incorporating energy equity across your utility organization,” will focus on National Grid’s reflections on taking inventory across the organization to encourage equity.
Presenter: Sheri Givens, Vice President of US Policy and Regulatory Strategy at National Grid

Partnerships with community-based organizations are key to building trust with customers. What is the difference between community engagement versus community outreach? This discussion focuses on the successes and challenges of utilities working to build trust and thoughtfully engage community-based organizations to inform utility planning, operations, and customer programs.
Presenters:
Angela Long,  Senior Manager of Planning & Strategy, Portland General Electric
Nick Martin, Manager of Policy and Outreach, Xcel Enegery

Increasing access to clean energy programs for low- and moderate-income (LMI) customers comes with its own set up challenges, starting with identifying disadvantaged communities. Traditional metrics such as adoption and uptake from marketing campaigns are important metrics, but others—such as energy burden—are needed to identify important gaps. In addition, access to clean energy technology for LMI customers often requires the use of federal and state funds to avoid cross subsidization. This discussion focuses on lessons learned when designing and accessing funding for LMI programs.
Presenter: Jeff Feinberg, Snohomish County PUD

NRECA was founded on the idea of bringing equitable electricity to rural America. Today, some 6.3 million households in electric co-op service areas lack high-speed internet access. Learn how NRECA is now helping to bridge the equity gap between urban and rural populations by bringing broadband to unserved households.
Presenters:
Paul Breakman, Vice President, Cooperative Business Solutions, NRECA
Marshall Cherry, President and CEO, Roanoke Electric Cooperative

What does it mean to apply an equity lens to designing and implementing new customer programs with the goal of closing the disparity gap? How are utilities like Austin Energy working to develop programs that best serve the community starting with addressing the most vulnerable communities first? This discussion focuses on lessons learned when designing and implementing programs that are community driven and customer focused, including Austin Energy’s innovative e-mobility program: EV’s for Everyone.
Presenters:
Keree Brannen, Equity & Inclusion Program Manager
Amy Atchley, Senior Lead EV Equity Program

A roundtable discussion with utility industry leaders about the role of natural gas in regards to electrification. Presenters:

Sharon L. Tomkins, Sempra Energy
Mackay Miller, National Grid

The discussion focuses on how natural gas will play a continuing role in the energy transition by providing flexibility for  economy-wide decarbonization. This includes resources that can be used on demand when seasonal wind and solar power is unavailable. Extreme weather underscore the importance of the gas delivery system to maintain uninterrupted service to customers and critical facilities.

Roundtable discussion with electric industry leaders on how to engage customers in the push for beneficial electrification. Presenters:
Diane Huis, NCEMC
Kristin Munsch, National Grid

 The discussion focuses on tools, connections, and assessments to help with the deployment of electrification initiatives in transportation, agribusiness, industrial process, and residential.

Messaging includes: sustainable, affordable energy; reliability and innovation; and enriching the lives of community members.

A roundtable discussion with utility industry leaders on advancing technology for electrification. Presenters:

Mackay Miller, Director of US Strategy, National Grid
Rob Wonzy, Senior Product Manager of Electrification, Alliant Energy

The discussion looks at where the industry is currently, what's ahead, and what's needed to get there.

North American utilities are proposing over $3B in EV and electrification related programs which means:

• Establishing managed charging infrastructure networks
• Offering innovative incentives and rate designs
• Enabling commercial electric fleet conversions
• Extending customer outreach and education

Utilities are positioned to address energy distribution, grid impacts, equity, customer education, behavioral impact, and the ability to reduce GHG emissions while managing ratepayer costs.

A roundtable discussion with energy industry leaders on including equity in the push for electrification. Presenters:
Commissioner Odogwu Obi Linton , Maryland  Public Service Commission
David Logsdon, Seattle City Light

 Participants discuss building and maintaining smart, resilient, flexible, dynamic and reliable grid infrastructure; prepare for increased integration of distributed energy resources and increasing customer options and; working to reverse historical inequity and avoiding collateral harm to underserved populations by intentionally prioritizing their needs as we create our energy future.