The Keynote Panel on the State of the Nation's Regional Electricity Delivery System Infrastructure will provide an evaluation of the nation's electricity delivery infrastructure from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. As the process of implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005 continues, it remains important to consider the critical issues relating to infrastructure development. The Keynote Panel will discuss the state of the nation's electric delivery infrastructure and the problems and challenges that must be addressed to meet infrastructure needs. The Keynote Panel discussion will be interactive, with no formal presentations.

The Keynote Panelists will be asked to address the following questions:

• What is the current state of the nation's electricity delivery system overall and by region?
• What are the key obstacles to improving the system and best opportunities for improving the system?
• What are the most promising candidates for inclusion in an integrated portfolio of technology solutions, taking full advantage of recent innovations in system controls, targeted demand reduction, advanced metering, grid enhancement and system planning?
• What are the highest priority actions needed in 2007 to address the obstacles to and take advantage of opportunities for infrastructure improvement?
• How do policymakers and industry remain strategically focused?
• How does the nation's electricity community think long term, but also focus on near term solutions?

1. Kevin Kolevar, Director, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
2. The Honorable Marsha Smith, Commissioner, Idaho Public Utilities Commission and NARUC First Vice President
3. Rick Sergel, President, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
4. James E. Rogers, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Duke Energy and Chairman of the Board, Edison Electric Institute
5. The Honorable Glenn English, Chief Executive Officer, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

This General Session on Regional Electricity Delivery System Infrastructure Planning Case Studies will begin with a brief overview of regional infrastructure planning in order to set the stage for a discussion of various planning models that have proven successful in different regions of the country. Formal case studies will be presented and a discussion will follow to identify lessons learned and best practices. The planning models to be highlighted include:

• The CapX 2020 project, which is a joint initiative of transmission-owning utilities in Minnesota and the surrounding region formed for the purpose of expanding the electric transmission grid to ensure electric reliability in that region;
• The North Carolina Transmission Planning Process is currently chaired by Clay Norris of ElectriCities of North Carolina. ElectriCities is a not-for-profit government service organization representing cities, towns and universities that own electric distribution systems. ElectriCities represents more than 90 members in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The North Carolina planning process is inclusive, has developed several best practices, and is supported by all in the State;
• Bonneville Power Authority established its innovative Non-Wires Roundtable to build regional confidence and acceptance for a new approach to transmission planning. The Roundtable is composed of key stakeholders who work with BPA to incorporate non-wires solutions into regional infrastructure planning;
• Efficiency Vermont is an energy efficiency utility designed to help all Vermonters save energy, reduce energy costs, and protect the environment. Efficiency Vermont is operated by an independent nonprofit entity under contract to the Vermont Public Service Board and is working to have efficiency measures act in place of new transmission lines; and
• The California Independent System Operator has jurisdiction over infrastructure planning in California. CASIO will discuss the planning process undertaken and highlight how California's market interact with others in the region;

The panelists for the Electric Delivery Infrastructure System Planning panel will be asked to address the following questions:

• Please outline your process and suggest best practices that your process incorporates.
• What are the most important components of your planning process?
• What are the drivers that bring capital to your region? Has investment occurred in your region as a result of your process?
• What barriers did you have to overcome in order to implement successfully your process?

1. Yakout Mansour, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Independent System Operator (PDF 317 KB)
2. Vickie VanZandt, Senior Vice President of Transmission Services, Bonneville Power Administration (PDF 1.0 MB)
3. Clay Norris, Senior Vice President – Planning, Marketing, and Member Services, ElectriCities of North Carolina
4. Laura McCarten, Director of Transmission Development, Xcel Energy, representing the CapX 2020 project (144 KB)
5. Dean LaForest, Director of Planning, Vermont Electric Power Company (102 KB)

The session on Regional Electricity Delivery System Infrastructure Planning Process will discuss the inputs that should be included in regional infrastructure planning and the results that should emerge from such planning. This session will also examine the procedures and practices that should be included in any regional planning process. The General Session will be interactive among the panelists, so formal presentations will not be made.

The panelists on the Regional Electricity Delivery System Infrastructure Planning Process will be asked to address the following questions:

• What methodologies result in greater transparency and better understanding of the planning process by all stakeholders?
• Who should participate in the planning process and what roles should different stakeholders play?
• What uncertainties must planners overcome? How are those uncertainties dealt with?
• What should be the source for the inputs used in the planning process?
• How does fuel price fluctuation impact infrastructure planning?
• Should transmission be planned ahead of generation or simultaneously?

1. The Honorable Mark Sidran, Chairman, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
2. Audrey Zibelman, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, PJM Interconnection
3. Rob Minter, Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, SUEZ Energy Development North America, Inc.
4. Ricky Bittle, Vice President, Planning, Rates and Dispatching, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation
5. Robert Smith, Manager, Transmission Planning and Engineering, Arizona Public Service Company

This General Session on Who Pays for Electricity Delivery System Infrastructure will address one of the most contentious issues associated with infrastructure modernization, which is how to pay for needed upgrades to the system. Many proponents argue that the costs should be spread system-wide, while others contend that only those who benefit from such upgrades should pay. A middle ground position, in which some costs are socialized and some costs are assigned to perceived beneficiaries, has also emerged. This General Session will focus on cost allocation issues, including the impact of various cost allocation and cost recovery mechanisms. The discussion will be interactive and formal presentations will not be made.

Speakers participating in the Who Pays for Electricity Delivery System Infrastructure session will be asked to discuss the following questions:

• How should cost allocation decisions be made?
• Are traditional cost allocations principles relevant to the current cost allocation debate?
• Does a particular process result in optimum cost allocation decisions?
• Is there a cost allocation methodology that works nationwide? If not, what considerations should be included in developing a regional cost allocation methodology?
• If one favors a "beneficiaries pays" approach, how should the beneficiaries of particular projects be identified?

1. The Honorable Suedeen G. Kelly, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
2. The Honorable Sandra Hochstetter, Chairman, Arkansas Public Service Commission
3. Janet Gail Besser, Vice President, U.S. Transmission Regulation and Commercial, National Grid USA
4. David Gates, Vice President, Wholesale Operations, NorthWestern Energy
5. Nina Plaushin, Assistant Vice President, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, Wisconsin Public Power, Inc. representing Transmission Policy Study group (TAPS)

This Infrastructure Siting session will examine the barriers that exist to getting electric power delivery infrastructure sited; why siting is so difficult; how stakeholder concerns can be addressed early in the siting process; and what steps should be taken to overcome barriers so that critically needed infrastructure can be build. Additionally, the panel will discuss siting on federal lands and the unique challenges that must be faced in attempting to get infrastructure built on federal lands. The format for this panel discussion will be an informal discussion, with no formal presentations being made so that the panel can debate the issues.

The Infrastructure Siting session speakers will be asked to address the following questions:

• How will the Energy Policy Act of 2005 affect the siting and permitting process?
• Are there ways to include the public early in the siting process so as to address public opposition to siting new infrastructure in a timely manner?
• How does infrastructure siting in one state affect surrounding states?
• Are there infrastructure ownership structures that work better than others?
• How can barriers to siting be successfully overcome in a timely manner?
• Is siting on federal lands being accomplished?
• How can cooperation be encouraged among and between states, Indian lands and federal agencies where transmission projects touch federal lands?

1. Mark Whitenton, Deputy Director for Permitting, Siting and Analysis, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
2. Derek Phelps, Executive Director, Connecticut Siting Council
3. Dale Landgren, Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer, American Transmission Company
4. Professor Marc Mihaly, Associate Professor of Law, Vermont Law School, representing Valley Rainbow Project Citizens Group

This session on Generation Options will discuss how generation impacts overall electric power delivery system modernization. The panel will examine how alternative options, such as wind power and energy efficiency, are integrated into the system and what obstacles exist to deploying alternatives. The panel will also discuss how environmental regulations, including carbon policy, will impact generation and infrastructure modernization. The discussion will be interactive and formal presentations will not be made.

The speakers on the Generation Options panel will be asked to discuss the following questions:

• What is being done to integrate natural gas supply planning with electric generation planning?
• Can regions successfully implement a diverse resource portfolio?
• How should fuel and resource portfolio diversity be integrated into the modernization of the electric power delivery system?
• How is investment in generation alternatives such as energy efficiency and wind power appropriately encouraged?
• What impact does environmental policy have on generation options?

1. John Young, Executive Vice President, Finance & Markets and Chief Financial Officer, Exelon Corporation
2. Don Furman, Senior Vice President, PPM Energy
3. Steve Corneli, Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs, NRG Energy, Inc.
4. Devra Wang, Director, California Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council
5. Dan Zaweski, Assistant Vice President for Energy Efficiency & Distributed Generation Programs, Long Island Power Authority