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Dr. Kyri Baker, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Colorado, makes a return visit to discuss the use of artificial intelligence for power grid optimization. Plus, Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, Ahlmahz Negash, and Paul Dockery wrap the interview with an explanation of AI and all its acronyms.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!
01:19 - 30 second theory
Farhad Billimoria on “What is OPF?”Conleigh Byers on “What’s the difference between artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Deep Learning, Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINN), Large Language Models (LLM), generative AI, and general intelligence?”14:28 - Dr. Kyri Baker: Using AI and Machine Learning for Power Grid Optimization
Using AI and Machine Learning for Power Grid Optimization: How Neural Networks Can Speed Up Optimal Power FlowBaker, Kyri. "Emulating ac opf solvers with neural networks." IEEE Transactions on Power Systems 37.6 (2022): 4950-4953.Baker, Kyri, and Harsha Gangammanavar. "Locational Marginal Prices Obey DC Circuit Laws." arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.19032 (2024).1:06:14 - Updating our Priors
Chatzivasileiadis, Spyros, et al. "Machine learning in power systems: Is it time to trust it?." IEEE Power and Energy Magazine 20.3 (2022): 32-41. APA1:23:26 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup Standings
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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photo credit Carl Bower for The New York Times -
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!
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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exploration of approaches to distribution systems from microcontrollers and software to MOAR HARDWARE
Distribution 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 theory
Schweppe, 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 news
The 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 transition
Francis 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 car
56:38 - Updating our priors
1:17:55 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup Standings
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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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 texts
Power 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 Ball
41:00 - John Hairston’s analogy; the electric system is like golf
Risanger, 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.
45:24 - Crystal Ball’s analogy; the electric sector is evolving like the eras of Taylor Swift
1:17:33 - Updating our priors1:15:22 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup Standings
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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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 complications
Conleigh 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 link
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 Volume
06:54 - Short-to-Ground; a segment where we blow a fuse covering the news.27:57 - 2024 ENERGY SYSTEM ANALOGIES WORLD CUP
33:04 - The electric sector is like the human body
37:00 - The electric sector is like a water catchment and irrigation system
44:30 - The electric sector is like back country skiiing
49:38 - Electric utilities function like a P-I-D controller for the energy system
59:43 - The electric sector is like air
01:01:20 - The electric sector is like the Mumbai dabbawala tiffin service
01:06:03 - The electric sector is like a game of twister
01:08:59 - Ways of understanding the energy system are like moral theories for right action
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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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 Contributors
Paul 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 Electron
During 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.
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“This paper argues for the centrality of real-time markets, which are cleared sequentially with a single binding interval.”
Prof. Dr. Jacob Mays and Paul Dockery have an in-depth discussion in Hollister Hall at Cornell University about Prof. Mays recently released working paper on Sequential Pricing of Electricity. The discussion is only available as a podcast and is published uninterrupted and unedited.
Mays, J. (2023). Sequential Pricing of Electricity. Working Paper, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University.You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
The conversation explores the paper in 8 parts.
1. The goal of the paper
“The goal of this paper is to promote a shift in the discussion of price formation in wholesale electricity markets from a static to a dynamic modeling framework. While the design and analysis of systems with significant reservoir hydropower have long relied on dynamic models, most other systems have come to rely on simpler static models that have nevertheless been useful in contexts with limited variability, uncertainty, and intertemporal constraints. The entry of large quantities of renewable and battery storage has increased the salience of all these factors, necessitating a richer modeling framework.” p. 40“This paper argues for the centrality of real-time markets, which are cleared sequentially with a single binding interval.” p. 3.2. Framework to assess the effect of price formation proposals on market outcomes
“This paper develops a framework to assess the effect of such proposals on market outcomes, investigating how choices made by wholesale market operators regarding algorithms for commitment, dispatch, and market clearing can affect incentives for operation and investment.” p. 2“Step 1: specifying the model for operations” Section 3.2.1, p. 15“Step 2: specifying a parameterization” Section 3.2.2, p. 15“Step 3: specifying a pricing policy” Section 3.2.3, pp. 15-163. Static vs Dynamic modeling frameworks
“The paper’s conceptual goal is a shift from the static picture of the merit-order curve in thermal-dominant markets to a dynamic understanding of price formation. Electricity prices are often colloquially described as the cost to serve an additional unit of load for a given period. In a static, convex economic dispatch model, prices that maximize efficiency both in short-run operations and long-run investment can be calculated as the dual variables corresponding to power balance constraints equating supply and demand. With no intertemporal operating constraints, dual values are typically determined by the fuel cost of thermal resources. In a dynamic model, an additional unit of load in a given period not only entails a direct cost in the present period, but also places the system in a slightly different state entering the subsequent operating period (e.g., with more or less energy stored in batteries). Dynamic models have been long been understood as necessary to the design and analysis of markets in regions with significant reservoir hydropower (see, e.g., Pereira and Pinto (1991) as well as more recent reviews in Steeger et al. (2014) and Aasg ̊ard et al. (2019)). In other regions, including the U.S. systems that serve as the primary motivation of this paper, markets have evolved in a context where storage was negligible. This state of affairs is set to change rapidly over the coming decade, as models typically find that decarbonized electricity systems will feature substantial quantities of storage (Jenkins et al., 2018; Williams et al., 2021; Frazier et al., 2021).” p. 24. Importance of dynamic models to regions with storage hydro. p. 38
“The broader point of the examples is to establish the need for the proposed framework in evaluating price formation: even with the limited scope of tests included here, the models produce a wide range of price outcomes.” p. 37
5. Section 5. Evaluating price formation policies, pages 36-376. Flexible Ramping Products vs Fast Start Pricing
“We note several differences between the (DLAC − NLB − θ) and (DLAC − RT − θ) policies. First, while we assumed in Section 4.3 that net load biasing would not result in any binding forward financial positions, the (DLAC −RT −θ) policy directly affects the quantity of reserves procured in the binding interval.” p. 307. Policy and parameterization are choices that matter: Section 5.3 Long-run consequences, pages 39-40
“The choice of operating policy can have a significant impact on the total revenue across all resources. [...] In general, resource-specific revenues track the total charges.” however “storage is a notable exception with revenues deviating significantly from that seen by the market as a whole.”“They indicate the potential for substantial misallocation of investment due to inefficiencies in spot price formation.”8. Policy Recommendation: Advocate for high-fidelity simulation tools
“Accordingly, a second policy recommendation is to advocate for high-fidelity simulation tools enabling system operators to compare operational performance and pricing outcomes with alternative algorithmic choices and reserve product specifications, putting them in position to credibly demonstrate the value of new reserve products and parameterize them efficiently.” p. 5.-----
If you haven’t listened to prior discussion with Prof. Mays, you can check out prior conversations:
Prof. Jacob Mays on Electric Markets and Resource Adequacy
Paul Dockery
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January 27, 2023Jacob Mays, PhD, Matt Schroettnig, Ahlmahz Negash, PhD, and Paul Dockery discuss a paper Prof. Mays co-authored on contractual form in electricity reliability obligations, how it applies to the program getting developed in the Northwest, and what perspective he has on electric market development in the Northwest.
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Electric Market Enthusiasm, pt. 1: Professor Jacob Mays on Electric Market Design
Paul Dockery
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May 19, 2022Jacob Mays, Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, answers Paul’s remedial questions on how electric markets function and what the Pacific Northwest should be considering when approaching market expansion incrementally in a wide ranging and engaging conversation.
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Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Inspired by the YouTube series *Hot Ones*, Whitney Muse (Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation), Mark Lauby (Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer at North American Electric Reliability Corporation), and Jordan White (Executive Director, Development at GridLiance) join co-hosts Paul and Crystal to discuss increasingly controversial topics while eating a series of increasingly spicy wings. The conversation triangulates hot topics in the energy industry from engineering, policy, and business perspectives.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
Round 1: Mild Spice - ERO Report / Texas & Utah Inverter caused outages
Round 2: Medium Spice - No Transition without Transmission & Regulatory Frameworks for Change
Round 3: Hot - Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission & Western States Transmission Initiative
Round 4: Spicy
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Steve Pantano from Rewiring America and Danielle Walker from the Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs join Ahlmahz Negash, PhD and Paul Dockery for a discussion of electrification. The crews discuss the Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Energy Rebates, Rewiring America’s IRA Savings Calculator, best practices in building electrification, and the newly announced American Climate Corp!
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
08:41 - Hierarchy of Electrification
17:53 - Home Energy Rebates Program
30:44 - Rewiring America Calculator
44:34 - Building Electrification Best Practices - ACEEE report
50:31 - Workforce!
American Climate Corp
Clean Energy Corp
59:27 - Alhmahz’s Insightful Question of the Week
1:06:29 - Electrician for a Day
1:12:52 - Danielle Walker’s Closing ThoughtsPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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three energy historians join public power underground for an infotaining and slightly irreverent discussion of the major milestones for the electric industry in the northwest
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Mark Ohrenschall, Shauna McReynolds and Crystal Ball join and Paul Dockery to discuss the history of the electric industry in the Northwest from acronyms to statutes and a myriad of institutions along the way. There were three primary texts used for the conversation.
NewsData’s list of Western Energy AcronymsPublic Power Council’s excellent guide to Public Power in the Pacific Northwest, the Public Power ChroniclePublic Generating Pool’s famous Organized Market Retrospective.The recording ends with Mark Ohrenschall’s closing thoughts on his final day as Executive Editor of NewsData.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
03:27 - Acronym Anagrams
13:06 - Historian’s ranking of major milestones
38:13 - Preference
48:03 - Whoops
56:25 - Energy Policy Acts
58:42 - The Energy Crisis
1:06:57 - Market Evolution
1:21:10 - Mark Ohrenschall’s Closing Thoughts
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Lorenzo Kristov and Josh Keeling join Ahlmahz and Paul to talk about maximizing the deployment of distributed energy resources but first we make them say something nice about electric utilities
Lorenzo Kristov and Josh Keeling join Ahlmahz Negash, PhD and Paul Dockery for a discussion of FERC 2222, maximizing the distribution-level customer value of distributed energy resources, international examples of unbundling the functions of distribution utilities, and 80/20 advice on how to make the most progress toward DER deployment. First, we make them compliment electric utilities.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
12:17 - say something nice about electric utilities
Lorenzo and Josh brought a lot of great compliments and some not-so-nice compliments. Among the list of compliments they didn’t get to but shared by Josh Keeling afterward:Pretty good at the poles and wires gameNever get confused about the differences between “useful life” and “economic life”Captain planet-like super team of lawyers, economists, engineers, and accountantsNever scared to pilot somethingAlways happy to explain what “you just don’t understand” about distribution engineeringVery optimistic: can always find a way to point out how “used and useful” things areReally good at finding new ways to apply the word “innovation”Never too quick into something “at scale”Really are the best of both world between trudging local government and greedy corporate monopoly15:51 - discussion of FERC Order No. 2222
FERC order 2222NREL summaryNARUC status update25:05 - maximizing the distribution-level and customer value of DERs
Catalyst w/ Shayle Kahn episode on electrification40:06 - international examples of unbundling the functions of distribution utilities
48:58 - 80/20 of DER interconnection
Volts episode with Saul Griffith Interstate Renewable Energy Council, DER interconnection best practices1:00:05 - Ahlmahz’s insightful question of the week
1:03:10 - DER for a day
1:08:20 - Josh Keeling’s closing thoughts
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Ric O’Connell and Anna Sommers join Ahlmahz Negash, PhD and Paul Dockery for a deep dive into power planning best practices including planning for extremes, open source models, and best in class computational techniques.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
09:41 - how to explain power planning to a five year old
19:00 - best practices in power planning
58:10 - Ahlmahz’s unfair question of the week: what about AI?
1:03:50 - PUC-for-a-day
for more about open source planning, GridLab recently collaborated with RMI on an open source modeling report. you can find it here.
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Transmission experts talk about horror stories from permitting Idaho Power's Boardman to Hemmingway transmission line and react to a regional planning organization scorecard
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Adam Richins, Christina Hayes, and Pam Sporborg join Paul Dockery at Paddy’s Bar & Grill for an after-hour conversation about transmission in the West. The recording starts with another edition of Energy Enthusiasm, Distilled where the experts distill complicated topics in infotaining ways while on a clock. The conversation then tackles the 3Ps of transmission policy (Planning, Permitting, and Paying-for) and closes out with a new, unscripted game: FERC-for-a-Day.
Permitting: Horror Stories from Boardman to Hemmingway (B2H)Planning: Transmission Planning & Development Regional Report CardPaying-for: Importance of transmission to Clean Energy PathwaysWe also discussed briefly the cultural importance of the Bonneville Power Administration’s rate hearing room for the energy community in the northwest, which led me (Paul) to bring up an Ezra Klein podcast about cultural evolution. A link is included here for those who want the background information.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Prof. Dr. Destenie Nock joins Dr. Ahlmahz Negash and Paul Dockery for a conversation about what the grid of the future *should* look like. The discussion dives deep into (1) the energy equity gap, (2) a methodology for finding the optimal expansion of a power system under the objective of maximizing social benefit, (3) the Gini coefficient, and (4) how to use the Strategic Objective Hierarchy combined with the expertise of social scientists to translate community input into rigorously measurable inputs into an optimization model!
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
09:24 - A benefit maximization approach to utility planning
Destenie Nock, Todd Levin, Erin Baker, Changing the policy paradigm: A benefit maximization approach to electricity planning in developing countries, Applied Energy, Volume 264, 2020, 114583, ISSN 0306-2619, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.114583.28:13 - Amplifying community leader perspectives
Erin Baker, Destenie Nock, Todd Levin, Samuel A. Atarah, Anthony Afful-Dadzie, David Dodoo-Arhin, Léonce Ndikumana, Ekundayo Shittu, Edwin Muchapondwa, Charles Van-Hein Sackey, Who is marginalized in energy justice? Amplifying community leader perspectives of energy transitions in Ghana, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 73, 2021, 101933, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.101933.Prof. Dr. Destenie Nock explainer videos: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.destenienock4164/videos
48:53 - Unveiling hidden energy poverty using the energy equity gap
Cong, S., Nock, D., Qiu, Y.L. et al. Unveiling hidden energy poverty using the energy equity gap. Nat Commun 13, 2456 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30146-5Video link to “The Energy Equity Gap: Unveiling Hidden Energy Poverty” presentation for Energy Seminar Series at UC DavisVideo link to Destenie Nock: Identifying Hidden Forms of Energy PovertyVideo link to Energy Nerd ShowNOAA’s Meteorological Development Lab’s work on Wet Bulb Globe TemperaturesNOAA’s experimental tools for calculating Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures and how it compares to heat indexEvaluating the 35°C wet-bulb temperature adaptability threshold for young healthy subjects1:07:38 - What should the grid of the future look like?
1:12:42 - Ahlmahz’s insightful question of the week: What’s the overlap between energy justice and energy assistance?
“Jenkins et al. [49] review three core tenets of energy justice: 1) distributional justice, relating to equal distribution of both the costs and benefits of the energy system; 2), recognition justice, relating to the fair representation of individuals; and 3) procedural justice, providing equal access to decision making processes.”From Who is marginalized in energy justice? Amplifying community leader perspectives of energy transitions in Ghana, Section 1:1:18:27 - from Human Batteries to Solarpunk - a new Public Power Underground game!
Ezra Klein podcast: What the heck is going on with UFO stories?Monk and Robot series by Becky ChambersFuturamaThe Fifth ElementThe MatrixAvatarMen in BlackWALL-EStrange WorldMad MaxIron ManPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Debra Smith, Randy Hardy, Bill Drummond, and Steve Wright recorded an info-taining conversation live on-stage at NWPPA’s 83rd Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Debra hosts the three former Administrators of the Bonneville Power Administration who continue to engage in energy policy. The discussion ranges from greatest regrets to reasons for optimism, and proudest moments. At the end Paul Dockery joins to facilitate an energy inspired game called Energy Enthusiasm Distilled.
The episode was edited prior to the news of Debra Smith’s surgery. For updates on her recovery you can find updates on Caring Bridge. Her electric utility enthusiast friends wish her a speedy and full recovery!
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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We discuss how utility risk management is a lot like dungeons and dragons: creatively managing risk by leveraging strengths to maximize the likelihood of beneficial outcomes when solving problems.
Kevin Nordt, Paul Dietz, Ahlmahz Negash, PhD, and Paul Dockery talk about managing market risk from utility risk managers perspectives. Including (1) putting uncertainty in perspective, (2) organizational and customer risk tolerance, (3) translating risk tolerance strategies for risk management, and (4) risk based thinking in the context of power supply. Plus the crew answers an insightful question from Ahlmahz and they discuss the set up of an energy inspired dungeons and dragons campaign.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
07:59 - Risks as friend or foe
15:18 - Risk tolerance
32:39 - Risk awareness
52:06 - Risk based thinking in the context of power supply
1:02:52 - Ahlmahz’s insightful question of the week
1:14:14 - Dams and Distribution; setting up an energy industry inspired Dungeons and Dragons campaign
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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Ben Serrurier, Lea Fisher, Matt Schroettnig, and Paul Dockery share some energy themed maybe-good-maybe-bad-brainstorming ideas during a special windowless conference room in-person recording.
Ben Serrurier, Lea Fisher, Matthew Schroettnig, and Paul Dockery were all in Anchorage, Alaska for NWPPA’s 83rd Annual Conference and Membership Meeting so they decided to borrow a windowless conference room for an informal brainstorming session about energy and energy-adjacent ideas. The format for the bonus episode is inspired by a Bill Simmons segment with Kevin Wildes on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” called “Half-Baked Ideas”1.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
05:50 - Cowpoke ISO
09:20 - Kids & Grids Our Hidden Powers
14:18 - “Space: The Energy Frontier” - Space Elevator w/ Space Solar & Wireless Transmission PG&E & Start-Up Solaren Corp. Plan To Beam Solar Power From Space
21:38 - Wireless Transmission, just on it’s own
24:09 - District cooling Deep Lake Water Cooling System
27:32 - Cut me off, conservation
36:28 - Text-to-bid for price responsive demand; $ for % load reduced https://twitter.com/kyrib/status/1544018634762231808?s=20&t=7ewwz-xBMUixjkXEXe0BCw
45:30 - Connect & Manage for generator interconnection https://twitter.com/jacob_mays/status/1655966663135600640?s=20
50:02 - crypto as a battery; mandatory demand response programs for crypto mining facilities
52:02 - explain the grid to kids with jump rope https://twitter.com/NicoleKelner/status/1631352402086354945?s=20
52:57 - slower planes
55:58 - “Opt-in to save the distribution lines” // community infrastructure opt-in https://twitter.com/waDNR
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
1 the half-baked ideas segment starts at the 1:13:00 mark of the Bill Simmons Podcast episode
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Pam Sporborg, Spencer Gray, Joe Taylor and Paul Dockery debrief and synthesize the discussion from an SPP Markets+ Leadership Forum hosted by Tacoma Power, NV Energy, and the Bonneville Power Administration on May 12th, 2023.
05:04 - Benefits, Opportunities and Barriers to Market Expansion
18:18 - Long-run resource portfolios adapted to market design
30:00 - Seams
41:49 - The toughest outstanding issues for market expansion in the west
56:13 - Final Predictions
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
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learning lessons about deeply decarbonized electricity markets from around the world including optimal prices in non-convex markets, reliability insurance, and system security
Farhad Billimoria, Conleigh Byers, PhD, Ahlmahz Negash, PhD, and Paul Dockery discuss adaptation of market design for the energy transition including fat tails and increased exposure to extremes; batteries and price responsive demand; natural gas fragility and marginal pricing; and inverter-driven resources and system security. Then the team plays a new game where they synthesize expert explanations of convex vs non-convex pricing and reliability insurance.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
05:30 - Lessons Learned on deeply decarbonized electric systems from electricity markets around the world with “Handbook on Electricity Markets” and P.L. Joskow’s “From hierarchies to markets and partially back again in electricity: responding to decarbonization and security of supply goals” as background
07:06 - Lesson 1: natural gas fragility and marginal pricing
17:20 - Lesson 2: batteries and price responsive demand
24:23 - Lesson 3: fat tails and increased exposure to extremes
38:20 - Lesson 4: Inverter based grids and system security (synchronous condensers and grid inertia)
48:15 - Wonky energy game synthesizing expert explanations
Farhad Billimoria provides a 2 minute 20 second explanation of A reliability insurance overlay on energy-only electricity markets1; followed by the rest of the crew’s interpretationConleigh Byers, PhD, provides a 2 minute 20 second explanation of Long-run optimal pricing in electricity markets with non-convex costs2; followed by the rest of the crew’s interpretation (and discussion of computational time for a solution using the Convex Hull pricing34)1:27:36 - Ahlmahz’s insightful question of the week
1:32:18 - Conleigh Byers, PhD’s Closing Thoughts
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
1 Farhad Billimoria, Rahmatallah Poudineh, Market design for resource adequacy: A reliability insurance overlay on energy-only electricity markets, Utilities Policy, Volume 60, 2019, 100935, ISSN 0957-1787, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2019.100935.
2 Conleigh Byers, Gabriela Hug, Long-run optimal pricing in electricity markets with non-convex costs, European Journal of Operational Research, Volume 307, Issue 1, 2023, Pages 351-363, ISSN 0377-2217, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2022.07.052.
3 P. Andrianesis, D. Bertsimas, M. C. Caramanis and W. W. Hogan, "Computation of Convex Hull Prices in Electricity Markets With Non-Convexities Using Dantzig-Wolfe Decomposition," in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 2578-2589, July 2022, doi: 10.1109/TPWRS.2021.3122000.
4 C. Byers and G. Hug, "Flexibility Compensation with Increasing Stochastic Variable Renewable Energy in Non-Convex Markets," 2022 17th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems (PMAPS), Manchester, United Kingdom, 2022, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.1109/PMAPS53380.2022.9810627.
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Emily Grubert, PhD, Frank Incropera, PhD, Ahlmahz Negash, PhD, and Paul Dockery discuss natural gas distribution system obsolescence, energy security during the transition away from fossil fuels, the magic of heat pumps, increased reliance on electric utility reliability, and the wickedness of the problem of a just energy transition.
You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!
07:03 - Discussion of what constitutes a wicked problem and whether the mid-transition qualifies
- Climate Change: A Wicked Problem by Frank Incropera, PhD, Chapter 1 - Energy, economics, and climate change
- Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge | Department of Energy
- News Releases - Rheem Manufacturing Company44:57 - Natural Gas distribution systems’ obsolescence
- Designing the mid-transition: A review of medium-term challenges for coordinated decarbonization in the United States
- Grubert, E., & Hastings-Simon, S. (2022). Designing the mid-transition: A review of medium-term challenges for coordinated decarbonization in the United States. WIREs Climate Change, 13( 3), e768.59:19 - Electrification of end-uses and the need for reliability
- Climate Change: A Wicked Problem by Frank Incropera, PhD, Chapter 10 - - The ethics of climate change1:12:03 - Ahlmahz’s insightful question of the week
1:19:49 - Dr. Frank Incropera’s Closing Thoughts
Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!
- Visa fler
