The goal for the Curbing Carbon Forum is to build a greater understanding of the issues surrounding a transition from a fossil-based to a renewable energy-based electric system.

Discussions will include:

• Why the West is moving away from carbon-based generation
• Which factors regulators need to consider in retiring coal plants
• The regulatory drivers for transition
• Technical and economic considerations of using more variable generation
• What a cleaner more secure future could look like, and what it will take to get us there.

Curbing Carbon:
The Transition to Renewable Energy in the American West
January 13, 2012

Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 N. Second Street
Phoenix, Arizona

8:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Welcome

Dr. Tom Acker, President, Southwest Renewable Energy Institute

Visions of Transition
Generation and transmission infrastructure are long-lived assets (40 years or more). When making investment decisions, it is important to look beyond the short term to ensure that we are building the system that will meet future needs. What energy services will customers want in the future?  How will electric vehicles change demand?  Will clean resources such as energy efficiency and renewable energy emerge as predominate resources? Our panel of thought leaders will share their views on what the future might look like and the steps needed to get there.

Moderator: Amanda Ormond, Board Member, Southwest Renewable Energy Institute

Dave Olsen, Managing Director, Western Grid Group  
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 15:15 – 22MB) Note: recording starts a few moments into Mr. Olsen’s presentation.

John “Skip” Laitner, Director, Economic and Social Analysis, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 21:09 – 30.5MB)

Kurt Yeager, Vice Chairman, Galvin Electricity Institute
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 23:43 – 34.2MB)

Q&A session
Audio file (mp3 – 44:17)

10:30– 11:00 a.m.– Networking Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon  

Reality Today
Coal plants in the region are nearing the end of their design life.  These plants have been the powerhouses of the electric system by providing low cost electricity. Utilities and regulators are evaluating whether billions should be spent to bring plants up to health standards or whether plants should be phased out.  Because half of the West’s energy comes from coal, this transition has enormous implications. This session will provide a case study, from a regulator’s point of view, of how Colorado evaluated the tradeoffs.  We will also provide an overview of the public health regulations coal plants need to meet in order to stay viable.

Moderator:  Craig Cox, Executive Director, Interwest Energy Alliance

Ron Binz, Former Chairman, Colorado Public Utilities Commission
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 18:20 – 26.4MB)

Vickie Patton, General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund
Audio file (mp3 – 19:55 – 28.7MB)

Q&A session
Audio file (mp3 – 14:10 – 20.4MB)

12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.

Luncheon
A Public Policy Perspective from Washington D.C.
Whether the country can and should transition to clean energy is the subject of great debate in our nation’s capital.  Changing our energy mix will create winners and losers.  Our distinguished luncheon speaker will provide a perspective on the most pressing concerns of and dialogue among national leadership.

Moderator: Justin Wilson, Executive Director, Western Clean Energy Campaign

Alan J. Gilbert, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Southwest and Rocky Mountain Regions, U.S. Department of the Interior

Audio file (mp3 – 32:10 – 46.3MB)

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Analytics on Transition
What factors should be taken into account when evaluating whether a plant is a good candidate for transition?  The breadth of analysis needed to make such a decision is extensive. This session will present a study that looked at plant age, depreciation, emissions and water usage rates, installed control technology and cost of retrofits to determine whether to upgrade or retire a plant.  We will also cover the types of advanced planning that is needed to ensure system reliability as coal plants are retired.

Moderator:  Sarah Wright, Executive Director, Utah Clean Energy

John Candelaria, Senior Associate, Integrated Energy Analysis and Planning, Aspen Environmental Group
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 20:42 – 29.8MB)

Arvin Trujillo, Manager, Four Corners Power Plant, Government Relations, Arizona Public Service Company
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 25:17 – 36.4MB)

Q&A session
Audio file (mp3 – 11:53 – 17.1MB)

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.– Networking Break

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. 

Transition Issues – Tackling Reliability, Variability and Economics
A move away from base load resources to variable renewable resource requires careful consideration and planning to ensure reliability.  Understanding variability is the first step in planning for the change from a capacity-based to an energy-based system.  Planning and system experts will share their experiences in planning for variability and which reliability issues they think are going to be the most important.   This session will also tackle the economics and the potential costs of developing new resources (renewables or other sources).

Moderator:  Leisa Brug, Energy Policy Advisor to Governor Jan Brewer and Governor’s Office of Energy Policy Director

Bob Zavadil, Executive Vice President, EnerNex
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 21:50 – 31.5MB)

Steve Beuning, Director, Market Operations, Xcel Energy
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 22:53 – 33MB)

Paul Denholm, Senior Analyst, Strategic Energy Analysis Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
PDF of presentation
Audio file (mp3 – 17:41 – 25.5MB)

Q&A session
Audio file (mp3 – 13:24)

4:30 – 5:00 p.m.

It’s a New World: Transition is Inevitable
Just a few short years ago, more than 20 new coal plants were being proposed throughout the West. Today, the focus has changed. Instead of building new plants, we are transitioning toward lower carbon emitting sources.  Our opening session will provide a contextual landscape for the day’s discussion on why the West is experiencing such a shift.

Kristin Mayes, Former Chairman, Arizona Corporation Commission
Audio file (mp3 – 20:05 – 28.9MB)

The Curbing Carbon Forum is being sponsored by the Southwest Renewable Energy Institute, the sponsor of the Southwest Renewable Energy Conference.