Cost: $150.00 on or before August 23, 2024
$200 after August 23, 2024
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In the next 25 years, the transmission and distribution world will change drastically with some distribution circuits providing up to 10 times the electricity they do today. The grid will be stressed during winter nights as peak shifts to support transportation and winter heating. The grid tends to last 40 or more years, so half of the grid likely will not get upgraded by 2050, and the other half needs to be built to deal with the higher demand—demand that could be two-way, exporting during the day, and importing at night. Most upgrades are 70 percent labor and 30 percent materials and equipment. Some materials (like wooden poles) might not be available, and others might have lead times measured in years. Changes to regulations could make building or upgrading new distribution or transmission more difficult and expensive, slowing further the pace of upgrades.

This workshop will look at some of the “No Regrets” strategies and tactics that will lower the cost of upgrades and stretch scarce dollars to do more. Regulators are going to be tough negotiators on new capital investments as the cost of energy rises and will look to minimize cost increases for infrastructure. The session will deal with everything from poles and structures and construction standards to real estate, software, communications, protection, and other no regrets moves that a utility can make to be ready for the future. After all, no one wants to bring a new electric vehicle home and find out they are not able to charge it at night.

Course purpose

• Identify “No Regrets” strategies and tactics needed to build the T&D grid of the future
• Identify construction requirements, standards and material bottlenecks
• Identify software, communications and protection requirements

Who should attend:

• Electric power professionals (operations, engineers, managers and procurement) tasked with upgrading the existing grid and planning the future grid to meet greater electricity demand, changing generation mix and changing peak demand.
• Representatives of electric transmission and/or distribution utilities
• Professionals interested in financial and regulatory requirements

Prerequisite skills and knowledge

• Knowledge of electricity transmission and distribution operations
• Business processes for planning and operating T&D infrastructure

Takeaways

• Challenges created by federal and state regulations and policies will require new strategies and tactics related to T&D infrastructure management and construction
• It is possible to create no regrets strategies that will support T&D changes and challenges into the future (up to 25 years)