Several major utilities have started hydrogen pilot projects. Attend this session to learn what LADWP, National Grid and others are doing today to prepare for the hydrogen future. Panelists will answer questions like: Who in the utility organization can conduct the pilots? What technologies do they favor? When do they expect results and plan to deploy customer facing technologies? How can hydrogen benefit electric T&D operations? Where does a hydrogen fuel cell make the most sense and why? These big questions with candid answers will help you prepare and position for the hydrogen future.

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) technology plays a critical role in decarbonizing the electric grid by addressing the intermittency of renewable sources. Despite its potential benefits, the adoption of LDES faces technical hurdles that could hinder rapid deployment onto the existing grid. This session aims to identify the technical barriers and explore the technologies and solutions available to overcome them.

This session will feature a panel of experts representing key stakeholders in the innovation and deployment of LDES technologies. Panelists will provide insights into the latest technological advancements and development initiatives aimed at revolutionizing energy storage technologies, highlight case studies and collaborative efforts within the industry, and touch on the role of interconnection compliance in accelerating adoption. They will identify and explore challenges such as distribution system upgrades, interconnection procedures, and LDES integration with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Barriers include issues related to scalability, compatibility, and regulatory frameworks that need to be addressed for successful deployment at scale.

Regulators, politicians and customers seem to be reaching a consensus. The future of electricity will have a net zero, and eventually, real zero carbon content. Net zero or real zero energy by 2050 has dramatic implications on the current planning, design, operations and maintenance of the electric transmission and distribution (T&D) grid that delivers that energy.

Net zero energy is defined as “the generation of electricity from non-carbon generating resources like nuclear, hydro, wind and solar with allowances for government approved off-sets and credits versus real zero energy which does not include the theoretically based off-sets and credits.

This panel will discuss their utility’s efforts to build a safe, reliable, resilient and affordable grid that will deliver real zero electricity.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 2222 requires the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into the legacy transmission and distribution (T&D) system using the principles of transactive energy. To meet FERC 2222 requirements, grid owners and operators must respond with new innovative strategies and techniques to create a highly reliable and resilient T&D system. This panel will define FERC Order 2222 and transactive energy, and discuss how strategies, including undergrounding electric distribution systems, can enhance system reliability and resiliency as the industry works toward achieving net-zero energy and carbon-free generation portfolios.