RAP recently helped organize a series of meetings and seminars that brought Jon Wellinghoff, chairman of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), together with more than a dozen representatives from China's State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the National Reform and Development Commission, the State Grid Electric Research Institute, the State Grid Company, and the China Southern Grid Company.
During a forum on energy efficiency, Chairman Wellinghoff spoke about recent reforms in US wholesale markets and outlined the measures needed to overcome barriers that discourage efficiency investments. This was followed by three workshops on smart grid and its potential to revolutionize the electric industry.
In China, unlike the US, smart grid activities are focused on the high-voltage bulk transmission system and the integration of wind and other intermittent renewable resources into system operations and planning. In this sense, smart grid really means strong grid -- a grid that can handle the significant transfers and operational complexities that large penetrations of renewable resources impose.
The connection between management of the bulk power system and retail demand for service offers real opportunities for new approaches to system operations. These issues and the regulatory policy challenges they raise were explored in detail during the workshops, which were sponsored by the US Department of Energy and the Energy Foundation.
RAP's Lisa Schwartz and Rick Weston also presented during the seminars.
Click on the links below to view the PowerPoint presentations:
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Chairman Wellinghoff:
- The Federal Role in Smart Grids
- Transmission and Integration of Renewable Energy and System Operations
- Smart Grid in the US: Status, Projects and Policies
- Wind Integration Studies in the United States
- Regulatory Challenges for Smart Grid
- Wind Development in the US: Current Status and Outlook
Lisa Schwartz:
Rick Weston:
