Public Power Underground

Headliners Mark W. Nelson, Emeka Anyanwu, and Crystal Ball competed in a game of prognostication at GridLiance's Transmission Symposium. The LIVE! recording is out now. Listen to what energy experts think we have in store for the new year. NOTE: the discussion was recorded on October 14, 2024. Some takes are already ?? .

Tony G. Reames, PhD?and?Salma Elmallah, PhD?join?Paul Dockery?and?Ahlmahz Negash, PhD?to discuss their paper on frontlining energy justice, in a special "afterparty" episode of Public Power Underground. Elmallah, S., Reames, T.G. and Spurlock, C.A., 2022.?Frontlining energy justice: Visioning principles for energy transitions from community-based organizations in the United States.?Energy Research & Social Science,?94, p.102855. you can find it at: https://lnkd.in/g4bfFRYM The episode was recorded on September 10, 2024. https://lnkd.in/gfzjvX66

Paul Dockery and Ahlmahz Negash hosted an eleventy-first and final recording of Public Power Underground at a party of special significance to celebrate the community of energy enthusiasts. It includes celebrity judges Debra Smith and Daniel Kirschen for the Energy System Analogies World Cup Championship Tournament. It also includes stump speeches on areas of energy enthusiasm from Kurt Miller, Crystal Ball, Debra Smith, Pamela Sporborg, Robb Davis, Sarah Edmonds, Megan Capper, Scott Corwin, Farhad Billimoria, Eric Hiaasen, Matthew Schroettnig, Kieran Connolly, Mary Wiencke, Doug Marker, Nicole Hughes, Conleigh Byers, Chris Roden, Ryan Neale, and Humaira Falkenberg, in a segment I called "Bilbo Baggins but shorter". Arin Guillory, CPA, Ian Bledsoe, and Daryl Wayne Dasher performed Roll on, enthusiasts live for the in-person event! You can find links to the episode on substack at: https://lnkd.in/gFh566iB Public Power Underground was made possible by Clatskanie Peoples Utility District, Seattle City Light, NewsData, Energy Northwest, Renewable Northwest, The Energy Authority, GridLiance, and Northwest Public Power Association. The project of Public Power Underground is best summarized by Doug Marker's stump speech - fostering a community of cool people. Check out a clip from the episode with his message on YouTube:

An important conversation about what meaning Taylor Swift's ?? I knew you were trouble when you walked in ?? has for the electric sector and what the theme song is for the regulatory compact. https://lnkd.in/d7-4uzdW

Professor Erin Baker?visited with Ahlmahz Negash and?Paul Dockery?in-person at the office of the Pacific Northwest Utility Conference Committee (PNUCC) about energy justice, meaningful metrics, and the?Holyoke Community Energy Project. The discussion is wrapped by insightful commentary on energy justice from hosts?Conleigh Byers,?Farhad Billimoria, Paul Dockery, and Ahlmahz Negash. Find out more about the Holyoke Community Energy Project here: https://lnkd.in/dbDWe4XW

"The Insull Era is building companies and the electrification era is building infrastructure." - Ann Rendahl @ 01:04:24 Commissioner Ann Rendahl with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and Sherry Zuo, a PhD candidate in the Mays Group at Cornell University and self-described Swiftie, joined Paul Dockery and Crystal Ball in a discussion of the eras of the electric sector and Taylor Swift.

Sarah Edmonds, Bob Rowe, and Debra Smith join Crystal Ball and Matthew Schroettnig to discuss they're “Theory of Change” for expanding high voltage, long distance transmission in the West. The conversation covers efforts by WTEC and TWTC to build coalitions to expand transmission. Western Transmission Expansion Coalition (WTEC)?is a West-wide effort to develop an actionable transmission plan to support the needs of the future energy grid. The Western Transmission Consortium (TWTC) aims to support the development of transmission infrastructure in the West through a collaborative process involving infrastructure owners and investors. Thanks to GridLiance for sponsoring the bonus episode!

Mike Haynes, a self-proclaimed hydro geek and recent Chair of the National Hydropower Association, talks with Paul Dockery, William Andersen, and Brandt March on a trip to Seattle City Light's Skagit River Hydroelectric Project where they talk about the importance and value of big, synchronous generators. In the discussion we talk about what a grid disturbance feels like when in the powerhouse. Paul: "Is there a visceral response?" Brandt: "Oh yeah, we call it a bump" https://lnkd.in/gn8WRsSK Plus, Farhad Billimoria, Conleigh Byers, and Ahlmahz Negash discuss popular fallacies and unpopular opinions about the power system.

The Executive Director of the Lighting Design Lab, Irina Rasputnis, encouraged friends-of-the-underground to send her innovative ideas, so we invited Ben Serrurier to return to share some maybe-good-maybe-bad-but-definitely-not-thought-out ideas with?Ahlmahz Negash,?Paul Dockery, and?Farhad Billimoria?in a returning segment, Half-Baked Ideas. Then?Irina Rasputnis,?Madeline Kostic, and?Eric Strandberg?from the Seattle City Light’s?Lighting Design Lab?sit down to talk with Paul Dockery about innovation in building electrification. https://lnkd.in/gnWfhpQM

"Costco-ing the grid" is an alternate title for this deep dive into public goods, common pool resources, and club goods with Lynne Kiesling, Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, Ahlmahz Negash, and Paul Dockery. The experts discuss the classification system used in economics to distinguish public goods from private goods and what classifying some services as common pool resources means for grid planning and market design. https://lnkd.in/g77N4-wz