ELECTRIC POWER gives you the perfect mix of conference sessions, trade show exhibits, and networking.
- Need to register or pick up your badge? The Registration desk is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Exhibit Floor hours today: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Lunch: on the Exhibit Floor from noon to 2 p.m. All conference delegates will receive color-coded meal vouchers with their badge. Today's voucher color is green. The voucher is good for up to $18 worth of food and beverages at any of the exhibit floor concessions, whenever they are open.
- Win a Harley-Davidson! Conference delegates will receive a prize card when they register on-site at the event. The card has logos for all of the participating Prize Giveaway Sponsors. Take your prize card to each sponsor to receive a stamp on the card. When you have collected all of the stamps, return the card to the TradeFair Group booth (#1511) to be entered into a drawing to win a $15,000 check that can be used to purchase a Harley (or whatever you choose).
- Women in Power Panel/Reception: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Room 5.
- Reception: Exhibit Hall, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Use the Twitter hashtag #EPEXPO to follow what's happening in real time at ELECTRIC POWER.
- Did you know that POWER is the official media sponsor of ELECTRIC POWER? Subscribe to POWER (free for qualified subscribers) and its free digital newsletters today.
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Presentation Updates |  |
| Flexibility & Adaptability: The New Hallmarks for Power Generation This year’s ELECTRIC POWER conference theme of “Flexibility & Adaptability” was central to remarks at the opening keynote session and Industry Leaders Roundtable on Tuesday morning, but the two State of the Industry keynote speakers and their fellow roundtable participants also hit a number of other hot topics. You’ll find more detailed coverage in the July issue of POWER (www.powermag.com), but here are a few noteworthy comments from the opening session. Mark C. McCullough, executive vice president for generation at American Electric Power, started off the day by noting that a $1 move in the price of gas for power generation makes a huge difference in the dispatch order. Though AEP, like most other generators, is burning more gas than previously, coal will remain important—at least globally, if less so in the U.S. That makes it important for the U.S. to lead in technology development related to carbon capture and sequestration, he said.  McCullough also pointed to the danger of becoming too reliant upon one fuel, regardless of how attractive gas looks today, saying, “I’m not sure that’s where we want to be.” In his view, “Small modular reactors would very much address the risk profile of nuclear,” while (affordable) carbon capture would make it possible to continue using coal globally. Commissioner Philip Moeller of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) spoke next and focused on his personal goal of improving the alignment of the gas and electricity markets. Over the long term, he said, we need to ensure that we have the right investment signals to get more gas pipeline built. In the meantime, a couple of market players have come up with a plan for an option call on peak gas that might help regions like New England cope with peak demand periods.  Moeller, who is serving his second term as FERC commissioner, noted that five years ago he was voting on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports; now the talk is of LNG exports. In an era when the view of an energy resource can shift 180 degrees in five years, flexibility and adaptability are essential. POWER Editor-in-Chief Dr. Robert Peltier, PE moderated the Industry Leaders Roundtable, which featured a diverse mix of industry players and underscored how gas prices, renewable generation, and regulation cut across all types of electricity providers. Here are just a few of their observations and views. David Mohre, executive director, Energy & Power Division at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, kept returning to the message that “we are not valuing long-term firm capacity properly.” That causes all manner of problems that he said he doesn’t have solutions to.  In response to a question about the trend toward rolling back state renewable portfolio standards, Joe Nipper, senior vice president, government relations for the American Public Power Association, expressed the view that such moves represent a market or, more accurately, a political “correction.” Sticker shock is partly to blame, he said, but another reason is that there is already sufficient capacity, so it doesn’t always make sense to build new renewable generation just to have renewables.  As president and CEO of Invenergy, an independent power producer, Michael Polsky owns a diversified portfolio. Nevertheless, he emphasized that “The future is in renewables,” in part because they provide a stable fuel cost, which is why they are an important component of a diversified and flexible portfolio. Rather than continuing to fight renewables, he believes fossil fuel generators should realize that the public demands a balanced portfolio and the country needs both coal and renewables.  Ron Binz, president of Public Policy Consulting and former chair of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, also made the case for more renewables. He projects that carbon regulations, not gas prices, will be the main driver of renewables development in the long term. He also pointed to an important reason that load growth will likely continue to grow very modestly, if at all, in the U.S.: The effect of energy efficiency—whether you are talking about the latest appliances or light bulbs—is “irreversible,” because newer energy-using devices will only continue to get more efficient.  Panelists also traded comments on the future role of utilities, how to incentivize and fund necessary research and development, and whether or not there is—or could ever be—such a thing as an “open” energy market untouched by policy and regulatory influence. |
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| At The Show | |
| Monday night’s Power Industry Awards Banquet
at the Rosemont Convention Center may not have had as many paparazzi
as the Oscars or
the Country Music Awards, but the awards handed out were at least as
important and valued. Each year, the evening before ELECTRIC POWER
officially opens, POWER magazine and the Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group (PRBCUG) co-host a banquet to recognize excellence in power
generation. POWER Editor-in-Chief Dr. Robert Peltier, PE announced awards for the magazine’s Plant of the Year, Marmaduke Award, Smart Grid Award, and Top Plant winners in the categories of Gas, Coal (photo), Nuclear, and Renewables. (Coverage of all the award-winning plants can be found in the August through December issues of the magazine.)  PRBCUG Executive Director Randy Rahm gave attendees a briefing on the growing success of the group’s offshoot, the Asian Subbituminous Coal Users’ Group, which will hold its next meeting in Malaysia. Then PRBCUG awards were presented to the Small Plant of the Year, Omaha Public Power District’s North Omaha Station, and the Large Plant of the Year, TransAlta’s Centralia Plant. The professional development group for subbituminous coal also presented student scholarships to three students—one from the University of Maryland and two from the South Dakota School of Mines—in honor and memory of past SDSM President Dr. Robert A. Wharton. Then it was time for a mix of straight talk and humor from guest speaker Garrison Wynn, who mixed insights about leadership and communication with advice on how both are critical to developing a safety culture.  Wynn’s animated delivery and engaging anecdotes kept everyone attentive and laughing—even though his message had a serious purpose. Here are a few bites of what he shared. What are the top 1% of folks involved in safety doing that others aren’t? They don’t use the word “wrong.” Instead, they make a request for more information, which builds trust—something that is built on compassion and competence. How does this translate into power plant safety? If people feel heard or listened to, they start to trust people automatically and are more receptive to a safety message and willing to work on developing a safety culture. Wynn also addressed the ways in which generational differences need to be handled where safety issues are concerned. The “change management” approach doesn’t work, he said. Instead, begin by changing a safety culture or safety protocol by showing staff (especially older workers) how their existing knowledge translates into the new way of doing things by first showing similarities and then explaining the differences. As for younger workers, they like to know why they are doing something, so provide explanations. The good news, Wynn said, is that those in the younger generation believe they can solve problems that haven’t been solved before. Finally, a note of caution for anyone feeling secure about a stellar safety record: Studies show that people get complacent, and accidents are more likely to happen, right after receiving a safety award. |
| Industry News | |
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