This second session will take place on Friday, September 12 from 11:00 – 12:00 p.m. MT, exploring the economic considerations of large loads, including questions of tariffs, rate design, and the broader implications for affordability and grid planning across the region.
Speakers:
- Natalie Frick, Deputy Department Leader, Energy Markets & Policy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Shana Ramirez, Director, Energy and Environmental Economics (E3)
Please register for the webinar here.
The Western Interstate Energy Board is launching a new webinar series through our Reserve Expenditure Plan to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by new large industrial electricity loads across the Western Interconnection.
As industrial load growth accelerates, policymakers, regulators, and utilities face complex questions around grid readiness, regional implications, and cumulative impacts on existing users. These new large electricity loads–varying in size, timing, and operational flexibility–are reshaping planning assumptions, imposing new questions on system operations, and raising questions around cost allocation and the obligation to serve.
This series will convene expert voices and stakeholders to examine these emerging challenges and identify practical approaches to support effective decision-making.