John Hairston , CEO and Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, joins Humaira Falkenberg , Brian Fawcett , and Paul Dockery on Public Power Underground to participate in our Electric Utility Recruiting video series. Before John’s recruiting pitch, Humaira Falkenberg opens with a message of change, a message of hope, and a message of inclusion in her cold open as the episodes celebrity guest host. Electric Utility Recruiting video series Attracting a new workforce into electric util...
Jun 09, 2022•18 min
Elliot Mainzer , the President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Independent System Operator (ISO), joined Crystal Ball , Matt Schroettnig , and Paul Dockery for the second installation of our Electric Market Enthusiasm series. We try to keep it light while discussing governance, transmission, price formation, stakeholder engagement, and CAISO’s new five year strategic plan. To break up the heavy topics we play an intermission game! 05:16 - newly released 5 year Strategic Plan 14:27 ...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Using the Zach Lowe podcasting technique, Crystal Ball, Humaira Falkenberg, Matthew Schroettnig, and Paul Dockery review their top-5 most interesting energy news stories from so far in 2022 . . . . at a pub . . . together . . . in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on the eve of NWPPA’s Annual Meeting. The stories they covered are listed in a google sheet they used to talk from. Rather than translate the google sheet into bullet points, we’re just including a hyperlink to the working doc . If you have an inte...
May 24, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Jacob Mays , Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, answers Paul ’s remedial questions on how electric markets function and what the Pacific Northwest should be considering when approaching market expansion incrementally in a wide ranging and engaging conversation. Since Professor Mays is an academic, it feels fitting to include citations for the materials referenced. Please excuse any errors in citation. Mays et al., Private risk and soci...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Ben Serrurier , Jason Fordney , Arin Guillory , and Paul Dockery talk about the latest in public power, public-power-adjacent news and exciting acronyms, including BPA in the EIM, CREPC-WIRAB, all-things Tx, NuScale IPO, and another WSJ article! 04:07 - a new merch idea coming from the FDR speech Ben quotes in the cold open 08:19 - Arin Reports 14:21 - BPA joined the EIM on May 3rd BPA press release CAISO press release 20:28 - Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation // Western Interconn...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Bill Drummond , Dan Catchpole , Karen Heim , and Paul Dockery talk about the latest in public power and public-power-adjacent news, including Lineworker Appreciation Day, solar developers betting on RTO development, what’s going on with the battery supply chain, and jumpstarting interregional transmission! 08:45 - Arin Reports with Karen Reporting 14:10 - Lineworker Appreciation Day 21:11 - solar developers betting on RTO development 31:08 - a bunch of battery stories CAISO is developing a new p...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Debra Smith , the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer for Seattle City Light, joined the Karen , Matt , and Paul for a special bonus discussion about the electric utility enthusiast trifecta: Electrification , Markets , and People . We also get some jokes, elephant noises, an intermission game, and some new merch ideas. 05:49 - what’s going well, a numbered list 12:14 - Attracting, retaining, and recruiting public power people 36:56 - an Intermission Game called “ Fantasy Utility Draft ”...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Robert Trinnear , Abigail Sawyer , Brian Fawcett , and Paul Dockery talk about the latest in public power and public-power-adjacent news, including IPCC’s working group 3 report, the nationalization of National Grid, a $4.7 million fine by FERC, electrifying heavy duty trucks, and public power whitepapers! 08:02 - Arin Reports with Brian Reporting 16:28 - IPCC’s Working Group 3 Report The Guardian article on Working Group 3 conclusions The Guardian article on IPCC reports and what they address 2...
Apr 15, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Matt and Paul have a meandering conversation with Chris Kroeker from NW Natural about H2’s role in the energy transition. 04:01 - all the colors of hydrogen 17:32 - difference between hydrogen (H2) and renewable natural gas (CH4) 21:23 - How much H2 can go in CH4 transmission and distribution lines? 26:58 - How much H2 can be used in natural gas power plants? 29:35 - H2’s role in industrial decarbonization (include paper mills) 31:50 - Infrastructure necessary to get H2 to industrial loads (and ...
Apr 07, 2022•48 min
Therese Hampton , Jason Fordney , Crystal Ball , and Paul Dockery talk about the latest in public power and public-power-adjacent news, including Blue Wolf Capital, minimum pool elevation for power generation at Glen Canyon Dam, FERC’s take on ROE, innovation at Douglas County PUD, a new President and CEO at WPP, and two new members of WMEG! 06:45 - Arin Reports with Crystal Reporting 13:29 - Blue Wolf Capital is pursuing the restart of the Intalco aluminum smelter Larry Brown opinion piece in T...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 3 min
In a wide ranging, engaging, and entertaining conversation, Humaira , Matt and Paul interview Jesse Jenkins . Jesse is an assistant professor at Princeton University with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment. He is also an affiliated faculty with the Center for Policy Research in Energy and Environment at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and an associated faculty at the High Meado...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Ahlmahz Negash , Dan Catchpole , Karen Heim , and Paul Dockery talk about the latest in public power and public-power-adjacent news, plus a preview of an upcoming interview with Northwest Natural’s Chris Kroeker about the future of hydrogen! 06:48 - Arin Reports with Karen Reporting 12:13 - Ukraine and the European Union to urgently link electric grids ( which successfully occurred after recording ) 19:13 - Columbia REA let’s employees bring dogs to work 22:44 - Spring 2022 Energy Justice Speake...
Mar 17, 2022•57 min
We assembled an ad-hoc crew to record an emergency podcast. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks to @DrEricDing for breaking the news into @aPowerManager’s feed. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us! Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, where you’re valued and appreciated. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this ...
Mar 16, 2022•10 min
In this bonus episode Matt and Paul have a conversation with the Executive Director of PGP and former Vice President of Transmission Regulation and Market Policy for PacifiCorp: Mary Wiencke ! Reference Materials: PGP’s Market Retrospective Western States’ Market Study prepared by Energy Strategies Handbook on Electricity Markets FERC Landmark Orders Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us! Public Power Underground, for electric utility enth...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Russ Mantifel, Jason Fordney , Paul Dockery , and Ludgie Gelin talk about the latest in public power and public-power-adjacent news, plus a preview of an upcoming interview with PGP’s Mary Wiencke ! 08:08 - Arin Reports with Paul Reporting 14:20 - Roundtable on rural broadband at Mason PUD #3 plus other broadband news 21:38 - CAISO adopts Phase 1 of Resource Sufficiency test rule changes 30:24 - The Wall Street Journal’s long-form article on the grid’s reliability 44:30 - the cost of going under...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 23 min
Rebecca Sexton , Crystal Ball , Dan Catchpole , and Paul Dockery run through the latest in public power and public-power-adjacent news. There are a few instances where we go off the rails - - - as it often does when discussing public-power-adjacent news. 1:12 - Rebecca breaks news in her opening, Celebrity Guest, monologue 11:46 - Arin Reports with Rebecca Reporting 15:20 - follow up on Arin Reports with discussion on Northeast natural gas prices 21:10 - CAISO issued a 20-year draft transmission...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 2 min
In this bonus episode Matt and Paul have a conversation with the Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of Bonneville Power Administration: John Hairston ! 4:50 - One-Year Anniversary Celebration and presentation of an honorary fry-weight Anadromous Championship 15:25 - Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) news 20:34 - New content begins here! 21:43 - A new, public power underground game: seen // heard // nothing 25:45 - Fish risk (on hydro operations) 37:03 - Organizational re-alignment 45:52 - what ...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 5 min
4:39 - Arin Reports 8:16 - B2H news 13:58 - Advanced nuclear fission projects in the news and fun twitter follows 23:10 - Dispatches from #energytwitter on ev charger siting 32:35 - California Public Utilities Commission takes up NEM 3.0 and Jason has some thoughts 41:20 - Seattle City Light’s newly released electrification study 48:57 - Matt and Paul interview BPA CEO and Administrator, John Hairston and celebrate his one year anniversary as Administrator 1:07:30 - TL;DR the rest of the news Yo...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Karen Heim, Dan Catchpole, Ian Bledsoe, and Paul Dockery get up to speed on public power and public-power-adjacent news! 04:05 - Arin Reports with Ian Reporting! 08:20 - Northwest winter storm 14:36 - BPA's land acquisition program 20:23 - Another electric truck 25:21 - EDAM stakeholder process update 30:13 - PG&E Building ‘Remote Grids’ in Fire-prone Areas, and containerized microgrid systems 38:20 - Where Does Santa Go When the Arctic's Summer Ice Is Gone? You can find the podcast on Apple...
Jan 13, 2022•49 min
It’s the finale for Season 3 and our Holiday Special! We welcomed special celebrity guests Crystal Ball, Emeka Anyanwu, Russ Mantifel, and NewsData’s Mark Ohrenschall to do a 2021 Energy News Countdown and 2022 prognostication. The episode is interspersed with Energy Carols! 08:06 Careful ‘cause it’s time change 46:04 Silver Generators 1:08:54 Simply forming a wonderful western market 1:18:52 O Power Plan 1:24:52 Ridiculous Things [a Daryl Wayne Dasher original and fitting tribute to public powe...
Dec 22, 2021•1 hr 33 min
Michelle Manary, Bonneville Power Administration’s Chief Financial Officer who is on assignment to the Department of Energy as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Electric Delivery, joins Matthew Scroettnig (EWEB’s Power Planning Supervisor & Staff Counsel) and Paul Dockery (Clatskanie PUD’s Director of Energy Resources) to go deep into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, electrification’s impact on long-term planning, how to prepare for grant funding, SEASONAL TIME CHANGE, and ...
Dec 09, 2021•59 min
It’s season 3, episode 10 - Infrastructure Week! for Public Power Underground. Michelle Manary joins us to chat about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act! Also joining is Juergen Pilot from the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium and returning champion Kurt Miller. 07:28 - Arin Reports with (the newest Honorary Member of the Power Department) Crystal Ball Reporting! 13:39 - FERC, States Kick Off New Task Force Focused on Transmission Buildout 16:15 - Juergen Pilot...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Scott Coe, a public power leader who started under the Greatest Generation, rose to leadership amongst boomers, and has led organizations with Boomers, Millenials, and, maybe even, zoomers, joins Matthew Scroettnig (EWEB’s Power Planning & Staff Counsel) and Paul Dockery (Clatskanie PUD’s Power Manager) to talk about all things public power and public-power-leadership. Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts. Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch! This is a public e...
Nov 23, 2021•46 min
It’s season 3, episode 9 - Leading Innovation Week! for Public Power Underground. Underground regulars (Karen Heim, Brian Fawcett, Ludgie Gelin, and Ian Bledsoe) are joined by our returning Podcast Ambassador from Clearing Up, Dan Catchpole. The episode includes conversations about blockchain technologies with NRU’s Resource Analyst, Ellyn Groves, and a preview of a longer interview by Special Correspondent Matt Schroettnig of Emerald PUD’s General Manager, Scott Coe. The full interview of Scott...
Nov 18, 2021•45 min
It’s season 3, episode 8 - Distributed Demand Resource Response Week! for Public Power Underground. Underground regulars (Karen Heim, Arin Guillory, Ludgie Gelin, and Paul Dockery) are joined by our Podcast Ambassador from California Energy Markets, Jason Fordney this week. The episode includes conversations with Tacoma Power’s Ahlmahz Negash grant funding for microgrids and distributed resources, and PNUCC’s Shauna McReynolds and Tomás Morrisey about Demand Response and Distributed Generation i...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 9 min
It’s season 3, episode 7 - Markets Week! for Public Power Underground. Underground regulars (Brian Fawcett, Arin Guillory, Ian Bledsoe, and Paul Dockery) are joined by our Podcast Ambassador from Clearing Up, Dan Catchpole, to get our listeners up to speed on public-power and public-power-adjacent news. The episode includes special, feature conversations with The Energy Authority’s (TEA) Chris Lewis and John Raiford to talk about the state of Natural Gas Markets, and Public Generation Pool’s The...
Oct 29, 2021•57 min
Your friends at the Power Department are excited to announce that we’re teaming up with NewsData to make Public Power Underground better, bigger, and more sustainable. In a special, bonus episode the friends you’ve come to know as the voices of the Underground ( Karen Heim , Brian Fawcett , Arin Guillory , Ian Bledsoe , Ludgie Gelin , and Paul Dockery ) reminisce a little about what we’ve enjoyed so far, we talk with NewsData’s Editor-in-Chief, Mark Ohrenschall, about the collaboration, and get ...
Oct 22, 2021•34 min
It’s season 3, episode 5 - Live from the Benson! week for Public Power Underground. In an upbeat, LIVE, recording we get communication celebrities from across the region to come read some news for us on this week’s episode. The episode also includes a couple of wonderful interviews with industry experts. We talk with BPA’s Industry Economist, Daniel Fisher, about product development philosophies, and with Electric Vehicle enthusiast, Loren McDonald, about Level 1 charging infrastructure. 04:05 -...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 12 min
It’s season 3, episode 4 - Fish Risk! week for Public Power Underground. We cover everything from permafrost to Dolly Parton on this week’s episode hosted a combination of new stars ( Ludgie Gelin and Betsy Bridge ), returning star ( Arin Guillory ), and regular co-host (Paul Dockery). The highlight is a wonderful interview with the Director of BPA’s Fish & Wildlife Program, Crystal Ball , where we try to better understand fish risk for preference customer considering a post-2028 contract wi...
Sep 30, 2021•1 hr 3 min
It’s season 3, episode 3 - Into the Metaverse! week for Public Power Underground. We covered a BROAD range of news this week, and caught up with some celebrities including THE Vice President of Origination for Avangrid, Holly Carias, a BLUE CHECK mark, Dan Catchpole, and the curator of #energytwitter, Simon Mahan. 04:20 - Arin Reports 09:13 - Summary of wildfire impacts on BPA transmission lines 11:29 - PPC’s Mike Linn joins to chat about CAISO’s recently announced Extended Day-Ahead Market foru...
Sep 23, 2021•59 min
