May 5, 2017 | Newport, OR
Oregon, in partnership with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), is working on a year-and-a-half long initiative to identify and deploy the resources, support, and technical solutions needed to deliver resilient power in the event of a natural disaster, such as a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake and tsunami, or other emergency. The purpose of this retreat was to begin engaging stakeholders—primarily local communities and consumer-owned utilities in this process by identifying and discussing threats to the reliability of Oregon’s electric system. Participants at the retreat:
- Learned about the threats to Oregon’s electricity system;
- Described the vulnerabilities of critical assets to a prolonged power outage;
- Discussed how investments in local energy resilience should be prioritized;
- Discussed the values of local energy resilience measures; and
- Informed a state policy action plan to enhance local energy resilience in the consumer-owned electric utility sector.
Agenda
Presentations
Welcome Remarks and Introductions
Speakers:
- Ruchi Sadhir, energy policy advisor, Office of Governor Kate Brown
- Debra Smith, general manager, Central Lincoln People’s Utility District
- Dan Lauf, senior policy analyst, Environment, Energy and Transportation Division, NGA Center
Threats to Oregon’s Local Energy Systems and Existing Statewide Resilience
Moderator:
- Aliza Wasserman, program director, Environment, Energy and Transportation Division, NGA Center
Speakers:
- Mike Harryman, Oregon state resilience officer, Office of Governor Kate Brown
- Yumei Wang, geotechnical engineer, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
Identification and Prioritization of Resilient Power Needs of Critical Public Infrastructure
Moderator:
- Dan Lauf, senior policy analyst, Environment, Energy and Transportation Division, NGA Center
Speakers:
- Andrew Phelps, director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management
- Dave Fitzsimmons, transmission and sales customer service manager, Bonneville Power Administration
- Tracy Babbidge, bureau chief, Energy and Technology Policy, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
Stakeholder Feedback on Identifying and Prioritizing Resilient Power Needs for Critical Public Infrastructure
Moderator:
- Dan Lauf, senior policy analyst, Environment, Energy and Transportation Division, NGA Center
Lunch
Speaker:
- Mike Kaplan, director, Oregon Department of Energy
The Legislative Perspective on Coastal Energy Resilience
Moderators:
- Ruchi Sadhir, energy policy advisor, Office of Governor Kate Brown
- Debra Smith, general manager, Central Lincoln People’s Utility District
Speakers:
- Senator Arnie Roblan, District 5, Oregon Coastal Caucus
- Representative David Gomberg, District 10, Oregon Coastal Caucus
Identifying the Qualitative and Quantitative Value of Long-Term Local Energy Resiliency Investments
Moderator:
- Dan Lauf, senior policy analyst, Environment, Energy and Transportation Division, NGA Center
Speakers:
- Kevin Greenwood, manager, Port of Newport
- Will Price, energy resource analyst, Eugene Water & Electric Board
- Kirk Warren, chief operating officer, Alaska Energy Authority
- Peter Larsen, research scientist and assistant group leader, Electricity Markets and Policy Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Wrap-up and Next Steps for Oregon
- Moderator: Aliza Wasserman, Environment, Energy and Transportation Division, NGA Center
