Webinar description: Covid-19 has brought about many unforeseen changes in our way of life and therefore on our energy use. This panel discussion focused on the (statewide/nationwide/worldwide) changes in our energy consumption as many people have transitioned to at least temporarily working from home. The energy industry is forced to adapt to these changes and must plan for such unknowns in the future. Our panelists and moderator represented different parts of the energy sector and have varying viewpoints from a University Engineer Researcher to Renewable Energy Industry Representative to Energy Utilities Employee. These panelists and moderators discussed how weekdays now appear as weekends to the grid, how changes in demand patterns are changing which power plants are generating electricity, how much renewable energy is being utilized within the grid, how industry and policy are adjusting to these changes, and how consumers can be part of the solution.

Original air date: Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Cost: Free of charge but everyone must register using this link

Click here to watch re-posted webinar

Co-Hosts: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) and Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory (An energy research partnership since 2007 between University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, and National Renewable Energy Lab)

Webinar host and for more info: [email protected] Executive Director, Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory 970-682-5707 (cell/text)

Moderator: Kyri Baker, Assistant Professor, Building Systems engineer/civil systems, University of Colorado Boulder Kyri Baker PPT slide deck FINAL

Panelists:

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Kyri Baker
Assistant Professor
Building Systems engineer/civil systems
University of Colorado Boulder

Dr. Kyri Baker received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009, 2010, and 2014, respectively. From 2015 to 2017, she worked at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Since Fall 2017, she has been an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Baker is a Fellow of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI). Her research focuses on renewable energy integration by changing the way the electric power grid operates. In particular, she develops computationally efficient optimization and learning algorithms for energy systems ranging from building-level assets to transmission grids. https://www.colorado.edu/ceae/kyri-baker

Eric Blank
Co-founder, Executive VP
Community Energy

Eric Blank is a co-founder and executive vice president at Community Energy, Inc. He has worked on electric utility and clean energy issues for more than thirty years, developing and bringing online over 2,000 MW of wind and solar facilities (representing $3-4 billion of invested capital), including the largest currently operating solar projects in MISO, PJM, and Colorado. Eric spent ten years during the 1990s running the energy work for Western Resource Advocates (WRA), a Colorado non-profit environmental group that establishes policies that make it economically feasible for electric utilities in the inter-mountain west to promote clean energy technologies. In 1999, Eric left WRA to cofound Community Energy, a pioneering renewable energy marketing and development company, growing it into a profitable 40-person business that was successfully sold in 2006 to Iberdrola Renewables, then the largest owner of wind facilities in the world. While at Iberdrola, Eric served as an executive vice president leading US wind development, placing over 700 MW of new wind facilities into commercial operation over three years. In 2009, Eric and his business partners re-purchased Community Energy and have since built more than 1,300 MW of operating solar PV. Eric holds a Master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and a J.D. from Yale Law School. https://www.communityenergyinc.com/about#team-eric-blank

Carolyne Murff
Senior Vice President, Head of Asset Management
LS Power

As Head of Asset Management for LS Power, Ms. Murff oversees the operations and commercial activities of more than 15,000 MW of power generation. Ms. Murff also serves on the Investment Committee and supports LS Power’s acquisition and divestiture activities. Since its inception in 1990, LS Power has raised over $45 billion to finance investment in energy infrastructure, including $10 billion of committed equity capital across its private equity funds and additional partnerships. Through these efforts, LS Power has developed, constructed, managed or acquired more than 42,000 MW of power generation and over 660 miles of transmission assets throughout the United States. Ms. Murff joined LS Power in 2005. Prior to joining LS Power, Ms. Murff held positions in acquisition/divesture, development, construction, asset management, and the operation of power generation facilities. She has previously served in management roles at Coastal Power Company, Entergy, and DTE Energy Services and has worked in a variety of power markets including India, Pakistan and Australia. Ms. Murff received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University. Ms. Murff is an advocate for women in Engineering and Finance, and serves on the Board for Princeton University’s BioLEC Energy Frontier Research Center that is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. https://www.lspower.com/carolyne-murff/