Jessica Bian

Presentations:

Regulatory Aspects of Implementing Advanced Technology

Would deploying energy storage and/or other innovative technology alter business models and the utility of the future? We are experiencing significant changes in energy supply due to a number of factors, including the increased availability of renewables, demand-side and storage technologies; and new environmental requirements. This lecture provides an overview of US federal regulation of public utilities, including rate revision, challenge process, and the landmark orders that shaped energy industries we have today. In addition, the lecture offers insights of why energy industries moved from traditional cost-based regulation to competitive markets in an open access environment, and how regulators encourage the use of advanced technology in new transmission projects. Advanced transmission technologies increase the capacity, efficiency, or reliability of an existing or new transmission facility while continuing to ensure that consumers have access to sustainable energy at a reasonable cost. 

Finding a Balance: Regulation and Bulk Power System Performance

What is driving our industry to improve reliability and resilience? How do we, as an industry, make sure we are performing to our customers’ expectations? In today’s power systems, every technology employed, trend established, and policy or standard implemented, should be done so with the best interests of the customer in mind.  The utility sector is economically immense and vast in geographic scope, and it combines ownership, management, and regulation in complex ways to achieve reliable energy service. This lecture provides a broad view on energy market regulation in the US, including a rulemaking process and landmark orders. It addition, it explores how improving bulk power system performance through technology, data, and policies will benefit the customers of electric power.

Grid Reliability and Its Vital Signs

Frequency, voltage, customer interruption. What do these vital signs tell us about the bulk power system? Learn the grid health underlying the vital signs and how to accurately assess them. This lecture will explore reliability aspects of bulk power system so that you will develop a systematic, integrated understanding of how to assess the bulk power system reliability. Additional indicators include energy emergency alerts, transmission outage rates, protection system operations, and resource reserve margin. The presentation will also provide ranges, trends, and driving factors that influence changes in these indicators