by Andy Ferguson
The second Business of Local Energy Symposium, an
event that explores the emerging Community Choice Energy market in California, will
be held in San Jose on March 4th. Prominent speakers from existing Community
Choice Energy (CCE) programs, state energy agencies, and private industry will
address an audience composed of local government representatives and private
industry. Following its initial success in late 2014, the event focuses on the
growing interest in Community Choice in over 80 communities in California. CCEs
are a hybrid public utility that buys and sells electricity in local
communities. CCEs are set up under California law as Joint Power Authorities
(JPA) where single or multiple cities and other jurisdictions can act as
electricity retailers while still depending on Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs)
for maintaining the grid.
Breakout sessions with panel discussions explore
the process of creating a CCE, how CCEs boost local economies while enhancing
sustainability plus support technology deployment. Experts will discuss how CCEs
can play a vital role in achieving significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions while
promoting distributed energy resources and local jobs. The Symposium will also emphasize
how CCE’s can develop such programs rapidly, optimize results for local
residents, and collaborate across jurisdictions to improve outcomes. Other
presenters will discuss new disruptive technologies that will replace fossil
fuel powered vehicles and appliances with more efficient and cleaner electric
powered equivalents.
The Symposium presents Community Choice as a
platform for innovation so it will include presentations on enhancing grid
resilience through microgrid development, storage, and electric vehicle to grid
storage applications. Among the timely topics addressed this year will be energy
metering (NEM) policies, local energy resource plans, and a new CPUC ruling
allowing collective use of virtual net metering for community solar arrays in
disadvantaged communities.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE (Early bird rate ends Feb. 5)
Who Should Attend
Community Choice Energy energy operators and
advocates, elected officials considering a program, electric service providers,
cleantech entrepreneurs, utility experts, businesses with an interest in
distributed energy resources, and anyone interested in the energy system of the
future. Those involved with private utilities and Community Choice will
cross-pollinate with energy entrepreneurs working on storage, energy
efficiency, automated demand response, micro-grids, and cutting-edge renewable
energy.
