Growing Risks: Managing the Energy and Environment Interface to Support Safe, Reliable and Affordable Power in Louisiana

​PANEL DESCRIPTION

​Conflicts between trees and powerlines are the top cause of power outages and the most damaging wildfires in America, resulting in numerous deaths each year and costing the country as much as $200 billion in annual losses. In Louisiana, approximately 65,000 miles of powerlines trace their way through nearly 9 billion trees. Maintaining those lines to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable power for Louisiana is an enormous and dangerous task with potentially catastrophic repercussions if things go awry. The Louisiana Public Service Commission has governance over the state's three main electric utility companies, Entergy Louisiana, SWEPCO and CLECO, to provide for public safety, reliable electric service, and reasonable rates. Within regulating these electrical utility companies, legal nuances in how vegetation can be managed, ratemaking and fair pricing, and demand responses provide for dynamic and complex legal challenges in this industry. LPSC Chairman Commissioner Eric Skrmetta leads this discussion about the challenges and solutions involved in making sure the lights stay on in a dynamic and ever-changing environment.

​Moderated by Commissioner Eric Skrmetta.

​SPEAKERS

​Larry Hand, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Entergy Louisiana

​Stefan Urian, Distribution Risk & Reliability Manager at SWEPCO

​Adam Keeth, Director, Distribution Engineering and Reliability at SWEPCO

​Brett Mattison, President & Chief Operating Officer at SWEPCO

​Andre Guillory, Chief Customer Officer at CLECO Power

​Tony Jenkins, Chief Operating Officer at Shelton Energy

​Michael Shelton, President at Shelton Energy

​Lane Sisung, Economist at United Professionals