WIRES Newsletter Q3/Autumn 2021
Message from our Executive Director
The past several months have seen a whirlwind of activity as legislators and regulators continue to focus on the need for more transmission infrastructure. Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal that includes important provisions addressing transmission needs and backstop siting authority, and implementation will soon be under way. On the regulatory front, initial comments have been filed in the FERC transmission Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and WIRES weighed in on a wide range of issues covering topics such as the need for a holistic approach to transmission planning, the benefits and value of local transmission projects, and the impact of competition on getting needed transmission built.

Meanwhile, WIRES’ Fall Meeting provided a timely and informative discussion focused squarely on the FERC ANOPR and featured perspectives from former FERC Commissioners, industry representatives, and FERC Commissioner Allison Clements, who described the ANOPR as a “once in a generation moment” to address several decades of underinvestment in the transmission system and build out the grid to meet the needs of the future. FERC faces a daunting task as it sorts through the various sides of the transmission planning, cost allocation, and interconnection debate. WIRES will continue its efforts to engage and inform the decisionmakers in the months and years to come.
FERC Developments
Fall Member Meeting
October 28, 2021
We were honored to have FERC Commissioner Allison Clements join us in person as the keynote speaker at our Fall Member Meeting. Thank you to Commissioner Clements and all our distinguished panelists and moderators for the robust discussions on the FERC ANOPR.

Recordings of the live stream of the meeting are now available on our website.

Panel 1: Perspectives on the FERC ANOPR
  • Elizabeth Salerno, Lead, Transmission and Technology Initiatives, FERC
  • Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO, American Council on Renewable Energy, (ACORE)
  • Derek Bandera, Executive Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)
  • Moderator: Stuart Nachmias, President and CEO of Con Edison Transmission, Inc.

Panel 2: Former FERC Commissioners Reflect on the FERC ANOPR
  • Joe Kelliher, Former Executive VP, Next-Era, Former FERC Chairman
  • Suedeen Kelly, Partner, Jenner and Block LLP, Former FERC Commissioner
  • Tony Clark, Senior Adviser, Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer LLP, Former FERC Commissioner
  • Marc Spitzer, Steptoe & Johnson, LLP, Former FERC Commissioner
  • Moderator: Larry Gasteiger, Executive Director, WIRES
2022 WIRES Member Meetings
We are hard at work planning next year’s meetings. Tentative dates/locations for the meetings are as follows:

FSM Planning Meeting – Washington, D.C. – Jan. 25-26, 2022 – Confirmed
Spring Member Meeting – Nashville, TN – April 27-28, 2022
Summer Member Meeting – Newport, RI – July 27-28, 2022
Fall Member Meeting – Washington, D.C. – Oct. 26-27

We will update you as these become finalized.
Q3 Webinar Series
We featured Janet Sena, Senior VP, External Affairs, NERC during Q3 in an open-to-the-public webinar.
We also enjoyed hearing from Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL-06) on Nov. 16th about his insights on FERC and the importance of transmission.
Members who would like to receive recordings of these sessions, please contact Andrew Brackbill at ABrackbill@kellencompany.com
Member Profiles
Full Supporting Member – Dominion Energy
More than 7 million customers in 16 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy and to achieving net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. At Dominion Energy, our vision is clear: We are building a clean and sustainable energy future. To get there, we are re-examining and transforming every aspect of our business.
 
Dominion Energy Virginia (DEV) owns and operates over 6,700 miles of transmission line and over 900 substations in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. DEV will invest over $4.2B through 2025 to enhance the transmission grid and continue providing reliable service to customers as the company transitions to a clean energy portfolio.
Associate Member – ScottMadden
ScottMadden is a management consulting firm that has been serving the energy industry since 1983. The firm’s practice areas include Transmission & Distribution, the Grid Edge, Generation, Energy Markets, Rates & Regulation, and Corporate Services. ScottMadden provides a wide range of offerings which include strategic and business planning, operational excellence, benchmarking, cost reduction, program design and implementation and many others. The firm has worked in virtually every aspect of electric transmission and our clients include integrated utilities, T&D companies, independent transmission organizations, private equity and others.
Industry Visibility
Events
On Aug. 17th Larry moderated a webinar discussion hosted by the Midwest Governors Association on the FERC ANOPR that explored what potential actions could mean for the Midwest and the electric grid. Panelists included:
  • Nina Plaushin, Vice President, Regulatory & Federal Affairs, ITC
  • Commissioner Sarah Freeman, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
  • Eric Vandenberg, Deputy Director, Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, FERC

A recording of the webinar is available on our website.
 
At the EBA Mid-Year Energy Forum on Oct. 12th Larry served as moderator. The panel, “Beyond Order 1000: New Horizons in Transmission Planning Under FERC’s ANOPR,” included:
  • Cynthia Bogorad, Partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid
  • Rob Gramlich, Founder & President, Grid Strategies
  • Kari Valley, Managin Senior Corporate Counsel, MISO
  • Sara C. Weinberg, Senior Counsel, Dominion Energy
 
In the News
Transmission topics continue to grow in prominence in the media. Hurricane Ida prompted broad interest in grid resilience. Larry was a sought-after subject matter expert in the immediate aftermath of the storm, offering commentary in more than 10 outlets, including Axios, NPR, New York Times, and Washington Post.
 
Discussion of the ANOPR at our Fall Member Meeting were recapped in a number of articles, including E&E News, S&P Global, and RTO Insider.
 
Sharing highlights of the quarter’s earned media below. For a complete listing of earned media, visit the WIRES In the News page.
 
7/29/21 – RTO Insider
 
8/31/21 – Axios “Generate” Newsletter
 
8/30/31 – NYTimes
 
8/31/21 – Washington Post
 
8/31/21 – Utility Dive
 
9/1/21 – USA Today Affiliate
 
9/1/21 – S&P Global
 
9/4/21 – Reuters
 
10/13/21 – S&P Global
 
10/20/21 – Engineering News Record
 
10/28/21 – S&P Global
 
10/29/21 – E&E

10/29/21 – Power Markets Today

11/1/21 – RTO Insider
WIRES is an international, non-profit trade association of investor-, publicly-, and cooperatively owned transmission providers, transmission customers, regional grid managers, and equipment and service companies. WIRES promotes investment in electric transmission and progressive state and federal policies that advance energy markets, economic efficiency, and consumer and environmental benefits through development of electric power infrastructure. For more information, visit www.wiresgroup.com.