June 16, 2021
POV: Billions of Reasons to Invest in Broadband Infrastructure
June 16, 2021 Written by Elin Swanson Katz, VP of Utilities at Tilson They say timing is everything, and if a utility broadband project is anywhere on the horizon, now is the time to act. While the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be winding down, one of the many challenges it has exposed is the number of Americans that do not have access to reliable, affordable high-speed broadband. It has also revealed the profound impact that the lack of access – referred to as the digital divide – has on school children, people working from home, small businesses, medical…
May 17, 2021
POV: A State Regulator Perspective on the Future of Nuclear Energy
May 17, 2021 Written by Former Commissioner Sadzi Martha Oliva, Legal and Policy Advisors Alejandro Mateos and Kealie Vogel, and Policy Intern Haley Bracken of the Illinois Commerce Commission Disclaimer: All views expressed within this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Illinois Commerce Commission or the Illinois state government. Introduction Since the Illinois Commerce Commission last held a public policy session on issues surrounding nuclear energy, much has changed in the world including a global pandemic, racial tensions highlighting social inequities, extreme weather challenges in February 2021, and a…
April 27, 2021
David K. Owens Selected for 2021 Crystal Award
April 27, 2021 FRI has selected David K. Owens as recipient of the 2021 Crystal Award for Distinguished Service. David K. Owens, 2021 Crystal Award honoree Owens is President and Energy Consultant at Da’VAS, LLC. He retired in 2017 as Executive Vice President of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). He is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in public policies surrounding utility operations, strategic planning, technology development, rate making and regulation. He is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on electric utility issues, industry restructuring and transformation. Owens has a long history of contributions to the utility industry. During…
April 14, 2021
POV: Focus on Water Cybersecurity Now, Before It’s Too Late
April 14, 2021 Written by Robert F. Powelson, President & CEO of National Association of Water Companies Robert F. Powelson, President & CEO, National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) Oldsmar, Florida, made headlines earlier this year. A hacker gained access to the county utility’s water treatment control systems and dramatically raised the amount of certain chemicals in the drinking water to dangerous levels. Fortunately, the hacker’s attempt was foiled before the water supply was effectively poisoned. This alarming cyber breach speaks to a larger issue that is looming out there around overall cyber protection of our water grid. As…
April 1, 2021
Illinois Commissioner Maria S. Bocanegra Joins FRI Advisory Board
April 1, 2021 — We are pleased to welcome Commissioner Maria S. Bocanegra from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to the FRI Advisory Board. Commissioner Bocanegra replaces Commissioner Emeritus Sadzi Oliva as the ICC’s representative on the FRI Board. Commissioner Bocanegra was appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission on April 8, 2019 to a four-year term and confirmed by the Illinois Senate on May 31, 2019. Commissioner Bocanegra is an accomplished, well-respected attorney with prior public service in both Democratic and Republican administrations. She most recently served as Arbitrator at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. There, she…
March 24, 2021
POV: Emergency Management–Our Future
March 24, 2021 Written by Sarah Ruen Blanchard, FRI Advisory Board member The utility industry has long prioritized safety and reliability, but the frequency and duration of emergency events that we must manage through today are unlike those of the past. We can reasonably expect there will be hurricanes in Florida and blizzards in the Midwest, but Hurricane Sandy (2012) in New York, the Camp Fire in California (2018), the Derecho in Iowa (2020), and Winter Storm Uri in Texas (2021) were unprecedented events that devastated communities and crippled energy infrastructure. Sarah Ruen Blanchard, Alliant Energy & FRI…
March 12, 2021
Nebraska Commission Chair Dan Watermeier Joins FRI Advisory Board
March 12, 2021 — We are pleased to welcome Dan Watermeier, Chair of the Nebraska Public Service Commission, to the FRI Advisory Board. Mr. Watermeier was elected for a six-year term on the Commission in November 2018 representing Nebraska’s District 1, comprised of eight counties in Southeastern Nebraska. Prior to joining the Commission, he served as a state senator in the Nebraska Unicameral from 2012-2018. A farmer by trade, Commissioner Watermeier received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. He is member of, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)…
March 3, 2021
POV: A New Point of View
March 3, 2021 Written by: Dr. Michael Sykuta, Executive Director, FRI Many of us spent much of last year wondering,”What will life be like after 2020?” While we still have a ways to go before we’ll see just how much life is changed, I can say that, for me personally, taking on the role of Executive Director of FRI was not on my scorecard at this time last year. However, this is one post-2020 outcome that has me looking forward excitedly to what comes next. FRI Executive Director, Dr. Michael Sykuta I first learned of FRI almost 20 years…
Feb. 12, 2021
Same FRI, New Home and New Opportunities
February 2, 2021 — During January 2021, the Financial Research Institute (FRI) moved to a new home on the University of Missouri campus along with new academic leadership as part of the Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS). Since its founding in 1988, the FRI had been housed within the (now) Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University “to promote education, research and service across various areas of finance.” Over the years, the FRI’s programs have evolved to focus primarily on economic, financial and regulatory issues related specifically to regulated utility industries. As part…
Feb. 12, 2021
Commissioner Sadzi Oliva on Cybersecurity
February 12, 2021 — FRI Board Member and Illinois Commerce Commissioner Sadzi Oliva was recently featured in Public Utilities Fortnightly writing about Cybersecurity. Her piece is particularly timely in light of a recent cyber hack of a water treatment facility in Florida You can read Commissioner Oliva’s thoughts on the PUF website.