Aug. 26, 2021
2021 Public Utility Symposium Moved to Virtual
August 26, 2021 We have made the difficult decision to hold the 2021 FRI Symposium entirely virtual this year. The thought of leaving the virtual meeting world was exciting, but the reality is that travel is still not as safe and reliable as we want it to be, and the responsible decision is to acknowledge that things are not improving as quickly as we had hoped. Several of our presenters had health concerns, many of our presenters were having trouble getting permission for business-related travel, and all of our presenters had difficulties with flight cancelations (as well as disconcerting…
Aug. 11, 2021
POV: Achieving Water Equity: Assessing Water Access Beyond Affordability
August 11, 2021 Written by Robert F. Powelson, President & CEO of National Association of Water Companies With infrastructure taking the spotlight in Washington since January and COVID-19’s ongoing impact, there’s certainly been a renewed focus on the essential role water service plays in protecting public health — and rightfully so. At the same time, the pandemic’s economic impact and increased attention paid to equity has sharpened focus on ensuring customers can afford their water bills. To date, these dual realities– the need for investment and the desire to keep rates low – has created a false choice…
June 17, 2021
FRI Welcomes Dr. Adrienne Ohler
June 17, 2021 FRI is excited to announce the addition of Dr. Adrienne Ohler to the FRI team, effective July 1, 2021. Dr. Ohler is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Missouri with appointments in the Division of Applied Social Sciences and the School of Medicine. She has published several papers related to renewable energy issues and to consumer demand for electricity in peer-reviewed journals such as The Energy Journal, The Electricity Journal, and Energy Policy. Working with FRI, Dr. Ohler will be developing research and grant opportunities related to the regulation of public utilities…
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)…