ERCOT Innovation Summit Keynote Speaker Announced, Limited Seats Available

(Austin, TX) – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) today announced that Dr. Steven Ashby, director of the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), will deliver the keynote address at the ERCOT Innovation Summit on May 21.

Dr. Ashby sets PNNL’s strategic direction, and, under his leadership, PNNL’s staff members draw on signature capabilities in chemistry, earth sciences, biology, and data science to advance scientific discovery, enable energy sustainability, and enhance national security.

“I am excited to join colleagues at the Innovation Summit to explore how the power of innovation will bolster the reliability, resiliency, and security of the power grid in Texas and across the country,” said Dr. Ashby. “Dialogues such as these drive the new insights, synergies, and collaborations foundational to our collective efforts to modernize the electric grid.”

The Innovation Summit is a signature event for industry stakeholders to collaborate, discuss, and share knowledge on innovative solutions to address the impacts of grid transformation.

“We are honored to have Dr. Ashby join the Summit and share his insights on cutting-edge research and innovation vital to managing the complexities of a rapidly changing grid,” said ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas. “The Summit will also be an invaluable opportunity for participants to engage in thoughtful panel discussions with industry leaders and experts.”

Limited seats are available for in-person attendance. Register to attend the Innovation Summit in person.

ERCOT Innovation Summit Panels

Essential Reliability Services. Moderator Fred Huang, ERCOT Director of Operations Support, will discuss impacts to the essential reliability services from rapid grid transformation with panelists from Energy System Integration Group, Electric Power Research Institute, and California ISO.

Demand Flexibility. Moderator Dave Maggio, ERCOT Principal of Commercial Operations, and representatives from Octopus Energy, Texas A&M University, PJM, and Tesla will focus on innovations around engaging end-use customers and harnessing their flexibility to support the grid. This will include virtual power plant participation, similar to the Aggregate Distributed Energy Resource pilot current underway in ERCOT.

Energy Storage. Moderator Kenneth Ragsdale, ERCOT Principal of Market Design and Analysis, will talk with panelists from Electric Power Research Institute, Form Energy, and California ISO about the integration challenges and opportunities for energy storage resources as they evolve and as the grid transformation continues.

Uncertainty Management. Moderator Jeff Billo, ERCOT Director of Operations Planning, will lead a panel with representatives from SPP, MISO, and California ISO exploring operating practices and innovations regarding increasing grid variability and uncertainty.

Transmission Planning Challenges. Moderator Prabhu Gnanam, ERCOT Director of Planning, will chat with professionals from AEP, Texas A&M University, and SPP about the rapidly evolving grid and associated uncertainty for future planning.

Technology. Moderator Ajay Mannepalli, ERCOT Director of IT Architecture and Strategy, will join panelists from AWS, Microsoft, GE, and Siemens to discuss innovations around cloud computing, data and analytics, and AI/ML, and what vendors are doing in this space to harness these capabilities for the future of the energy grid.

Register to watch the Innovation Summit online. Visit www.ercot.com/summit for speaker bios, panel sessions, FAQs, and general information.

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