Jon Wellinghoff | |
---|---|
Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | |
In office January 20, 2009 –November 25, 2013 Acting: January 20, 2009 – March 19, 2009 | |
President | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Joseph T. Kelliher |
Succeeded by | Cheryl LaFleur |
Personal details | |
Born | Jon B. Wellinghoff [1] May 30,1949 Santa Monica,California,U.S. |
Spouse | Karen Galatz |
Relations | 4 children,3 grandchildren |
Alma mater | University of Nevada,Reno Howard University Antioch School of Law |
Jon B. Wellinghoff (born May 30,1949) is an American attorney who served as the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from 2009 to 2013. The FERC is a U.S. government agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity,natural gas,and oil. The FERC also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines and licenses hydropower projects.
Wellinghoff's work in energy-related fields has included renewable integration,plug-in electric vehicles,and the modernization of the American electric grid. In November 2013,Wellinghoff stepped down from his post as the 13th FERC chairman. [2]
Wellinghoff was born in Santa Monica,California,on May 30,1949,and moved to Reno,Nevada,at the age of four. He attended the University of Nevada-Reno,earning a B.S. in mathematics in 1971. The following year he earned a master's degree in teaching mathematics from Howard University and stayed in Washington,D.C.,to attend Antioch School of Law where he earned his J.D. in 1975.
Wellinghoff returned to Nevada where he would specialize in energy law for more than 30 years. In private practice,he focused exclusively on cases pertaining to renewable energy and energy efficiency,causes he continued to promote as FERC Chairman. He was the primary author of Nevada's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS),one of two state RPS programs to receive an "A" rating from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Wellinghoff has also held a variety of positions in the public sector,providing legal counsel on energy issues to,among others,the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee,the Federal Trade Commission and the Nevada Public Utility Commission.
Consumer protection was another hallmark of Wellinghoff's career prior to joining FERC. In his hometown of Reno,he held the position of Deputy District Attorney in the Washoe County District Attorney's Consumer Fraud division. His work on behalf of consumers helped make him Nevada's first Consumer Advocate for customers of public utilities. In that role,he argued for the public in cases before FERC,the Nevada Supreme Court and what is now the Nevada Public Utility Commission.
In 2006,Wellinghoff was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate as one of the five commissioners at the FERC.
As commissioner,Wellinghoff was influential in moving FERC towards prioritizing the removal of barriers to integration of renewable energy into the electric grid. He has been an advocate of "demand response" and "smart grid" technologies that will facilitate coordination and communication between electricity consumers and providers,allowing consumers to have greater control over their energy usage and the associated costs.
Wellinghoff was an early proponent of improving energy infrastructure to accommodate future demands from automobiles powered primarily by electricity. He coined the phrase "Cashback Car" in a contribution to the Brookings Institution publication,"Plug-In Electric Vehicles:What Role for Washington?" In it,he envisioned a future where drivers not only save money by switching from gasoline but are paid by utilities for use of their batteries to provide and store electricity. Wellinghoff explained that while the necessary technology already exists,improvements to infrastructure will be needed to make the "Cashback Car" a reality.
In 2008,the Alliance to Save Energy honored Wellinghoff with its prestigious Charles Percy Award for Public Service. The non-profit group bestowed the award "in recognition of [his] decades of outstanding public service and his expertise and leadership on energy efficiency as the nation confronts the dual challenge of electricity supply security climate change."
During his time as commissioner,Wellinghoff also received the EnerNoc Thought Leadership Award at a summit on energy efficiency and the Award for Leadership in Demand Response from the U.S. Demand Response Coordinating Committee.
On March 19,2009,President Barack Obama named Wellinghoff as FERC Chairman. Wellinghoff quickly established three top priorities for his term:the integration of renewable energy sources,including wind,solar geothermal and hydrokinetic energy,into the electric grid;the implementation of advanced technologies aimed at making the use and distribution of energy more efficient;and the promotion of demand-side energy practices,including real-time electricity pricing and the use of electric cars. All three of these priorities will emphasize improvements to the overall efficiency of the nation's energy infrastructure.
Wellinghoff has vowed to pursue his priorities through the implementation of regulatory practices that ensure a fair and competitive energy market,pointing out that it is through competitive energy markets that consumers will reap the full benefits of new technology.
To promote policies that will increase renewable energy and improve energy efficiency,Wellinghoff created a new office within the Commission:the Office of Energy Policy and Innovation. The office is tasked with providing leadership in the development and formulation of policies and regulations to address emerging issues affecting wholesale and interstate energy markets.
The potential of renewable energy resources to expand our energy supply while decreasing adverse environmental impact has been an interest of Wellinghoff throughout his career. Obstacles remain,however,to the full utilization of wind,solar,geothermal,and hydrokinetic energy. While these resources provide a growing share of America's energy,they remain hampered by their often remote proximity to major population centers and other impediments. Wellinghoff has made the integration of these resources into the energy market a key aspect of his agenda.
Renewable integration will also be facilitated by another of the Wellinghoff's priorities,the development and implementation of advanced broadband and digital technologies collectively referred to as "smart grid." This push to modernize the nation's energy infrastructure will allow consumers and providers to make more informed decisions about how they use electricity. Problems stemming from the variable nature of some renewable energy technologies would be reduced if grid operators could easily rely on alternatives when encountering high demand or unfavorable natural conditions.
On July 16,2009,the Commission released a Smart Grid Policy Statement setting priorities for the adoption of new standards and practices that will best enable FERC to facilitate the widespread and expedited use of smart grid technology.
A major component of an effective smart grid will be improved demand response capabilities,the third of Wellinghoff's top priorities. Wellinghoff has labeled demand response the "killer app" for the smart grid. This form of enhanced,two-way communication would allow electricity providers to pay consumers to use less electricity. At times of peak demand (and peak prices) and other times of grid stress or need,consumers could respond by modifying their usage. Grid operators could,in turn,respond with more efficient management of available resources and avoid the high expenses associated with putting another power plant on-line to generate the electricity necessary to meet demand. Less wasted electricity would help lower prices for everyone and foster a more efficient and environmentally sustainable market. FERC's most recent assessment of the country's demand response potential concluded that peak demand could be reduced by as much 188 GW,or roughly 20%,by 2019.
Wellinghoff has worked to create a receptive environment for new and emerging energy technologies such as hydrokinetic energy. Under his leadership,the Commission has continued to collaborate with the Department of the Interior to incubate the growth of this technology. This partnership will facilitate the development of offshore hydrokinetic projects as well as wind and solar projects. Similarly,the Commission has signed agreements with states such as Maine and Washington that will help fast-track new projects while ensuring that associated environmental concerns are given careful agreement.
Under Wellinghoff's leadership the Commission issued FERC Order 745 on March 15,2011,which prescribes how providers of demand response are to be compensated in the organized wholesale markets. On January 25,2016,the Supreme Court upheld FERC 745,overruling the US Court of Appeals decision. [3] The Court affirmed that the FERC had jurisdiction over prices paid for wholesale demand response.
Jon Wellinghoff submitted his resignation to U.S. President Barack Obama on May 5,2013,and remained in the post until November 25,2013,when the president appointed his successor,Cheryl A. LaFleur. [4]
For his work with the Energy Storage Community he received the Energy Storage Association's 2014 Phil Symons Award at their 24th Annual Conference.
Wellinghoff joined Stoel Rives LLP after leaving FERC in 2013. [5] His work there focused on assisting emerging energy technology firms (battery manufacturers,solar PV system developers and manufacturers,demand response providers,and advanced grid technology providers to name a few) with strategies and counsel as to growing their businesses and avoiding and/or removing barriers to market success. He also participated in numerous speaking engagements and keynote presentations for energy technology firms,trade associations and energy sector organizations. Topics included a look at our energy future,grid security,the rise of solar energy and distributed generation,the German energy experience,and advances in energy technology.
Wellinghoff served as SolarCity's Chief Policy Officer from April 2016 through April 2017. [6] Here he was responsible for recommending policy initiatives and interventions in state,federal,and other forums to support distributed energy resource products and services offered by SolarCity.
In April 2017,Jon opened GridPolicy,Inc. where as the CEO,he works to enable the intersection of policy and distributed energy technologies. [7] GridPolicy assists energy tech companies from start-ups to fully commercialized enterprises to get to market and expand markets by addressing critical policy barriers to business success.
Wellinghoff is married to Karen Galatz and he has four children,Andrea,Sarah,Jules,and Jacob,and three grandchildren.
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(help)The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the United States federal agency that regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas in interstate commerce and regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in interstate commerce. FERC also reviews proposals to build interstate natural gas pipelines, natural gas storage projects, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, in addition to licensing non-federal hydropower projects.
Net metering is an electricity billing mechanism that allows consumers who generate some or all of their own electricity to use that electricity anytime, instead of when it is generated. This is particularly important with renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which are non-dispatchable. Monthly net metering allows consumers to use solar power generated during the day at night, or wind from a windy day later in the month. Annual net metering rolls over a net kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit to the following month, allowing solar power that was generated in July to be used in December, or wind power from March in August.
The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act is a United States Act passed as part of the National Energy Act. It was meant to promote energy conservation and promote greater use of domestic energy and renewable energy. The law was created in response to the 1973 energy crisis, and one year in advance of a second energy crisis.
Energy demand management, also known as demand-side management (DSM) or demand-side response (DSR), is the modification of consumer demand for energy through various methods such as financial incentives and behavioral change through education.
A regional transmission organization (RTO) in the United States is an electric power transmission system operator (TSO) that coordinates, controls, and monitors a multi-state electric grid. The transfer of electricity between states is considered interstate commerce, and electric grids spanning multiple states are therefore regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The voluntary creation of RTOs was initiated by FERC Order No. 2000, issued on December 20, 1999. The purpose of the RTO is to promote economic efficiency, reliability, and non-discriminatory practices while reducing government oversight.
Demand response is a change in the power consumption of an electric utility customer to better match the demand for power with the supply. Until the 21st century decrease in the cost of pumped storage and batteries electric energy could not be easily stored, so utilities have traditionally matched demand and supply by throttling the production rate of their power plants, taking generating units on or off line, or importing power from other utilities. There are limits to what can be achieved on the supply side, because some generating units can take a long time to come up to full power, some units may be very expensive to operate, and demand can at times be greater than the capacity of all the available power plants put together. Demand response, a type of energy demand management, seeks to adjust in real-time the demand for power instead of adjusting the supply.
A smart grid is an electrical grid which includes a variety of operation and energy measures including:
A power purchase agreement (PPA), or electricity power agreement, is a long-term contract between an electricity generator and a customer, usually a utility, government or company. PPAs may last anywhere between 5 and 20 years, during which time the power purchaser buys energy at a pre-negotiated price. Such agreements play a key role in the financing of independently owned electricity generators, especially producers of renewable energy like solar farms or wind farms.
The Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage (LEAPS) project is a proposed 500 megawatt pumped-storage hydroelectricity power project located in Lake Elsinore, California. Combining time-tested large scale energy storage technology and the distinctive geography of Lake Elsinore, LEAPS will provide load balancing and power on-demand to the Southern California grid. LEAPS has been attempting to receive approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) since 2008. It has been rejected twice and is working on its third attempt to be approved.
Electricity pricing can vary widely by country or by locality within a country. Electricity prices are dependent on many factors, such as the price of power generation, government taxes or subsidies, CO
2 taxes, local weather patterns, transmission and distribution infrastructure, and multi-tiered industry regulation. The pricing or tariffs can also differ depending on the customer-base, typically by residential, commercial, and industrial connections.
ISO New England Inc. (ISO-NE) is an independent, non-profit Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), headquartered in Holyoke, Massachusetts, serving Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM) is a regional transmission organization (RTO) in the United States. It is part of the Eastern Interconnection grid operating an electric transmission system serving all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Support for the smart grid in the United States became federal policy with passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The law set out $100 million in funding per fiscal year from 2008 to 2012, established a matching program to states, utilities and consumers to build smart grid capabilities, and created a Grid Modernization Commission to assess the benefits of demand response and to recommend needed protocol standards. The law also directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop smart grid standards, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) would then promulgate through official rulemakings.
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) is the national association representing the state public service commissioners who regulate essential utility services, including energy, telecommunications, and water. NARUC members are responsible for assuring reliable utility service at fair, just, and reasonable rates. Founded in 1889, the Association is a resource for its members and the regulatory community, providing a venue to set and influence public policy, share best practices, and foster solutions to improve regulation.
Net metering is a policy by many states in the United States designed to help the adoption of renewable energy. Net metering was pioneered in the United States as a way to allow solar and wind to provide electricity whenever available and allow use of that electricity whenever it was needed, beginning with utilities in Idaho in 1980, and in Arizona in 1981. In 1983, Minnesota passed the first state net metering law. As of March 2015, 44 states and Washington, D.C. have developed mandatory net metering rules for at least some utilities. However, although the states' rules are clear, few utilities actually compensate at full retail rates.
Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR) is a research and standards development effort for energy management led by North American research labs and companies. The typical use is to send information and signals to cause electrical power-using devices to be turned off during periods of high demand.
The term Smart Grid is most commonly defined as an electric grid that has been digitized to enable two way communication between producers and consumers. The objective of the Smart Grid is to update electricity infrastructure to include more advanced communication, control, and sensory technology with the hope of increasing communication between consumers and energy producers. The potential benefits from a Smart Grid include increased reliability, more efficient electricity use, better economics, and improved sustainability.
The term Smart Grid describes a next-generation electric power system, that is classified by the increased use of communication and information technology in the generation, delivery, and consumption of electrical energy. For individual consumers, smart grid technology offers more control over electricity consumption. Typically, the goal is overall greater energy efficiency.
The UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC), located on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, is an organization focused on developing the next generation of technologies and innovation for SmartGrid. Partnerships with government, technology providers, DOE research labs and universities, utilities, policymakers, and electric vehicle and appliance manufacturers provide SMERC with diverse capabilities and exceptional, mature leadership.
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is a non-profit Independent System Operator (ISO) serving California. It oversees the operation of California's bulk electric power system, transmission lines, and electricity market generated and transmitted by its member utilities. The CAISO is one of the largest ISOs in the world, delivering 300 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year and managing about 80% of California's electric flow.
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