With the anticipated return of the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Expo this year, show organizers and hosts are planning a packed and useful technical program. To be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 25-28, the conference features a keynote panel and some timely topics for the super sessions and panels. T&D World spoke with Wayne Bishop, IEEE PES Vice President, Meetings and Conferences, about all the new features of the show. Bishop's role is a volunteer position that has overall responsibility for all IEEE PES Conferences worldwide from a strategic planning, implementation, and sustainability standpoint. He is supported by "an incredible team of dedicated volunteers and PES Executive staff members," Bishop said. As VP, he is also a member of the IEEE PES Governing Board and the Finance Committee which approves all conference budgets. He is in his 4th year of a 5-year term.
Q: It seems you are doing something a bit different with the opening session this year by doing a panel rather than a keynote speaker. Tell us why you went with this format and what will the attendees take away from it?
Rather than have a keynote speaker for the opening session, the Local Organizing Committee decided to try something new and have an “Opening Keynote Panel.” The T&D Technical Chair – Chan Wong of Entergy designed the title of this panel – “How the Past is Powering the Future.” The panel includes industry pioneers and thought leaders including:
- Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, president, chairman of the board and chief technology officer of SEL. Schweitzer is recognized as a pioneer in digital protection and holds the grade of Fellow in the IEEE, a title bestowed on less than one percent of IEEE members. In 2002, he was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
- Dr. Damir Novosel, president and founder, Quanta Technology. Novosel is an IEEE Fellow, and was elected to U.S. National Academy of Engineers in 2014. He served as president of the IEEE Power and Energy Society, VP of Technical Activities, and chair of Industry Technical Support Leadership Committee.
- Alison Silverstein, an independent consultant, strategist and researcher on electric system reliability, resilience, market design, transmission, energy efficiency and technology adoption issues. Her work on major federal electricity efforts includes the U.S. DOE’s Staff Report on Electric Markets and Reliability, three national transmission congestion studies, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative framework, and the industry-wide advancement of synchrophasor technology.
- Paul D. Hinnenkamp, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Entergy. Hinnenkamp has more than 38 years of power industry experience including 17 years with the Philadelphia Electric Company and 21 years with Entergy. He is responsible for executive oversight of safety, incident response, power generation, transmission, system planning and capital project management.
- Dr. Jessica Bian, president of IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) will be moderator. Bian is a visionary leader and architect, has spearheaded the electric industry's reliability metrics and grid risk assessment. Currently she is the vice president of Grid Services at Grid-X Partners. Before that, she was with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington, DC. Previously, she was the director of performance analysis at North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Q: How has the host utility contributed to the technical program this year?
This year’s host utility is Entergy. They have assembled a passionate and dedicated Local Organizing Committee (LOC) that has put together a world-class technical program! I can’t say enough about Michelle Bourg, Mark McCulla (T&D Co-Chairs from Entergy) and Chan Wong (T&D Technical Chair). They have an incredible team of volunteers who in addition to providing the technical program, are also providing an extraordinary social program including an opening reception at Mardi Gras World.
For this year’s T&D, we have more than 400 speakers, three super sessions, 110 poster sessions and so much more! There is so much happening in the electric power industry right now, and Entergy has helped put together the leading subject matter experts on these topics along with utilities to share their first hand experiences. Everything from dealing with decarbonization to wildfires and resiliency, to incorporating DERs onto the grid, to threats from cybersecurity to aging substation assets.
Everyone will also be invited to a special “Conversation with FERC Commissioner.” This will be a fireside chat format and something new for this year’s T&D. We have three very timely super sessions, which are panels with plenty of time for Q&A.
The three super sessions are:
- EXPLORING THE ROADMAP OF DATA ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE FUTURE GRID
- PREPARING FOR ANYTHING: RESILIENT SYSTEM DESIGN
- DECARBONIZATION AND GRID MODERNIZATION
Q: Who are some of the “big name” speakers besides the ones in the opening session?
We have more than 400 speakers but just some of them include:
- Hanna Grene | Microsoft
- Raiford Smith | Tapestry X, the moonshot Factory
- Jared Peterson | SAS
- Cat Wong | Tapestry X, the moonshot Factory
- Damir Novosel | Quanta Technology
- Erik Takayesu | Southern California Edison
- Aftab Khan | Eversource Energy
- Rafael da Silva Ozaki | Siemens Grid Software
- David Ellis | Entergy
- Chris Root | VELCO
- Nouredine Hadjsaid | G2Elab
- Shay Bahramirad | Luma Energy
- Joe Svachula | Exelon
- Carl Segneri | MJ Electric
- Chan Wong | Entergy
Q: What is the society doing for student attendees? Will there be a lot for them in the program?
At this year’s IEEE T&D we are offering an exciting and comprehensive schedule of student and young professional sessions and activities. The “Collegiate Program” at T&D is designed to help students launch successful careers in the power and energy industry. We will also feature a Poster Session and Reception providing a relaxing environment for registered conference attendees to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages while viewing hundreds of accepted papers in poster format. This will be held on Wednesday evening, April 27.
Q: I’ve heard that ISGT is being held the same week and location as T&D. Can you tell us about that?
ISGT NA 2022 is taking place from April 24 – 28, 2022, in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. This year’s ISGT Conference will actually co-locate with the T&D Conference and Exposition. The best part is that all attendees from ISGT will be able to attend all T&D Sessions, and all T&D attendees can check out the ISGT sessions. The ISGT organizing committee worked closely with our PES T&D counterparts to coordinate the two events. We will maintain a separate ISGT identity with space specifically dedicated to the ISGT conference. There will be a separate registration. Your ISGT registration will provide you access to both conferences at no additional charge. When so many things are being taken away, we are pleased to give something more to our valued ISGT NA attendees. ISGT NA 2022 website https://ieee-isgt.org/ Technical Program https://ieee-isgt.org/isgt-2022-program-schedule/ Registration Link https://ieee-isgt.org/registration/
Q: Tell us about the Business Relationships Seminar: is that new and what was the thinking behind it?
The Building Business Relationships Workshop is something new, and it guides participants to gain valuable insights about themselves and others by discovering actionable ways to build more effective relationships with others. Through the use of a self-assessment, participants receive detailed information regarding their style and how best to work with other styles to create more effective and productive relationships. The intended result is improved communication, reduced conflict, increased engagement, improved organization effectiveness, team collaboration, and enhanced leadership capability. Separate registration and an additional fee are required and will be available when conference registration opens.
Q: What else is new this year for the technical program?
In addition, to the traditional technical program with papers and panels, we are also featuring Innovation Stages on the T&D Expo Floor. This is something new for T&D and these Innovation Stages will feature 12 technical presentations through-out the week. They will be a “Ted Talk” style format.
Also new in 2022, the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition is excited to announce the addition of the Smart Cities Pavilion. Developed in partnership with IEEE Smart Cities, this dedicated pavilion on the exhibit floor will feature a variety of presentations and case study exhibits showcasing effective collaboration necessary to make smarter cities a reality. Access the latest in new technologies and real-world applications meant to promote business and connect thousands of attendees from around the globe with best practices for urban planning and innovation.
The Smart Cities Pavilion will provide a platform where public business managers, directors, urban administrators, and international authorities responsible for developing urban policies can offer their services to develop smart cities. Participants can share ideas, experience, and creative approaches to:
- Smart Cities
- Smart Buildings
- Smart Energy
- Smart Mobility
- Smart Public Safety
There will also be four separate off-site technical tours including the Entergy Grid Modernization Labs, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans, Entergy Grid Storm Hardening, and Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO).
And of course……Be sure and visit the nearly 700 exhibitors on the Show Floor for the latest in technology solutions for the Power and Energy Industry!
Nikki Chandler
Associate Content Director
T&D World
Endeavor Business Media
M: 913-568-9316
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