ISO New England and New York ISO Announce Speaker Lineup for Upcoming Boston Symposium

HOLYOKE, MASS. AND RENSSELAER, N.Y. (04/10/2013)(readMedia)-- ISO New England (ISO-NE) and the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) today announced keynote speakers and panelists for their upcoming symposium, "Navigating Change," at The Westin Waterfront in Boston on Friday, May 10, 2013.

The symposium will bring together industry participants, government officials and other policymakers for a two-part discussion on identifying current industry changes and what steps both industry and policymakers could take to successfully navigate through this period of rapid development and transformation.

Ernie Hayden, managing principal for Verizon's Global Energy and Utility Practice, will be one of two keynote speakers for the conference. Mr. Hayden has extensive experience in the power utility industry, critical infrastructure protection and information security. His primary focus is supporting customer projects regarding smart grid security, energy supply security and electric grid security, with special emphasis on North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards.

Gil C. Quinones, president and chief executive officer of the New York Power Authority (NYPA), also will offer a keynote address. As president and CEO of the nation's largest state electric utility, Mr. Quinones is responsible for developing and implementing NYPA's strategic vision and mission, and supervises its operations, legal and financial matters. He also serves as co-chairman of Governor Andrew Cuomo's New York Energy Highway Task Force, which is carrying out the governor's vision for rejuvenating New York's transmission system through partnerships between the public and private sectors. As a member of the Electric Power Research Institute's Board of Directors, Mr. Quinones serves as chair of the board's Committee on Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage and Smart Grid. He is also active in the affairs of two national public power organizations, serving on the Steering Committee of the Board of the Large Public Power Council (LPPC), as co-chair of the LPPC's Government Relations Task Force and as NYPA's principal representative to the American Public Power Association.

The first panel, "Drivers of Change," will identify and provide insight on the current changes taking place in today's electricity industry, with particular emphasis on how policies, technology, environmental regulations and the current state of the economy will affect the future power grid.

David W. Cash, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, will moderate the first panel. Other panelists include: Francis J. Murray, Jr., president and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority; Franz Litz, executive director, Pace Energy and Climate Center; Richard G. Smead, director, Navigant Consulting, Inc.; Julien Dumoulin-Smith, director, US Electric Utilities & IPPs Group, UBS Investment Research; and Byron Flynn, technical solutions director, North America, GE Digital Energy.

The second panel, "Navigating Change," will discuss how new technologies can help manage the current changes in the electric industry, how states are reacting to change, the role of utilities in industry transformation, the role of natural gas and renewable energy technologies and how consumers can ultimately benefit from this transformation.

Garry Brown, chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission has been invited to moderate the second panel. Other panelists include: Tom King, president, National Grid U.S.; Matt Dunne, manager of Community Affairs, Google; Lee Davis, senior vice president and regional president, NRG; Vincent Morrissette, vice president, Origination and Regulatory Affairs, Repsol; Anne Stubbs, executive director, Coalition of Northeast Governors; Robert Gramlich, interim CEO, American Wind Energy Association; and Alex Kinnier, senior vice president of Product Management, Opower.

Technology vendors also will be on hand to exhibit a variety of new products and services aimed at addressing current and future industry challenges.

The general registration rate for the symposium is $350, with a government and student rate of $150. To register for the event, please visit www.isoenergyconference.com. For more information, interested parties may e-mail info@isoenergyconference.com or call (617) 337-9534.