Public Power Underground

Rob, Kathleen, Ahlmahz, and Paul discuss the transmission expansion: it's importance, it's barriers, and it's path forward.

Rob Gramlich, Kathleen Staks, Ahlmahz Negash, PhD, and Paul Dockery discuss transmission policy, planning, and funding in light of the increased need for an interconnected grid due to electrification of end-uses, new generator interconnections, and increasing footprint of extreme weather events.

07:34 - Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office release of a draft National Transmission Needs Study

23:43 - The Quagmire of Transmission Investment and Cost Recovery
  • Rob’s 3 Ps of Transmission Policy Reform
  • Rob’s tweets about the importance of solving the cost allocation quagmire
  • A brilliant quote by Rob on the conundrum of transmission investment in a New York Times article
  • Ahlmahz’s articles (part 1 and part 2) on the Grid as a Public Good
48:26 - Why transmission and market expansion is important to commercial and industrial customers
59:48 - Interconnection queues and solutions for clearing them
  • Prof Jacob Mays hot take about Connect and Manage and how it relates to Resource Adequacy
  • Prof Jesse Jenkins solutioning on #energytwitter
1:09:50 - Ahlmahz’s insightful question of the week

1:15:07 - Kathleen Stak’s Closing Thoughts

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!

What is Public Power Underground?

Public Power Underground is more than a discussion about public ownership of electric infrastructure, the infotaining episodes cover the energy enthusiast trifecta of electrification, markets, and people. The hosts interview industry experts on a broad range of energy industry and energy-industry-adjacent topics at the nexus of electric utilities and the energy transition. The podcast doesn’t take itself too seriously and frequently plays energy inspired games like “energy enthusiasm distilled,” “draw an analogy,” and “say something nice about electric utilities."