SLC - Serving the South

Research / Energy & Environment

Webinar | March 2021

Ensuring the Security and Resiliency of America's Energy Grid

In recent years, the security and resiliency of America's energy grid have come under increased scrutiny due to cyber security threats, terrorism and natural disasters. The 2016 hacking of Vermont's Burlington Electric by foreign actors exposed the vulnerability of computer systems and served as a warning to other utility providers. Experts predict that this type of attack and others will continue. Widespread power outages caused by Winter Storm Uri have further highlighted the importance of this issue. This program explores the policies and initiatives that governments and utility providers are undertaking to increase the security and resiliency of America's energy grid.

Presentations:

Amy Thomas, Senior Government Relations Director, American Public Power Association, Washington, D.C.
Kimberly Denbow, Managing Director, Security & Operations, American Gas Association, Washington, D.C.

Webinar | October 2020

Flood Planning and Mitigation: Lessons from South Carolina and Texas

Nick Bowman

In recent years, Southern states have been inundated by major flood events. The impacts of these events can create significant and long-term strain on states' economies, both in terms of tangible losses and damages, as well as lost productivity. A study by the National Institute of Building Sciences found that every dollar spent on disaster mitigation saves $6 in future disaster costs. Southern states are beginning to take a more proactive approach to flood planning, pivoting from a recovery-oriented approach to one focused on resiliency and mitigation. This program highlights flood mitigation planning and policies undertaken in South Carolina and Texas.

Presentations:

Thomas Mullikin, Chair, South Carolina Floodwater Commission
Kathleen Ligon, Program Manager and Special Assistant, Texas Water Development Board

Webinar | July 2020

Stranded Investments in the Energy Sector

Nick Bowman

SLC Energy & Environment Committee Virtual Program

Presiding Officer: Senator Ed Emery, Missouri; Chair, SLC Energy & Environment Committee

Stranded investments, sometimes called stranded costs or stranded assets, are the historic financial obligations incurred by utilities that, due to changes in market conditions, are rendered unrecoverable. As natural gas, renewable resources and battery storage increase their share of the energy generation market, a growing number of utilities are opting for the early retirement of existing coal-fired plants, resulting in millions of dollars in stranded investments. With energy use down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this program focuses on the implications of stranded investments and explores possible policy solutions.

Presentation:

Emily Sandford Fisher, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Edison Electric Institute, Washington, D.C.

SLC Energy & Environment Committee

2020-2021
Chair

Representative
Jim Gooch Jr.
Kentucky

2020-2021
Vice Chair

Senator
Ken Yager
Tennessee

Immediate
Past Chair

Senator
Ed Emery
Missouri

Committee
Liaison

Nick Bowman
Policy Analyst

The SLC Energy & Environment Committee considers issues related to the abundant natural resources of Southern states and the pivotal role they play in the region's economic prosperity. In sustaining economic development, meeting growing energy needs, and maintaining the South's high quality of life, states are increasingly recognizing the need to forge energy and environmental policies that ensure sound stewardship of the region's resources. Recent issues examined include the expansion of wind energy production in Southern states; waste tire disposal laws; interstate groundwater disputes; and the implications of federal energy and environment policies on the states.