In the latest episode, Elena Mannion and Pete Curtice are joined by Commissioner Tremaine Phillips of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for a thoughtful conversation covering a wide range of topics. They discuss Commissioner Phillips' career walk, provide an overview of the Commission, and explore how Michigan is keeping pace to be a center of the vehicle electrification industry, from EV-induction roadways to forging new cross-border drone corridors with Ontario. Other topics include accommodating communities most impacted by the closure of coal plants and delving into resource adequacy.

Commissioner Phillips notes, "I don't think folks truly appreciate how fast this transition is taking place. Just to provide one example--in 2007, 70% of Michigan's electricity generation was derived from coal power facilities. And in 2020, we were at just 22%."

Commissioner Phillips was appointed in 2019 to a six-year term and is currently one of only three Commissioners to serve on the Michigan Public Service Commission. In fact, he points out that there are more NBA players in the United States than Public Utility Commissioners! Despite their small numbers, the MPSC has been busy; in the last year alone, it issued over 510 orders, including the largest on record, several hundred pages long, and responded to over 10,000 customer complaints. The Commissioners are backed by a professional team of 170 who help evaluate, investigate, and regulate the industries over which the Commission has authority.

Additional Resource Recommendations :

• The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future by Gretchen Bakke
• The Energy Transition Show with Chris Nelder on Apple Podcasts
• Plain English with Derek Thompson on Apple Podcasts
• The Russia Contingency with Michael Kofman Archives - War on the Rocks

Transcript Link

Commissioner Ann McCabe was appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission by Governor Pritzker on February 1, 2022, to a five-year term. This is her second time serving on the Commission, having previously held the position from 2012-2017, during which she focused on grid modernization, power transformation, regional transmission, and nuclear issues. With over 25 years of experience in energy, environmental policy, and regulation across public, private, and non-profit sectors, Commissioner McCabe also served as the US Policy Director at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP).

In this episode, Pete and Elena speak with Commissioner McCabe about the state of Illinois' energy transition, including the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and the opportunities and challenges of being the largest nuclear producer among states. Additionally, the conversation delves into energy efficiency as a resource and the bottlenecks to the clean energy transition. Commissioner McCabe also walks through the workflow process for long-term transmission planning projects and how the ICC interfaces with multiple Regional Transmission Organizations.

Additional Readings:

• High Tension by John Riggs
• Telsa: Inventor of the Modern by Rick Munson

In this episode, Elena and Pete welcome Tom Rutigliano, a senior advocate at the Sustainable FERC Project. Tom is part of a coalition of environmental groups housed under the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that presses for solutions that make our grid more resilient, lower costs, and protect the environment.

Tom’s views on resource adequacy highlight the importance of ensuring that the power grid is reliable and secure at all times. He suggests that resource adequacy needs to be updated to reflect the changing energy landscape, accounting for the growth of renewables and energy storage technologies. By doing so, we can move towards a more sustainable and resilient grid capable of delivering clean and reliable energy to all. 

Additional Readings:

• MIT Press: The Power Brokers by Jeremiah Lambert
• Atlantic: Unfortunately, I Care About Power Lines Now by Robinson Meyer