“The Future of Energy is Coming…” with Executive Energy Forum Keynote Speaker
3 min readConstellation will be hosting its third Executive Energy Forum of 2019 on September 9-10 in Boston. The event will focus on energy industry outlooks, critical energy management strategies and policy issues affecting customers’ bottom line.
We are excited to announce Peter Kelly-Detwiler of NorthBridge Energy Partners, who was well-received as our Industry Keynote Speaker at EEF Houston in April and who will be back to present in Boston on Sept. 10. Peter will present on the key drivers of the accelerating change sweeping across competitive energy markets and the underlying factors driving this transformation.
Peter Kelly-Detwiler at the Executive Energy Forum in Houston
We interviewed Mr. Kelly-Detwiler on his background in the energy industry and to find out a bit more about what our attendees should expect to learn.
Tell us about your background in energy.
I got into energy in 1989 and spent five years consulting for the Cree Indians in Quebec on hydro projects. Then I spent two years on efficiency in Santiago, Chile, before jumping into retail power in 1997. I rendered the first invoice ever in the sector and still have the floppy disk with that data that I received as a going away present when I left Constellation in 2012.
Over the years, I worked with New Energy Ventures, which became AES New Energy and then Constellation NewEnergy, where I assumed various responsibilities and ended up as senior vice president of demand response before I left in 2012. At that time, I began independent consulting and writing for Forbes.com.
What can attendees expect to learn from your presentation?
Attendees will better understand some of the fundamental drivers that are already affecting today’s power markets and that will have an even greater impact in the near future.
They’ll understand some of the less visible linkages influencing the costs of electricity and some of the global trends that are already affecting their energy buying decisions in the Northeast.
Why is this topic so timely for energy professionals?
We are in the midst of a transformation that may be as profound as the Industrial Revolution, with digitalization, decarbonization and decentralization all occurring. We are literally seeing the emergence of a new balance of power that will affect everybody that uses an electron today and many more who will use them (e.g., everybody driving a car) tomorrow.
What energy trend do you think energy professionals should pay attention to in 2019 and beyond?
Storage is the biggest mover on the near horizon as it is still in early stages and picking up speed. It facilitates so many other activities across the grid, including integration of more renewables, resiliency, the ability to reduce infrastructure investments, and more. Electricity is the only industry where what is produced gets consumed instantaneously, which causes tremendous system inefficiencies. Storage has the potential to change all of that.
What’s your favorite energy-related book/publication/podcast?
Utility Dive is my favorite, though I read about 15 daily publications and probably skim 100 titles each day as I vacuum up information. I read two to three hours a day, including my daily feeds and reports, looking for new trends and milestones across the spectrum from the latest in battery technology to a new model in blockchain. My clients expect me to know about and connect the dots across these areas. As the space accelerates, it gets harder.
Don’t miss out on this unprecedented event and the opportunity to hear from Peter Kelly-Detwiler and Andre Tippett, Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker and five-time All-AFC selection, among other talented speakers.