The Japan Electric Power Information Center (JEPIC-USA) invites you to attend an informative webinar on the evolving landscape of the hydrogen energy industry, featuing guest speaker Connor Dolan, Vice President of External Affairs at the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA).

This session will explore key developments in hydrogen energy, including:

• Post-OBBBA status of 45VH2

• Hydrogen applications in energy and industry

• Notable hydrogen projects in the US and internationally

• Industry outlook and emerging opportunities

A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

Recording

Recently, data centers have contracted with nuclear suppliers to provide electricity for their operations. Big tech companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft have signed agreements with nuclear companies to be their power providers in the coming years. These companies are large energy users who are also committed to deploying low emissions energy resources. Nuclear power can provide them with the 24/7 zero carbon energy they need.

Is this the start of a new market that will drive the construction of new nuclear reactors, especially advanced and small nuclear reactors?

Japan Electric Power Information Center, USA (JEPIC-USA) invites you to a webinar featuring Hilary Lane of the Nuclear Energy Institute. Ms. Lane will provide her insightson how new energy demand from data centers and AI can be supported by nuclear energy.

JEPIC-USA invites you to a webinar featuring Robert Thormeyer, Director of the State, International, and Tribal Affairs Division (SITA) within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)’s Office of External Affairs. Mr. Thornmeyer will provide an overview and status of two key policy initiatives: FERC Order 2023 (generation interconnection) and Order 1920 (long-term planning and cost allocation for transmission).

Recording

PJM’s most recent capacity auction for 2025-2026 resulted in record-high prices due to lower capacity from fossil plant retirements and increased demand. Increased demand comes from a push for the electrification of appliances, buildings, and transportation, as well as the growing data and artificial intelligence industry. The recent auction signals a potential need for new capacity.

JEPIC-USA invites you to a webinar featuring PJM’s Craig Glazer, who will discuss the current situation impacting the grid operator’s future capacity market.

SPEAKER

Craig Glazer, Vice President - Federal Government Policy, PJM Interconnection

MODERATOR

Audrey Taucher, Taucher International

For decades, the U.S., Japan and a number of countries have been working collaboratively and independently to develop fusion technology.

Recent breakthroughs demonstrate the potential for commercial deployment of this technology.

Please join JEPIC-USA and Pillsbury Winthrop for an online discussion on the state of fusion energy research and commercialization prospects.

The discussion will include a presentation of the Japanese utility industry’s efforts to advance fusion energy; Blue Laser, private company commercializing a novel laser fusion technology; and the status and outlook for U.S. regulatory actions for fusion energy commercialization.

Speakers:

Takaki Ohmura, Japan Electric Power Information Center, USA

Paul Rudy, Blue Laser Fusion, Inc.

Sidney Fowler, Council, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

Audrey Taucher, Taucher International, Moderator

[On-Demand Recording]
Passcode: 5657bB#r

This event is free and open to the public. We will send you a recorded version if you register and don’t attend.

Adoption of electric vehicles continues to move forward in the U.S. with a growing market but also with bumps. Many issues cross the path of EV adoption including opportunities, regulatory matters, and infrastructure development to name just a few.

JEPIC-USA invites you to a conversation with Charlie Allcock, an industry leader in transportation electrification and electric utilities. Mr. Allcock will discuss what’s in store for 2024; infrastructure for light duty and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles; and how EV adoption could complement energy supply and utility distribution systems along with creating new business models opportunities.

[About Charlie Allcock]

Charlie Allcock is an industry leader in the cutting-edge shift in transportation to use zero-emission technology to move people and freight. He provides strategic consulting services to clients in heavy-duty vehicle manufacturing and electric utilities across North America. He is also involved in transportation electrification policy and infrastructure topics on a global basis, including zero-emission freight corridors. An electric utility industry veteran of over four decades, he led a number of innovative transportation electrification projects as Director of Business Development at Portland General Electric (PGE), Oregon’s largest electric utility, and was recognized as a global leader in transportation electrification by Automotive News with the Electrifying 100 award. Charlie has been driving electric since 2011.

Connecting new resources such as wind, solar, and battery storage to the grid continues to be a major challenge. The Biden administration aims to have a grid 100% powered by clean energy by 2035 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Currently, there is a backlog of more than 10,000 generation and storage projects waiting to connect to the U.S. power grids.

Foley Hoag LLP and JEPIC-USA are pleased to co-host a discussion of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) and its recently issued Order No. 2023 on generator interconnection reform. The discussion will provide an overview of Order No. 2023, the need for interconnection reform, and how it may impact future progress of new generation and storage resources through the interconnection queue. The discussion will include a brief overview of the transmission trends in Japan.

SPEAKERS:

• Tory Lauterbach
  Partner, Foley Hoag, LLP, Energy & Climate Group

• Shinya Sugita
  Ph.D, Senior Analyst and Deputy General Manager, JEPIC-USA

MODERATOR:

• Audrey Taucher
  President, Taucher International

In response to the need to decarbonize, more and more regions are considering nuclear energy as a reliable option for generating carbon-free baseload power. Small modular reactors (SMRs) and other advanced reactors offer greater safety profiles and the ability to address energy needs beyond electricity production. The first SMR design was recently certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the company, NuScale, has an anchor customer already. The Inflation Reduction Act, growing interest in hydrogen as a fuel and the recent COP27 meeting are laying a platform for a new global growth in nuclear energy. Interest in SMRs is growing due to their enhanced safety profile and ability to provide thermal energy for steam and hydrogen production, making these reactors a potential technology of choice for global decarbonization.

Pillsbury and JEPIC-USA are pleased to co-host a discussion on SMRs and their role in the energy transition. Jeffrey Merrifield, former presidential appointee to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and international thought leader on nuclear power, will discuss the prospects. JEPIC-USA nuclear analyst Yuji Fukuda will provide an overview of Japan’s current climate for adopting interest in SMRs.

Speakers:
Jeffrey Merrifield, Partner, Pillsbury
Yuji Fukuda, Nuclear Chemistry Analyst, JEPIC-USA

Moderator:
Audrey Taucher, President, Taucher International

The electrification of the transportation industry is on its way to a future where electric vehicles surpass combustion engine vehicles. Federal and state policy and an auto industry that has embraced the transition to EVs have resulted in significant year-to-year increases in the deployment of light-duty vehicles. Medium and heavy-duty vehicles will likely see similar growth in the future. Deploying these larger, more energy-intense vehicles impacts electric power generation and distribution.

JEPIC-USA invites you to a conversation with Charlie Allcock, an industry leader in EV transportation and electric utilities, particularly heavy-duty vehicles. Mr. Allcock will discuss the future growth, how this segment will impact utility equipment manufacturers, and the opportunities for utilities to speed up the pace of modernization to accommodate the future transportation industry.

Energy policy consultant Audrey Taucher will moderate the conversation.

About Charlie Allcock:

Charlie Allcock is an industry leader in the cutting-edge shift to transportation to use zero-emission technology to move people and freight. He provides strategic consulting services to clients in heavy-duty vehicle manufacturing and electric utilities across North America.

An electric utility industry veteran of over four decades, he led a number of innovative transportation electrification projects as Director of Business Development at Portland General Electric (PGE), Oregon’s largest electric utility, and was recognized as a global leader in transportation electrification by Automotive News with the Electrifying 100 award. He recently completed a 3-term leadership position as a Board Member of Forth, organizer of the global Roadmap conference on smart mobility. He is currently involved in a 1400-mile public electric refueling corridor along the West Coast.

This event has passed, but you can access the webinar recording by clicking the link below.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP and JEPIC-USA are pleased to co-host a discussion on national strategies for used nuclear fuel management in Japan and the US. As both countries continue to navigate the political and technical challenges of siting and managing UNF, the US is considering new business opportunities for used fuel management given the delay in establishing a permanent UNF repository. After the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, Japan has restarted a portion of its nuclear power plants. As part of the restart effort, safety is the top priority. Japan has also made an effort to promote the construction/utilization of interim and dry storage facilities for increased storage capacity. The discussion will present an opportunity for information sharing and better understanding of different UNF management standards, solutions, and approaches in both countries.

Speakers:

• Jay Silberg, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop

• Sho Yoshinaga, Senior Analyst, JEPIC-USA

• Haizhen Pan, Program Manager of International Projects, Holtec

Moderator:

• Audrey Taucher, Taucher International

Registration

This event is free and invitation only. Please click the link below to register.

The Japan Electric Power Information Center, USA (JEPIC-USA) invites you to a virtual discussion on cybersecurity – electric power sector preparedness.

The discussion will feature speaker Barry Lawson, a consultant with vast expertise on utility industry cybersecurity strategy. Mr. Lawson managed cybersecurity policy for the National Rural Electricity Cooperative Association (NRECA) and has testified before the US Congress and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on electric grid security and reliability, including cyber security threats to the electric grid. Mr. Lawson currently advises clients on these and other interrelated issues.

Tune in to the webinar to learn:

• The current state of the electric power industry’s defense against cyber threats

• Major challenges

• Policy requirements

• Best practices

• Lessons learned to date

Introduction
Dr. Shinya Sugita, Deputy General Manager, JEPIC-USA

Moderator
Audrey Taucher, President, Taucher International

JEPIC-USA is pleased to announce its upcoming webinar on electric vehicles in the U.S.

Introduction: Michiaki Matsumura, General Manager, JEPIC-USA
Moderator: Tom Simchak-Messera, Vice President, Taucher International
Featured Speaker: Charlie Allcock, Principal & Owner, Charlie Allcock Consulting, LLC

Discussion Topics

• Funding for public charging infrastructure to accelerate electric vehicle adoption

• Moving beyond the early adopters and appealing to new consumer demographics with new models and ease of use

• Transitioning fleet and industrial vehicles from internal combustion engines to EVs and the fundamental operational changes that bring, particularly in regards to heavier-duty vehicles and equipment

• New and better power delivery solutions and battery technologies to increase charging power, speed, and convenience

• EVs’ added stress on an already strained electric grid, and how utilities can meet this capacity and technology challenges

• What utilities, governments, and vehicle owners can expect in the near term as transport electrification accelerates

JEPIC-USA is pleased to host Mr. Craig Glazer, the Vice President for Federal Government Policy at PJM Interconnection, for a discussion on PJM’s capacity market. The discussion will include background on the PJM capacity market, how the capacity market works, the implementation and policy challenges the capacity market faces, and recommendations on how to structure a capacity market in Japan.

JEPIC-USA is pleased to host Ms. Sarah Zappala and Anwar Khan of HDR Engineering. HDR, is one of the premier US engineering firms involved with development of offshore wind, among other projects. HDR is the lead consultant supporting the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Real-Time Opportunity for Development Environmental Observations (RODEO) Program. The program’s mission is to acquire real-time, independent observations of the construction and initial operation of offshore wind facilities to aid the evaluation of environmental effects for future facilities. In addition, they are supporting offshore wind developers with pre-planning studies as well as leading the development of Construction and Operation Plans.

Ms. Zappala and Mr. Khan will discuss:

• The regulatory process (siting and aligning Federal and State requirements)

• Stakeholder outreach and efforts to navigate NIMBY; and

• The current outlook for offshore wind in the US

• Lessons learned

• Ms. Zappala and Mr. Khan will also briefly share information on their experience, project partners, and potential for international partnerships.