NEM Convenes Successful New England Energy Policy Summit

The National Energy Marketers Association (NEM) convened its first New England Energy Policy Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts last week. A diverse group of energy policy officials, energy suppliers and technologists gathered at the Summit to discuss the next frontier in energy innovations as well as the provision of affordable and reliable energy products for all consumers. “The Summit explored the increasing convergence of energy, telecommunications and internet technologies and provided an exciting view of what the future holds for energy consumers,” said Craig Goodman, President of NEM.

“There has been a huge recent expansion in energy innovations available to consumers from competitive markets. However, the Summit highlighted the significant potential for future growth,” said Goodman. For example, Don Dodge, Developer Advocate for Google, encouraged attendees to imagine the application of the same level of innovation to energy as has been applied to the internet and the dampening effect that regulation and monopolies have had on realizing energy innovations. WiTricity CEO Alex Gruzen presented a new wireless electricity technology that permits wireless charging with many applications extending to personal devices, automobiles and medical devices. MadHat Media President Alexandria Lynn discussed the potential of intelligent energy infrastructure to permit innovative bundling of media and energy services. Chuck Goldman, iPhone developer and founder of Apperian, talked about the extension of crowdsourcing and consumerization of IT to developing new energy solutions. NEM members WGL Energy Services, Direct Energy, BlueRock Energy, Energy Technology Savings and Infinite Energy discussed the array of energy products and services they are offering to consumers now as well as the barrier to further innovation posed by the lack of access to data.

Massachusetts energy policy leaders, including Secretary Matthew Beaton, Senator Benjamin Downing and Representative Thomas Golden, Chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, and Commissioner Judith Judson of DOER, discussed the Commonwealth’s aggressive environmental goals and strategies for achieving those goals through diversified energy resources and in a manner that controls costs. Providing a multi-state Public Service Commission perspective on energy regulatory policy, Chairman Kane of the District of Columbia, Commissioner Betkoski from Connecticut, Commissioner Chivukula of New Jersey and Commissioner Recchia of Vermont discussed the evolution of energy choice as well as recent developments to enhance consumer shopping in their states.

Two of the leading scholars on competitive energy markets, Professor William W. Hogan of Harvard University and Richard Tabors, Ph.D. of MIT, provided their views on current wholesale and retail market initiatives, respectively. Rana Mukerji of NYISO and Anne George of ISONE provided an update on the issues of note in wholesale electric markets.

About NEM

The National Energy Marketers Association (NEM) is a national, non-profit trade association representing wholesale and retail marketers of natural gas, electricity, as well as energy and financial related products, services, information and advanced technologies throughout the United States, Canada, and the European Union. Additional information is available from NEM's Washington, DC headquarters at (202) 333-3288 or its website at www.energymarketers.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151022005836/en/