<< Return to Page One

Asked about perceptions that U.S. energy infrastructure remains under pressure despite the additions of the past decade, Spitzer says that the sector's record is a success story, if an incomplete one. Much of the impact on infrastructure spending in the past few years has been linked to the difficulty the US economy has had emerging from the recession triggered by the financial crisis of 2008, Spitzer said.

Managing the tricky and continually-evolving relationship between state and national bodies remains a core part of FERC's task, Spitzer said, and the extension of the commission's successes in infrastructure and natural gas to smart grid rollouts relies on navigating competing interests once again.

"There are aspects of smart grid that are both wholesale and retail," Spitzer said. While "smart meters that make the distribution system more efficient also make the bulk grid more efficient, to get full value means coordination between the states and FERC."

Read an interview with the head of NARUC, the group that represents state regulators in Washington, DC, on AOL Energy here.

"How do you handle the costs when the load share ratio that utilities traditionally rely on doesn't match up with the benefits?" Spitzer asked.

As he builds on his experience as a state regulator, a private sector executive and a federal commissioner in his new role as a Washington lawyer, Spitzer continues to seek the healthiest balance for the long term in addressing the issues that take center stage in national infrastructure and energy debates.

 

AOL Energy provides access to news, analysis, thought leadership and discussions about the top stories in the electricity sector today. Participants in AOL Energy stay ahead of breaking news, participate in high-profile events and enjoy access to the central hub of the industry community as it transforms in response to fast-moving changes in energy politics and regulation, deals with financial challenges and leads technological advances.  

 

<< Return to Page One