Thank you to all who participated in the 2026 NECPUC Symposium. The presentations on this page have been provided by the presenters. Not all panels, or panelists, presented slides.
Achieving Affordable Electricity in New England: What Can Regulators and States do to Bend the Curve?
Moderator: Hon. Patrick Scully, Commissioner, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Panelists:
Cara Goldenberg, Principal, RMI
Ryan Wiser, Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Richard Levitan, President & Principal, Levitan & Associates
Johannes Pfeifenberger, Principal, Brattle Group
Dial “A” for Affordability – Harnessing Markets to Lower Telecommunications Costs for Consumers
Moderator: Hon. Karen Thomas, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable
Panelists:
Keefe Clemons, Partner, Verrill Dana, LLP
Mark Vasconi, President, Vasconi Consulting LLC
Is it Time Again for Nuclear Development in New England?
Moderator: Hon. Mark Dell’Orfano, Commissioner, New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
Panelists:
Michelle Gardner, Executive Director, Regulatory Affairs – Northeast Region, NextEra Energy Resources
Melissa Lavinson, Executive Director, Massachusetts Office of Energy Transformation
Jeremy Hitchcock, Co-Founder/Chairman, StarCube
Zachary Koshgarian, Analyst, Nuclear Innovation Alliance
Chris Maslak, Advanced Nuclear Market Development Executive, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy
In Team New England We Trust: How Regional Collaboration Delivers Real Value to Customers
Moderator: Hon. Kerrick Johnson, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Public Service
Panelists:
Carrie Hitt, Senior Director, Grid and Transmission Policy, Vineyard Offshore
Hon. Elizabeth Mahony, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
Al McBride, Vice President of System Planning, ISO-New England
Rebecca Ullman, Head of Stakeholders, Ocean Winds North America
Moderators:
Amy Mills, General Counsel, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Robert Creamer, Deputy General Counsel, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Nora Healy, Senior Rate Case Staff Attorney, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Amy Olfene, Staff Attorney, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Clean Water Affordably? Hot and Cold Trends in the Water Sector
Moderator: Hon. Staci Rubin, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Panelists:
Christina Bilodeau, Public Engagement Liaison, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Patrick Kerr, President & CEO, Baton Rouge Water Works Company
Joe Dorfler, Shareholder, Rich May P.C.
Matthew Fossum, Assistant Consumer Advocate and Director of Regional & Federal Affairs, New Hampshire
Office of the Consumer Advocate
Is the Finish Line in Sight? BEAD’s Role in Getting Closer to the Goal of Universal Broadband, and What Comes Next
Moderator: Hon. Karen Charles, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable
Panelists:
David Bresnahan, Senior Manager, Grants & Programs, Maine Connectivity Authority
Anna Lucey, Executive Vice President for Legislative & External Affairs, New England Connectivity and
Telecommunications Association
Taking Back Control – How Energy Efficiency, Retail Demand Response, and Load Flexibility Programs can
Benefit Customers and the Grid
Moderator: Hon. Carrie Gilbert, Commissioner, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Panelists:
Ian Burnes, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Efficiency Maine Trust
Rebecca Foster, Chief Executive Officer, VEIC
Akhilesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Energy Associate, Brattle Group
Andrew Schneller, Vice President – Network Strategy & Regulation, National Grid
Is it Time to Rethink Default Service?
Moderator: Hon. Jeremy McDiarmid, Chair, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Panelists:
Claire Coleman, Consumer Counsel, Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel
Gretchen Fuhr, Director of Government Affairs and Market Policy, Constellation
Kimberly Harriman, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Avangrid
Patrick Knight, Vice President, Synapse Energy Economics
Large Loads and Data Centers: Implications for Grid Planning, Interconnection, and Cost Allocation – Lessons from Early Adopters and Implications for New England
Moderator: Hon. Riley Allen, Commissioner, Vermont Public Utilities Commission
Panelists:
Michael Judge, Undersecretary of Energy, Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Alan McBride, Vice President System Planning, ISO-New England
Natalie Mims Frick, Energy Policy Researcher, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories
Hon. Jehmal Hudson, Commissioner, Virginia State Corporation Commission
Rachel Wilson, Energy Market Development, Google