Forum on energy trends with participation from the USA and Germany

What can Germany and US states learn from each other with regard to energy systems? The first Germany – PJM States Energy Trends Forum took place in Chicago from 31 October to 1 November 2018 on the occasion of the OPSI Annual Meeting, convening participants from Germany and different US states.

The Organization of PJM-States (OPSI) is an inter-governmental organization of utility regulatory agencies of 14 US states. PJM runs the biggest power system in the US across the territory of these states. As part of a two-day energy forum (31 October - 1 November 2018) with participants from PJM states and Germany, important questions surrounding the energy system of the 2020s were discussed. How can the stability of the system be ensured among increased integration of renewable energies? What roles do generation plants, load management and digitisation play on the energy market? What challenges arise through the expansion of the transmission grid?

In total, 80 decision-makers participated in the bilateral event, of which some were high-ranking participants. Senior Executives from OPSI and PJM and Commissioners responsible for energy policy in their respective states, as well as representatives from other energy markets were amongst the US participants. Torsten Herdan, Head of the Heat and Energy Efficiency Department of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Dr. Annegret Groebel from the Federal Network Agency, Konstantin Staschus from Ecofys, and Frank Peter from the Agora Energiewende participated from Germany.

BMWi organised the forum together with OPSI. adelphi and the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) were responsible for designing and organising the forum as part of the project "Supporting the German federal government in its energy dialogues with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA”.

More information about the programme and presentations is available here.