Caitlin Smith, Sr. Director, Regulatory, External Affairs and ESG, Jupiter Power
Speaker Bio: Caitlin is an energy professional with over a decade of experience in regulatory policy. For the last nine years, she has focused on electricity market design and has worked both as an advocate for policies that have enhanced our electricity markets and as an advisor on the commercial and financial impacts of energy policy. Her broad experience in government and regulatory affairs, as well as in public affairs, have led Caitlin to becoming a well-versed speaker and author across topics ranging from clean energy to wholesale energy market design.
Caitlin is the Senior Director of Regulatory, External Affairs & ESG with Jupiter Power— a leading energy storage developer and operator. Caitlin’s work focuses on aligning market incentives, resiliency, and the energy transition. She recently founded Jupiter Power’s Women’s Professional Development Initiative. Caitlin has in-depth experience with the ERCOT market and was the first in-house counsel for the Independent Market Monitor to ERCOT and currently sits on ERCOT’s Technical Advisory Committee.
Caitlin holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Economics from the University of Texas, a Juris Doctor from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Laws in Environmental & Natural Resource Law and Policy from the University of Denver.
Abstract: Battery energy storage is poised to be a game-changer in the provision of electricity in Texas. The energy-only market in Texas has seen tremendous change on both the supply and demand sides. An increasing amount of battery energy storage will enable the supply from new wind and solar resources to meet customers’, from new residents to bitcoin mines, demand, even when the wind isn’t blowing, and the sun isn’t shining. This should fit perfectly into the “energy transition” and enable more renewable energy and a more resilient grid at the same time.
Battery energy storage systems in Texas charge as loads demanding energy, discharge as generators supplying energy onto the grid, respond almost instantaneously to balance frequency, and can reduce congestion in load centers or where transmission is constrained. The Texas market reflects marginal prices and costs of congestion, making the siting of battery energy storage resources paramount. We will discuss how energy storage optimizes prices, and how it could optimize emissions to aid the energy transition. We will also discuss how energy storage fits into the post-Winter Storm Uri political and policy landscape in Texas to increase reliability and resiliency for consumers.