AGI Advisory Board
Mission
The AGI Advisory board brings in industry leaders and experts who provide strategic counsel, advice, and recommendations to help continue to bolster AGI’s research and work in advanced grid modeling to support planning and operations of complex power systems of the future.
Members
Larry Bekkedahl | Senior Vice President, Advanced Energy Delivery | Portland General Electric
“The Advanced Grid Institute has been and continues to be a thought leader in developing the Smart Grid. The combination of leading researchers from PNNL, and the best-in-class power engineering from WSU has created an outstanding collaborative effort for utilities and the electric industry. AGI brings together innovation that will lead the way to decarbonization efforts.”
Eleanor Ewry | Supervisor Strategic System Planning | Puget Sound Energy
“As utilities move towards a future of increasing energy needs, Advanced Grid Institute provides much needed support for understanding how to analyze the grid of the future. Organizations like AGI are instrumental in helping to understand the impacts and benefits of new technologies on grid resilience and to integrate these technologies into day-to-day operations. I am thrilled to be part of this Board as we navigate a changing energy landscape and look forward to the benefit AGI will bring to advancing a fully integrated grid.”
Uzma Siddiqi | Sr. Manager of Grid Modernization and Strategic Technology | Seattle City Light
“As we (Seattle City Light) move towards a goal of a decarbonized electrical grid, which is also more reliable, resilient, and equitable, our challenge is the integration of new technologies into the existing system. The Advanced Grid Institute (AGI) is addressing this need. I am excited to be on the AGI Industry Advisory board to support this transformation of the grid and help advance the economic opportunities, climate resilience, and environmental benefits from these innovative technologies.”
Greg Zweigle | CTO | Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
“The AGI is an important collaboration between WSU and PNNL and is making significant contributions to improve the safety, reliability, and economics of electric power systems worldwide.”
Nicole Rutherford | Chief Technology Innovation and Strategy Officer | Bonneville Power Administration
“I appreciate the chance to participate along with PNNL and Washington State University (WSU) to promote the research and evolution of advanced grid modeling in our region and help encourage the future workforce of the electric industry through education and training opportunities. As a graduate of WSU, I appreciate the opportunity to support research areas that will better our future grid.”
William Rambo | Director of Technology | Power Engineers
“The Advanced Grid Institute recognizes our pivotal place in the history of energy generation and delivery. [A] successful energy transition depends on an equivalent digital transformation to create a more interconnected and data-driven energy system. At POWER Engineers, digital transformation starts with digitizing design, enabling utilities to increase productivity and reduce costs from construction through operations with interconnected workflows while streamlining asset lifecycle management with digital twins. By collaborating and sharing knowledge through organizations like AGI, we can fully realize the energy transition’s many potential benefits.”
Avnaesh Jayantilal | Chief Technology Officer, Grid Innovation | GE Vernova Electrification Software
Mark Lauby | Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer | North American Electric Reliability Corporation
“The grid is transforming at an accelerated speed, resulting in a resource mix is increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather. Further, the system designs are now facing conditions that many times are beyond their design basis. So how best to address this increased uncertainty?
The Washington State University-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Advanced Grid Institute (WSU-PNNL AGI) is at the center of developing a more reliable, resilient and secure grid buttressing this transformation. Their focus on modernizing the grid from the largest machine ever built, to the largest computer will enable more effective and innovative ways to deliver energy, supporting the needs of the nation now and into the future.”
Mike Diedesch | Grid Innovation Lab Manager | Avista
Mike Diedesch is the Grid Innovation Lab Manager at Avista. He joined Avista in 2008 after receiving a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University. Mike has over 16 years of Engineering and Leadership experience in the electric utility industry, with roles in Generation Controls, SCADA, System Protection, Metering and Smart Cities prior to leading the Energy Innovation Lab.
“Avista is committed to serving customers with innovative and sustainable energy solutions. The research and industry partnerships the Advanced Grid Institute fosters are helping to develop a future grid that remains reliable and affordable by addressing the most complex technical challenges in the energy transition. Collaboration with leaders from WSU and PNNL via AGI will accelerate innovation toward a shared clean energy economy for the benefit of Avista customers and the industry as a whole.”