AGI DAY 2025
August 20th on the WSU Tri-Cities campus in Richland, Washington
| Time | Event |
| 8:30-9:00am | Registration/Breakfast |
| 9:00-9:05am | Welcome to AGI Day – Anamika Dubey and Wei Du, AGI Co-Directors |
| 9:05-9:25am | Opening Remarks Welcome and PNNL’s Perspective – Angela Becker-Dippmann, PNNL Interim Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Environment Welcome and WSU’s Perspective – Noel Schulz, WSU Tri-Cities Institute for Northwest Energy Futures PowerPoint Slides |
| 9:25-10:30am | Keynote Presentations “Strained Systems, Rising Stakes: What Regional Utilities See Ahead” Crystal Ball, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee (PNUCC) PowerPoint Slides Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (WA-EFSEC) and the NW Energy Transformation, Kurt Beckett, Chair, WA-EFSEC PowerPoint Slides Addressing Transmission Needs in the NW, Jeff Cook*, VP Transmission Engineering and Technical Services, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) PowerPoint Slides |
| 10:30-11:00am | Break |
| 11:00-12:00pm | PNNL/WSU Regional Grid Research Initiatives PNNL Grid Portfolio, Jim Ogle, Director, Electricity Infrastructure Sector, PNNL PowerPoint Slides WSU Energy Systems Innovation Center (ESIC), Mani Venkatasubramanian, Director, ESIC, WSU PowerPoint Slides WSU Tri-Cities Institute of Northwest Futures (INEF), Noel Schulz PowerPoint Slides AGI Update and Research Highlights, Anamika Dubey and Wei Du PowerPoint Slides |
| 12:00-1:00pm | Lunch with Networking Tables |
| 1:00-2:00pm | Special Topic: Wildfire Challenges and Mitigation Strategies Wildfire Impacts on Utilities, Larry Bekkedahl, Senior VP, Advanced Energy Delivery, Portland General Electric (PGE) PowerPoint Slides Wildfire Mitigation in the Bonneville Power Administration Service Territory, Andre Coleman (Data Scientist, PNNL) and Kelly Miller* (Survey Supervisor, BPA) PowerPoint Slides Lessons Learned in the Detection of Low Energy Events, Brad Heilman, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) PowerPoint Slides |
| 2:00-2:15pm | Value of Distributed Solar and Energy Storage Project Donna M. Gerardi, Washington State Academy of Sciences |
| 2:15-3:00pm | PNNL/WSU Research Highlights GridCRED: PNNL’s Regional Planning Capability, Jacob Reidt, Director of GridCRED, PNNL PowerPoint Slides Equitable, Affordable & Resilient Nationwide Energy System Transition (EARNEST), Mani Venkatasubramanian Grid Impacts and Opportunities from Large Digital Dynamic Loads, Brett Ross, Electrical Engineer, PNNL PowerPoint Slides |
| 3:00-3:30 | Afternoon break |
| 3:30-4:45pm | Roundtable Panel Discussion Moderator: Peter Christensen, Industry Engagement Advisor, PNNL AGI IAB Members: Eleanor Ewry, Manager, Transmission Strategy and Markets, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Nicole Rutherford, Chief Technology Innovation and Strategy Officer (BPA), Greg Zweigle, Chief Technology Officer, SEL Mike Diedesch, Grid Innovation Lab Manager, Avista Larry Bekkedahl, PGE William Rambo, Consultant Avnaesh Jayantilal, Chief Technology Officer Grid Innovation, GE Vernova Mark Lauby*, Senior VP and Chief Engineer, NERC |
| 4:45-5:00pm | Closeout |
| 5:00-6:30pm | Reception |

After the wrap-up session ends at 5:00pm, AGI will be hosting a reception at WSU’s Wine Science Center from 5:30 to 6:30 pm featuring a poster session from WSU and PNNL students and researchers. The Wine Science Center is located at 59 University Drive, Richland, WA 99354.
About the Wine Science Center
Built in a sagebrush landscape along the mighty Columbia River in the heart of Washington wine country, the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center is a hub for innovation, education, and collaboration.
The state-of-the-art Wine Science Center was developed in close partnership with the wine industry. This teaching, research, and extension facility is among the most technologically advanced wine research and education facilities of its kind in the world, transforming the Washington wine industry with cutting-edge science in the tradition of its forefathers, Dr. Walter Clore and Dr. Charles Nagel.

The primary session will be in the building marked “EAST” on the map. The reception will be in Wine Science Center marked “WSC” on the map.
Parking is free for the event.
Courtyard Richland Columbia Point: 480 Columbia Point Dr, Richland, WA 99352 • 509-942-9400
TownePlace Suites: 591 Columbia Point Dr., Richland, WA 99352 • 509-943-9800
The Lodge at Columbia Point: 530 Columbia Point Dr, Richland, WA 99352 • (509) 713-7423
Holiday Inn Express: 1970 Center Pkwy, Richland, WA 99352 • (509) 737-8000









