The Tres Amigas 'American Supergrid' Project – Empowering Renewable Energy - Events - IIEA - The Institute of International and European Affairs

No comments

About this Event

08 Oct 2010 @ 12:45

About the Event:

The CEO of the US “Tres Amigas”, Philip Harris, will speak on the 'American Supergrid' in a lecture which is part of the ESB Future of Energy Series.

Interconnection is the biggest challenge facing Ireland and the EU in meeting renewables targets for 2020. While Europe has yet to connect its atomized national grids, the Tres Amigas project is designed to connect its three primary grids (East, West, and Texas). It therefore offers a model for Europe in addressing one of its biggest challenges in the period to 2020.

Mr Harris will explain how the proposed US energy hub will unite the nation's electricity grid, utilizing the latest advances in power grid technology to deal with the problem that the three grids are not synchronized at present. There are a parallels to be drawn with the proposed European Supergrid, which is designed to maximize renewable energy resources in Europe, as part of its objective to reduce carbon emissions.

About the Speaker:

Phillip G. Harris is the Chief Executive Officer of Tres Amigas. Mr. Harris's experience includes the formation of PJM, a transmission organisation originating from an eight utility company agreement. Under Mr. Harris' leadership and vision, PJM became the world's largest competitive wholesale electricity market, which now ensures the reliability of the largest centrally dispatched grid in the world. PJM has administered about $71 billion in energy and energy-service trades since the regional markets opened in 1997.

Mr. Harris was the influential factor in creating cooperative agreements with other large international grid operators, Electricité de France, Tokyo Electric Power Co., North China Grid Co. and the Korean Power exchange to help further their preparedness to meet the world's rapidly increasing demands for reliable and affordable power.

A native of New Mexico, Mr. Harris is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a degree in Applied Science and Engineering. He earned his Master of Arts in Business Management, with an emphasis on research and statistical methodology, from the University of Northern Colorado.

Views: 1736