Regional/Utility Roundtable Event

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NABE members can access webinar recordings on the Podcasts page. For archived materials from past events, please email us.

Past Events

The Renewable Energy Disruption

Mark Dyson, Principal, Carbon-Free Electricity Practice, Rocky Mountain Institute

Omar Gallegos, Director - Resource Planning and Management, El Paso Electric Company

Moderator: Eduardo Martinez, Senior Advisor/Forecaster, Southern California Edison

This webinar will introduce attendees to the challenges that electricity utilities face with increased renewable energy penetration from a resource planning perspective.

• Eduardo Martinez (So Cal Edison) will moderate and setup the discussion by highlighting last summer’s rolling blackouts in California.
• Omar Gallegos (El Paso Electric Company) will present from a resource planner’s view point on issues including state renewable mandates, prices, reliability, and outage costs.
• Mark Dyson (Rocky Mountain Institute) will share his research in renewable and demand side resource power system investments, fuel pricing, rates, and regulatory scheme

Speaker Bios

Mark Dyson
Mark is a principal with the Carbon-Free Electricity Practice at Rocky Mountain Institute, where he has worked since 2008 and currently leads RMI research and collaboration efforts around the roles that distributed energy resources can play in grid planning and investment. At RMI, Mark has led cutting-edge research projects on the value that renewable energy, demand flexibility, and storage offer customers and the grid, and has advised clients including large utilities, regulatory commissions, oil majors, and clean-tech companies on distributed energy topics. Mark’s work focuses on several topics related to the changing nature of the electricity grid. Mark has contributed to RMI’s work on new approaches to grid resource planning that better account for the expanding role of renewable energy and distributed energy resources. Mark also helped lead RMI’s analysis of the potential of demand flexibility to reduce grid emissions and costs, and has engaged with several industry partners to launch new business models that take advantage of that potential.

Omar Gallegos

 

"2020 Outlook for Regional Economies:  A View from the Federal Reserve"

Wednesday, February 5, 2020
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET 

Join us for a webinar featuring experts from the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas, Kansas City, and Richmond, as they provide their respective regional economic outlooks for the year. 

Speakers:

Alison Felix, Senior Policy Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Keith Phillips, Assistant Vice President and Sr. Economist, San Antonio Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Sonya Waddell, Vice President and Sr. Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Moderator: Roberto Coronado, SVP and Sr. Economist, El Paso Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

REGISTER HERE

Speaker/Moderator Bios:

Roberto Coronado is Senior Vice President in Charge and Senior Economist at the El Paso Branch of the Federal Reserve Ban of Dallas. He oversees the law enforcement functions and economic education programs across all offices of the Eleventh Federal Reserve District.

He also has oversight for the El Paso Branch, the Bank’s economic research and outreach functions in West Texas and Southern New Mexico, and recruits Branch board members.

Coronado is also a senior economist and member of the regional group of the Bank’s Research Department. In that capacity, he provides regional input into the Dallas Fed’s monetary policy process and is responsible for monitoring and tracking economic and business activity in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. His research focuses on issues pertaining to the Mexican economy, U.S.–Mexico economic integration and border issues. Coronado has written articles for various Federal Reserve publications and academic journals in both the United States and Mexico.

Coronado serves as a director for the Texas Lyceum, and as a board member for Texas 2036, El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence, El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Workforce Solutions Borderplex.

He obtained his PhD in economics from the University of Houston and holds a BBA in accounting and economics and an MS in economics from University of Texas at El Paso.

Alison Felix is Senior Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. In this role, she is responsible for briefing the Kansas City Fed’s president—a member of the Federal Open Market Committee—on economic and business activity in the Tenth District. In addition, Felix conducts research on issues related to public finance, labor dynamics and regional growth trends.

Felix recently served as Vice President and Denver Branch Executive where she conducted research and outreach related to the economies of Colorado, Wyoming and northern New Mexico. Felix used her time in this position to broaden her understanding of the Tenth District regional economies, as well as recruiting and working closely with the Branch’s board of directors. 

Felix joined the Federal Reserve in 2007 as an economist in the Regional Affairs Department in Kansas City, and was promoted to Denver Branch Executive in 2012. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Kansas State University.

Felix currently serves on the Advisory Council for Kansas State University’s Department of Economics and on the Colorado Governor’s Revenue Estimating Advisory Committee. She also participates on the Metropolitan State University’s Community Cabinet, Mile High United Way’s Community Impact Committee and is a member of the Denver Association of Business Economists.

Keith R. Phillips is Assistant Vice President & Sr. Economist at the San Antonio Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Hejoined the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in January 1984.  His areas of concentration include regional economics and economic forecasting. Research Papers in Economics, which tracks publications in economics, ranks Phillips in the top five percent of economists across the world in terms of the number of distinct publications. Over the past sixteen years he has been the most accurate forecaster for Texas job growth in the Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast.

In August 1996, Phillips was transferred to the San Antonio Branch in an effort to improve the regional economic coverage of the Dallas office and to better serve the needs of the South Texas community. He teaches courses in managerial economics and quantitative analysis in the executive MBA program at UTSA. He obtained his PhD in economics from Southern Methodist University and holds a BA and MA in economics and a bachelor of journalism degree in news/editorial from the University of Missouri at Columbia.


Sonya Ravindranath Waddell is a vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Waddell has responsibility for the Regional and Community Development research areas within the Research Department, including setting strategic direction for various data products, surveys, and other regional and local analysis. In addition, she directs the incorporation of regional information into FOMC policy preparation for the Richmond Fed. Her work involves analyzing economic trends, writing for a variety of publications, and presenting on regional and national economic conditions.

Prior to joining the Richmond Fed in 2008, Waddell worked as an economist in the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget and at ICF International in Washington, D.C. She earned her bachelor's degree from Williams College in 2001 and her master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006.

"Hurricane Harvey: Regional, Macro, and Energy Implications"

Tuesday, September 5, 2017
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET 

Join us for a webinar that will assess the regional and national economic impacts of Hurricane Harvey. Panelists will discuss preliminary damage estimates, the loss of economic output, both in Texas and nationally, and supply disruptions in the energy markets. We will also discuss how the recovery will play out. 

Speakers:

Guy Caruso, Senior Adviser, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies
Patrick Jankowski, Senior Vice President, Research, Greater Houston Partnership
Kevin Kliesen, CBE, Business Economist and Research Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Keith Phillips, Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas - San Antonio Branch
Ryan Sweet, Director of Real-Time Economics, Moody’s Analytics 

Moderator: Marisa DiNatale, Senior Director, Moody’s Analytics

Presentations:
Jankowski (PDF)
Kliesen (PDF)
Phillips (PDF)
Sweet (PDF)

PODCAST AVAILABLE (Members Only)

"The Future of Nuclear Power"

Tuesday, February 24, 2015
2:00pm ET 

Speaker: Paul Genoa,Senior Director of Policy Development, Nuclear Energy Institute

Moderator: Sean Snaith, Director, Institute for Economic Competitiveness, University of Central Florida

Presentation: Genoa (PDF)  

Nuclear power once was viewed as an essential part of our energy strategy. However, a few high profile accidents and concerns over long term storage of nuclear waste have diminished this stature.
What is the future of nuclear power in the US and globally? Join us for an update on the status of nuclear energy and a look at what the future will hold for the industry.

Registration is FREE for NABE members, $20 for others.

Download Podcast (Members only)

Speaker Bio

Paul Genoa is the Senior Director of Policy Development at the Nuclear Energy Institute. His focus is on developing unified industry policies and effectively communicating those policies to key stakeholders. His technical, regulatory and political experience makes him a valuable resource to policymakers on nuclear energy and environmental issues. He is vice chair of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Energy, a body chartered by Congress to advise the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative. Mr. Genoa is also NEI’s “Team Lead” on small reactors.

His professional career in the nuclear industry has spanned 30 years, and includes working as a health physicist on radiation protection and environmental issues at Florida Power Corporation’s Crystal River Nuclear Plant, Arizona Public Service Company’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, and at the Consumers Power Big Rock Point Atomic Plant. He joined NEI in March 1995.

Mr. Genoa holds a B.S. in Environmental Health from Colorado State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. He received his M.B.A. from NOVA University’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship. 

"Impact of Superstorm Sandy on the Regional and Macro Economy"

Tuesday, November 6
11:00am-12:30pm ET 

Speakers:

Jim Diffley, Director, IHS Global Insight, moderator

Gregory Daco, Senior Principal US Economist, IHS Global Insight

Kemm Farney, Manager, Economics and Forecasting, PEPCO Holdings, Inc.

Ken McGill, Managing Director, Rockport Analytics

Ken Simonson, NABE President and Chief Economist, Associated General Contractors of America

Charlie Steindel, Chief Economist, New Jersey Department of the Treasury

Presentation slides

NABE has assembled a distinguished panel of economists to discuss the economic implications of the unprecedented destruction and disruption visited upon the northeastern US by tropical storm Sandy. The panel will discuss the macroeconomic impact of the storm, and the regional economic impacts especially in New York and New Jersey. Industry experts will discuss the storm from the perspective of the state governments, the electric utility industry, the travel and tourism sector, and construction activity.

Registration is free for NABE members and the public.

Click here to register now.

"Jobs and Unemployment following the Great Recession"

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 11:00am ET

Jim Diffley, Director, IHS Global Insight, moderator J

onathan T. Rothwell, Senior Research Analyst - Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution

Timothy J. Considine, SER Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics and Finance, University of Wyoming

Rothwell slide presentation

Considine slide presentation

The weak recovery following the Great Recession continues to be marked by weak job growth and persistent high rates of unemployment. This session will include first, an examination by Jonathan Rothwell of the degree to which this unemployment can be attributed to mismatches in the supply and demand for education. Jonathan will present results of a cross-section regional analysis that estimates differences in metropolitan area unemployment rates based on exogenous shocks in industry demand, as well as the balance of supply and demand for educated labor. Tim Considine will then present estimates of the degree to which the natural gas "Shale Gale" presents an opportunity for regional economic development and job growth.

The podcast recording of this event is available for download. The podcast is free for members of the NABE Regional/Utility Roundtable and KnowledgeLINK members, $15 for NABE members, and $60 for others. Click here to download or purchase the podcast.

Bios:

Jonathan Rothwell is a senior research analyst at the Metropolitan Policy Program and focuses on urban economics, innovation, and economic opportunity. Since joining Brookings, he has co-authored reports on international exports from metropolitan areas, the size, location, and characteristics of green jobs, and how mismatches in the supply and demand for worker education affect unemployment. He is a frequent contributor to The Avenue blog at the New Republic, and he has published academic papers in journals such as Urban Studies, Social Science Quarterly, and American Law and Economics Review. He earned a master’s degree in economics from the New School and a Ph.D. in policy from Princeton University.

Dr. Timothy Considine is an SER Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics and Finance. He received his Ph.D. from Purdue University. His research on petroleum market analysis has been published in the top economics journals. Recently, The Cato Institute published his paper exploring management policy issues facing the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve currently uses his econometric model of world crude oil markets to estimate the market impacts of various management policies. Dr. Considine also worked as an economist at Bank of America, and as the lead analyst for natural gas deregulation on the U.S. Congressional Budget Office.

“Slash, Tax & Bond: State Strategies for Closing Budget Gaps”

September 21, 2010
11:00 AM (ET)

Dan Levine, Corporate Relocation Consulting, MetroCompare LLC, moderator
Jim Eads, Executive Director, Federation of Tax Administrators slides
Luke Martel, Fiscal Affairs Office, National Conference of State Legislatures slides
Jonathan Turnbull, Managing Director - Power, Energy, Infrastructure, Lazard slides

States are taking many innovative approaches to addressing structural budget deficits while keeping a keen eye on their economic development and business climate environments. These strategies include efforts to reform state taxation, reduce baseline spending, monetize assets and utilize other public finance options.  Join us for a panel discussion that will highlight the most significant and innovative of these trends.

Click here to register.

"Implications of the Gulf Oil Spill"

Tuesday, August 10
11:00 AM (ET)

Michael Chriszt, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta slides PDF 
Dr. David Dismukes, LSU Center for Energy Studies slides PDF

The April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform and the resulting oil spill is having significant economic repercussions for the Gulf Coast economy and for energy firms operating in the region. Dr. David Dismukes from Louisiana State University's Center for Energy Studies and Michael Chriszt from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta will discuss the implications of the spill on the national and regional economy and it's implications for the energy industry.

Click here to download the podcast..

Michael Chriszt is an assistant vice president with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's research department. He is responsible for the Regional Economic Information Network (REIN), which supports the Bank's monetary policy role. Previously, Mr. Chriszt served from 2004 to 2008 as director of international and regional analysis with responsibility for analysis of economic conditions in the Sixth Federal Reserve District as well as international economic developments. He joined the Bank in 1989 and moved to the research department in 1990. Mr. Chriszt is a member of the National Association for Business Economics and Vice Chair of the group's Regional Utility Roundtable.

David E. Dismukes is a Professor, Associate Executive Director, and Director of Policy Analysis at the Center for Energy Studies, Louisiana State University. His research interests are related to the analysis of economic, statistical, and public policy issues in energy and regulated industries. Over the past 22 years, he has worked in consulting, academia, and government service. David has been on the LSU faculty for over 15 years and since that time has led a number of the Center’s research efforts on topics associated with most all aspects of the energy industry. He speaks regularly to professional, trade, and civic associations on important energy issues, trends, and topics. Dr. Dismukes received his M.S. and Ph.D. in economics from the Florida State University

"Climate Change Legislation and U.S. Job Growth: A Review of the Evidence"

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Speakers:

Ann Dunbar, Bureau of Economic Analysis, moderator
Dr. Margo Thorning, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for the American Council for Capital Formation Slides 
Dr. Liwayway G. Adkins, Senior Fellow, Economics, Pew Center on Global Climate Change Slides

In August 2009, the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF)  and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released a comprehensive study on the impact of The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill (HR 2454).  The bill aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to cap the amount of carbon that is emitted by U.S. industry.  The legislation does so by mandating a cap and trade program and other provisions governing fuel choices available to businesses and consumers. The study, which was commissioned by the ACCF and NAM and conducted by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) using ACCF and NAM input assumptions, assesses the impact of the Waxman-Markey Bill on manufacturing, jobs, energy prices and our overall economy.  The ACCF and Nam has released national data as well as the analysis for all 50 states if this or similar legislation is signed into law. The study with links with results for all 50 states can be found athttp://www.accf.org/publications/126/accf-nam-study

In this teleconference, Dr. Thorning will highlight the study findings and their implications for U.S. job growth.

A podcast of this teleconference can be downloaded free by NABE members

Speaker Bios

Margo Thorning
Margo Thorning is senior vice president and chief economist with the American Council for Capital Formation and director of research for its public policy think tank. Dr. Thorning also serves as the managing director of the International Council for Capital Formation, a new think tank incorporated in Brussels. The ICCF is an affiliate of the ACCF.

In North America, Dr. Thorning has testified as an expert witness on capital formation and environmental issues before various U.S. congressional committees, including the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Joint Economic Committee, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Commerce Committee, and the House Committee on Government Reform. She recently made a presentation "Investing in Energy and Industrial Development: Challenges and Opportunities" at a UN Commission on Sustainable Development meeting. She also served on DOE's Electricity Advisory Board's Subcommittee on Standards of Conduct and Corporate Practices. She also has testified before the Senate of Canada on that country's proposals for tax reform.

Dr. Thorning is an internationally recognized expert on tax, environmental, and competitiveness issues. She writes and lectures on tax and economic policy, is frequently quoted in publications such as the Financial Times, Suddeutsche Zeitung, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, and has appeared internationally on public affairs news programs. Dr. Thorning has made presentations on the economic impact of climate change policy at forums sponsored by the ICCF in China, India, other Asian countries, the European Union, and Russia.

Dr. Thorning is coeditor of numerous books on tax and environmental policy, including "Climate Change Policy and Economic Growth: A Way Forward to Ensure Both" and "The U.S. Savings Challenge: Policy Options for Productivity and Growth."

Previously, Dr. Thorning served at the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Federal Trade Commission.

Dr. Thorning received a B.A. from Texas Christian University, an M.A. in economics from the University of Texas, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Georgia.

Liwayway G. Adkins
Liwayway Adkins is senior research fellow in economics at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.  She coordinates research activities on the economic modeling of climate change policies and communicates the results to policymakers and the public.  Working with members of the academic, business, and policymaking communities, she seeks to identify new areas of research in line with the Pew economics program mission.  Prior to joining the Pew Center in 2008, Dr. Adkins was an economist with the National Center for Environmental Economics at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Her research involved developing global economic models for trade and environmental policy analysis.  She has also held positions at the World Bank and U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  She received Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from the University of Virginia and a B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University, all in economics.

"State Fiscal Challenges Heading into 2010 "

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 

Speakers:

Michael Chriszt, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, moderator 
Don Boyd, Rockefeller Institute Slides
Scott Pattison, Executive Director, National Association of State Budget Officers Slides

With so much of the focus on fiscal policy at the national level, it's easy to lose sight of how the recession has hit state and local budgets. Join us on December 15 at 11am est for an RURT teleconference featuring Don Boyd from the Rockefeller Institute and Scott Pattison of the National Association of State Budget Officers to hear the latest on this important issue. The speakers will discuss current challenges and look ahead to 2010.

This podcast is free for NABE members to download.

"A Regional Perspective on Economic Recovery:  
How is Recovery Progressing in Different Regions of the Country?"

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 

Speakers:

Dan Levine, Founder, MetroCompare LLC, moderator 
Jason Bram, Senior Economist, New York Federal Reserve Bank Slides 
Sieb Hoogstra, Director, OCO Global Slides 
Scott Pattison, Executive Director, National Association of State Budget Officers Slides

The podcast of this teleconference is free for NABE members to download.

"Juggling Act: Housing, Real Estate Finance, and the Economy" 
Thursday, April 23, 2009 
11:00 AM Eastern

Speakers:

Amy Crews Cutts, Freddie Mac slides 
James Diffley, IHS Global Insight slides 
Ken Simonson, The Associated General Contractors of America slides

Moderators:

Michael Chriszt, Federal Reserve Bank - Atlanta
Robert Kleinhenz, California Association of REALTORS®

Summary:

Has the housing market turned the corner? What parts of the country will turn around first? How will the recession affect the number of foreclosures and home prices? What are the prospects for residential construction? These and other questions on the housing market situation will be addressed by a panel of housing experts.

Podcast online

"Housing in Real Time”
Thursday, July 24
1:30 PM Eastern

Speakers:
Robert Kleinhenz, California Association of Realtors (Slideshow)
Sean Snaith, University of Central Florida (Slideshow)
Sara Johnson, Global Insight (Slideshow) 
Ann Dunbar, Bureau of Economic Analysis, will moderate

Podcast available

The housing situation continues to dominate the economic outlook.  This teleconference will present the views of experts on the current housing situation and its outlook.  

Robert Kleinhenz, Deputy Chief Economist for the California Association of Realtors, will give his assessment of the California housing market and its outlook.

Sean Snaith, Director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida, will give his assessment of the Florida housing market and its outlook.

Sara Johnson of Global Insight will give the outlook for the U.S. housing market.

Robert Kleinhenz
California Association of Realtors

Robert Kleinhenz is the Deputy Chief Economist for the California Association of REALTORS, a statewide trade organization of real estate professionals with nearly 200,000 members. Robert manages C.A.R.’s research and economics department, which gathers and publishes information on the California housing market, and conducts survey research of consumers and C.A.R. members.

Dr. Kleinhenz holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a Master’s degree and a Doctorate from the University of Southern California, all in Economics.  His field is Urban and Regional Economics with a specialization in Land Use and Transportation Analysis. Prior to working at C.A.R, he taught Economics for over 15 years, most recently at California State University, Fullerton. He has spoken to local, state, and national audiences and is a frequent contributor to media coverage on the housing market and economy.

Dr. Kleinhenz is a member of NABE, a member of the NABE Regional Utility Roundtable, and the 2007-2008 President of the Los Angeles chapter of NABE. 

Sean Snaith 
University of Central Florida

Sean Snaith, Ph.D., is the Director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness within the College of Business Administration at the University of Central Florida and is a widely recognized economist in the field of business and economic forecasting.

As an award-winning forecaster, researcher, and professor, Snaith is always interested in the application of academic expertise to the solution of real world problems. Snaith has served as a consultant for a client list ranging from local and regional municipalities to multi-national corporations, including Compaq, Dell and IBM. Snaith has held teaching positions at Pennsylvania State University, American University in Cairo, University of North Dakota and University of the Pacific.

Snaith frequently appears in national and regional media and is sought after as a speaker. Renowned for his engaging presentations, one business editor wrote, “Snaith (has) an uncanny knack of making economics not only understandable but interesting.”

Sara Johnson
Global Insight

Sara Johnson is Managing Director of Global Macroeconomics with Global Insight, Inc. In this role, she helps Global Insight’s clients assess worldwide business and financial opportunities and risks. Global Insight provides economic forecasts and analyses of 204 countries as well as research studies of critical economic issues. She was previously North American Research Director and Chief Regional Economist with Standard & Poor’s DRI, a predecessor of Global Insight. As research director, she managed the U.S. Macro, U.S. Regional, U.S. Industry, Cost Forecasting, and Canadian services and served on Standard & Poor’s five-member Economic Council.

Ms. Johnson holds a B.A. degree in economics and mathematics from Wellesley College and an M.A. in economics from Harvard University with concentrations in finance and macroeconomic theory.

From 1991 to 2001, Ms. Johnson served on the Governor’s Economic Council, advising three Massachusetts governors on public policy and economic development and chairing the Governor's Task Force on Tax Policy and Capital Formation through 1999.

Ms. Johnson is a director of the National Association for Business Economics and a member of The Boston Economic Club and American Economic Association.