The Energy Department's Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, Tribal Energy Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Green Power Partnership Program, and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) are conducting a series of webinars that promote tribal energy sufficiency and foster economic development and employment on tribal lands through the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

The webinar series, which launched in August 2011, will run through September 2012, and cover topics including EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program, an overview of the Power Marketing Administrations, transmission policy, vision of tomorrow’s transmission grid, what you need to know about National Energy Regulatory Commission (NERC) compliance, and overview of requesting transmission service. A complete list of upcoming tribal webinars is provided below and at www.repartners.org, where previous webinar presentations are also available.

Tribes interested in responding to utility-offered renewable RFPs and/or interested in learning more about the competitive power market, utility staff, and other stakeholders are encouraged to join these webinars. There is no charge to participate in the webinars. However, you must register to join them. To register, go to www.repartners.org.

Topics and Dates: Each of the webinars listed below will be presented from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time

January 25, 2012 – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership Program

This webinar will provide an overview of EPA's Green Power Partnership Program, which is a voluntary program that supports tribal procurement of green power by offering expert advice, technical support, tools, and resources. Tribes that partner with EPA in this program can lower the transaction costs of buying green power, reduce their carbon footprint, and communicate their leadership to key stakeholders. The speakers will discuss the qualifying green power sources and the steps to becoming a Green Power Partner.

February 29, 2012 – Unwinding Transmission Policies

This webinar will answer the following questions: What is transmission policy, how is it established, and who are the players? How is transmission policy enforced, and who does it? What are some of the policy issues today, and what is their potential impact on transmission resources, i.e. Order 1000 (Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation)?

March 28, 2012 – Understanding the Interconnection and Transmission Service Queues

Western has more than 16,000 megawatts of proposed renewable resources in its collective Large Generator Interconnection Queues, representing more than 79 requests.  This webinar will answer the following questions: What is the Large Generator Interconnection Procedure?  How is transmission service requested?  What does this mean for Tribes interested in gaining access to the transmission system?

May 30, 2012 – Today’s Energy Supply – Yesterday’s Grid

This webinar will include an informative session and discussion on how utilities’ generation portfolios are changing, often faster than the grid infrastructure that supports them, and the challenges utilities currently face in integrating new generation and demand (load) response technologies into a grid that was designed to operate a different way.  Discussions will include transmission studies from the Western Grid Group and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

July 25, 2012 – Grid Reliability – Impacts to Tribal Renewable Projects

In 2008 NERC reliability standards compliance became mandatory. This has raised the importance of compliance programs throughout the electric industry, as noncompliance can result in monetary sanctions. This webinar will provide an overview of the purpose and organization of a compliance program, what parts of the bulk electric system are in scope, the range of reliability standards affecting power operations and maintenance, responsible registered entities, and how tribal renewable projects can be impacted by reliability requirements.

September 26, 2012 - DOE Office of Indian Energy’s START Program Status Updates

This webinar will provide an update on the Office of Indian Energy’s Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program and the range of projects that were selected in 2012.  START and Alaska START aim to advance clean energy generation in Indian Country and provide federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native governments with strategic technical assistance to accelerate clean energy project deployment.