Energy Seminar: "Real Reliability: The Value of Virtual Power" Ryan Hledik

Abstract: This presentation will introduce the concept of virtual power plants (VPPs), describe their potential for facilitating affordable decarbonization of the power sector, and address barriers to deploying VPPs at scale.

Bio: Ryan Hledik’s is a principal at the Brattle Group. Hledik specializes in regulatory and planning matters related to the emergence of distributed energy technologies.

Hledik has consulted for more than 80 clients across 35 states and nine countries. He has supported clients in matters related to energy storage, load flexibility, distributed generation, electrification, retail tariff design, energy efficiency, and grid modernization.

Hledik’s work has been cited in regulatory decisions establishing procurement targets for energy storage and demand response, authorizing billions of dollars in smart metering investments, and approving the introduction of innovative rate designs. He is a recognized voice in debates on how to price electricity for customers with distributed generation. He coauthored Saudi Arabia’s first Demand Side Management (DSM) plan, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s landmark study, A National Assessment of Demand Response Potential. 

Hledik has published more than 25 articles on retail electricity issues and has presented at industry events throughout the United States as well as in Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Poland, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. His research on the “grid edge” has been cited by Forbes, National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and in trade press such as GreenTech Media, Utility Dive, and Vox. He was named to Public Utilities Fortnightly’s Under Forty 2019 list recognizing rising stars in the industry.

Hledik received his MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University, where he concentrated in Energy Economics and Policy. He received his BS in Applied Science from the University of Pennsylvania, with minors in Economics and Mathematics. Prior to joining Brattle, Hledik was a Research Assistant with Stanford University’s Energy Modeling Forum and a Research Analyst at Charles River Associates.