GTM Forum: Grid Edge East 2019

Joseph A. “Joe” Woomer is vice president–Grid and Technical Solutions, Power Delivery Group

He leads the company’s grid modernization efforts and is responsible for the technical and engineering aspects of Dominion Energy’s electric distribution business unit, including design, planning, reliability, strategic undergrounding, metering technologies, end-use technologies, renewable energy interconnections and federal energy solutions.

Woomer joined Dominion Energy in 1986 as an associate engineer in Northern Virginia and has held various engineering, operational, and management positions. In 2000, he was promoted to manager–Northwest Operations, responsible for local and regional operating groups and the management of distribution assets. In 2001, he was named director-Distribution Operations Centers, responsible for oversight of electric distribution system operations, gas dispatch, emergency preparedness and GIS. He was named director–Reliability, leading the reliability strategic planning effort, in 2006, and director–Electric Distribution Construction in April 2010. He assumed his current role in July 2018.

He is a member of the Gold Shovel Standard Board and SEE Engineering and Operating Committee and recently transitioned to represent Dominion Energy as an Executive Champion at Virginia State University. He is a former member of the Virginia 4H Foundation Board.

A native of Western Pennsylvania, Woomer earned his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University in 1986, and graduated from the Tuck Executive Program at the University of Dartmouth in 2003.

Jason Handley, P.E. is Director of Smart Grid Technology and Operations in the Emerging Technology Office at Duke Energy. Jason has over 18 years of electric utility experience specializing in the smart grid, distribution automation, and operations management. This role allows Jason to follow and define new technologies that may be impacting the electrical grid and oversee all of the ongoing operational aspects on new technology pilot projects in the Emerging Technology Office. Jason manages a group that develops, installs, tests, and evaluates new technologies for Duke’s electrical grid. He and his team are responsible for developing and updating the strategic roadmap for power grid devices at Duke Energy. Jason received his electrical engineering degree from Auburn University and is currently pursuing his MBA at Wake Forest University. He is a registered professional engineer and received his electrical contractors unlimited license in 2009.

Raiford Smith and his team lead Entergy’s pursuit of new, enabling technologies such as Distributed Energy Resources, big data analytics, and the development of customer-facing products and services. Mr. Smith is based out of Entergy’s offices in The Woodlands, TX. Entergy is an integrated energy company that owns and operates approximately 30GW of electric generating capacity and delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Mr. Smith has 26 years of experience in the energy industry, including various roles in legal, planning and analytics, smart grid, customer management, demand-side management, pricing and rates, product development, wholesale deal structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and technology.

Eduardo Guerra has 15 years of experience in the energy industry. In his current role, he focuses on identifying and implementing Non-Wires Solutions (NWS) to defer or offset capital infrastructure upgrades. The first NWS under implementation is Brooklyn Queens Demand Management (BQDM) program as part of New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative. Prior to joining Con Edison, he developed energy performance contract projects in municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals (MUSH markets) for ConEdison Solutions. His work involved the design and implementation of distributed energy resources (DER) with focus on distributed generation and microgrids. Prior to this, he worked for Siemens Industries, as a Senior Energy Engineer in the energy performance contract team and alternative energy group. Eduardo holds a B.S. Biochemical Engineering and a M.S. Energy Management from New York Institute of Technology.

Thomas Golden is the Chief Strategy Officer at EnergyUnited EMC.  Thomas is responsible for developing groundbreaking strategic initiatives to leverage emerging technology, innovative service models, and disruptive trends in the marketplace to catapult EnergyUnited to the forefront of the electric industry.

Thomas has held a variety of other roles in his career, including Program Manager, Technology Innovation at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). At EPRI Thomas and his team were responsible for managing a large portfolio of research focused on emerging technology and thought leadership.

Prior to EPRI, he was as the Manager of Energy Market Design at the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), where he and his team were responsible for the evolution of the NYISO wholesale energy electricity market design. The team was closely focused on improving pricing signals and incentives that closely align with reliability needs and/or policy objectives.

Before leading Energy Market Design, Thomas was the Manager of Technology Management at Duke Energy, where he helped shape the company's strategy and policy regarding energy storage and emerging technologies. Thomas was a speaker at numerous National conferences and Universities where he delivered a message of thought leadership and change management related to emerging technologies. He was honored as one of the fifty Smart Grid Pioneers of 2015.
Finally, he led the Senior Reactor Operator Initial Licensing Program at Duke Energy's Catawba Nuclear Station. In this role, Thomas developed future licensed reactor and senior reactor operators who are tasked with operating a two-unit commercial nuclear reactor facility.

Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as well as a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University.
Thomas is a military veteran, serving 12 years on active duty in the US Navy where responsibilities included operating submarine nuclear reactors and land-based prototype nuclear reactors.  Thomas continues to serve today in the Navy Reserve as a Supply Corps Officer.