Aspen Supports CEC after Gas Leak at Aliso Canyon

Photo credit: Earthworks

Catherine Elder, Director of Aspen’s Energy Resource Economics, has been working under one of our California Energy Commission (CEC) contracts providing support on natural gas and electricity reliability in the aftermath of Southern California Gas Company’s significant gas leak at its Aliso Canyon underground gas storage facility. As part of her assignment, Elder is working directly with senior management at the CEC, California Public Utilities Commission, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, California ISO, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the Governor’s Office. She is one of the authors of the Action Plan delivered on April 5, 2016, estimating 14 days of potential electricity blackouts in southern California this summer, and helped develop the mitigation measures provided in the Action Plan. She also testified before the South Coast Air Quality Management District on behalf of the Los Angeles Department of Public Works obtaining a waiver to use diesel fuel on some of the 14 curtailment days as well as before California’s Senate Energy Committee. Elder is currently working on the winter reliability assessment. Her skill in explaining complex topics in simple terms has been cited as critical to the interagency team, as well as her deep understanding of gas-electricity interaction and ability to quickly identify the implications of the temporary loss of this asset.