Knowledge-exchange between US and German power system operators
Delegationtrip to Germany (September 25 - 28, 2017)

The United States and Europe face many common challenges on the road towards a cleaner and more flexible power supply system. Regulators and policy-makers are forced to respond to rapidly changing power markets and business models. Grid interconnectivity causes new cyber threats of previously unseen scale. Intermittent power sources demand economic solutions for load balancing. The 21st century has heralded in a new market order.
This delegation trip set the stage for an exchange of thought leaders to identify, track, and enable new business models and technologies for grid management and operation. This exchange among frontrunners allowed to better understand, navigate, and indeed create a new energy playbook for the newly emerging grid infrastructures.
Aiming to strengthen the transatlantic energy cooperation, to encourage the exchange of experiences and best practices and to build up energy transition policy expertise - the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy invited high level representatives from power grid operators and grid-related organizations in the US to participate in a delegation trip to Germany taking place from September 25 - 28, 2017.
The trip was organized by the Renewables Academy (RENAC) AG in Berlin and supported by its local partner, the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (GACC Midwest).
Please find below the program and presentations of the delegation trip of US Power System Operators to Berlin from September 25 - 28, 2017
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Introduction and Meeting with the German Government
Berlin
08:30 am | Welcome and introduction to Agenda and Delegation Trip Mr. Berthold Breid, CEO RENAC, Renewables Academy (RENAC) AG |
09:30 am | Welcome by the Director General Thorsten Herdan at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) Mr. Thorsten Herdan, Director General, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) |
09:45 am | Introduction to the German Energiewende, the power system and the grid Dr. Martin Schöpe, Head of Division International Energy Cooperation, BMWi Mr. Max Rathmann, Deputy Head of Division General issues of electricity, power-sector integration, power plants, BMWi Ms. Dr. Kristen Huttner, Deputy Head of Division National and European electricity grids and electricity grid planning, BMWi Introduction to Germany's Energy Transition - Energiewende Market and Flexibility for Germany's Energy Transition Electricity Grid Development in Germany |
10:45 am | Coffee / tea break |
11:30 am | Role of the Regulator Dr. Annegret Groebel, Head of Department “International Relations/Postal Regulation”, The Federal Network Agency (BnetzA) Integrating Renewables in the Grid and the Market |
12:30 pm | Lunch break |
02:00 pm | Electricity market design for the Energy Transition Ms. Dr. Stephanie Ropenus, Senior Associate / Grids & Nordic Energy Cooperation, Agora Energiewende Mr. Andreas Jahn, Senior Associate, The Regulatory Assistance Project Electricity Market Design for the Energy Transition German Network Planning, Operation and Costs Allocation |
06:30 pm | Welcome reception at the U.S. Embassy |

Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Meetings and Site visits
Berlin
09:00 am | Meeting and site visit: Transmission Grid Operator 50Hertz Mr. Boris Schucht, CEO, 50Hertz Mr. Dr. Dirk Biermann, CMO, 50Hertz Mr. Gunter Scheibner, Head of System Operations, 50Hertz |
12:30 pm | Lunch break |
02:00 pm | Meeting with Distribution Grid Operator (DSO) Mr. Dr. Stefan Küppers, Managing Director, Westnetz Mr. Dr. Stefan Richter, Vice President Regulatory Management & Grid Economics, innogy SE Mr. Torsten Knop, Head of European Regulation Project, innogy SE Grid Connection Agreements/Voltage Control for PV and Wind Farm |
06:00 pm | Guided city tour |

Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Meetings and Site visits
Berlin - Renewables Academy (RENAC) AG, Finowfurt
09:00 am | Meeting with utility E.ON Mr. Patrick Woodson, Chairman, E.ON North America Mr. Kevin Gresham, Vice President Government Relations & External Affairs, E.ON North America Mr. Clemens Carnap, Head of Project Quality Management, E.ON E.ON Climate & Renewables Company Presentation Facts and Figures E.ON |
12:00 pm | Lunch break |
03:00 pm | Site visit of Solarpark Finow (80MW) and PV Remote Control Centre Mr. René Baumann Mr. Ralf Fischbein |
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Meetings and concluding workshop
Berlin - Renewables Academy (RENAC) AG
09:00 am | Germany's renewable power future - simulation for the year 2050 Mr. Dr. Malte Siefert, Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) Mr. Philipp Härtel, Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) Mr. Denis Mende, Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) Germany's Renewable Power Future - Simulation for the year 2050 |
10:30 am | Coffee / tea break |
11:00 am | Public acceptance of new grids for the Energy Transition Ms. Antina Sander, Deputy Executive Director, Renewables Grid Initiative Mr. Andrew Carryer, Project Manager, Renewables Grid Initiative Public acceptance of new Grids for the Energy Transition |
12:45 pm | Lunch break |
02:00 pm | Concluding workshop Mr. Albrecht Tiedemann, Head of Wind Energy / Grid Integration / Energy Policy, Renewables Academy (RENAC) AG |
04:00 pm | End of the official program |