This blog post provides a concise recap of the Consumer Liaison Group’s first 2026 meeting in Randolph, Vermont, held on March 25. The meeting focused on grid resiliency amid shifting climate and weather patterns.
It highlights the key speakers and the practical resiliency discussions. The post also previews what to expect next as the group continues to explore reliable energy systems under evolving environmental conditions.
Meeting Highlights and Context
The session brought together a diverse group of energy professionals, policy advocates, and community leaders. The goal was to discuss how the electric grid can remain reliable as extreme weather events become more frequent.
A video recording and a meeting summary are available online for those who could not attend in person. The day featured remarks from national and regional stakeholders.
This meeting set the stage for ongoing collaboration on resilience strategies.
A broad focus on grid resiliency amid climate shifts
Climate variability and severe weather demand proactive resilience planning. Julie Macuga of Global Energy Monitor opened the event, framing the day around how grid infrastructure must adapt to changing weather patterns.
In the welcome portion, Shawna Trader of the Rainbow Bridge Community Center recounted the devastating Vermont floods of 2023 and 2024. Her remarks underscored the human impact behind resilience work.
The discussions emphasized a shared goal: keep energy flowing during floods, heat waves, and storms while protecting communities’ most vulnerable members.
Regional perspectives and policy context
The meeting featured a regional update on markets, operations, and planning provided by Eric Johnson, ISO‑New England’s executive director of External Affairs. Johnson highlighted available CLG resources that practitioners can leverage as they design and implement resiliency measures across the New England region.
The exchange emphasized the importance of aligning market rules and grid operations with resilience objectives. The aim is to minimize outages and speed recovery after disruptions.
Public interest, climate organizing, and local concerns
In the keynote address, Ben Edgerly Walsh from VPIRG (the Vermont Public Interest Research Group) traced nearly four decades of climate and energy organizing. He demonstrated how sustained advocacy shapes policy and public engagement.
Walsh answered audience questions about portable solar power systems and the implications of data centers for energy demand and grid stability. The emphasis was on practical, accessible solutions that communities can adopt while addressing larger systemic drivers of climate risk.
Panel Discussion and Practical Resilience
A panel addressed how communities and grid operators can implement resiliency measures in real time. Technical perspectives on planning and capacity that influence long-term reliability were also discussed.
The discussions bridged community experiences with engineering and policy frameworks. The goal was to foster actionable strategies for reducing outage duration and accelerating recovery.
Flood-response and community-based resilience
Dave Westman from VEIC/Efficiency Vermont presented flood-response initiatives and other resilience work. He illustrated how efficiency and weather-ready infrastructure projects can mitigate flood impacts.
The session underscored the value of cross-sector collaboration between utilities, state agencies, and local organizations. This collaboration helps deploy rapid-response tools and improve emergency communications during extreme events.
System planning and capacity market reforms
Capacity Auction Reforms were identified as a key project in ongoing system planning efforts. Al McBride, ISO‑NE vice president of System Planning, fielded questions about these reforms and their potential effects on resource adequacy, pricing signals, and investment in resilient generation and transmission.
The discussion highlighted how reform efforts intersect with resilience goals and regional reliability planning.
What’s Next and Where to Access Materials
The CLG scheduled its next meeting for June 2 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Details are forthcoming.
For those who could not attend, meeting materials and past presentations remain publicly accessible through the Consumer Liaison Group webpage. A video recording and a formal meeting summary are also available.
- Video recording of the March 25 meeting is available online. This enables remote review of speaker sessions and panel discussions.
- Meeting summary provides a concise recap of discussions and decisions.
- Visit the CLG webpage for access to materials, past presentations, and updates on future meetings.
Here is the source article for this story: Consumer Liaison Group meeting explores resilience after extreme weather