WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.486 align:middle line:84% [SQUEAKING] [RUSTLING] [CLICKING] 00:00:03.486 --> 00:00:11.960 align:middle line:90% 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:16.320 align:middle line:84% PROFESSOR: But I am really glad to invite Nikki Bruno up 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:19.935 align:middle line:84% to speak, not about what keeps her awake at night, 00:00:19.935 --> 00:00:21.060 align:middle line:90% in the middle of the night. 00:00:21.060 --> 00:00:25.920 align:middle line:84% But instead-- well, I guess it is the same thing, isn't it? 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:27.640 align:middle line:90% Different twist, yes. 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:32.012 align:middle line:84% So thank you so much for sharing your perspective on scaling. 00:00:32.012 --> 00:00:33.220 align:middle line:90% NIKKI BRUNO: Yeah, thank you. 00:00:33.220 --> 00:00:34.420 align:middle line:90% And hi, everyone. 00:00:34.420 --> 00:00:35.420 align:middle line:90% Thank you for having me. 00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:38.760 align:middle line:84% This has been a wonderful, wonderful day. 00:00:38.760 --> 00:00:42.720 align:middle line:84% And when you think about the utility, what I came into 00:00:42.720 --> 00:00:44.760 align:middle line:84% was the Power of the People panel. 00:00:44.760 --> 00:00:46.800 align:middle line:90% I missed the very first one. 00:00:46.800 --> 00:00:51.760 align:middle line:84% But there is a general mistrust and a general dislike 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:55.978 align:middle line:84% or even worse, negligence about the utility. 00:00:55.978 --> 00:00:58.020 align:middle line:84% I don't know if it's better to be loved or hated. 00:00:58.020 --> 00:01:02.000 align:middle line:84% But if you don't feel anything, uh. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:03.930 align:middle line:84% And I, before coming to work at the utility, 00:01:03.930 --> 00:01:06.010 align:middle line:84% I fell accidentally into the energy space. 00:01:06.010 --> 00:01:08.590 align:middle line:84% I have a degree in environmental science. 00:01:08.590 --> 00:01:10.492 align:middle line:90% But life goes on. 00:01:10.492 --> 00:01:11.950 align:middle line:84% And it looks beautiful on a resume, 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:13.033 align:middle line:90% and all stitched together. 00:01:13.033 --> 00:01:17.370 align:middle line:84% But you realize the energy is, it's a commodity. 00:01:17.370 --> 00:01:18.610 align:middle line:90% It's so needed. 00:01:18.610 --> 00:01:22.050 align:middle line:84% And I never knew all the work that the utility workers-- 00:01:22.050 --> 00:01:24.830 align:middle line:84% gas or electric-- do, water for that matter. 00:01:24.830 --> 00:01:27.910 align:middle line:84% But I think it's on us to continually change and evolve 00:01:27.910 --> 00:01:29.290 align:middle line:90% the perspective of. 00:01:29.290 --> 00:01:31.310 align:middle line:90% We have to earn our keep. 00:01:31.310 --> 00:01:33.270 align:middle line:84% We have a lot of beautiful touchpoints 00:01:33.270 --> 00:01:36.150 align:middle line:84% with a customer that many people do not. 00:01:36.150 --> 00:01:37.550 align:middle line:90% And that's a privilege. 00:01:37.550 --> 00:01:39.790 align:middle line:90% And I think you would find-- 00:01:39.790 --> 00:01:42.930 align:middle line:84% I was just on the phone earlier this morning about it. 00:01:42.930 --> 00:01:45.270 align:middle line:84% A lot of people have ingrained and don't 00:01:45.270 --> 00:01:48.430 align:middle line:84% sleep at night around the fact that they have to provide 00:01:48.430 --> 00:01:50.250 align:middle line:90% safe and reliable service. 00:01:50.250 --> 00:01:52.710 align:middle line:84% And I know the gentleman earlier was mentioning, 00:01:52.710 --> 00:01:53.790 align:middle line:90% what does reliable mean? 00:01:53.790 --> 00:01:57.350 align:middle line:84% When I say reliable, it's there for them all the time, 24/7, 00:01:57.350 --> 00:01:58.950 align:middle line:90% 365. 00:01:58.950 --> 00:02:01.630 align:middle line:84% So that's why some of us don't sleep. 00:02:01.630 --> 00:02:06.390 align:middle line:84% But on the geo front, it's been such a happy discussion. 00:02:06.390 --> 00:02:09.930 align:middle line:84% And I'm going to be blending in when we talk about scaling, 00:02:09.930 --> 00:02:12.290 align:middle line:84% scaling technical systems, certainly, 00:02:12.290 --> 00:02:14.730 align:middle line:84% how we're thinking about our pilot in Framingham 00:02:14.730 --> 00:02:17.310 align:middle line:84% and what's next, how it went, what we can learn, 00:02:17.310 --> 00:02:20.730 align:middle line:84% but also how we can scale back change management, 00:02:20.730 --> 00:02:24.170 align:middle line:84% because there has to be a cultural shift in not only 00:02:24.170 --> 00:02:26.975 align:middle line:84% the utility, but the folks we interact 00:02:26.975 --> 00:02:28.850 align:middle line:84% with, whether they're stakeholders, community 00:02:28.850 --> 00:02:30.870 align:middle line:90% partners, customers, regulators. 00:02:30.870 --> 00:02:32.350 align:middle line:90% Everybody has to adjust. 00:02:32.350 --> 00:02:35.200 align:middle line:84% And we're in this enormous transition period. 00:02:35.200 --> 00:02:38.790 align:middle line:84% And we've always said this in various places. 00:02:38.790 --> 00:02:44.490 align:middle line:84% But this pictorial example does not get built with one group. 00:02:44.490 --> 00:02:46.810 align:middle line:84% And the reason this-- it may not feel like it's 00:02:46.810 --> 00:02:49.230 align:middle line:84% fast, if you look at this timeline. 00:02:49.230 --> 00:02:53.750 align:middle line:84% But being the first time we've certainly done this, it is fast. 00:02:53.750 --> 00:02:55.170 align:middle line:84% And it only happened because there 00:02:55.170 --> 00:02:57.050 align:middle line:90% were a lot of groups involved. 00:02:57.050 --> 00:02:59.930 align:middle line:84% Certainly Zainab and the heat team right at the forefront 00:02:59.930 --> 00:03:03.370 align:middle line:84% really, I would argue, before I even came to Eversource, putting 00:03:03.370 --> 00:03:06.590 align:middle line:84% it out there in front of the DPU at the time to say, hey, 00:03:06.590 --> 00:03:08.240 align:middle line:90% the gas company could do this. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:10.640 align:middle line:90% Let's give them a shot. 00:03:10.640 --> 00:03:13.960 align:middle line:84% And so what you see here is from 2019 when this was initially 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:17.120 align:middle line:84% proposed, to we commissioned the system in Framingham 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:20.220 align:middle line:84% in 2024, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. 00:03:20.220 --> 00:03:24.000 align:middle line:84% And maybe when you-- hopefully, when you're picking up 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:25.940 align:middle line:84% news articles online or otherwise, 00:03:25.940 --> 00:03:28.680 align:middle line:84% you see all the great heralding about how 00:03:28.680 --> 00:03:30.200 align:middle line:90% this has been successful. 00:03:30.200 --> 00:03:33.080 align:middle line:84% I will tell you, it's been tough. 00:03:33.080 --> 00:03:36.120 align:middle line:84% There's a lot of learning, a lot of scars. 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:38.620 align:middle line:84% But everybody has done so with such grace. 00:03:38.620 --> 00:03:42.560 align:middle line:84% And what I mean by that is they are willing. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:44.580 align:middle line:84% And they want to show up to do this. 00:03:44.580 --> 00:03:48.940 align:middle line:84% So I was asked earlier, do gas companies want to do this? 00:03:48.940 --> 00:03:50.200 align:middle line:90% Are they excited about this? 00:03:50.200 --> 00:03:52.200 align:middle line:90% How do they feel? 00:03:52.200 --> 00:03:55.800 align:middle line:84% And I think there, again, even within your own internal company 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:57.620 align:middle line:84% constituents, you have to earn trust. 00:03:57.620 --> 00:03:58.620 align:middle line:90% You have to earn that. 00:03:58.620 --> 00:03:59.420 align:middle line:90% This is additive. 00:03:59.420 --> 00:04:01.680 align:middle line:84% This is a positive and a benefit. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:04.040 align:middle line:84% And then, when you talk about the pace of change, 00:04:04.040 --> 00:04:08.080 align:middle line:84% how things can scale and take off, we have a lot of folks 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:12.070 align:middle line:84% that we brought in that were gas personnel. 00:04:12.070 --> 00:04:15.510 align:middle line:84% That's all they did all day long, and were very proud of it, 00:04:15.510 --> 00:04:19.070 align:middle line:84% had a skill set, had a passion, had a career. 00:04:19.070 --> 00:04:23.030 align:middle line:84% And when we put them on things like oversight for construction, 00:04:23.030 --> 00:04:26.630 align:middle line:84% it was amazing to see just how they delved in open minded 00:04:26.630 --> 00:04:29.590 align:middle line:84% and took it on as if it were their own gas project. 00:04:29.590 --> 00:04:32.550 align:middle line:84% And at the end of it, the most gratifying thing, certainly, 00:04:32.550 --> 00:04:35.030 align:middle line:84% is to hear wow, this was a pretty amazing project 00:04:35.030 --> 00:04:35.950 align:middle line:90% to work on. 00:04:35.950 --> 00:04:37.910 align:middle line:90% That's the ultimate. 00:04:37.910 --> 00:04:41.390 align:middle line:84% So we're consistently trying to educate internally, 00:04:41.390 --> 00:04:44.390 align:middle line:84% and even our electric brethren, I'll say. 00:04:44.390 --> 00:04:47.090 align:middle line:90% Now that goes beyond gas. 00:04:47.090 --> 00:04:50.330 align:middle line:84% Electric's got their work to do on the utility side. 00:04:50.330 --> 00:04:52.190 align:middle line:84% And because this is a true hybrid 00:04:52.190 --> 00:04:54.710 align:middle line:84% and has benefit across all systems, 00:04:54.710 --> 00:04:56.270 align:middle line:90% you've got to educate them, too. 00:04:56.270 --> 00:04:57.570 align:middle line:90% And they've got a lot going on. 00:04:57.570 --> 00:05:03.470 align:middle line:84% So anyway, when you think about milestones on the timeline, 00:05:03.470 --> 00:05:06.650 align:middle line:84% you say, oh, this is a project, normal course of business. 00:05:06.650 --> 00:05:07.650 align:middle line:90% You do the feasibility. 00:05:07.650 --> 00:05:09.570 align:middle line:84% You get the budget, the estimate, put it together. 00:05:09.570 --> 00:05:10.410 align:middle line:90% You get customers. 00:05:10.410 --> 00:05:11.410 align:middle line:90% You start construction. 00:05:11.410 --> 00:05:12.770 align:middle line:90% You put it online. 00:05:12.770 --> 00:05:17.530 align:middle line:84% All of these steps, that flying the plane as you're building it, 00:05:17.530 --> 00:05:19.730 align:middle line:90% that was what was going on. 00:05:19.730 --> 00:05:22.330 align:middle line:84% And not to shake anybody's confidence in the utility's 00:05:22.330 --> 00:05:25.010 align:middle line:84% ability or the partners, contractors, cetera, 00:05:25.010 --> 00:05:28.890 align:middle line:84% teammate's ability to do this, but as you 00:05:28.890 --> 00:05:31.730 align:middle line:84% heard from many speakers today, a lot of this 00:05:31.730 --> 00:05:33.210 align:middle line:90% is art and science. 00:05:33.210 --> 00:05:36.030 align:middle line:84% So when we think about site selection and evaluating, 00:05:36.030 --> 00:05:38.770 align:middle line:84% we had about 20 sites that we looked at. 00:05:38.770 --> 00:05:41.770 align:middle line:84% And it was really unique because I think, from the get go, 00:05:41.770 --> 00:05:45.010 align:middle line:84% one of the big lessons learned about these networks 00:05:45.010 --> 00:05:47.810 align:middle line:84% and the ability to scale is we had a cross-functional group 00:05:47.810 --> 00:05:49.090 align:middle line:90% of people in the room. 00:05:49.090 --> 00:05:51.570 align:middle line:84% So where maybe our traditional infrastructure-- gas 00:05:51.570 --> 00:05:53.350 align:middle line:84% or electric-- you'd go to the DPW. 00:05:53.350 --> 00:05:54.870 align:middle line:84% You'd go to the permitting agencies. 00:05:54.870 --> 00:05:57.910 align:middle line:84% Then you'd engage the community, maybe at some level, 00:05:57.910 --> 00:05:59.490 align:middle line:90% depending on the project size. 00:05:59.490 --> 00:06:02.170 align:middle line:84% We were with the community and key folks 00:06:02.170 --> 00:06:04.510 align:middle line:84% in government, community representatives. 00:06:04.510 --> 00:06:06.170 align:middle line:84% In some cases, in one location we 00:06:06.170 --> 00:06:08.330 align:middle line:84% didn't go with, there was an active resident who 00:06:08.330 --> 00:06:12.590 align:middle line:84% petitioned her legislator, gathered the neighborhood. 00:06:12.590 --> 00:06:14.693 align:middle line:84% That was an awful phone call to make, by the way, 00:06:14.693 --> 00:06:16.360 align:middle line:84% to call her and say, I'm sorry we're not 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:18.480 align:middle line:90% bringing it to your city. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.420 align:middle line:84% But she respected the engagement. 00:06:20.420 --> 00:06:22.680 align:middle line:84% And I think that early engagement troubleshoots a lot 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:24.040 align:middle line:90% of problems down the road. 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:27.480 align:middle line:84% So that's something we want to do, to continue building 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:29.560 align:middle line:84% on the success that we think we've 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:33.360 align:middle line:84% had with the community in Framingham. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:35.097 align:middle line:90% We talk about permitting. 00:06:35.097 --> 00:06:36.680 align:middle line:84% I heard a lot in the last presentation 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:39.640 align:middle line:90% about rules and regulations. 00:06:39.640 --> 00:06:41.620 align:middle line:84% The US is a little bit of the Wild West. 00:06:41.620 --> 00:06:44.240 align:middle line:84% I mean, we don't even have the nomenclature set out. 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:46.800 align:middle line:90% And that's confusing for people. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.520 align:middle line:84% And so I think, what kind of environmental permits 00:06:49.520 --> 00:06:50.020 align:middle line:90% do we need? 00:06:50.020 --> 00:06:52.860 align:middle line:84% What kind of city planning, zoning-type permits do you need? 00:06:52.860 --> 00:06:55.440 align:middle line:90% This gets very local very fast. 00:06:55.440 --> 00:06:57.760 align:middle line:84% And I think what happened in Framingham is really 00:06:57.760 --> 00:07:01.820 align:middle line:84% a testament to the city, in this case, figuring it out with us. 00:07:01.820 --> 00:07:05.060 align:middle line:84% So we spent a ton of time meeting with them. 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:07.940 align:middle line:84% In fact, I would argue, in all truth, 00:07:07.940 --> 00:07:09.880 align:middle line:84% we talked to them more than daily. 00:07:09.880 --> 00:07:13.720 align:middle line:84% And, everyone knows what's going on the project 00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:15.100 align:middle line:90% and their personal lives. 00:07:15.100 --> 00:07:16.510 align:middle line:90% It's like the customers. 00:07:16.510 --> 00:07:18.510 align:middle line:84% And with that kind of trust, we were 00:07:18.510 --> 00:07:21.410 align:middle line:84% able to say, OK, we don't know what permits apply. 00:07:21.410 --> 00:07:23.050 align:middle line:90% This is a closed-loop system. 00:07:23.050 --> 00:07:25.630 align:middle line:84% Do we really need to go for that board of health 00:07:25.630 --> 00:07:26.570 align:middle line:90% water-type permit? 00:07:26.570 --> 00:07:28.630 align:middle line:84% Do we really need to go for that? 00:07:28.630 --> 00:07:30.470 align:middle line:84% We'll gladly come before whatever council 00:07:30.470 --> 00:07:31.570 align:middle line:90% or permitting body. 00:07:31.570 --> 00:07:34.450 align:middle line:84% But maybe it doesn't apply right now. 00:07:34.450 --> 00:07:36.370 align:middle line:84% And they were like, maybe that's right. 00:07:36.370 --> 00:07:40.310 align:middle line:84% And with the right protections, with the right construction 00:07:40.310 --> 00:07:43.550 align:middle line:84% methodology, we avoided a lot of time, I feel like, 00:07:43.550 --> 00:07:44.410 align:middle line:90% spent on permitting. 00:07:44.410 --> 00:07:45.910 align:middle line:84% Or if we had to get a permit, we had 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:48.890 align:middle line:84% educated so much that it moved through in a manageable fashion. 00:07:48.890 --> 00:07:50.730 align:middle line:84% And certainly in the state of Massachusetts, 00:07:50.730 --> 00:07:52.530 align:middle line:84% there was recent legislation passed. 00:07:52.530 --> 00:07:55.610 align:middle line:84% I was really excited about the geo work, but within that, 00:07:55.610 --> 00:07:59.070 align:middle line:84% a lot of expedited permitting and siting for clean energy, 00:07:59.070 --> 00:08:01.930 align:middle line:84% because it does bog down schedules and timelines. 00:08:01.930 --> 00:08:05.010 align:middle line:84% And so I'm really enthused from that perspective. 00:08:05.010 --> 00:08:09.590 align:middle line:84% And, again, another component from a scaling 00:08:09.590 --> 00:08:12.790 align:middle line:84% perspective that we want to take and bring forward. 00:08:12.790 --> 00:08:14.970 align:middle line:84% When we think about what we're going to learn here, 00:08:14.970 --> 00:08:16.970 align:middle line:84% though, that's really what excites me. 00:08:16.970 --> 00:08:19.300 align:middle line:84% And I want to spend just a few minutes talking 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:21.562 align:middle line:90% about the customer side of this. 00:08:21.562 --> 00:08:23.020 align:middle line:84% Eric Bosworth will be here tomorrow 00:08:23.020 --> 00:08:26.720 align:middle line:84% to talk about all the tech commissioning, construction, 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:29.400 align:middle line:84% drilling, all of that, which is very important. 00:08:29.400 --> 00:08:32.340 align:middle line:84% But to me, I should say, and to me, it's 00:08:32.340 --> 00:08:35.260 align:middle line:84% a combination of customer and technical. 00:08:35.260 --> 00:08:37.900 align:middle line:84% It is playing out that way in a lot of the dockets 00:08:37.900 --> 00:08:40.200 align:middle line:84% and a lot of the discussion around NPAs, 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:42.179 align:middle line:90% around integrated planning. 00:08:42.179 --> 00:08:46.140 align:middle line:84% The planning is crucial and needs to be sound, 00:08:46.140 --> 00:08:48.580 align:middle line:90% based on data, et cetera. 00:08:48.580 --> 00:08:50.160 align:middle line:84% You need to have the customer piece. 00:08:50.160 --> 00:08:52.180 align:middle line:84% You need to have the execution ability to go out 00:08:52.180 --> 00:08:54.340 align:middle line:84% there and actually build what you're talking about, 00:08:54.340 --> 00:08:56.400 align:middle line:84% because otherwise we're just talking about it. 00:08:56.400 --> 00:09:02.020 align:middle line:84% And so in Framingham, as I move to the next slide here, 00:09:02.020 --> 00:09:06.300 align:middle line:84% we have taken the momentum of the pilot and are now on a grant 00:09:06.300 --> 00:09:10.160 align:middle line:84% that even optimistic, even with the administration, 00:09:10.160 --> 00:09:12.660 align:middle line:84% geothermal is a very bipartisan discussion. 00:09:12.660 --> 00:09:15.820 align:middle line:84% And because I think we've thought about it from a customer 00:09:15.820 --> 00:09:20.600 align:middle line:84% perspective just in our world in Massachusetts and Connecticut, 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:24.100 align:middle line:84% if it can make fiscal sense and provide environmental benefits, 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:26.560 align:middle line:84% if we can get this whole thing to work, 00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:29.160 align:middle line:84% it doesn't just have to work for climate advocates. 00:09:29.160 --> 00:09:31.160 align:middle line:84% It doesn't just have to work for folks concerned 00:09:31.160 --> 00:09:32.800 align:middle line:90% about future generations. 00:09:32.800 --> 00:09:34.030 align:middle line:90% It's going to be an ant. 00:09:34.030 --> 00:09:36.280 align:middle line:84% It's going to be for people who want effective heating 00:09:36.280 --> 00:09:38.600 align:middle line:84% and cooling from a cost perspective. 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:41.440 align:middle line:84% So what we're trying to do on this grant, 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:44.780 align:middle line:84% in effect, is get data back from both a customer perspective, 00:09:44.780 --> 00:09:46.340 align:middle line:84% technical performance perspective, 00:09:46.340 --> 00:09:48.940 align:middle line:84% to see those economies of scale as you build on this. 00:09:48.940 --> 00:09:51.160 align:middle line:84% And we've already seen it in our design. 00:09:51.160 --> 00:09:52.260 align:middle line:90% Costs have come down. 00:09:52.260 --> 00:09:55.600 align:middle line:84% We're smarter, leaner, faster, all that good stuff. 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:59.120 align:middle line:84% And I'm so excited and hope the grant comes in, certainly. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.200 align:middle line:84% But at Eversource, at least, we're 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:05.640 align:middle line:84% thinking about, how do we make a coherent rate proposal, project 00:10:05.640 --> 00:10:07.020 align:middle line:90% proposal using examples? 00:10:07.020 --> 00:10:09.560 align:middle line:84% We still have to learn, but to make sure 00:10:09.560 --> 00:10:12.780 align:middle line:84% that we're advancing this so it can stand on its own eventually. 00:10:12.780 --> 00:10:15.480 align:middle line:90% It's not on subsidies. 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:18.580 align:middle line:84% Just a pictorial of it, doubling the size of the pilot. 00:10:18.580 --> 00:10:19.920 align:middle line:90% This is the expansion. 00:10:19.920 --> 00:10:23.050 align:middle line:84% And we don't talk a lot about delivered fuels, customers, oil, 00:10:23.050 --> 00:10:24.890 align:middle line:90% propane, a lot of them here. 00:10:24.890 --> 00:10:27.630 align:middle line:84% So this could be accretive to a business. 00:10:27.630 --> 00:10:30.470 align:middle line:84% We could gain customers that we're not cannibalizing 00:10:30.470 --> 00:10:33.010 align:middle line:84% or we're not netting out net neutral. 00:10:33.010 --> 00:10:34.790 align:middle line:90% We are actually adding. 00:10:34.790 --> 00:10:40.150 align:middle line:84% And for folks like me that to build things, that's exciting. 00:10:40.150 --> 00:10:42.625 align:middle line:84% So let me just wrap with some of the opportunities 00:10:42.625 --> 00:10:43.250 align:middle line:90% and challenges. 00:10:43.250 --> 00:10:46.750 align:middle line:84% And I'm happy to take questions later. 00:10:46.750 --> 00:10:50.070 align:middle line:84% Strong emissions goals here, targets here in Massachusetts. 00:10:50.070 --> 00:10:52.630 align:middle line:84% In a lot of the states we operate in, 00:10:52.630 --> 00:10:56.170 align:middle line:84% regardless of where the federal government goes, we see, 00:10:56.170 --> 00:10:59.270 align:middle line:84% being good stewards, that we want to provide solutions 00:10:59.270 --> 00:11:00.570 align:middle line:90% and options for our customers. 00:11:00.570 --> 00:11:04.430 align:middle line:84% And when you go into more of a, I call it the subsidy vs. tax. 00:11:04.430 --> 00:11:06.510 align:middle line:84% If you go into more of a positive mindset 00:11:06.510 --> 00:11:08.590 align:middle line:84% to give customers more choice, we 00:11:08.590 --> 00:11:11.070 align:middle line:84% find that naturally puts them-- it doesn't back them 00:11:11.070 --> 00:11:12.010 align:middle line:90% into a corner. 00:11:12.010 --> 00:11:14.553 align:middle line:84% We talked about obligation to serve and customer choice. 00:11:14.553 --> 00:11:15.970 align:middle line:84% It gives them more to choose from. 00:11:15.970 --> 00:11:19.630 align:middle line:84% And they feel like they are in control of their destiny. 00:11:19.630 --> 00:11:21.530 align:middle line:84% A lot of customers and communities 00:11:21.530 --> 00:11:22.530 align:middle line:90% have expressed interest. 00:11:22.530 --> 00:11:24.280 align:middle line:84% We had to turn people away with the pilot. 00:11:24.280 --> 00:11:26.900 align:middle line:84% Now we were paying for quite a bit on our tab around 00:11:26.900 --> 00:11:28.640 align:middle line:84% the ratepayers'-- collectively-- tabs. 00:11:28.640 --> 00:11:33.180 align:middle line:84% But it begs the question of, who else will go into this with us? 00:11:33.180 --> 00:11:36.040 align:middle line:84% And how can we leverage that excitement, that momentum, 00:11:36.040 --> 00:11:39.740 align:middle line:84% that desire to bring this to whatever municipality we're in? 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:41.520 align:middle line:84% The data will provide the learnings. 00:11:41.520 --> 00:11:44.700 align:middle line:84% And I think the DOE liftoff report was really key. 00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:47.100 align:middle line:84% New construction, we have all these policies 00:11:47.100 --> 00:11:49.320 align:middle line:90% to stymie gas growth. 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:52.020 align:middle line:84% And what do we replace it with if folks don't want air source 00:11:52.020 --> 00:11:53.100 align:middle line:90% heat pumps? 00:11:53.100 --> 00:11:55.120 align:middle line:84% This is like a natural fit we see. 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.600 align:middle line:84% So we're trying to attack the new construction market, 00:11:57.600 --> 00:11:59.100 align:middle line:84% work with our existing relationships 00:11:59.100 --> 00:12:01.900 align:middle line:84% with those customers-- in this case builders, developers 00:12:01.900 --> 00:12:04.420 align:middle line:84% who give them another option, give them hopefully 00:12:04.420 --> 00:12:05.200 align:middle line:90% a better option. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.280 align:middle line:84% The challenges, I think, on the other side, 00:12:08.280 --> 00:12:10.100 align:middle line:84% as you think about scaling, are really 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:12.540 align:middle line:84% things that have been mentioned already, 00:12:12.540 --> 00:12:13.980 align:middle line:90% but certainly workforce. 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:15.860 align:middle line:90% Who can do this work? 00:12:15.860 --> 00:12:18.060 align:middle line:84% There's a variety of work streams that we know how 00:12:18.060 --> 00:12:19.520 align:middle line:90% to do that are transferable. 00:12:19.520 --> 00:12:21.920 align:middle line:84% Something like drilling, we don't have that skill set. 00:12:21.920 --> 00:12:24.900 align:middle line:84% And that's largely the bottleneck, 00:12:24.900 --> 00:12:26.860 align:middle line:90% the cost certainly, too. 00:12:26.860 --> 00:12:29.360 align:middle line:84% This is an upfront CapEx investment 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:32.840 align:middle line:84% that you make that we have to figure out a way 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:36.120 align:middle line:84% to manage and spread so that folks can enjoy 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:37.800 align:middle line:90% the savings on the back end. 00:12:37.800 --> 00:12:40.440 align:middle line:84% And I think the utility is actually a great vehicle 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:43.020 align:middle line:84% because folks are talking about putting in their own systems. 00:12:43.020 --> 00:12:44.480 align:middle line:90% It's expensive. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:45.300 align:middle line:90% It really is. 00:12:45.300 --> 00:12:49.400 align:middle line:84% And so in wrapping, we're trying to identify locations 00:12:49.400 --> 00:12:51.520 align:middle line:84% that are best suited from a technical perspective 00:12:51.520 --> 00:12:54.423 align:middle line:84% to deploy that the customers want, that we can make 00:12:54.423 --> 00:12:56.840 align:middle line:84% the argument for them on a couple of different fronts, not 00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:59.400 align:middle line:84% just environmental emissions reductions, 00:12:59.400 --> 00:13:01.560 align:middle line:84% so that we could ultimately lower 00:13:01.560 --> 00:13:04.560 align:middle line:84% the cost of the project on a whole. 00:13:04.560 --> 00:13:08.000 align:middle line:84% And so with that, I guess I'll say we're already 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:09.560 align:middle line:90% seeing acceleration here. 00:13:09.560 --> 00:13:11.060 align:middle line:84% We're still in that data collection. 00:13:11.060 --> 00:13:11.727 align:middle line:90% I'm a scientist. 00:13:11.727 --> 00:13:14.320 align:middle line:84% So we're still in that data collection mode, certainly. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:16.400 align:middle line:84% But the company and I, certainly, 00:13:16.400 --> 00:13:18.440 align:middle line:84% am very, very excited to be bringing this 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:20.880 align:middle line:90% to more and more communities. 00:13:20.880 --> 00:13:24.230 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:13:24.230 --> 00:13:30.000 align:middle line:90%