Presentations

Robert McCullough has presented at seminars, conferences, and symposia, including testimony given before the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2020

 

2020

April 6, 2022
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Hearing on Transparency in Petroleum Markets
This hearing examines steps Congress can take to protect consumers from excessive gas prices, including increasing transparency and ensuring the Federal Trade Commission has the tools and authority necessary to monitor wholesale markets and investigate suspicious trading practices.

April 8, 2020
How Inefficient is PJM’s Capacity Market?
Presented at The Future of Power Markets, a webinar presented by Power Markets Today.

2018

May 15, 2018
The Tower of Bitcoin
Presented at the CAPRE Portland Summit Blockchain Panel.

2017

September 13, 2017
What we have learned about Site C
This presentation was given to reporters in Vancouver, BC showing that the economic case for the Site C Dam has gotten even worse three years after the decisions to build it was made, and BC ratepayers would save money by cancelling the project.

2011

January 13, 2011
Estimating the Consumer’s Burden from Administered Markets
A presentation to the APPA which concludes that Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) are costing consumers approximately $1 billion a month.

2009

October 15, 2009
The Mysterious New York Market
A presentation given at EPIS, Inc.’s 2009 Electric Market Forecasting Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Market behavior at the New York ISO is examined with a focus on the inexplicable yet pervasive “hockey stick” bids.

October 14, 2009
Do ISO Bidding Processes Result in Just and Reasonable Rates?
Presented at the APPA Legal Seminar in Savannah, Georgia, Robert McCullough discusses how current ISO bidding processes preclude the existence of a competitive market, allowing implausible high bids to raise prices above the marginal cost.

June 22, 2009
Pickens’ Peak: Speculators, Fundamentals, or Market Structure
A presentation made to the 2009 IAEE International Conference discussing the change in structure of the world oil market in 2008. This presentation has been revised since the April 7th presentation (below) and is supported by 2009 price data.

April 7, 2009
Pickens’ Peak: Speculators, Fundamentals, or Market Structure
A presentation to the 2009 EIA Energy Conference: A New Climate for Energy, in Washington, D.C. This presentation discusses the causes of the spike in oil prices in the summer of 2008, and provides recommendations to prevent another unexplained rise.

View a related McCullough Research Report here.

February 24, 2009
Why We Need a Connecticut Power Authority
A presentation, on behalf of the AARP Connecticut chapter, to the Connecticut Energy and Technology Committee, in support of H.B. No. 6510 (RAISED) AN ACT ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC POWER AUTHORITY, another effort by consumer advocates, Attorney General Blumenthal and others to protect the people of Connecticut and the state economy from the predatory pricing resulting from ISO New England’s single price wholesale electricity auction market.

View the accompanying report, and testimony.

See AARP Connecticut’s February 24, 2009 press release here.

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2008

October 28, 2008
National Association of Energy Service Companies – 25th Annual Conference
Presentation to the NAESCO on the impact of a volatile economy on energy markets.

April 1, 2008
Connecticut Energy Policy: Critical Times – Critical Decisions
Presentation to the House Energy and Technology Committee at the Connecticut General Assembly.

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2007

May 23, 2007
Why is Electric Competition Proving so Expensive?
Speaker for Portland State University Department of Economics Seminar.

February 26, 2007
Trust, But Verify
Presentation at the Take Back the Power Conference, before the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

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2006

May 18, 2006
Developing a Power Purchase/Fuel Supply Portfolio
Presentation before the Energy Strategies for Cities and Other Public Agencies Conference presented by Law Seminars International, hosted in San Francisco.

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2005

January 5, 2005
Why Does the Enron Problem Take so Long to Solve?
Presentation to the Public Power Council Portland, Oregon

2004

September 16, 2004
Back to the New Market Basics
Presentation to EPIS.

June 28, 2004
Acquiring and Using a Resource Portfolio

June 9, 2004
Enron Discovery in EL03-137/180

June 8, 2004
Caveat Emptor: A Law West of the Pecos
Presentation to ELCON.

May 6, 2004
Governance and Performance: Why RTO’s Seem Less Reliable and More Expensive than Utilities
Presentation regarding the lack of transparency in Western energy markets.

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2003

June 9, 2003
Bad Checks Make Bad Neighbors
In his remarks to the National Association of Utility Consumer Advocates, Robert McCullough discusses how a culture of secrecy in which information flowed freely between competitors but not between public agencies responsible for overseeing the activities of these competitors, was central to the California crisis. Mr. McCullough addresses Senate Bill AB-1890 and its effects on the structure of Western power markets.

January 21, 2003
Statement to California Committee on Market Manipulation
John Powers, a principal consultant with McCullough Research a statement concerning the trading schemes described in the Yoder/Hall Enron memo as “Deathstars”. Mr. Powers explains the effect of counterscheduling on the California markets and the “C66” contract that further restricted transmission capability on the intertie between California and Oregon.

January 21, 2003
Presentation to California Committee on Market Manipulation
The slide show accompanying John Power’s statement.

January 16, 2003
Purloined Agenda: Pursuing Competition in an Era of Secrecy, Guile and Incompetence

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2002

July 16, 2002
Electric Market Risk: Clearing Out the Cobwebs
Presentation to the ISO Market Oversight Committee Seminar sponsored by the Power Industry Computer Application group, San Jose, California. Robert McCullough highlights the risks associated with deregulation of wholesale electricity market.

May 2, 2002
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Presentation to Mark Hatfield’s Symposium at Portland State University covers the history of West Coast energy and current issues.

April 24, 2002
Accounting for the Costs of Restructuring
Presentation at the Utah Association Energy User’s annual seminar.

March 21, 2002
Enron’s International Ventures
Presentation to the Oregon State Bar on Enron’s international holdings and ventures.

March 19, 2002
Sauron’s Ring
Presentation concerning Enron and Jeff Skilling.

February 12, 2002
Power Prices in 2000 through 2005

February 6, 2002
Tsunami: Western Power Market Prices Since May 22, 2000

January 25, 2002
Deconstructing Enron’s Collapse
An historical look at the Pacific Northwest’s electricity industry also chronicles the rise and fall of Enron.

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2001

November 12, 2001
Artifice or Reality: Pricing in the Eastern Interconnection

October 24, 2001
The Case of the Missing Crisis
Debunking some of the myths regarding the California energy crisis.

June 26, 2001
Examining the Outlook on Deregulation
Given to the Institute for International Research (IIR) Dallas, Texas. This presentation looks into the future of deregulation while examining what occurred in California Energy Crisis.

June 3, 2001
When Infrastructure is Not the Answer
Presentation at the New Horizons Energy Conference addresses the shortcomings of California’s electricity deregulation.

May 24, 2001
Future Imperfect
Demystifying the first twelve months of the California crisis.

May 10, 2001
A Year in Purgatory: Electric Markets Since May 22, 2001
Presentation to the Utah Industrial Customers Symposium, Utah Association of Energy Users. Robert McCullough explains the factors leading up to the California energy crisis and offers solutions to rectify shortcomings of the California ISO.

April 18, 2001
Demystifing the First Eleven Months of the California Emergency

April 4, 2001
The Perfect Storm
An analysis of the first ten months of the California crisis.

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1999

December 10, 1999
Reducing Bidder “Creativity”
Presentation prior to deregulation of the Texas wholesale electricity market in Texas.

June 22, 1999
Buying Power in the Northwest: A Buyer’s Perspective
Presenters Robert McCullough, Ann Fischer, and Martin Howard discuss what drives the energy market in the Pacific NorthWest and what to expect in the future.

January 25, 1999
Coping with Capacity Prices
Presentation at Metals Week Aluminum Meeting Analysis of responses to recent spot price spikes. Robert McCullough analyses the causes and offers solutions.

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1998

December 16, 1998
Electric Markets: Challenges and Solutions
Western Power Markets, Las Vegas, Nevada. An analysis of responses to recent changes in Western power markets.

October 27, 1998
Negotiating a Better Deal for Your Power Supply
InfoCast presentation, October 27, 1997 Chicago, Illinois. Robert McCullough and Martin Howard discuss strategies to strike a better deal.

September 14, 1998
Future Pricing Structure in Competitive Markets
“Some Ideas to Argue About” presented by Martin Howard and Robert McCullough to the Annual Electric Market Forecasting Conference sponsored by EPIS, Inc.

June 13, 1998
Succeeding in Aggregation
Presentation at the New Mexico Retail Association, Durango, Colorado. History of regulation in energy markets, suggestions and methodologies to aggregate power in a deregulated environment.

May 19, 1998
Participation in BPA’s Conscription Process: Opportunity or Extortion?
Presentation to Snohomish Public Utility District #1, Snohomish, Washington. Discussion of BPA’s historical background, current market forces, and choices to be made in a competitive energy environment.

May 14, 1998
FORSCOM Strategy: Partnership
Armed forces panel formed to solve the problem of procuring gas and electricity energy services and manage their use under a deregulated utility industry. Robert McCullough outlines a strategy for FORSCOM to operate in the deregulated markets.

May 7, 1998
Running a Competitive Bidding Program for Energy Services and Supplies
InfoCast seminar, The Institutional Energy Users Forum, San Francisco, California. Discussion of purchasing processes, RFP structuring, pricing and insights into the prices of power past and future.

April 3, 1998
Economic Evaluations of Municipalization: InfoCast’s Municipalization in a Changing Power Industry
InfoCast seminar, Arlington, Virginia.

January 17, 1998
Getting The Best Deal for the Customer
Presentation at the Law Seminars Annual Energy Meeting discusses options for customers in the changing competitive environment.

January 15, 1998
Factors Driving the Market
Buying and Selling Electricity In the West, Seattle, Washington. Robert McCullough discusses the role of markets in a restructured environment.

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1997

October 25-26, 1997
Negotiating a Better Deal for Your Power Supply
Presentation by Robert McCullough, Ann Fischer, and Martin Howard.

July 25, 1997
Buying Cheap Power in the Northwest and Mid-Atlantic States

April 3, 1997
Economic Evaluation of Municipalization

January 28, 1997
Power Supplies for New Municipals: Designing an Effective RFP and Evaluating Responses
Presented by Robert McCullough and John Gould

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1996

September 14, 1996
West Coast Overview
Summary of progress in region Retail Wheeling III, Washington, D.C.. Robert McCullough discusses the Western Systems Coordinating Council (WSCC).

May 17, 1996
Sliding Towards Home
Presentation given to the Pulp and Paper Association. Robert McCullough discuss how new markets and new prices will be determined by the customer.

February 23, 1996
Is PoolCo Just the Status Quo?
Robert McCullough explains how competition will allow players to choose other suppliers.

January 26, 1996
Western States Power Supply
Robert McCullough advises that industrial rates are turning downward and special arrangements should be viewed with care.

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1995

December 12, 1995
Big Rivers Electric Cooperative: A Stranded Investment Case Study?
Overview, history, and market value of BREC stranded investment.

December 4, 1995
Predators and Prey: 1995 through 2010 in the WSCC
Presentation at the NELP/PSU Energy Symposium discusses the future of WSCC surplus power and plummeting natural gas prices.

October 18, 1995
Teaching the Hippopotamus to Dance: Bringing the Competitive Electric Market to Evanston
Robert McCullough discusses competition in the marketplace.

August 28, 1995
Retail Wheeling as a Quid Pro Quo for Plant Location
Discussion of competition, regulation and innovative solutions Infocast Seminar.

August 20, 1995
Restructuring in Alberta and California
Governor’s Energy Symposium, Springfield, Illinois. Since change is inevitable, the market must be competitive.

June 12, 1995
Using the “R” Word
Presentation to NELPA Annual Accounting Meeting discuss Bonneville Power Administration’s “Decision to Release 4000 Megawatts to the Market.”

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