back to all Events

SS Forum: The Transformation of Power Generation

Event Type
Guest Lecture
Speaker
Marco Bruzzano
Sponsor
Center for Sustainable Systems
Details
November 13, 20152:30pm - 4:00pm
 - 
1040 Dana Building

Title: The Transformation of Power Generation
Abstract:

After many years of debate at a national and global level around the need to address greenhouse gas emissions and the best approach to do so, the federal government has finalized sweeping CO2 regulations for the power sector through the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan. As a result of these regulations, carbon emissions will become a governing parameter for power generation choices. A large share of coal-fired generation - the workhorse for the industry since the 1970s - will be retired and replaced by natural gas-fired and renewable energy generation. A confluence of positive developments supported by significant innovation has the potential to make this transition in the nation's power portfolio less costly than it otherwise would have been. Innovations in natural gas exploration and production and continuing advances in renewable energy technology will allow these resources to play a critical and affordable role in the future low-carbon power portfolio. States, utilities, and regulators will need to work together to manage the transition in measured steps to ensure reliable, affordable energy for customers.

Bio:

 

Marco Bruzzano, is vice president of Corporate Strategy for DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide.  DTE Energy’s operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio also includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading.

Bruzzano leads the Strategy team’s work on behalf of DTE Energy and its business units.  In this role, he has supported a broad range of initiatives, including operational performance improvement in electric distribution, investment strategy development for power generation and electric distribution, M&A opportunity evaluation, and energy policy analysis.  Bruzzano also leads DTE’s cost and operational benchmarking programs and manages the development of long-term commodity market scenarios.

Prior to joining DTE in 2008, Bruzzano worked globally across the entire energy value chain for nearly 20 years.  His previous experience includes extensive periods as a consultant with McKinsey & Co. and Booz Allen Hamilton, where he advised global oil companies, electric utilities and power producers on strategy, operations and organizational effectiveness.

Bruzzano serves on the board of Endeavor Detroit and on the advisory committee of NextEnergy’s “Detroit Smart City” initiative.

Bruzzano earned an MBA with distinction from Duke University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar and a Rollins Scholar.  He also holds BS, with honors, and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.