News & Insights

Our Team: Avant Energy President and CEO Gives Municipal Analysts an Inside Look at Public Power Markets

Avant Energy President and CEO Derick Dahlen joined key industry leaders and spoke at the Advanced Seminar on Public Power in Seattle in October.

The seminar was hosted by the National Federation of Municipal Analysts, comprised of individuals who analyze the creditworthiness of municipal bonds, including energy-related bonds.  Dahlen’s session was organized to discuss the evolving regional power markets.

Dahlen shared his insights about the benefits and risks associated with the existing structure of regional power markets. In addition, he helped attendees better understand the complexity and dynamic nature of regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs).

“Today, ISO’s provide many benefits to the overall electricity market – for example, lower overall energy costs, electric reliability and a reduction in energy price volatility. But it is important to understand that with the benefits come complexity and risks, as rules and markets change,” Dahlen said.

Dahlen offered attendees a unique perspective because in addition to his role as CEO of energy management company Avant Energy, Dahlen serves as the Executive Manager of the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA), with its 12 member municipalities. He has more than 35 years of experience in the power industry.