Panelist Bios, State of the Grid 2025
Mike DeSocio, Founder and CEO - Luminary Energy, LLC
Moderator
Michael DeSocio is an energy market and regulatory specialist helping clients navigate the complex field of energy markets and the regulatory structures that govern them. He specializes in supporting existing and new market participants with navigating the entire project lifecycle from initial concept to interconnection to market participation and compliance. Mike offers clients insights into wholesale electricity market design and grid operation, price forecasting and revenue analysis, and assessment of changing policies and regulations to provide a fulsome understanding of the evolving energy landscape.
Before founding Luminary Energy, Mr. DeSocio has contributed to the NYISO’s wholesale electricity market design and grid operation for over 25 years. He has advanced a diverse array of wholesale energy and capacity market enhancements to improve market signals and incentives for attracting and retaining resources that support grid reliability needs and energy policy objectives.
These include landmark changes to the NYISO’s capacity accreditation rules, the introduction of a multi-interval co-optimized real-time energy market, the enhancement of ancillary service product and pricing designs, and improved transmission congestion pricing. Mr. DeSocio also led wholesale market designs for energy storage, distributed energy resources (DERs), and hybrid resources, and improved interregional trade across the Northeast.
Previously, Mr. DeSocio worked at Central Hudson Gas & Electric focusing on system protection, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and substation design.
He earned a Master of Engineering degree in Electrical Power Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.
Brittany Allerdings, Project Manager, Distribution Planning - Con Edison
Brittany Allerdings is a Project Manager in the Distributed Generation group for Con Edison. She is focused on the end-to-end interconnection process for Distributed Energy Resources connecting to the distribution grid. She coordinates across internal and external stakeholders to ensure technical and policy changes related to DER interconnection balance customer and utility priorities. Prior to this role, Ms. Allerdings worked in various positions within Electric Operations at Con Edison, including positions within engineering and field construction.
Ms. Allerdings holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University.
Liam Baker, Senior VP Regulatory Affairs – Alpha Generation, LLC
Liam Baker is the Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Alpha Generation, LLC. He is responsible for a variety of regulatory, legal and commercial matters affecting the company’s 14,000 MW of ISONE, PJM and NYISO assets. Mr. Baker has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Manhattan College, a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Fairfield University and a J.D. from Pace University School of Law. Over a thirty year career he has held a wide and varied array of positions in the electric generating industry, from operating supervisor of high-voltage line constructors to staff engineer, attorney and asset manager.
Kyle Collins, Director of Business Development - HydroQuebec
Mr. Collins is the Director of Business Development at Hydro-Québec Energy Services, the U.S. marketing division of Hydro-Québec, based in Hartford, Connecticut.
Mr. Collins’ responsibilities at Hydro-Québec include the origination of business development opportunities in the U.S. power markets with a focus on New York, analysis of New York and New England wholesale markets, and coordination of Hydro-Québec’s outreach efforts, including assessment of state and federal energy policies related to clean and renewable energy.
Prior to joining Hydro-Québec, he held several positions in the finance field and has an extensive background in energy and commodity markets.
Mr. Collins holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Union College and an MBA from the University at Albany.
Jon Sawyer, Director Grid Operations – NYISO
Jon Sawyer is the Director, Grid Operations for the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which operates New York’s high-voltage transmission system, manages the state’s wholesale electricity markets, and conducts comprehensive power system planning.
Mr. Sawyer is responsible for all Control Room Operations functions and System Operator Training, including real-time system operations, to ensure reliable operation of the New York bulk power system.
Mr. Sawyer has been with the NYISO for over 20 years, serving in various roles such as Operator Training, System Operator, and Manager of Control Room Operations.
Prior to joining the NYISO, he spent 8 years in the United States Navy in the Nuclear Power Program, including 2 years as an instructor training students in reactor plant operations and serving onboard a Los Angeles class submarine for 3 years.
He has a B.S. degree in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix.