Over the last thirty years, technological change has accelerated at an increasing rate, threatening established business models and upending whole sectors of the economy. In the case of telecommunications, the rise of wireless services and Voice over Internet Protocol, for example, have transformed what was once a monopoly service. More generally, Internet services have regularly developed in a “disruptive” fashion, undermining existing business models. And in today’s electric power sector, many analysts and commentators point to the rise of distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar, demand response, and storage, as a disruptive threat to prevailing regulatory and business models.
This conference will evaluate the increasing speed of disruptive innovation and its limits in these three sectors. In the telecommunications context, for example, there is still only limited competition in the last mile–notably, where broadband services to consumers and businesses do not face robust competition. And in electric power, questions remain whether the type of disruptive innovation seen in telecom–for example, the rise of wireless services–provides a useful analogy for understanding the changes currently taking place in that sector. By viewing these issues in comparative context, this conference seeks to shed light on the nature and limits of technological change in these three sectors, the role and potential limits of disruptive innovation, and the appropriate response for policy and regulation.
Sessions
Welcome and Introduction
- Phil Weiser
Hatfield Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School - William Boyd
Associate Professor of Law, University of Colorado
Electric Power
- William Boyd — Moderator
Associate Professor of Law, University of Colorado - John Caldwell
Director of Economics, Edison Electric Institute - Virginia Lacy
Manager (Electricity), Rocky Mountain Institute - Joshua Epel
Chairman, Colorado Public Utilities Commission - Diana Moss
President, American Antitrust Institute
Break
Telecommunications
- Phil Weiser — Moderator
Hatfield Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School - Dan Caruso
Co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Zayo Group - James Feger
Vice President - Network Strategy & Development, CenturyLink - Angie Kronenberg
Chief Advocate and General Counsel, Comptel - Harold Teets
Senior Vice President - Information and Network Technologies, tw telecom
Break
Internet Services
- Harry Surden — Moderator
Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School - Ryan McIntyre
Managing Director, Foundry Group - Dan'l Lewin
Corporate Vice President, Technology and Civic Engagement, Microsoft - Sarah Schupp
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, UniversityParent - John Levisay
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Craftsy
Break
Closing Panel: The Investment Perspective
- Brad Bernthal — Moderator
Associate Professor, University of Colorado Law School - James Linfield
Partner, Cooley LLP - John Wallington
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, UPC Capital Ventures, LLC - William Perry
Venture Advisor, Infield Capital and Vision Ridge Partners - John Siegel
Partner, Columbia Capital - Nicole Glaros
Chief Product Officer, Techstars
Reception
Sponsored By
Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment