A Practical Framework for Evaluating Energy Plans
Recorded September 17, 2026 · Matt Haupt in conversation with Edward Saltzberg · 62 minutes
Matt Haupt’s course, Understanding Electricity Markets, builds the judgment to turn market information into sound energy decisions. Begins October 28. Cohort limited to 25.
Every energy plan runs on two grids. The physical grid of wires, transformers, and generation decides what can happen. The financial grid of markets, tariffs, and contracts decides what will happen and who pays. Matt Haupt spent years reviewing energy proposals as energy director at NAVFAC headquarters, across more than 70 Navy and Marine Corps installations. In this conversation he explains why a plan that works on one grid can fail on the other, and how to test it before you commit.
“Most people just say, ‘Oh, I need 20 megawatts,’ and they walk away. That’s just the surface.”
Matt Haupt
Five questions before you commit to an energy plan
Three lessons from the conversation
Efficiency comes before new supply. When a plant can’t get more capacity from its utility, Haupt’s first move is to demand less: replace aging panels, correct the power factor, shift schedules. One naval aviation depot added second and third shifts when daytime prices climbed and got more work done for less money.
A hedge protects the bill, not the lights. Financial instruments can cap what you pay during a price spike. They deliver no electricity and prevent no outage.
Know the system you are adding to. On one base, new power control equipment kept tripping off because the legacy protection system didn’t recognize it. The plan looked sound on paper.
Questions we did not reach. Matt will answer the remaining audience questions in writing, including distributed energy, storage, and new market players. His answers will be posted here.
Session resources
Worksheet · 4 pages
The Two-Grid Energy Plan Stress Test
Test a proposal on both grids and reach a decision.
Checklist · 1 page
Questions Before Committing to an Energy Plan
The five questions above, ready to print.
Reference · 1 page
Key Electricity Market Terms
Plain definitions, from LMP to capacity markets.
Matt Haupt, PE, CEM, CPP
SSF energy faculty. Former Director of Energy at NAVFAC headquarters, leading energy strategy across more than 70 Navy and Marine Corps installations. Retired U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer.
Edward Saltzberg, Ph.D.
Moderator. Executive Director of the Security and Sustainability Forum. Visiting scholar at George Washington University.
SSF RESILIENT ENERGY CERTIFICATE · COURSE 1 OF 7
Understanding Electricity Markets: Wholesale, Retail, and What Comes Next
Anyone can now pull up how electricity markets work in minutes, from the internet or an AI assistant. The harder part is deciding which facts matter for your decision, which assumptions to test, and how physical limits, market rules, contracts, and risk should shape a recommendation. Matt Haupt made those calls across more than 70 Navy and Marine Corps installations. In four working sessions built on real cases, he will help you build that judgment for your organization or clients.
The final sessions look ahead to data centers, small modular reactors, and changing market rules, and you will work the stress test through a complete case.
Gain the judgment to know what to do with the knowledge.
Four live two-hour sessions begin October 28. $495. Cohort limited to 25. No engineering background required.
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