SEPA Power Players

Recognizing Excellence

SEPA Power Players Awards recognize collaborative and innovative efforts by utilities, their industry partners, and individuals that accomplish the following goals:

  • Expand knowledge of and access to distributed energy resources
  • Transform the worldview of the electric industry
  • Furthers progress towards a integrated clean energy future

Award winners come in many forms: from ground-breaking enterprise, project or program design, unique partnerships, stakeholder engagements, and more.

To better align with SEPA’s expanded mission, The SEPA Power Players Awards (formerly the Solar Power Players Awards) go beyond solar and include two new categories: Change Agent of the Year and Visionary of the Year.

Award Categories

The period of activity covered by this year’s award is the 2016 calendar year. No entry will be considered without completion and submission of the nomination form associated with your desired award category.

Investor-Owned Utility of the Year
Category description
This IOU has demonstrated energy industry leadership through unique or thought-provoking innovation in an effort to significantly advance knowledge of or access to distributed energy resources and expand its value as a resource to help meet the needs of electricity consumers.
Electric Cooperative Utility of the Year
Category description
This cooperative has demonstrated energy industry leadership through unique or thought-provoking innovation in an effort to significantly advance knowledge of or access to distributed energy resources and expand its value as a resource to help meet the needs of electricity consumers.
Change Agent of the Year
Category description
A change agent is a catalyst for transformation. Whether through developing technological standards, business development, regulation, research and more, this new category is open to outstanding groups or individuals that through any number of means have significantly impacted the direction of the clean energy future. Those looking to submit in this category should examine what the results have been of such catalytic actions.
Innovative Partner of the Year
Category description
Judged on innovation, collaboration and replicability, this category recognizes one non-utility partner for a product or service, that in partnership with one or more utility and during the 2016 calendar year, has aided in significantly advancing the expansion of or access to distributed energy resources through unique methods, projects, leadership, or innovation.
Public Power Utility of the Year
Category description
This public power utility has demonstrated energy industry leadership through unique or thought-provoking innovation in an effort to significantly advance knowledge of or access to distributed energy resources and expand its value as a resource to help meet the needs of electricity consumers.
Power Player of the Year
Category description
For an individual who, while working at an electric utility or utility organization, has demonstrated above-and-beyond leadership and innovation to significantly advance an integrative perspective of distributed energy resources for utilities, the electric power industry, and for the benefit of the customer. The individual’s ‘body of work’ can span a longer period of time, but should include activity and accomplishments during the 2016 calendar year.
Visionary of the Year
Category description
This new category will judge nominees based on forward-thinking products, services, regulations, roadmaps and more which may not have brought results to fruition yet. SEPA is looking for dynamic and prominent groups and individuals that are imagining and inspiring how the electric industry envisions the future of clean energy.

Deadlines & FAQs

Nominations for the 2017 SEPA Power Players Awards are now closed. We hope you will join us to celebrate the winners at the SEPA Power Players Awards Dinner. More information and registration is below.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Questions or comments should be directed to Corinne St Laurent at cstlaurent@sepapower.org.

Nominate A SEPA Power Player

Nominate A SEPA Power Player

Know an organization or individual who deserves to be a SEPA Power Player?

Submit Your Nomination

The Awards Ceremony

The winners of the 2017 SEPA Power Players Awards will be chosen by a panel of judges distinguished in the utility and distributed energy resources arenas. This year’s awards will be presented and celebrated July 26, 2017 in Washington, DC at the Grid Evolution Summit – A National Town Meeting during an Awards Dinner. To register for the dinner only click here.

More information on the awards ceremony will be posted soon.
View last year’s winners.

Register for the Grid Evolution Summit