Celebrating the best of innovative energy. View 2021 Winners Honoring Excellence SEPA Power Players Awards celebrate innovation and collaboration by utilities, industry partners, and individuals shaping the future of electricity. The awards recognize efforts to accelerate the transition to a clean and modern energy future, including: Groundbreaking partnerships, designs, and programs Unique innovations Stakeholder and customer engagement If you are on the leading edge, you could be a Power Player! We judge project nominations based on several criteria, including: Furthering progress to a clean and modern energy future Expanding the knowledge of and access to utility-scale clean energy and distributed energy resources Transforming the world view of the electric industry Can be replicated by others in the industry Frequently asked questions, click here. Nomination questions for all eight award categories, click here. For any other information or questions, please email Jordan Nachbar, SEPA Communications Manager at [email protected] Award Categories In 2021, we have modified the award categories to reflect SEPA’s three pathways to a clean and modern energy future: Grid Integration, Regulatory and Business Innovation, Electrification. We have also added a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category. Diversity, Equity and InclusionThis award recognizes organizations, project teams and/or individuals who have demonstrated unique leadership in efforts to advance DEI principles and programs – either at their own organizations or with their customers. Regulatory and Business InnovationThis award recognizes organizations, project teams and/or individuals who have demonstrated unique innovation and leadership in efforts to facilitate sustainable utility business models and the state regulatory processes needed to achieve a carbon-free energy future. Grid IntegrationThis award recognizes organizations, project teams and/or individuals who have demonstrated unique innovation and leadership in efforts to integrate clean energy and distributed energy resources (DERs) into the grid to help achieve carbon reduction and clean energy goals, and meet the needs of their electricity consumers. ElectrificationThis award recognizes organizations, project teams and/or individuals who have demonstrated unique innovation and leadership in efforts to advance electrification in the electric utility domain, especially vehicle-grid-integration (VGI) or building electrification efforts. Investor-Owned Utility of the YearThis IOU should demonstrate industry leadership through unique innovation in an effort to significantly accelerate the transformation to a clean and modern energy system. Electric Cooperative Utility of the YearThis Electric Cooperative should demonstrate industry leadership through unique innovation in an effort to significantly accelerate the transformation to a clean and modern energy system. Public Power Utility of the YearThis Public Power Utility should demonstrate industry leadership through unique innovation in an effort to significantly accelerate the transformation to a clean and modern energy system. Individual Power Player of the YearThis award recognizes an individual who, while working in the energy industry, has demonstrated leadership and innovation to significantly accelerate the transformation to a clean and modern energy system. The individual’s ‘body of work’ can span a longer period of time, but should include activity and accomplishments during the nomination period.