Electric Power Systems Master Class

For nearly two decades, power demand in the U.S. was completely flat. In 2026, that era is officially over. Driven by an unprecedented explosion in AI data center development, manufacturing onshoring, and rapid transportation electrification, the grid faces a dual crisis: a massive demand shock combined with extreme, climate-driven weather.

This strategically refreshed, 2-hour live Master Class is designed to anchor you in core grid physics and economics, while immediately applying those concepts to the real-world bottlenecks keeping energy executives up at night.

Led by energy expert Peter Kelly-Detwiler, this session goes beyond a standard lecture. This is an interactive, deep-dive learning experience with dedicated space for real-time Q&A, open discussion, and direct engagement with the instructor. Whether you are an industry beginner or looking to understand the 2026 market shift, you will leave with a comprehensive grasp of how the modern grid functions under pressure.

Hour 1: Grid Anatomy & The Fundamentals of Power

• The Core Vocabulary: Demystifying Frequency, Volts, Amps, Watts, and the critical financial/physical difference between Energy and Capacity.
• The Four Pillars of the Value Chain:
  • Supply: How electricity is generated (Baseload vs. Variable/Intermittent Renewables).
  • Transmission: The high-voltage bulk power highway (AC vs. HVDC) and why the system faces lengthy interconnection queues slowing the addition of new supply
  • Distribution: The low-voltage local delivery system bringing power to the local level.
  • Demand (The Grid Edge): How and when consumers pull power from the grid.

• The Business of Power: Vertically integrated traditional utilities (monopolies) vs. Deregulated Competitive Markets (ISOs/RTOs).
• How Electricity is Bought & Sold: A simplified look at real-time energy markets, capacity markets (paying for reliability), and ancillary services (keeping the grid stable at 60Hz).

Hour 2: The Modern Strain — Growth, Storage, and Next-Gen Tech

• The 2026 Load Growth Shock: Why traditional utility load forecasting has been upended by AI data centers and heavy industrial manufacturing.
• The Reliability & Climate Crisis: Understanding Resource Adequacy through case studies on how extreme weather and shifting generation mixes stress grids like ERCOT (Texas), CAISO (California), and PJM (Northeast).
• The Energy Storage Revolution: Scaling beyond short-duration Lithium-ion to Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) to back up wind and solar.
• The Hydrogen Reality Check: Where Clean/Green Hydrogen makes commercial sense (heavy industry, turbine blending) vs. its massive grid consumption footprint.
• The Active Grid Edge: How heat pumps and electric vehicles are reshaping local demand, and how Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) are turning distributed energy resources (DERs) into grid assets.

Why Attend a SEPA Master Class?

SEPA Master Classes are built for deep learning. You will have the unique opportunity to ask tough questions, stress-test ideas, and engage directly with Peter Kelly-Detwiler and a cohort of your peers to break down the most pressing issues facing the energy transition today.