Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Power Player Awards, organized by SEPA (Smart Electric Power Alliance), recognize individuals and organizations that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and collaboration in advancing practical, scalable solutions across the energy sector. The awards highlight work that aligns with SEPA’s strategic priorities across Grid, Growth, Globe, and Excellence in Leadership, and that has the potential to inform or influence broader industry practice.

Nominations for the Power Player Awards opened on March 2, 2026, and will close on April 3, 2026. The judging panel will review submissions, and finalists will be contacted with further instructions in April.

Nominees may include individuals, utilities, companies, regulators, policymakers, research organizations, project teams, or multi-stakeholder consortia that have played a meaningful role in advancing solutions aligned with the award categories.

Nominations can be submitted through the online nomination form, available on the Power Player Awards section of the SEPA website and linked through dedicated Power Player Awards communications. The form includes questions about innovation, collaboration, replicability and scalability, outcomes achieved, and lessons learned. We recommend drafting responses offline and pasting them into the form to streamline submission. You may review the nomination form questions here.

Nominations are evaluated using three core criteria: Innovation, Collaboration, and Replicability and Scalability

Submissions are evaluated within the context of the category for which they are submitted. For the Excellence in Leadership category, these criteria are applied to an individual’s leadership influence, collaborative approach, and demonstrated impact rather than to a single project or initiative.

The nomination form provides category descriptions and examples to help determine the best fit. Nominators are encouraged to carefully review the category definitions before submitting. A nomination may be submitted to more than one category if appropriate.

The Power Player Awards ceremony will take place on May 19, 2026 in Washington, D.C., as part of SEPA’s Energy Evolution Summit. Winners are asked to have an executive representative or the individual awardee present to accept the award. For global category winners, a U.S.-based representative may accept the award on behalf of the organization or individual.

Each category will include one winner and up to three finalists.

Winners will be recognized during the Power Player Awards ceremony and featured through SEPA communications, including a press release, website content, and social media promotion. Additional opportunities for spotlighting may occur throughout the year.

No. SEPA welcomes nominations from both members and non-members across the industry.

Winners will be notified by April 24, 2026.

To be eligible, the initiative or leadership contribution must have been active or reached a meaningful milestone during the 2025 calendar year.

SEPA requests that each award recipient be represented by an executive or senior leader at the ceremony. Individuals who played a key role in the nominated work are also encouraged to attend. All Power Player Award winners will receive complimentary tickets to the awards ceremony. For global category winners, a U.S.-based representative may accept the award on behalf of the organization or individual.

Yes. Self-nominations are encouraged.

Yes. EES registration must be purchased separately. Attendance at EES is optional for Power Player Award winners.