2023 Agenda

The energy industry stands poised to achieve transformative change as diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice take center stage. What steps does the industry need to take to operationalize practices that promote equity and ensure that we break historical patterns? This candid conversation will invite the audience to investigate how we will hold ourselves, and our industry, accountable as each of us confront and dismantle barriers in creating and promoting inclusive solutions.

• Emily Hyland
  Power Strategic Communications Director
  HDR
  Speaker
• Jose Bodipo-Memba
  Chief Diversity Officer
  Sacramento Municipal Utility District
  Speaker
• KJ Feder
  VP Community Engagement & Corporate Responsibility
  CPS Energy
  Speaker
• Quinn Parker
  Founder & Chief Executive Officer
  Encolor
  Moderator

SEPA leads an annual delegation of U.S. utility and energy industry executives to locations around the globe to discover best practices and new approaches from global counterparts, and accelerate their own clean energy transformation based on learnings they bring back to the U.S. In this session, previous participants will share key takeaways from the 2022 SEPA Fact-Finding Mission to Australia

• Courtney Galatioto
  Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Chief of Staff
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator
• Jenna Weatherred
  Vice President, Member & Community Relations
  Holy Cross Energy
  Speaker
• Paul Lau
  SEPA Board Member | Chief Executive Officer & General Manager
  Sacramento Municipal Utility District
  Speaker
• Seth Frader-Thompson
  SEPA Board Member | President
  EnergyHub
  Speaker

The foundation of a carbon-free energy system is going to take a holistic approach to planning everything, from the grid edge to where electrons are needed. Simultaneously, the influx of distributed generation will require reallocated resources and greater transparency and collaboration between jurisdictions that manage permitting, inspections, and code. How can we plan to integrate long-range transmission, distributed integration, and remove barriers to deployment?

• Aaron Smallwood
  Vice President, Research and Industry Strategy
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Speaker
• Farah Mandich
  Director, Resource Planning and Bidding
  Xcel Energy
  Speaker
• Colin Lamb
  Vice President, Client Success
  Virtual Peaker
  Speaker
• Gary Rackliffe
  SEPA Board Member | Vice President, Market Development & Innovation
  Hitachi Energy
  Speaker
• Stephanie Crocker Ross
  Data Scientist
  EnergyHub
  Moderator

A frank conversation about how the industry is grappling with balancing the need to decarbonize equitably and affordably while considering the associated costs, including retiring carbon generation, supply chain and price fluctuations, energy markets, and valuation.

• Bryan Hannegan
  SEPA Board Member | President & Chief Executive Officer
  Holy Cross Energy
  Moderator
• Linda Ferrone
  SEPA Board Member | Chief Customer & Marketing Officer
  Orlando Utilities Comission
  Speaker
• Lon Huber
  Senior Vice President, Pricing and Customer Solutions
  Duke Energy
  Speaker

Building Equity into Your Program Design is a training course that equips utilities and other organizations to design programs that address the needs of specific customer segments. In this conversation, previous program participant Kirstin Pinit will discuss the journey that Energy Trust of Oregon is on to make equity fundamental to who they are as an organization, with examples from their industry and agriculture program. What were the challenges that they faced? What have they learned along the way? What are some ways that you can apply lessons from their experience to your journey?

• Kirstin Pinit
  Senior Program Manager
  Energy Trust of Oregon
  Speaker
• Quinn Parker
  Founder & Chief Executive Officer
  Encolor
  Moderator

This collaborative session will focus on identifying practical near-term solutions to make progress on utility transportation electrification goals. Panelists will provide an overview of the top drivers and challenges facing the industry, then facilitate a robust discussion with session attendees to identify utilities’ biggest concerns regarding the increase of EV adoption in the United States. This engaging conversation will highlight realistic steps that utilities can take to make progress while preparing for the long term.

• Garrett Fitzgerald
  Senior Director, Electrification
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator
• Malinda Broussard-Briscoe
  Manager, Distribution Planning Engineering
  Evergy
  Speaker
• Megan Truman (Harju)
  Business Development Manager, Transportation Electrification
  Burns & McDonnell
  Speaker

The emerging “as a service” business model seems to be a promising offering for customers, when applied to resilience, can enable utilities to ‘keep the lights on’ during an extended power outage for a single participating customer or a group of customers. In this conversation, panelists will discuss the pros and cons of different resiliency as a service program designs and discuss the impact the model has on the customer resilience benefits and rates, utility capacity benefits and rate recovery, regulatory approval, and partnerships with third-party technology providers.

• Audrey Burkhardt
  Resilience & Energy Storage Portfolio Manager
  Portland General Electric
  Speaker
• Jared Leader
  Director, Resilience
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator
• Lance Haman
  Resiliency Manager
  Georgia Power Company
  Speaker

Automating, streamlining, and scaling data management has the potential to improve customer engagement and interconnection, address system vulnerabilities, and reduce emissions. It also comes with risks. In an increasingly digital industry, how can the industry capitalize on the benefits of digital acceleration while protecting organizations as cybersecurity risks mature? What are digital leaders doing to accelerate results? Come discuss use cases and solutions with the panelists.

• Carolyn Dougherty
  Analyst, Research and Industry Strategy
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator
• David Batz
  Managing Director, Cyber & Infrastructure Security
  Edison Electric Institute
  Speaker
• Rick Sheer
  Director, Energy & Utilities
  CGI
  Speaker

All transitions bear an inherent risk, but dual-fuel utilities have a uniquely complex problem. Pressure is increasing to electrify everything and yet there are approximately $150 - $180 billion in unrecovered gas distribution infrastructure. Despite those harrowing statistics, dual-fuel utilities are stepping up to the plate to develop new business models and value-creation opportunities. Come hear more about how these utilities are managing the unique challenges that dual-fuel utilities face in the clean energy transition.

• Fouad Dagher
  Director, Clean Energy Development
  National Grid
  Speaker
• Lakin Garth
  Director, Research and Industry Strategy
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator
• Margaret Oloriz
  Senior Manager, Energy & Utilities
  West Monroe
  Speaker

Many utilities are grappling with a rapid increase in distributed energy resources (DERs) on their grids. Where does one start? Which DERs should be controlled? Join this interactive session where panelists will navigate a series of questions to find the cure to the Controller Conschmoller Disorder. Attendees will learn how to approach their controller decisions in a rational and logical way, empowering them to tackle their DER management challenges in a manner that can easily be built on over time.

• Alaric J. Babej
  Principal, Customer Energy Solutions
  PNM
  Speaker
• Elliot Stein
  Engineer
  PXiSE Energy Solutions
  Speaker
• Mary C Palmer
  Manager, Event Content Strategy and Programming
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Speaker

Distributed resources interconnection requests are growing and so are the number of stakeholder touchpoints, reporting requirements, and process challenges. In this session, Clean Power Research and Rappahannock Electric Co-op will discuss how they partnered to automate solar education and accelerate interconnection timelines. Clean Power Research will also describe other solutions that have helped utilities automate FERC Generator applications.

• Alan Saunders
  VP, Sales and Business Development
  Clean Power Research
  Speaker
• Meghan Jennings
  Distributed Energy Resources Specialist
  Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
  Speaker
• Ted Burhans
  Director, Distributed Energy Resource Technology
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator

For some utilities, changes stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act make ownership of solar and BESS assets more attractive. This panel will discuss various contracting and financing strategies utilities can use as they contemplate owning clean energy assets as well as discuss solutions for challenges related to supply chain, system design and how to best work directly with EPCs.

• Justin Kramer
  Manager, Emerging Technologies
  Orlando Utilities Commission
  Speaker
• Mike Corso
  Senior VP of Operations
  McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
  Speaker
• Yok Potts
  Director, Regulatory & Business Innovation
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator

Join Rocky Mountain Power, an innovator in energy-efficiency programs for residential and commercial customers, for an interactive discussion on the implementation and scaling of their WattSmart Battery Program, which uses smart batteries and a Grid Battery Management System to support customer's clean energy goals and provide benefits to the overall grid.

• Bill Comeau
  VP, Customer Experience & Innovation
  Rocky Mountain Power
  Speaker
• Kate Strickland
  Manager, Utility and Regulatory Strategy
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Moderator
• Nic Evans
  VP, Commercial
  ES Solar
  Speaker

• Sheri Givens
  President & CEO
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Speaker
• Abby Hopper
  President & Chief Executive Officer
  Solar Energy Industries Association
  Speaker

We'll wrap up the 2023 SEPA Utility Conference and Kickoff RE+ Southeast with an expansive discussion with regional clean energy community 

Join this conversation with SEIA’s President and CEO, Abigail Ross Hopper, and Chandra Farley from the City of Atlanta. During this fireside chat, they will discuss the pathway to increase renewable energy and work towards decarbonization in the Atlanta and Southeast region.

• Abby Hopper
  President & Chief Executive Officer
  Solar Energy Industries Association
  Speaker
• Chandra Farley
  Chief Sustainability Officer
  City of Atlanta
  Speaker

How do policymakers keep the customer and other stakeholders at the center of the conversation as we evolve into a carbon-free system? In this conversation, SEPA’s President and CEO, Sheri Givens and Chris Ayers, Executive Director of the North Carolina Utilities Commission Public Staff, will discuss the role stakeholder engagement played in the adoption of North Carolina’s Carbon Reduction Plan.  As President of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, Chris also will share how consumer advocates ensure that the voice of the customer is considered in commission proceedings.

• Sheri Givens
  President & CEO
  Smart Electric Power Alliance
  Speaker
• Chris Ayers
  Executive Director
  North Carolina Utilities Commission Public Staff
  Speaker

Utility Conference Attendees are invited to tour the RE+ Southeast Expo floor, additional registration is required to participate in RE+Southeast sessions or meals.   

VIP tour of sonnen’s US HQ in Stone Mountain with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our US Engineering, R&D Labs and Production facility, including our latest innovations in intelligent energy storage systems and our Wattsmart Battery Grid Management System partnership with Rocky Mountain Power. 

Discussion including Q&A on how to develop utility + solar industry + energy storage manufacturer partnerships, programs, and projects that create measurable impact, featuring:

Bill Comeau, VP of Customer Experience & Innovation, Rocky Mountain Power

Blake Richetta, Chairman and CEO, sonnen, Inc. 

Nic Evans, VP of Commercial, ES Solar  

FREE Lunch and Roundtrip Transportation sponsored by sonnen (event duration ~4 hours including transportation time)