Agenda
Note: Subject to change. Click on speaker to view profile.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
9:30 - 9:45
Fireside Chat
9:45 - 10:30
Executive Insight Panel - The New Energy Operating Model: Distributed, Digital, and Dynamic
A strategic discussion of how decentralization, electrification, and digitalization are reshaping how energy systems are planned, operated, and monetized. We will explore how utilities, regulators, technology providers, and large energy users can adapt business models and investment strategies to capture value from a more flexible, data-driven, and customer-centric energy ecosystem.
10:30 - 11:00
Networking Coffee Break
11:00 - 12:00
From DER Visibility to DER Orchestration
Moving beyond monitoring toward real-time control and optimization of distributed energy resources. Panelists will examine how utilities and solution providers are evolving from passive DER awareness to coordinated, grid-aware orchestration that can improve reliability, flexibility, and asset utilization at scale.
• Edge DER control vs. centralized DERMS
• ADMS integration challenges
• Real-time visibility and telemetry
• Standards and interoperability gaps
12:00 - 1:00
Lunch
1:00 - 2:00
Data Governance in a Distributed Grid
As grid operations become increasingly distributed, utilities must balance broader data access with privacy, cybersecurity, operational reliability, and evolving regulatory requirements. This session examines data ownership, access models, and governance frameworks that enable secure data sharing across utilities, customers, DER providers, aggregators, and technology platforms.
• Data ownership and access models
• Privacy and security considerations
• Edge analytics vs. centralized processing
• Enabling data sharing across stakeholders
• Regulatory trends and implications
2:00 - 2:15
Coffee Break
2:15 - 3:30
From Planning to Execution: Scenario-Based Grid Strategy & DERMS Readiness
Utilities are shifting from deterministic forecasts to scenario-based planning to address uncertainty from DER growth, data center demand, and climate impacts—while increasingly needing to connect these insights to execution-ready systems like DERMS. This session draws on real-world experience to show how strong preparation, data readiness, and cross-functional alignment enable a successful transition from planning to operational reality.
• Integrated resource planning evolution
• Hosting capacity analysis at scale
• Scenario-based planning methods
• Climate-aware & data center development grid planning
• Defining clear use cases and success criteria early
• Data readiness: models, telemetry, and integration groundwork
• Phased implementation and realistic deployment timelines
3:30 - 4:00
Networking Coffee Break
4:00 - 5:15
DERMS: Control Center to the Edge
This session explores how DERMS extends grid intelligence from traditional ADMS environments to behind-the-meter assets, enabling coordinated control, visibility, and optimization across the full grid edge. As DER adoption accelerates, utilities will need integrated platforms that can manage increasingly dynamic resources while preserving reliability, operational simplicity, and customer value.
• Coordinating front-of-the-meter and behind-the-meter DERs
• Use cases enabled by unified FTM–BTM visibility and control
• DERMS as the operational bridge between ADMS and edge assets
• Unlocking flexibility, resiliency, and hosting capacity at the edge
• Enabling scalable edge operations without increasing complexity
• Aggregation and orchestration
• Market integration and FERC 2222
5:15 - 6:45
Reception
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
9:00 - 9:30
8:00 - 9:00
Networking Continental Breakfast
Opening Keynote
9:30 - 10:00
Networking Coffee Break
10:00 - 11:00
Powering the AI Economy Through Data Center Management: How Can Data Centers Become Flexibility Assets?
The rapid growth of AI-driven data centers is reshaping utility load forecasts, transmission and distribution planning, and real-time grid operations. Panelists will discuss how data center operators, utilities, regulators, and technology providers can align reliability, sustainability, and capacity needs while supporting the next wave of digital infrastructure growth.
• Load forecasting under extreme growth
• The Data Center as a Virtual Power Plant
• Onsite generation and hybrid supply models
• Demand response participation
• Cooling optimization and efficiency
• Utility coordination and interconnection planning
• Storage, backup power, and grid-support capabilities
11:00 - 12:00
Evolving the Industry Landscape with Utilities and Data Centers
12:30 - 1:30
Lunch -- Discussion & Networking Roundtables by Topic