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Download the presentations from the 2018 E Source Forum. The Forum keeps you current on today’s utility trends, best practices, and critical issues. We blend content, networking, and fun to create a unique atmosphere of collaboration among more than 600 utility professionals.
March 12, 2025 | 10:00 am-5:00 pm EDT

The E Source Forum keeps you current on today’s utility trends, best practices, and critical issues. We blend content and fun to create a unique atmosphere that fosters collaboration and networking among more than 600 utility professionals from across the US and Canada.

In addition to offering insights on advancing the use and adoption of energy-efficiency programs, we provide practical information aimed at helping utilities and their partners manage and improve their customer relationships as well as navigate the ever-changing utility industry.

Via the links below, you can download presentations from the conference. Please note that not all speakers gave us permission to share their presentation.

E Source Toolbox

Download  E Source Toolkit for Account Managers (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Contact Center Managers (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for CX Strategists (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for DER Strategists (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for DSM Teams (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Engineers (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Product Manufacturers (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Program Managers and Implementers (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Residential and Business Marketers (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Social Media Managers and Corporate Communicators (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Utility Partner Business Development (PDF)

Download  E Source Toolkit for Web and Digital Managers (PDF)

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Plenary: Your Customers Are Choosing Their Future—Will They “Swipe Right or Left” on Your Utility?

Customers big and small are choosing to buy electricity and gas from new sources, whether through direct solar installations, power purchase agreements, or open shopping. Are you giving them a reason to stay and do business with you? In this opening plenary session, we’ll investigate the root needs and wants of three large businesses, using our listening and empathy skills to find out what our services are missing. How might we change our offerings to better serve the customers of today and tomorrow? What are customers looking for, and can we learn to provide it?

Wayne Greenberg, E Source
Kathy Loftus, Whole Foods Market
Douglas Rath, Marriott International Inc.
John DiStasio, Large Public Power Council

Beyond Listening: Turning Customer Feedback into Action

You have an overwhelming amount of customer feedback available to you—surveys, call transcripts, Facebook posts, focus groups, and more. How do you organize this mass of data and use it to create concrete improvements for your customers? We’ll hear about two facets of creating and optimizing a voice-of-the-customer (VOC) program. South Jersey Gas and Southwire, a leading manufacturer of electrical wire and cable, will join us to share how they transformed their customer feedback processes through technological improvements and journey mapping. Then we’ll hear how ComEd used VOC and voice-of-the-employee feedback to reimage and transform the residential new construction experience by turning this key moment of truth into an enjoyable experience for customers. ComEd’s efforts also opened the door to revenue opportunities by providing new products and services.

Filomena Gogel (moderator), E Source
Robin Christmas, South Jersey Gas
Chad Garrett, E Source
Maureen Russolo, Southwire Canada
Christ Siambekos, ComEd
Julie Snow, ComEd
Donna Ward, Southwire
Melanie Wemple, E Source

Download  Transforming the Customer Experience (PDF), ComEd

Download  Voice of the Customer Program: Measuring and Improving Customer Experience (PDF), South Jersey Gas

Download  Customer Feedback into Action: Southwire’s Customer Experience Journey (PDF), Southwire

Deep Dive into the Minds of Marriott’s and Whole Foods’ Energy Strategists

Doug Rath, Marriott’s senior director of energy and environment for the Americas, and Kathy Loftus, Whole Foods’ global leader for sustainable facilities, know how it feels to be a top-tier utility customer, and they will openly share with you their joys and frustrations. Come hear behind-the-scenes insights from two of the most influential energy managers in North America and learn how utilities can improve their relationships with national accounts. Doug and Kathy will explain their strategies for renewable energy, sustainability, and energy efficiency and answer questions from the audience.

Mike Hildebrand (moderator), E Source
Kathy Loftus, Whole Foods Market
Douglas Rath, Marriott International Inc.

For the Love of Ratepayers: How Highly Competitive Marketers Would Serve Captive Customers

To marketers from companies where attracting and keeping customers yields success or failure, having hundreds of thousands of customers who pay monthly must seem curious. What lessons can we learn from their approach to customers? How do they engage, serve, and bring value to customers? After this light-hearted, fun discussion, you’ll walk away with outside-the-industry tactics for product marketing, brand communications, and customer experience strategies.

Luke Currin (moderator), E Source
Tim Donza, Egg Strategy
Mike Sukle, Sukle Advertising & Design
Danielle Wilkie, Bluprint

Tales from the Top: The Strategies Behind Successful DSM

Because of the pressures facing DSM programs and portfolios, finding new and different ways to generate cost-effective energy savings continues to vex program administrators. Creating a successful portfolio is no longer about the types of DSM programs you’re running. It’s about innovative strategies that enable utilities to reach new customers with existing programs and existing customers with new initiatives that can drive participation and support investments in DSM. We’ll hear from DSM program administrators who will outline several initiatives that can prepare your portfolio for the next generation of DSM.

Kevin Andrews (moderator), E Source
Tony Bustamante, ComEd
Jeff Jerome, BGE
Ariel Murphy, Public Service Company of New Mexico

Download  Strategies Behind Successful DSM Programs: ComEd’s Peak Time Savings Program (PDF), Tony Bustamante

Download  Virtual Audits for C&I Customer Engagement (PDF), Jeff Jerome

Download  Comprehensive Whole Home Program (PDF), Ariel Murphy

The Rise of the Smart Home: Innovative Pilots and Strategic Opportunities

In the residential space, connected “smart” technologies are opening up new opportunities for utilities. We’ll highlight some of the most exciting recent research on the energy and demand benefits provided by smart home technology (including the impact of user behavior) and hear about innovative new pilots and initiatives using these systems. We’ll also discuss emerging opportunities for utilities to use virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant for customer education, efficiency, demand management, and improved customer experience.

Adam Maxwell (moderator), E Source
William Ellis, Exelon Utilities
Brad Piper, Lockheed Martin Energy
Essie Snell, E Source

Download  Smart Homes and Energy Efficiency (PDF), William Ellis

Download  5 Design Imperatives (PDF), Adam Maxwell

Download  Home Energy Management (HEMS) Validation Pilots (PDF), Brad Piper

Download  Voice Control Changes Everything: Why Utilities Should Care About Virtual Assistants (PDF), Essie Snell

Awards Luncheon

The E Source Utility Ad Awards Contest is the energy industry’s largest and most comprehensive competition, attracting hundreds of entries. Our goal is to recognize and reward creative excellence in utility advertising. See the winning ads from previous contests.

 

Achievements in Utility Customer and Employee Experience: 2018 Edition

The winners of the 2018 E Source Achievements in Utility Customer and Employee Experience contest will share their stories of designing experiences that excite and delight. You can use their successful strategies to inform your own initiatives.

Jeffrey Daigle (moderator), E Source

Download  2018 Achievements in Customer and Employee Experience (PDF)

Committing to the Long Term: Successful Utility Market-Transformation Initiatives

Many utilities and regional program administrators are embracing the potential for significant energy savings through market-transformation initiatives. These market interventions, like midstream and upstream programs, offer a cost-effective way speed up energy-efficiency adoption. But these initiatives can take up to 10 years to come to fruition. Join us to hear tales of success from active market-transformation programs. We’ll also explore how to evaluate these initiatives and determine whether the market has shifted.

Jordan Tobey (moderator), E Source
Jim Fay, ComEd
Jenn Parsons, National Grid
Claire Miziolek, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Download  Market Transformation Best Practices: ComEd’s Market Transformation Summit & Program (PDF), Jim Fay

Download  Let’s Transform a Market! The Retail Products Platform Approach (PDF), Claire Miziolek

Download  Transforming the Market through Upstream Programs (PDF), Jenn Parsons

Data Center Panel Discussion: A Customer’s Perspective

Let’s listen to the voices of some data center customers as our panelists dish about energy trends specific to their industry, organizations, and roles. We’ll discuss energy-efficiency priorities and interests, hurdles to project implementation, and resiliency and reliability needs. This session will help you understand how to can engage with data center stakeholders in order to become more involved in their sustainability initiatives.

Devin Fink (moderator), E Source
Jenny Gerson, Zayo Group
Alan Rowley, Colorado Springs Utilities

Shark Bowl: Start-Up Companies Pitch Their Products

Watch as a few intrepid entrepreneurs who are developing new energy-efficiency technologies present their products to a panel of leading DSM program managers, also known as the Sharks. The Sharks are looking for new additions to their DSM program portfolios, and the entrepreneurs are looking for new markets. Will the Sharks take the bait? Will the entrepreneurs be eaten alive? Come and find out.

Jay Stein (moderator), E Source
Scot Duncan, Conservant Systems
Dale Edginton, Endo Enterprises
Tom Lienhard, Avista Utilities
Julie Volpe Walker, AEP Ohio

Download  Reaching the Unreachable Loads for EE and DER Using the High Efficiency Dehumidification System (HEDS) (PDF), Scot Duncan

Download  EndoTherm & EndoCool (PDF), Dale Edginton

Top Solar Marketing Leaders: Utilities That Are Winning with Customer-Centric Communications

We’re pleased to recognize utility solar marketing leaders for their innovative and customer-friendly solar campaigns. You’re invited to walk the red carpet and attend a star-studded session to learn from utilities that have successfully launched solar marketing campaigns and gained customer support and participation in their service areas.

Stephanie Holmlund (moderator)
Leland Keller, Fort Collins Utilities
Kerry Klemm, Xcel Energy
Jessica Lim, Southern California Edison
John Phelan, Fort Collins Utilities

Download  Renewable Choice Made Easy: Renewable Energy Advisor Tool (PDF), Kerry Klemm

Download  Best Solar Branding & Awareness (PDF), Jessica Lim

Download  Best Rates Communication Plan: Solar Billing and Dynamic Pricing (PDF), John Phelan, Leland Keller

Download  E Source Utility Solar Website Benchmark: Awards Edition (PDF), Alanya Schofield

DSM Tracking System Showdown

Commercial DSM tracking systems have enabled utilities and program administrators to streamline the ways they track, manage, and report their DSM data. With an increasingly crowded marketplace, however, it’s difficult to understand which commercial vendor is best suited to your utility’s specific needs around legacy systems, electronic integrations, and other important considerations for tracking and reporting. Bring your questions to this interactive session where we’ll hear commercial tracking system vendors explain why their system is the one for you.

Kevin Andrews (moderator), E Source
S. Balakrishnan, ANB Systems
Tim Maslak, Applied Energy Group
Dan Merchant, E Source
Udi Merhav, energyOrbit
Mark Shaw, Accent Gold Solutions
Damion Walkup, Direct Technology

Download  DSM Tracking System Showdown (PDF)

Strategic Electrification and the Next Generation of Efficiency Programs

Strategic electrification supports grid decarbonization and distributed energy resources by building flexible electric load that can soak up renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This type of electrification is an opportunity for utilities to develop programs that deliver GHG reductions alongside efficiency gains, while also generating load growth and revenue. During this session, we’ll highlight strategic electrification programs that utilities are designing to target buildings. Join us to hear from utilities that are already working on these next-gen programs and to share your thoughts on the matter.

Bill LeBlanc (moderator), E Source
Scott Blunk, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Michael Travers, BC Hydro
Courtney Welch, E Source
Kevin Wood, Southern California Edison

Download  Electrification Programs (PDF), Scott Blunk

Download  Developing Low Carbon Electrification Programs (PDF), Michael Travers

Download  Strategic Electrification and the Next Generation of Efficiency Programs (PDF), Courtney Welch

Download  Building Electrification at Southern California Edison (PDF), Kevin Wood

Utility-Only Innovation Workshop: Designing the Perfect Utility Killer

During this fast-paced, fun, interactive, and highly insightful session, you’ll design the perfect company to compete with your utility. In the process, we’ll gain important insights into our own organizational weaknesses, opportunities, potential products and services, customer experiences, brand positioning, and more.

Matthew Burks, E Source
Adam Maxwell, E Source

Download  Designing the Perfect Utility Killer (PDF)

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Designing Customer-Centric Residential Demand-Response Programs

Traditional demand-response (DR) programs elicit strong emotions from customers—who wants their thermostat adjusted on the hottest days of summer? Focusing on the customer experience of these programs is important because cost-effective and reliable demand reduction depends on high participation rates. Utilities are increasingly using DR as an alternative to adding supply-side resources, so high opt-out rates aren’t an option. Our speakers will share how customer-centric program design is the recipe for success, and we’ll explore methods for streamlining the customer journey in dual energy-efficiency and DR programs.

Lynn Stein (moderator), E Source
Beth Crouchet, Austin Energy
Elena Hill, KCP&L
Amanda Janaskie, BGE

Download  Designing Customer-Centric Residential Demand Response Programs (PDF), Beth Crouchet

Download  Designing Customer-Centric Demand Response Programs (PDF), Elena Hill

Download  PeakRewards Smart Thermostat Program (PDF), Amanda Janaskie

Driving Transformation Through Customer Experience

Customer experience (CX) is moving from the margins to the mainstream as companies realize that CX is the strategy that will ensure their longevity and maximize their contribution to the world. With this evolution, CX professionals have moved from the basement to the boardroom, increasing their influence and impact. Learn how CX professionals across industries are moving beyond the tactics of CX management to lead truly transformative efforts in their organizations, and find out which skills will distinguish you as a CX professional in the future.

Eryc Eyl (moderator), E Source
Lori Kirkland, Terrapin Digital

Wake Up to the Branding Opportunities of a High-Quality Company Blog

Join our live morning show where we’ll ask an expert panel of corporate communicators how they’re using blogs and news sites to build brand identity, communicate information through storytelling, and positively influence corporate reputation. In a world where content consumption is constantly changing, a compelling blog about your community, employees, innovations, and energy-efficiency tips can draw more visitors than you might think.

Jessica Bailis (moderator), E Source
Luke Currin (moderator), E Source
Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, Southern California Edison
Eric Elkins, WideFoc.us
Richard Yost, BGE

You Don’t Have to Grow It Alone: Cultivating Plants and Load the Efficient Way

Cannabis legalization across North America is driving growth in energy use by the indoor agriculture sector. This is placing downward pressure on equipment prices and paving the way for controlled-environment agriculture to expand more broadly. Indoor ag customers face challenges unlike those of other utility customers—a grower’s job is akin to operating a data center inside an indoor swimming pool, all while trying to keep large crops of plants alive and healthy. Come learn how these customers operate, what types of technologies they use, and what they need from their utilities in order to thrive in an emergent and quickly evolving market.

Emily Backus (moderator), City and County of Denver
Dave Bisbee, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Bryan Jungers, E Source
John Morris, D+R International
Eric Stern, Cultivate Energy Optimization

Download  You Don’t Have to Grow It Alone! Cultivating Plants and Load the Efficient Way (PDF)

Back to CX Basics: Getting Great at What Matters Most

Providing a great customer experience (CX) isn’t complicated. A super CX is a natural outcome for companies that nail the fundamentals. Get back to the basics in this fast-paced session where we’ll explore how to take your utility’s CX from mundane to magnificent.

Aleana Reeves (moderator), E Source
Kari Baker, BC Hydro
Ken Bell, BC Hydro
Jenny Bricco, Southern Company Gas
Sandy Buzzard, Duke Energy
Will Holloway, ClickFox
Blaine Kyllo, Content Strategy Inc.
Paige Nunn, Dominion
Keenan Samuelson, E Source

Download  “Design Thinking” a New Bill (PDF), Kari Baker

Download  Speeding Up Front-Line Customer Service (PDF), Ken Bell, Blaine Kyllo

Download  Southern Company Gas Utilities Consolidation (PDF), Jenny Bricco

Download  Email Acquisition: Getting Good at the Basics (PDF), Sandy Buzzard

Download  ClickFox: The Journey Company (PDF), Will Holloway

Download  Accessibility & Inclusion (PDF), Paige Nunn

Mind the Gap! How to Lead Your Utility into the Next Generation of Savings

New federal efficiency standards will create a gap in utility energy savings from traditional lighting programs after 2020. Our panel of three industry thought leaders will discuss potential strategies for replacing lighting with new technologies and programs. Here’s a hint: One size doesn’t fit all.

Kate Merson (moderator), E Source
Meghan Dewey, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
Jackie Ducharme, Xcel Energy
Claire Miziolek, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Download  PG&E’s Next Generation of Energy Efficiency Savings (PDF), Meghan Dewey

Download  EISA’s Impact on Lighting: Xcel Energy’s DSM Portfolio (PDF), Jackie Ducharme

Download  Mind the Gap: How to Lead Your Utility into the Next Generation of Savings (PDF), Kate Merson

Download  Understanding EISA’s Gap (and How to Fill It?) (PDF), Claire Miziolek

Opportunities in Experiential Marketing: Driving EV Adoption and Beyond

Customers in every industry are connecting with brands not just through high-quality products and services, but also through personal experiences. Join us to explore the growing trend of experiential marketing, the unique opportunities utilities have for one-on-one interactions with customers, and the potential to develop an emotional connection between the customer and the utility. Learn how utilities use experiential marketing to change customer perceptions and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and energy-saving behaviors. We’ll discuss why they’re doing it, how they’re doing it, and what they’ve learned.

Rachel Cooper (moderator), E Source
Jeff Beeson, KCP&L and Westar Energy
Casaundra Donahoe, SRP
Rae Anne Moen, SaskPower
Lori Rogers, SRP

Download  Using Experiential Marketing to Drive EV Adoption (PDF), Jeff Beeson

Download  SRP Get Some Shade Fashion Show (PDF), Casaundra Donahoe, Lori Rogers

Download  You Don’t Have to Be Apple to Think Differently (PDF), Rae Anne Moen

Tech Roundup: Forum Edition

Your favorite web conference is live! Our tech researchers will tell you about their favorite emerging technologies and trends in this fast-paced lightning round. Whether you’re looking for promising picks for your DSM portfolios or fodder for dinner table conversation, we’ve got you covered. Topics include the latest in liquid cooling for servers, technologies for dipper wells in ice cream shops, membrane oxygenation for liquid wastewater treatment, reusable grow medium for indoor agriculture, distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS), wireless energy monitoring, heat pump clothes dryers, debunking disaggregation, smart wireless controllers for commercial hydronic heating systems, and advanced residential HVAC controls.

Andrea Salazar (moderator), E Source
Zach Hamber, E Source
Logan Jacobson, E Source
Bryan Jungers, E Source
Monali Mujumdar, E Source
Essie Snell, E Source
Jay Stein, E Source

Download  Tech Roundup: Forum Edition (PDF)

Developing Your Future-Forward Customer Contact Channel Strategy

Customer contact technologies that seemed peripheral a few years ago are quickly becoming mainstream. With so many new opportunities for connecting with customers, you need a clearly articulated strategy to help prioritize your precious customer contact dollars.

Jeffrey Daigle (moderator), E Source
Keenan Samuelson, E Source

Download  Developing Your Future-Forward Customer Contact Channel Strategy (PDF)

Finding Your Online Marketplace Match

Many utilities now have online marketplaces to increase rebate program participation, reduce program costs, and raise customer satisfaction. But can they provide significant energy savings for your DSM goals? Do they boost customer satisfaction and engagement? Join us for an interactive session and hear from several utility marketplace program managers who found their perfect marketplace match.

Beth Fitzjarrald (moderator), E Source
Lynn Stein (moderator), E Source
Kari Binley, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
William Ellis, Exelon Utilities
José Gonçalves, DTE Energy
Colin Lamb, Xcel Energy

Download  Why a Marketplace? (PDF), Kari Binley

Download  Digital Strategy: Marketplace (PDF), William Ellis

Download  DTE Energy Marketplace (PDF), José Gonçalves

Download  Finding Your Online Marketplace Match (PDF), Colin Lamb

Making Tunable Lights Shine Bright: Strategies for Conducting Successful Pilots

Recent studies on tunable lighting have demonstrated energy savings and non-energy benefits such as improved health and overall well-being. However, not many utilities are conducting pilots or talking about including them in programs. In this problem-solving panel session, we’ll investigate the barriers to adding this technology to programs and get ideas for successful pilots from the experts.

Jim Fay (moderator), ComEd
Monali Mujumdar (moderator), E Source
Dave Bisbee, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Bob Davis, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Download  Circadian Lighting Projects: Lessons Learned (PDF), Dave Bisbee

Download  Tunable LED Lighting: What’s the Buzz? (PDF), Bob Davis

Download  50,000 Ft Perspective: Piloting Tunable Lighting—Utility EE Issues (PDF), Jim Fay

SMB Marketing: Success Stories and New Research

How do you encourage a winery, a healthcare facility, and an office building to participate in your energy-efficiency program? Speaking the right language to the right customer is key to increasing program participation and small and midsize business (SMB) customer engagement. We’ll highlight successful strategies for engaging SMB customers and introduce E Source’s new ethnographic research on this group.

Rachel Cooper (moderator), E Source
Thomas Brooks, Georgia Power
Tom Brubaker, PECO
Gene Gerhart, SRP
Adam Maxwell, E Source
Katie Mueller, Focus on Energy
Darin Read, SRP
Erin Soman, APTIM

Download  Small Commercial Direct Install Program (PDF), Tom Brooks

Download  Casting Your Net and Baiting Your Hook: Best Practices in SMB Lead Generation Marketing (PDF), Thomas Brubaker

Download  High-Level SMB Ethnographic Insights (PDF), Adam Maxwell

Download  Saving with Smiles on the Side (PDF), Katie Mueller, Erin Soman

Download  SMB Marketing and Customer Engagement (PDF), Darin Read, Gene Gerhart

Tending the Flame: Overcoming Barriers and Creating Opportunities in Gas Utilities

The move toward renewable energy, electrification, and zero-net energy buildings is putting pressure on gas utilities to make technological changes and devise new ways to attract and retain customers. Bring your biggest worries and innovative ideas for a lively roundtable discussion with your peers. Participation is limited to utilities only.

Andrea Salazar (moderator), E Source
Owen Brady, National Grid
Tom Lienhard, Avista Utilities

Download  Gas Demand Response (PDF), Owen Brady

Download  Natural Gas Electrification? (PDF), Tom Lienhard

Utility-Only Workshop: Crossing the EV Marketing Chasm—How Would Apple or Amazon Do It?

Electric transportation (e-mobility) is the largest new growth opportunity for electric utilities since the air conditioner. By our count, at least 100 new all-electric and hybrid-electric models will be launched by 2022. Yet the electric vehicle (EV) market is evolving at its own pace, largely steered by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and automakers, with minimal utility involvement. The utility strategy of creating a “build it and they will come” network of charging stations is not enough; rather utilities will need to become savvy marketers to move the needle on EVs. At this executive workshop, we’ll discuss innovative marketing approaches and what really needs to be done.

Bill LeBlanc, E Source
Jim Rogers, Duke Energy

Utility-Only Workshop: Empathy Mapping

During this workshop, we’ll equip you with one of the skills needed for design thinking or journey mapping. Namely, you’ll learn how to craft an empathy map that will help you understand your customers before designing a product or experience.

Jeffrey Daigle (moderator), E Source

Friday, September 28, 2018

Customer-Centric Culture: From Buy-in to Booyah!

Every utility CX professional knows that it takes more than a grassroots effort to transform the customer experience. What does it take to create a truly customer-centric culture, and what can you do to make it happen? You’ll leave this session with new perspective and fresh optimism about your utility’s culture.

Lisa Schulte (moderator), E Source
Eryc Eyl, E Source

Electrification: The Link Between Customer-Centric Products and New Revenue Streams

Hear ye, hear ye! If you want to know what’s happening in the world of electrification, don’t miss this informative and interactive session. We’ll focus on technologies that are dominating the market and explore program design and marketing strategies from a variety of perspectives. We’ll put your concepts to the test to be sure you leave with a briefcase full of actionable ideas for customer-centric products and new revenue streams.

Rachel Cooper (moderator), E Source
Bill LeBlanc, E Source

Evolving DSM Portfolios in the Age of DERs

How is your DSM portfolio evolving in a world of rising interest in distributed energy resources (DERs)? In addition to generating savings, there are now transmission and distribution projects to delay, peaks to level, and duck curves to tame. New DERs and analytics tools stand at the ready, but how can you use them in a way that meets the needs of customers and utility planning and operations departments alike? We’ll delve into E Source market research about utility efforts to evolve their customer portfolios and share a customer-centric analytical process to evaluate changes to your own portfolio.

Alanya Schofield (moderator), E Source
Matthew Joyce, Tierra Resources Consulting

Download  Evolving DSM Portfolios in the Age of DERs (PDF), Alanya Schofield, Matthew Joyce

What’s in Store for the Utility Business Model? Let’s Gaze into the Crystal Ball

After 140 years of reliably delivering low-cost energy to the masses, the North American utility business model is beginning to break down. In a future defined by low load growth and high penetration of distributed energy resources, how will regulated utilities continue to deliver essential services? In this session, we’ll explore these challenges and discuss emerging technologies and strategies of interest to the modern utility. We’ll dig into nitty-gritty technical details surrounding blockchain and cryptocurrency, distributed solar plus storage, and other emerging utility trends. You’ll want to be a part of this fast-paced, forward-looking conversation on the future of the utility business model.

Bryan Jungers (moderator), E Source
Udi Merhav, energyOrbit
John Morris, D+R International
Jay Stein, E Source

Download  What’s in Store for the Utility Business Model? Let’s Gaze into the Crystal Ball (PDF), Udi Merhav

Download  Crystal Ball Session (PDF), John Morris

Download  Electrification: It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas (PDF), Jay Stein

Plenary: Your Customers Swiped Right—Now What?

When Alison Circle started as chief customer experience officer at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, she had no idea how hard it would be—old processes, outdated expectations, entrenched employees, antiquated assumptions, and a culture of no. Sound familiar? In a candid conversation with customer experience expert Eryc Eyl, Alison will share her torrid journey to reimagine the role of libraries in a rapidly changing world. When customers have more choices, more power, and all the information they could possibly need at their digital fingertips, what’s the value of a library? No matter which position you hold in your organization, this closing plenary session will arm you with new ideas you can apply and actions you can take, along with the inspiration to do it.

Eryc Eyl (moderator), E Source
Alison Circle, Columbus Metropolitan Library