47^th PLMA Conference Agenda

2:00 - 5:00 pm
A Tour of Possibilities

Come and share a little bit of Memphis' rich culture in this guided tour which embraces the often uncomfortable and tragic parts of the city's history while also celebrating its resilient and inspiring future of possibilities. This #1 ranked tour of Memphis has received Trip Advisor's certificate of excellence for four consecutive years and offers PLMA conference attendees an opportunity to experience the arts, music, and history of this unique city and its citizens.

Please Register Here!

2:00 - 4:30 pm
National Civil Rights Museum

Noted as one of the nation's premier heritage and cultural museums, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is steadfast in its mission to share the culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and explore how this significant era continues to shape equality and freedom globally. This group tour will explore the history of the Civil Rights Movement and its impact on our culture today. As we'll be walking to the Museum from the Peabody Hotel, there is no transportation planned for this event.

Please Note: If you have a Bank of America ID, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank debit or credit card (plus your ID), you are eligible to receive one free general admission to the Museum on Sundays. Learn More Here

Please Register Here!

6:30 - 8:30 pm
PLMA Picnic on Loflin Yard's Outdoor Patio

Join PLMA's Executive Committee, Board members, colleagues, and friends for a fun-filled conference welcome and an opportunity to reconnect over delicious Southern food specialties and drinks at the beautiful outdoor patio of Loflin Yard. Located in historic downtown Memphis, with roundtrip transportation provided from the Peabody Hotel, this inclusive event will be fun for all!

Sponsored by Resideo

Please Register Here!

8:30 am - 4:00 pm
TRAINING CLASS: The Evolution of DR to DER

Concurrent Interest Group Activities
Join the PLMA Interest Groups for several candid, interactive roundtable discussions among practitioners from across North America who are actively engaged in flexible load management. The Interest Group sessions are open to everyone!

9:00 - 11:00 am
C&I Load Flexibility Interest Group

9:00 - 11:00 am
Customer Engagement Interest Group
Email Marketing by the Numbers

2:00 - 2:30 pm | Shared Evolution Training & Interest Group Refreshments

Sponsored by Sense

2:30 - 4:00 pm
Decarbonization thru Load Management Strategic Initiative
Challenges and Opportunities for Measuring Decarbonization Impacts from Load Management

2:30 - 4:00 pm
Connected Devices Interest Group
Resiliency as a Service

4:00 - 5:00 pm
PLMA Monday Meetup
If you've been with us all day in Interest Group sessions or the training class, it's time for a well-deserved break! Come and catch up with friends and colleagues on the day's learnings!

Sponsored by Olivine

5:00 - 5:45 pm
Conference First Timers' Welcome!
If this is your first PLMA Conference, join us for a fun opportunity to meet and get to know some fellow first timers!

5:00 - 6:15 pm
Board of Directors Meeting
Calling all PLMA Board members and At-Large Representatives listed at www.peakload.org/Leadership! Please join us for a new, short-format Spring Board Meeting.

8:00 - 10:00 pm
Welcome Reception
Join PLMA leaders, board, members, and staff as we kick off the 47th PLMA Conference with some great networking, a little music, and a Dessert Extravaganza of delicious regional specialties! This reception is open to everyone!

Sponsored by EnergyHub

Opening Session

Sponsored by EFI

Chair Christine Riker Energy Solutions

8:45 - 9:00 am
Special Opening Event
Join us in the Peabody Grand Ballroom ABC for an event unique to the Peabody Hotel!

9:00 - 9:20 am
Opening Remarks from the Chair

Richard Barone Get Smart, LLC

9:20 - 9:30 am
Welcome to Memphis

Troy Eichenberger Tennessee Valley Authority

9:30 - 10:00 am
Keynote Address

Doug McGowen President and CEO Memphis Light, Gas and Water

10:00 - 10:30 am | Refreshment Break in the Sponsor Lounge

Sponsored by Sense

General Session 2

Co-Chair Robin Maslowski Guidehouse

Co-Chair Michael Brown Berkshire Hathaway, NV Energy

10:30 - 11:00 am
Defining a Buzzword: Virtual Power Plants and the Orchestration of Distributed Energy Resources
Learn about VPPs including use cases, control frameworks, and operational approaches as we clearly define this term. The presenters will explore PGE’s top-down VPP which demonstrates a control approach that lets the utility plan events and deliver grid services based on the desired behavior at the population level, without concern for specific individual devices. Read Full Description >

Adam Light Portland General Electic

Dr. William Burke Virtual Peaker

11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Virtual Power, Real Reliability: The Economics of Virtual Power Plants
Using hourly reliability analysis, this study demonstrates that a VPP could provide 400 MW of resource adequacy to a mid-sized utility with a dual peaking net load shape. Further, it shows that under plausible market conditions, a VPP is the only resource capable of providing resource adequacy at a negative net cost to the utility. Read Full Description >

Ryan Hledik The Brattle Group

General Session 3

Co-Chair Ruth Kiselewich ICF

Co-Chair Troy Eichenberger Tennessee Valley Authority

1:30 - 2:00 pm
PLMA 20th Award Winners
Join us to recognize the award winners in three categories: Program Pacesetter, Technology Pioneer, and Thought Leader.

Moderators, Awards Program Co-Chairs:

Kevin Knight Baltimore Gas & Electric

Peter Bergeron CPower

Meg Campbell Guidehouse

2:00 - 2:45 pm
The Good, the Bad, and the Reality of Program Design
Learn best practices and explore the challenges of device-based load management programs, from smart thermostat programs to EVs, and those in-between. Representing all program design functions, the presenters will explore the components of end-to-end LM programming, program flexibility and cost effectiveness, the need for choice in customer devices, and managing vendor API fees. Read Full Description >

Moderator J.T. Thompson Generac Grid Services

Michael James Colby Xcel Energy

Santosh Veda Dominion Energy

Andy Taylor Duke Energy

2:45 - 3:15 pm | Refreshment Break in the Sponsor Lounge

Sponsored by Sense

General Session 4

Co-Chair Jenny Roehm Schneider Electric

Justin Chamberlain CPS Energy

3:15 - 4:00 pm
Grid Resiliency: Innovative Approaches to Increasing Demand Response Participation
Despite the frequency of grid emergencies, only 20-40% of eligible customers participate in DR programs that help balance the supply and demand of energy. Learn from a pilot between SDG&E and ecobee last September in which they tackled this issue by streamlining DR participation through effective customer communications. Read Full Description >

Kari Binley ecobee

Lilli Trinkley San Diego Gas & Electric

4:00 - 4:30 pm
Utility Perspectives: A View from the Other Side
Learn from PLMA’s utility members on current issues of concern within each of their organizations. The presenting utilities will each offer a 3-5 minute description of their scenario with the goals of: a) enhancing awareness and utility understanding among all PLMA members and b) setting the stage for future follow ups. Read Full Description >

4:30 - 5:00 pm
Sponsor Showcase Lightning Round
Hear from several PLMA sponsors about their solutions and what makes these worthy of consideration, all in a series of lightning-fast presentations! These are not marketing pitches but learning opportunities provided by the sponsors on the specific ways they create value for the energy industry.

5:00 - 6:30 pm | Networking Reception in the Sponsor Lounge

Sponsored by Copper Labs

10:30 - 11:00 am | Refreshment Break in the Sponsor Lounge

Sponsored by Sense

Closing General Session

Co-Chair Laurie Duhan BG&E

Co-Chair Richard Barone Get Smart, LLC

1:30 – 2:30 pm
Grid Resilience and Demand Flexibility in the Wake of Extreme Weather Events
Recognizing the significant impact of climate change on energy supply and grid resilience, this panel will present recent research and data on the severity of climate-change-induced grid emergencies; discuss experiences from utilities and ISO’s from across the country; and showcase the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from new grid emergency programs implemented by utilities. Read Full Description >

Beth Reid Olivine, Inc.

Aimee Gotway Bailey, PhD National Grid

Denise Munoz Commonwealth Edison

Mark Martinez Southern California Edison

John Moura North American Reliability Corportation (NERC)

2:30 pm
Welcome to Charlotte for the 48^th Conference!

Stacy Phillips Duke Energy

2:40 pm
Closing Remarks

Robin Maslowskir Guidehouse

2:45 pm | Ice Cream Social

3:15 - 5:00 pm
ULME