Agenda

Smart Energy Exchange 2026 will be held from November 2-4 at Le Méridien Denver Downtown. All times are in Mountain Time, and the agenda is subject to change.

Monday, November 2

5:00 PM - Welcome Reception
Kick off Smart Energy Exchange 2026 with a two-hour evening reception at Le Méridien Denver Downtown, our event hotel. Connect with peers, sponsors, and industry leaders before the full program begins on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday, November 3

8:00 AM - Registration + Breakfast
Check in, grab breakfast, and start the day with informal networking.

9:00 AM - Welcome + Opening Remarks
SECC's President & CEO Nathan Shannon will open the Exchange with a look at what’s ahead and how this year’s experience is designed to create more practical conversation, stronger peer exchange, and deeper industry connection.

9:10 AM - Where Energy Efficiency Connects with Grid Reliability: Consumers as Grid Resources
In an era of rapid technological change and unprecedented load growth, the grid is entering a new phase, one where customers are increasingly expected to act as grid resources. This session will examine how proven, programmatic approaches can unlock grid value by engaging demand-side solutions at scale. We will explore how energy efficiency, demand response, well-designed rates, and related strategies work together to deliver resilience, affordability, and a sustainable path for grid growth. Through practical examples and industry insights, the conversation will highlight how distributed capacity can be orchestrated to meet today’s reliability challenges while preparing the grid for what’s next.

• Seth Little, Vice President of Business Development, CLEAResult

• Carlos A. Hill, Manager, Renewables and Demand Response, Xcel Energy

• Whitley McGovern, Senior Account Executive, Virtual Peaker

• Alejandro Ruiz, Energy Resources Director, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association

• Nick Tumilowicz, Director, Distributed Energy Management, Itron

• Terrend Ross Jr., Program Manager, Tampa Electric

10:20 AM - Innovation Spotlight: The Many Faces of Energy Affordability
Roughly a third of consumers struggle to pay their energy bills. In addition, these customers don't have access to emergency funds of $400, and some large energy bills can require tradeoffs against rent payments, food, and medical needs. These same customers often have the most inefficient dwellings and lack participation in programs that can truly lower their bills. In this Innovation Spotlight talk, we will look to better understand the “why” behind affordability challenges and learn how we can use advanced segmentation to help target new program designs that better fit consumers’ needs.

• Bill LeBlanc, Chief Instigation Officer, Tierra Resource Consultants

10:35 AM - Affordability in Action: From Research Insight to Utility Playbook
Affordability concerns are reshaping the customer landscape, and utilities need clear insight into how households are coping. This session begins by unpacking the latest research on consumer sentiment – how rising energy costs affect budgets, what customers believe is causing the increases, and how these pressures influence trust and engagement. Building on that foundation, the room will shift into an interactive workshop where tables design actionable solutions to address energy affordability.

• Bill LeBlanc, Chief Instigation Officer, Tierra Resource Consultants

• Paul Watkins, Director, Product Management & Strategy, Convey

• Alison Alvarez, CEO & Co-Founder, BlastPoint

• Laurence C. Daniels, Assistant People's Counsel, Office of the People's Counsel

• Darleen DeRosa, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Bidgely

11:20 AM - Morning Break

11:35 AM - Rate Education Lab: Helping Customers Understand the “Why” Behind Time-Varying Rates
Time‑varying rates only succeed when customers understand how they work – and why they matter. This session highlights utility outreach campaigns, digital tools, and personalized rate education strategies that are helping customers make informed choices and save money. Attendees will also participate in a message‑testing exercise, reviewing before‑and‑after rate communications and voting on which versions resonate most. The focus throughout is on what utilities have implemented, what’s driving engagement, and what’s delivering measurable results.

• Leigh Winterbottom, Director of Rate Marketing, ICF

• Scott Engstrom, Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer, GridX

• Sarah Swanson, Senior Product Portfolio Manager, Xcel Energy

• Rob Liechty, Member Energy Programs Director, CORE Electric Cooperative

12:15 PM - Networking Lunch
Connect with peers, speakers, and sponsors. The Sponsor Lounge will be open as a hub for conversation, solution discovery, and relationship-building with organizations supporting the Exchange.

1:15 PM - Busting Barriers to Advance Equity: An Austin Energy Case Study
Austin Energy delivers an opt-out demand response program for 50,000 households that was designed to reduce barriers to participation, maximizing equitable customer reach. It is the only residential program in their portfolio that does not require initial customer action to participate. Participants do not have to own their home or request or pay for a device, and the program is offered in Spanish as well as English. This fireside chat will review the program design approach, results, and customer impact for other utilities to consider.

• Jordan Folks, Director of Demand Flexibility, E Source

• Vanessa Richter, Energy Industry Solutions Expert, Oracle Energy and Water

• Meredith Woods, Conservation Program Coordinator, Austin Energy

2:00 PM - Hard to Reach Does Not Mean Impossible: SMBs, Renters, and Income-Qualified Customers
Hard-to-reach customers aren’t unreachable – they simply require approaches that reflect their realities. In this highly interactive session, attendees will work in small groups to design outreach strategies for SMBs, renters, and income-qualified customers, drawing on real utility examples and equity-focused insights. Each table will tackle a specific audience and collaborate on messaging, channels, and engagement tactics that meet that segment’s needs. The goal is practical, hands-on learning rooted in what utilities are doing today and what’s proving effective.

• Nathan Shannon, President & CEO, Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC)

• Casey Hollins, Manager, Communications and Public Relations, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative

• Dan Jacobson, Senior Manager, Marketing Communications, Landis+Gyr

2:45 PM - Innovation Spotlight: Building Reliability Through Flexibility
Electrification, AI driven data centers, and economic growth are accelerating load growth, pushing utilities to strengthen reliability without raising customer costs. Flexible demand offers a new approach by turning connected homes into a grid resource that responds in minutes during periods of system stress. By improving utilization of existing infrastructure, utilities can increase grid capacity, defer costly upgrades, enhance reliability, and create new value for participating customers. This Innovation Spotlight highlights how flexible demand is enabling reliability, affordability, and growth at the same time.

• Tyson Brown, Head of Utility Partnerships, Renew Home

3:00 PM - Networking Break + Sponsor Lounge
Take time to connect, visit the Sponsor Lounge, and enjoy onsite activations.

3:45 PM - Customer Engagement Research: Bracket Challenge
Help us develop our 2027 agendas for research and education during this interactive session. Set up like a “March Madness” bracket challenge, we will discuss pairs of project descriptions and vote on our favorite to move forward to the next round. Attendees are invited to submit project ideas to the SECC team before the event.

• Nathan Shannon, President & CEO, Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC)

• Jordan Folks, Director of Demand Flexibility, E Source

4:45 PM - Day 2 Preview + Prize Giveaways
Wrap up the first full day with member recognition, board introductions, key takeaways, and a preview of what’s ahead on Wednesday.

• Gomathi Sadhasivan, Vice President – Energy Systems, DNV Energy North America

• Brad Langley, Chief Marketing Officer, GridX

• Vanessa Richter, Energy Industry Solutions Expert, Oracle Energy and Water

5:00 PM - Break
Take time to check in, recharge, and get settled before the evening event.

5:30 PM - Evening Networking Event
Join us at Tamayo, located just steps away from Le Méridien Denver Downtown in historic Larimer Square, for Modern Mexican food and networking with fellow attendees.