Opening Remarks from the Chair

Richard Barone Oracle Utilities

Welcome to Brooklyn (and NYC)

Gerrianna Cohen Con Edison

What's Up at PLMA? 
Hear from PLMA's Interest Groups on their progress and plans going forward, all in short 3-minute clips.
Presenting Groups: Connected Devices | Retail Pricing | Electric Transportation | Global Load Management | Customer Engagement | Commercial & Industrial Load Flexibility 

Keynote Address

Alejandro Moreno Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary US Department of Energy

Why Load Shifting is the Next Powerful Decarbonization Solution
Load-shifting is significantly different from traditional DR - which typically focuses on providing grid resources through temporary load-shedding. Load-shifting is more dynamic and frequent in nature, needs dynamic data/signals for dispatch in response to changing grid conditions, rates and/or carbon emissions, and presents additional technological and implementation complexity. Recently, load shifting has been in focus as a decarbonization tool- and California now has a state load shift goal of 7GW by 2030, representing a doubling of current demand flexibility levels and could power 7 million homes 2030 without new power plants. This panel will include a discussion to emphasize the unique policy, regulatory, technological, programmatic and operational tools that are needed for design and administration of a load shifting program. The panel will highlight case studies where load shifting has been used in programs, discuss lessons learned, and provide tips to launch load-shifting programs.

Moderator Robin Maslowski Trillium Energy Consulting	Vasudha Lathey Olivine	John Hernandez Pacific Gas & Electric
Erica Keating Southern California Edison	Brad Mantz San Diego Gas & Electric	Laura Corso Wattime

A Tale of Two States:  New Assessments of the Demand Flexibility Opportunity in New York and California

Ryan Hledik The Brattle Group	Zeryai Hagos New York State Department of Public Service	Ingrid Neumann California Energy Commission
Debyani Ghosh Guidehouse	Brian Chang Guidehouse

No Wi-Fi? No Problem. Enhancing Grid Reliability and Resilience Through Innovative Demand Response
DR programs are essential for grid reliability and resilience but face participation hurdles in low-income and underserved communities due to connectivity barriers. Notably, 23% of U.S. households—and 43% in low-income areas—lack home internet access, further limiting access to these programs. The Austin Energy Smart Home Rewards Demonstration Program addresses these challenges by deploying DER technologies, such as cellular-connected water heater control devices integrated with smart thermostats. This enhances utility communication and community connectivity, expanding DR participation and promoting grid stabilization. The program targets economically disadvantaged multifamily communities, focusing on efficiently managing water heating and HVAC. It has shown strong results, with an 86% response rate to DR commands and significant impacts of over 1kW per device. It provides financial and social benefits to marginalized communities and reinforces a scalable, resilient model for transforming DR frameworks and enhancing sustainable community development.

Katy Stevenson Austin Energy

Joseph Teng Austin Energy

Mitch Hassett ecobee Energy

Scott Koehler Armada Power

Simplifying Load Management Complexities into a Great Customer Experience
BGE’s three demand response programs, PeakRewards, Connected Rewards, and Smart Energy Rewards, have been instrumental in reducing grid strain during peak demand periods for many years. The recent Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, Clean and Renewable Energy Standard, and Executive Order by Governor Moore have ignited a transformation in Maryland’s energy landscape. These legislative milestones have propelled BGE to rethink its demand response programming beyond residential thermostat and behavioral programs, evolving into a versatile, customer-class-agnostic load management program. However, with increased opportunities comes increased complexity that leads to the potential to introduce confusion. This presentation will take you behind the scenes in BGE’s approach in unifying load management programs, emphasizing its simplicity, customer-centric approach, and comprehensibility regardless of the complexity being added to the program. We will highlight the myriad ways customers can participate, ultimately paving the way for significant load management opportunities and grid-level benefits in the future.

Rebekah Grant Baltimore Gas & Electric

Eric Ricucci Baltimore Gas & Electric

PLMA Utility Members Share
In this 30 minute session you will hear from several of our utility members concerning situations that they are encountering at their company. Example topics for this session could include: a "problem" that needs solving, or some unexpected results from a pilot (good or bad), or even just a request for information. These 3-5 minute presentations will have few slides, and focus on their particular situation. The goal is to create awareness and conversation for the upcoming "Networking Reception" as well as potential for follow-up throughout the conference or after the conference.

Sponsor Showcase Lightning Round
In this 30 minute session you will hear from several of our sponsors about the essence of their solutions. Our Co-chairs have vetted the presentations and helped the sponsors get their key messages compressed down to 3 minutes. This is not a marketing pitch, but a statement from the sponsors on specific examples of how they provide value.