Agenda

    Monday

    TIME

    SESSION TITLE

    SESSION DESCRIPTION

    LOCATION

    10:00 AM

    Registration Opens

    Palm Garden

    12:00 - 1PM

    Lunch & Networking

    Palm Garden

    1:00 – 3:00pm

    Accelerator Session

    Panel: 9.1% by 2030: How Data Centers Are Rapidly Reshaping the Utility Ecosystem
     

    Bob Irvin

    Executive Director, Joules Accelerartor (Moderator)

    Tom Flaherty

    Sr. Advisor, Parthenon- EY

    Zak Kuznar

    Managing Director of Grid Solutions, Duke Energy

    Monty Prekeris

    Co-Founder, Mercury Computing



    Panel: Reducing the Barriers for Adoption: Navigating Innovation Hurdles with Utilities

     

    Ryan Rutledge

    VP Strategy & Innovation, Joules Accelerator (Moderator)

    Adam Richins

    Chief Operating Officer, Idaho Power

    Adam Sledd

    Executive Director, Dominion Energy Innovation Center

    Jamie Ruben 

    Chief Investment Officer, Aligned Climate Capital

     

     

    In this session we'll discuss:

    Big Tech as a New Stakeholder; AI as the Next Game Changer; Accelerated Push for Decarbonization; Increased Electric Demand and more…

    Main Keynote Hall

    3:00 – 5:00PM

    NETWORKING

    Palm Garden

    3:30 - 5:00PM

    WORKING GROUP PLANNING SESSION & WORKSHOPS
     

    Grid Modernization; Building Out Electric Networks; Integrated Energy Planning

    Closed door session for National Grid and NGA members only. The purpose of this session is to align Working Group participants on the core challenge areas to address in future Working Group meetings.

    Main Keynote Hall - Rooms H-K

    5:00 - 5:30PM

    BREAK & Transition to Closed Dinner

    5:30 - 7:30PM

    CLOSED Event - NGA Member/NGP Portfolio Dinner

    TBP

    Tuesday

    TIME

    SESSION TITLE

    SESSION DESCRIPTION

    LOCATION

    7:30 - 8:25AM

    Registration & Breakfast

    Palm Garden

    8:30 - 8:40AM

    Welcome

    Oli Barrett
    Master of Ceremonies

    Aaron Panzer
    Head of NextGrid Alliance & Commericalization, National Grid Partners

    Main Keynote Hall

    8:40 - 8:50AM

    Opening Remarks

    Steve Smith
    Interim Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer, National Grid and President, National Grid Partners

    Main Keynote Hall

    8:50 - 9:00AM

    Welcome to Massachusetts 

    Yvonne Hao 
    Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development

    Main Keynote Hall

    9:00 - 9:30AM

    Opening Keynote

    Russell Gold
    Author & Journalist, Senior Editor, Texas Monthly

    The utility industry is at an inflection point. Climate change is accelerating, the need for clean energy supply deepens, and demand growth is exponential. The only way forward is to meet the moment by modernizing the grid, growing the electric network to meet demand, and defining and implementing integrated energy planning.​

    Russell Gold will lay out a vision for how this industry moves forward. The vision will define the challenge while telling a story of hope in how the startup community will create, implement, and grow the solutions that will enable us collectively to overcome the biggest challenges that lay ahead.

    Main Keynote Hall

    9:30 - 10:15AM

    Fireside Chat 

    Utility Leaders: Achieving the Future

    Julia Hamm
    Partner, Ad Hoc Group (Moderator)

    Lisa Wieland
    President New England Jurisdiction, National Grid

    Mari McClure
    President & CEO, Green Mountain Power

    In the push to transform the grid for the future, utility companies face common challenges, obstacles, and opportunities. While geography, regulation, and politics create distinction between certain utilities, the overarching math of climate change, supply and demand are generally the same.

    Julia Hamm will lead a panel of utility leaders in a discussion of the monumental challenges each faces related to modernizing and building out the grid and the role each believes startups will play in supporting the transformation of their companies.

    Main Keynote Hall

    10:15 - 10:30AM

    BREAK

    Main Keynote Hall

    10:30 - 11:15AM

    Panel:

    Founders Perspective: Breaking Through as a Cleantech Startup

    Steve Smith
    Interim Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer, National Grid and President, National Grid Partners (Moderator)

    Greg Jackson
    CEO, Octopus Energy

    Eric Dresselhuys
    Co-Founder, Silver Spring Networks

    Tim Healy
    Co-Founder, Former Chairman & CEO EnerNOC

    Raghu Belur
    Co-Founder, Enphase Energy

    The barriers to entry for startups and innovative solutions in the utility sector are seemingly greater than most other industries. Due to heavy regulation, complexity of systems, and overall culture, making meaningful progress and growing successful businesses with scaled solutions is more outlier than common practice.

    Steve Smith will lead a panel of startup founders that grew businesses within the energy industry from idea and inception to scaled and reliable businesses. This panel will discuss the largest challenges they faced along the way and provide lessons learned on how to persevere within this industry.

    Main Keynote Hall

    11:15 - 12:00PM

    National Grid Partners' Portfolio Company Pitch Session 1

    Main Keynote Hall

    12:00 - 12:45PM

    1:1 Meetings - Session 1

    Main Keynote Hall

    12:45 - 1:40PM

    Lunch & Networking

    Palm Garden

    1:45 - 2:30PM

    National Grid Partners' Portfolio Company Pitch Session 2

    Main Keynote Hall

    2:30 - 3:15PM

    1:1 Meetings – Session 2

    Main Keynote Hall

    3:15 - 3:50PM

    Breakout Session 1:
    Taking the helm: Steering towards grid enhancing technologies

    Breakout Session 2:
    Reading the Currents: Energy Priorities and Investments in a Trump or Harris Administration

    Breakout Session 3:
    Opportunities and Challenges for Electric and Gas Utilities: Innovation to Drive Heat Electrification

    Breakout Sessions with Coordinating Workshops
    (Full Descriptions can be found on the Registration Site)

    Main Keynote Hall - Rooms H-K

    3:50 - 4:35PM

    Coordinating Workshop 1:
    Hidden treasures: Where are the biggest opportunities for grid modernization?

    Coordinating Workshop 3:
    Art of the Possible: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Decarbonizing Heat

    Main Keynote Hall - Rooms H-K

    3:15 - 4:35PM

    Breakout Session 4:
    Steering Energy Demand: How Virtual Power Plants Can be Expanded to Help Customer Costs.

    Coordinating Workshop 4:
    Exploring Horizons: Choosing the next grid services to support with virtual power plants

    Breakout Sessions with Coordinating Workshops
    (Full Descriptions can be found on the Registration Site)

    Palm Garden

    4:35 - 4:45PM

    BREAK

    4:45 - 5:10PM

    Fireside Chat

    Ben Wilson
    President, National Grid Ventures (Moderator)

    Jigar Shah
    Director, Loan Programs Office DOE

    Jeff Marootian
    Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, DOE

    As we look to address the challenges outlined throughout the day as in terms of transforming the grid for the future by modernizing it, growing the electric network to meet demand, and defining and implementing an integrated energy plan, Jeff Marootian and Jigar Shah will provide perspectives from the US Department of Energy pertaining to how we contextualize and meet the moment by investing in innovation.

    Main Keynote Hall

    5:10 - 5:35PM

    Closing Keynote

    Dr. Vanessa Chan
    Chief Commercialization Officer, Director, Office of Technology Transitions, DOE

    As we conclude a full day of discussion focused on transforming the grid for the future by modernizing it, growing the electric network to meet demand, and defining and implementing an integrated energy plan, Vanessa Chan will circle back to the original vision and outline a pathway of where we go from here in our journey. The outline will include a pathway for how utilities and startups will coalesce to meet the moment.

    Main Keynote Hall

    5:35 - 6:35PM

    Transition to Aquarium & Networking Reception

    5:35 - 9:30PM

    Networking Reception

    New England Aquarium

    6:35 - 6:45PM

    Closing Session

    Steve Smith
    Interim Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer, National Grid and President, National Grid Partners

    New England Aquarium

    Watch Highlights From the 2022 Event