Engineering & Operations Virtual Conference

Program

The 2021 Engineering & Operations Conference will be a virtual event.

Click here to learn more about the decisions made about Q1 2021 events.

Agenda at a Glance (download as PDF)

(All times Eastern)

Tuesday, March 23

	Environmental Services		Grid Modernization	Safety	Supply Management	System Planning/T&D
11 a.m. – Noon	Opening General Session: The State of Public Power Honoring our Colleagues: RP3
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.	Environmental Regulations: What’s New and What’s Next		Installing and Commissioning Optical Current Transformers	Understanding the Mutual Aid Process	Roundtable: Supply Management	Importance of Engineering Excellence
1:45 – 2:45 p.m.	Navigating the Complexities of Electricity Markets		Securing Substations from Vandalism	Lessons in Restoration: Hurricane Laura	How Does Your Warehouse Measure Up?	Securing Substations from Vandalism
3 – 4 p.m.	Managing the Risks with Natural Gas Supply		To Broadband or Not to Broadband?	Providing Real-World Experience Through Virtual Training	Tracking Contract Deliverables	Defining Resiliency: What Does It Mean for You?
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.	Reduce, Repower, Replace		Key Design Considerations for Energy Storage	Safety Manual Roundtable	Auditing the Warehouse Audit	Focus on Fuse Coordination
5:30 – 6:30  p.m.	Networking Event

11 a.m. – Noon ET (10 – 11 a.m. CT / 9 – 10 a.m. MT / 8 – 9 a.m. PT)

Opening General Session

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

• Welcome
  Todd Dlouhy, Manager, Procurement & Stores, Lincoln Electric System, Nebraska, and Chair, APPA Engineering & Operations Section
• Honoring our Colleagues: RP3 Recognition
• The State of Public Power
  Joy Ditto, President & CEO, American Public Power Association
  
  The public power community faces many challenges – from quickly shifting operating procedures during the pandemic to responding to increasingly intense events and incorporating new technologies and generating assets. Get the latest update on how APPA is working to help our members navigate this increasingly complex industry, identify opportunities to propel public power forward, and protect your interests in Washington, D.C. and beyond.

 

Noon – 12:15 p.m. ET (11 – 11:15 a.m. CT / 10 – 10:15 a.m. MT / 9 – 9:15 a.m. PT)

Break

12:15 – 1:15 p.m. ET (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT / 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT / 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. PT)

Breakout Sessions

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

1. Environmental Regulations: What’s New and What’s Next
   A new Administration is likely bringing a new approach to air, water, and waste rules and regulations, all while rule changes from the previous Administration go into effect – which impose new requirements on generating units. Join this session to get a clearer picture of the regulatory and policy landscape on environmental issues – from the gray areas in the Clean Air Act to the future policies likely to affect your utility.
   
   Jim Rower, Executive Director, Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, Washington, D.C.              

2. Installing and Commissioning Optical Current Transformers
   Walk through one utility’s experience in installing and commissioning optical CTs and a process bus relay system applied to Series capacitors. Gain lessons learned from the project from both the utility and vendor perspective, and tips for applying optical instrument transformers and IEC61850 process bus sample values.

3. Understanding the Mutual Aid Process
   The public power mutual aid network is a powerful ally in getting your system restored after a major event – whether a hurricane, winter storm, or pandemic. Learn how the network operates and who to call (and when) in the event a disaster strikes your territory, or how to offer help as part of the network. Also get an overview of what resources you can count on and use from the Public Power Mutual Aid Working Group for your storm preparedness and response.

4. Roundtable: Supply Management
   Network with colleagues and discuss your supply management challenges and practices, including any lessons learned during the pandemic or related to new supply chain risk management rules.

5. Importance of Engineering Excellence
   Recent storms and wildfires have highlighted the importance of having strong engineering practices to help reduce outages and outage times. For public power, engineers have often worked their way up the utility and have utility specific knowledge and insights into how day-to-day practices can make a big difference on reliability. Learn what tools and ideas public power engineers have brought to their utilities and the resulting improvements.

6. Industry Spotlight Session

1:15 – 1:45 p.m. ET (12:15 – 12:45 p.m. CT / 11:15 – 11:45 a.m. MT / 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. PT)

Break

1:45 – 2:45 p.m. ET (12:45 – 1:45 p.m. CT / 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. MT / 10:45 – 11:45 a.m. PT)

Breakout Sessions

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

7. Navigating the Complexities of Electricity Markets 
   In every region, increased renewable generation and changing resource adequacy requirements have made navigating electricity markets more difficult. Get a briefing on the most recent developments in various RTO/ISOs and how market rules differ around the country. Review how the markets factor in limits on renewables, determine resource adequacy, and how you can ensure compliance. Discuss among your public power peers how you’ve been affected by market requirements and share tips for keeping up with the latest rules.

8. Securing Substations from Vandalism   
   The civil unrest in the past year has led to several high-profile cases of vandalism to property. Join this session to hear what mitigation strategies and technologies federal officials and other utilities have deployed to protect soft targets and field assets. Discuss ideas for reducing threats to these assets and what technologies can help monitor and protect your facilities.
   
   Steven Kuhr, Manager of Emergency Management and Security Operations, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado 

9. Lessons in Restoration: Hurricane Laura 
   Gain insight into the restoration process and challenges from a major regional event from key players involved in restoration from Hurricane Laura in 2020. The category 5 hurricane damaged hundreds of miles of transmission lines, which left hundreds of thousands of electric customers without service and required weeks of construction before the first substation could be re-energized. Learn how smaller public power utilities managed restoration efforts, and how the nationwide (and sometimes worldwide) mutual aid network worked to get people and material to the most critical places.

10. How Does Your Warehouse Measure Up?
    Compare how your warehouse operations measure up to your peers in this review of the public power supply management benchmarking survey. Discuss practices in the areas measured in the survey, including warehouse efficiency, productivity, and turnaround times.
    
    Brad Spratt, Manager of Supply Chain Services, Muscatine Power and Water, Iowa, Chris McKinney, Fayetteville Public Works Commission, North Carolina, and Tom Finn, Materials Manager, Norwich Public Utilities, Connecticut

11. Industry Spotlight Session

2:45 – 3 p.m. ET (1:45 – 2 p.m. CT / 12:45 – 1 p.m. MT / 11:45 a.m. – Noon PT)

Break

3 – 4 p.m. ET (2 – 3 p.m. CT / 1 – 2 p.m. MT / Noon – 1 p.m. PT)

Breakout Sessions

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

12. Managing the Risks with Natural Gas Supply 
    Natural gas is a key part of the public power generating mix, with more than 27% of generation coming from natural gas facilities. The shale gas revolution was a game-changer, but supply challenges from weather events and market price shocks persist. Explore the risks associated with natural gas production, transportation, export, and pipeline regulation and construction. Discuss how you can hedge future commodity price uncertainty and other implications for your utility with the natural gas market.
    
    Eric Ingenthron, Senior Day Ahead Planner, Evergy, Kansas City, Missouri, and Jude Clemente, Senior Market Analyst, Trane Technologies, Monroeville, Pennsylvania 

13. To Broadband or Not to Broadband?
    Increased reliance on networked devices and strong internet connectivity has renewed interest in municipal broadband deployments - but is broadband right for you? Examine the pros and cons of offering broadband services (including economic development and utility automation) and learn how to avoid common mistakes in conducting a feasibility study.

14. Providing Real-World Experience Through Virtual Training 
    Virtual and augmented reality can simplify and improve safety training — providing an efficient and safe working environment for employees to learn key skills and practice important movements. Learn how utilities have used these new technologies for maintenance work, online testing, and accident investigation and recreation. Get a demonstration of a safety e-learning course to directly experience the technology and consider the possibilities for your training needs.

15. Tracking Contract Deliverables
    Walk through one utility’s journey in implementing a contract management system to relive the key lessons learned in developing contract life cycle management practices and strategies for overcoming common challenges in the implementation process.
    
    Gary Holcomb, Director of Procurement, Garland Power and Light, Texas 

16. Defining Resiliency: What Does It Mean for You?  
    As natural disasters are on the rise, resiliency has become the new buzz word — the federal government has embraced it, and many states and communities are trying to define it. Explore how to define resiliency for your utility – and the different ways to outline the unique risks and challenges within your environment and systems. Come and learn what other public power utilities are doing to harden distribution systems and to facilitate bouncing back after disasters.

17. Industry Spotlight Session

4 – 4:30 p.m. ET (3 – 3:30 p.m. CT / 2 – 2:30 p.m. MT / 1 – 1:30 p.m. PT)

Break

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET (3:30 – 4:30 p.m. CT / 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MT / 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. PT)

Breakout Sessions

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

18. Reduce, Repower, Replace 
    Learn how public power utilities are repowering or replacing coal fired generation with natural gas combined cycle combustion turbines or installing reciprocating internal combustion engines. Discuss the common challenges constructing, permitting and operating new CTs and RICE units amidst the industry’s energy transition to lower and non-emitting generation resources.
    
    Loren Smith, Electric Utility Director, Stillwater Electric Utility, Oklahoma, and Mike Radakovitz, Electric Production Superintendent, Holland Board of Public Works, Michigan  

19. Key Design Considerations for Energy Storage 
    Battery storage has been called the "Swiss army knife" of solutions because of its versatility. But the tools on a Swiss army knife wear down if you use them the wrong way. Examine the different considerations in engineering a battery storage system, from the application to operating implications on the system, RTO/ISO requirements, market opportunities, and how to make it economically viable. Discuss findings from a recent DEED project, including best practices for sizing, procuring, and operating battery storage.

20. Safety Manual Roundtable 
    Join the Safety Manual Revision Task Force to discuss revisions to the 17th Edition of the American Public Power Association’s Safety Manual – including suggestions for best practices and strategies to promote a culture of safety in public power.

21. Auditing the Warehouse Audit
    Dive into the key findings that public power utilities uncovered in conducting audits of their procurement practices and warehouse operations, and discuss what recommendations emerged from the audits that you can replicate at your utility.

22. Focus on Fuse Coordination 
    Gather together to debate the merits and challenges of different fuse coordination philosophies, share tips for fuse-saving coordination and strategies for fuse-blowing coordination.
    
    Caleb Harrison, Automation Systems Application Director, S&C Electric Company, Chicago, Illinois  

23. Industry Spotlight Session

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET (4:30 – 5:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. PT)

Networking Event

Stay tuned for further details on this event – where you can connect with fellow conference attendees while having a bit of fun.

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Wednesday, March 24

	Environmental Services		Grid Modernization	Safety	Supply Management	System Planning/T&D
10 – 11 a.m.	Online Networking
11 – 11:30 a.m.	General Session: Chair’s Address Honoring Our Colleagues: Safety Awards
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.	Decarbonization Strategies for a Flexible Future	Securing the Supply: From Natural Disasters to Cyber Risks		Evolving Your Safety Training	Securing the Supply: From Natural Disasters to Cyber Risks	Planning Ahead for Distributed Energy Resources
1:15 – 2:15 p.m.	Implementing Coal Ash and Wastewater Requirements	Smart Utilities for a Smart Future		Cultural Solutions for Operational Excellence: Part 1	Why Can’t I Do That?	Smart Utilities for a Smart Future
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.	Making Community Solar Work for Public Power	Grid Modernization Roundtable		Cultural Solutions for Operational Excellence: Part 2	Supply Management Potpourri	Make a Drone Do It
4 – 5:15 p.m.	Closing General Session: “Find a Way:” Fighting to Live Your Dream

10 – 11 a.m. ET (9 – 10 a.m. CT / 8 – 9 a.m. MT / 7 – 8 a.m. PT)

Online Networking

Choose from three online networking options:

• Women in Public Power Hour: Our popular networking event for women working in public power takes on a new format this year. Join your peers for morning conversation to celebrate successes and share challenges.
• Data Debate: Benchmarking Operations: Join your colleagues in an engaging discourse over several controversial and insightful findings on utility operations. Explore the latest public power operations benchmarking data while adding color to the conversation with your technical expertise.
• Virtual Expo: Connect with industry suppliers.

11 – 11:30 a.m. ET (10 – 10:30 a.m. CT / 9 – 9:30 a.m. MT / 8 – 8:30 a.m. PT)

General Session

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs .5 / CPEs .6

• Welcome
  Ken Stone, Energy Services and Accounting Manager, Braintree Electric Light Department, and Vice Chair, APPA E&O Section
• Honoring our Colleagues
  Recognition of Safety Award winners and the recipient of the 2020 DEED Award of Continued Excellence
• Chair’s Address
  Jolene Thompson, President & CEO, American Municipal Power, Inc., Columbus, Ohio; and Chair, American Public Power Association
  
  Well before APPA was founded, public power utilities set a strong foundation in their communities that allowed for resilience and innovation. Then as now, engaging with our communities and connecting with our customers reminds them of the value of community ownership.

11:30 – 11:45 a.m. ET (10:30 – 10:45 a.m. CT / 9:30 – 9:45 a.m. MT / 8:30 – 8:45 a.m. PT)

Break

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. ET (10:45 – 11:45 a.m. CT / 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. MT / 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. PT)

Breakout Sessions

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

24. Decarbonization Strategies for a Flexible Future 
    Public power utilities are increasingly on the hook to find cost effective means to reducing CO2 emissions. Learn how two leading public power entities have steered a path toward carbon free generation without getting locked into high-cost supply contracts. Explore the details of unique multi-utility modular nuclear projects in the West and get strategies for setting realistic goals to meet the evolving needs of the times.
    
    Mason Baker, General Counsel, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, Salt Lake City, Utah

25. Securing the Supply: From Natural Disasters to Cyber Risks    
    Mitigating and managing risk is increasingly critical to supply chain management. Ask the experts about your supply chain risk management challenges and how new NERC supply chain management security standards and federal R&D efforts will affect your standards and practices. Learn how one public power utility established supply chain controls and compliance and discuss creative ways that utilities have addressed supply chain challenges associated with wildfires and other natural disasters.
    
    Brian Irish, Manager of Cyber Security Assurance, Salt River Project, Phoenix, Arizona, and Shari Gribbin, Managing Partner, CNK Solutions, Washington, D.C.   

26. Evolving Your Safety Training 
    Linework has evolved and your crews have adapted to new tools and structures, but chances are, your training hasn’t changed much. Hear how the experts recommend you refocus your priorities to adjust your training and work processes to promote a culture of safety at every level. Discuss how to incorporate new ideas and methods – while staying grounded in fundamentals – at this back-to-basics session.

27. Planning Ahead for Distributed Energy Resources 
    You’ve heard the warnings: if you don’t have a plan to manage the impending boom of customer-sited distributed energy resources, then you can expect a severe impact on your distribution system. Discover how other utilities have structured plans for managing DERs and walk through how to perform a good engineering analysis before you act. Discuss and share strategies for assessing and handling intermittent generation, operational islanding, power quality disruption, and safety and security concerns.
    
    Steve Rupp, Director of Consulting Services, EnerNex Corporation, Knoxville, Tennessee 

28. Industry Spotlight Session

12:45 – 1:15 p.m. ET (11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CT / 10:45 – 11:15 a.m. MT / 9:45 – 10:15 a.m. PT)

Break

1:15 p.m. – 2:15 ET (12:15 – 1:15 p.m. CT / 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. MT / 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. PT)

Breakout Sessions

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

29. Implementing Coal Ash and Wastewater Requirements 
    Explore a case study that details the challenges and technology options of a public power utility seeking to implement and comply with new ELG/CCR requirements, including how the utility is navigating this evolving regulatory landscape.

30. Smart Utilities for a Smart Future    
    What makes the myriad “smart” devices (thermostats, speakers, metering, lighting, etc.) truly smart is the integration with and application of these technologies to systems and services to create efficiencies. Review the opportunities and threats from integrating smart devices and connecting to communications networks, and potential solutions to deliver new services, improve efficiency and reliability, foster economic development, and enhance the quality of life in your community.
    
    Doug Westlund, Senior Vice President, AESI-US, Inc., Tucker, Georgia, Robbie Carlson, Sales Engineer, Milsoft Utility Solutions, Abilene, Texas, Sean Hamilton, General Manager, Sterling Municipal Light Department, Massachusetts, Tim Blodgett, President and CEO, Hometown Connections, Inc., Lakewood, Colorado, and Representative from Lehi City Power, Utah

31. Cultural Solutions for Operational Excellence: Part 1 
    Establishing or enhancing a safety culture at your utility starts by empowering your team. Learn how you can put processes in place to ensure team members feel comfortable speaking up when they see unsafe work practices, build trust, provide constructive criticism as well as positive recognition, and other fundamentals. Review the six steps to achieve safety excellence and discuss how to foster employee accountability and strong follow-up communications in the wake of safety incidents or threats.

32. Why Can’t I Do That?
    Get a briefing from the FBI on ethics in the workplace and how to recognize scams and other fraudulent activities. From how to spot fraudulent invoicing to removing collusion from the bidding process and preventing money laundering – learn how you can keep your supply chain from furthering nefarious activities.

33. Industry Spotlight Session

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. ET (1:15 – 1:30 p.m. CT / 12:15 – 12:30 p.m. MT / 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. PT)

Break

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. ET (1:30 – 2:30 p.m. CT / 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. MT / 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT)

Breakout Sessions

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1 / CPEs 1.2

34. Making Community Solar Work for Public Power 
    Explore the opportunities, challenges, and latest developments about community solar from the Department of Energy and from public power utilities. Dive into what factors public power utilities examined that make for a successful community solar program through a recent DEED project and learn about recent progress in APPA’s ongoing work with the national labs in solving public power community solar challenges. Share your own community solar challenges and learn how to get involved in APPA’s initiative.
    
    Paul Zummo, Director of Policy Research and Analysis, American Public Power Association

35. Grid Modernization Roundtable 
    Connect with other future-focused utility pros to talk about your biggest challenges and brag about your latest successes in doing your part to ready your system for the future or exchange big picture ideas for moving forward together.

36. Cultural Solutions for Operational Excellence: Part 2 

37. Supply Management Potpourri
    Get a series of short presentations on supply management. This rapid-fire format features panelists covering topics from pre-bids to procurement laws and making pandemic practices permanent.

38. Make a Drone Do It 
    From expediting power restoration to enhancing visual inspections and removing some risk from maintenance, drones are touted as a versatile solution for utilities. Cut through the hype and examine the pros and cons of using drones for day-to-day utility operations, directly from public power utilities that use drones for line design, maintenance, damage assessment, and issue spotting in remote areas. Also discuss how to effectively sort through data and identify priority project areas.
    
    Chase Collins, UAS Coordinator, and Solomon Brackett, System Engineer, Troy Utilities, Alabama 

39. Industry Spotlight Session

3:30 - 4 p.m. ET (2:30 – 3 p.m. CT / 1:30 – 2 p.m. MT / 12:30 – 1 p.m. PT)

Break

4 – 5:15 p.m. ET (3 – 4:15 p.m. CT / 2 – 3:15 p.m. MT / 1 – 2:15 p.m. PT)

Closing General Session

Recommended CEUs .1 / PDHs 1.25 / CPEs 1.5

“Find a Way:” Fighting to Live Your Dream
Guided by his philosophy, ‘Find A Way,’ former running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears; cancer survivor; and ESPN analyst Merril Hoge will inspire you with his story of strength and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Hoge didn’t just dream about this goal. From a young age, he found a way and took action to overcome any obstacle and attain any goal. Concussions that prematurely ended his NFL career, cancer, chemo – nothing could stop him.

Recharge your life with Hoge’s unique perspectives on the importance of uncommon behavior, commitment that separates the leader from the pack, and parenting that motivates children to overcome obstacles and take ownership of their lives.

Merril Hoge, Retired NFL Running Back and author of “Find a Way: Three Words That Changed My Life”

Registration

Registration Fees

	Before February 26	After February 26
Member	$575	$625
Nonmember	$1,150	$1,200

Not yet an American Public Power Association member? Join today and save $575 on your conference registration. Call 202-467-2944 or email [email protected] to learn more. 

Group Discounts

Save money on each registration for the E&O Virtual Conference when your organization registers 5 or more people. The larger your group, the more you save!

Number of registrants	Discount (per person)	Member Registration Fee (per person)	Nonmember Fee (per person)
1-4	n/a	$575	$1,150
5-10	$50	$525	$1,100
11-15	$100	$475	$1,050
16+	$150	$425	$1,000

Contact [email protected] for more information and to request the group registration form to receive this special discount.   

Cancellation, Refund, and Substitution Policy

Registrants who cancel in writing on or before Tuesday, March 16, 2021, are entitled to a refund of their registration fee, minus a $50 cancellation fee. Registrants who cancel after March 16 will not receive a refund, but attendee substitutions will be allowed for the 2021 E&O Virtual Conference only. Registrants and no-shows who do not cancel on or before March 16 are responsible for the full registration fee and are not entitled to a refund of their registration fee. 

Requests must be made in writing to: [email protected].

Code of Conduct

Attendees of American Public Power Association meetings agree to abide by the APPA Code of Conduct. If attendees engage in unacceptable behavior as outlined in the Code of Conduct, the Association may take any action it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, expulsion from the current and future meetings with no warning or refund.

Contact Us

Registration
[email protected]
Phone: 202-467-2978

Program/Content
[email protected]
202-467-2921

Billing
[email protected]
202-467-2967

Sponsorship/Expo
[email protected]
202-467-2944

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I get more information about how to participate in the virtual conference?

Registrants will receive information on how to join the virtual conference a few days before the event. If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected].

What is a virtual event?

A virtual event simulates an in-person event, but involves people interacting online, rather than in a physical environment. 

APPA is committed to delivering an engaging, accessible, and inclusive platform to convene the national public power community to connect, learn, and share knowledge and solutions. Our virtual conferences allow participants to easily learn about important topics, attend informative presentations, and connect with other participants for face-to-face conversations using video chats. Registrants will receive additional information about this virtual experience as the event gets closer.

How was the registration fee for the E&O Virtual Conference determined?

The registration fee reflects the costs and value of the meeting being held. We took a number of details into consideration in calculating the fee for the virtual conference.

Some of the meeting expenses include speaker fees for the keynote speakers, the cost of the platform to deliver the event, and the costs (and staff time) of program development, as well as costs and risks associated with cancelling the in-person Engineering & Operations Conference (originally schedule for Pasadena in 2021).

We also looked at the benefits of attending the meeting for members. The program features keynote speakers, several breakout sessions (which will be recorded so participants can view the breakout sessions they missed after the fact), and most importantly an opportunity to connect with other public power utilities, learn from their experiences and come together in this unique time.

Finally, we evaluated the fees being charged by other organizations that have converted in-person meetings to virtual meetings. As we have, many of them have reduced fees to account for saved costs, but are still charging fees to cover costs and reflect the value of the meeting being held. 

What platform will the Engineering & Operations Virtual Conference be held on?

APPA will be using Zoom for the virtual conference.

Zoom was chosen for its ease of use, great handling of video, and accessibility. Attending a Zoom meeting doesn’t require any additional software installed on the attendee’s computer – it can run completely out of a web browser. We know that many organizations limit the installation of desktop clients, so using a service that can run using a web browser makes the meeting more accessible to our members. Zoom’s ability to support multiple video feeds will also enable online networking beyond the capabilities of many other platforms.

To ensure the best experience for attendees, it is also important that our staff have experience using the platform. APPA staff have such experience with Zoom, both as attendees and administrators. Zoom has been successfully deployed for Public Power Connect Virtual Summit & Business Meeting (our largest event of the year); in addition to several other summits, classes and meetings.  Staff have also participated in a number of other virtual conferences using Zoom, including events held by the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE); Dragos; the Energy Bar Association; among others.

We are aware some organizations have cybersecurity concerns regarding this platform.

Zoom had several high-profile problems at the start of its recent rise to prominence. The company was responsive to these issues and addressed many of them. While it still may not be appropriate for hosting sensitive discussions, we do not feel Zoom presents any problems for hosting general interest discussions, like the sessions we have planned for the virtual summit.

APPA has implemented all the recommended precautions and best practices recommended to minimize the possibility of security issues, such as authenticating all participants are registered for the event, utilizing virtual waiting rooms, requiring meeting passwords, and creating unique URLs for all attendees to participate in the meeting.

What is the policy on refunds, cancellations and attendee substitutions?

Registrants who cancel in writing on or before Tuesday, March 16, 2020, are entitled to a refund of their registration fee, minus a $50 cancellation fee. Registrants who cancel after March 16 will not receive a refund, but attendee substitutions will be allowed for this event only. Registrants and no-shows who do not cancel by March 16 are responsible for the full registration fee and are not entitled to a refund. Cancellations must be made in writing and emailed to [email protected].

Can I earn educational credits for attending this virtual conference?

Yes, you can earn the following kinds of educational credits for attending live sessions during the conference:

• Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
• Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
• Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

Please note that you will only be able to earn educational credits for the sessions you attend live during the virtual conference. We are not able to offer educational credits for any session recordings you watch later.

Is there international registration?

Online meeting registration is for U.S. and Canadian residents only. International registrants must provide a signed registration form — signed by the authorized cardholder — if paying with a credit card. Email the completed registration form to [email protected].  

Alternatively, you could send a check from a U.S. bank payable to American Public Power Association. Please mail completed form with full payment to our bank lock box:

American Public Power Association
P.O. Box 418617
Boston, MA  02241

Where and when is the next Engineering & Operations Technical Conference?

We’re planning the 2022 conference for Austin, Texas.

How can I present at the conference?

We welcome your topic and speaker ideas for future conferences and events. To submit your idea for consideration, complete this form. Conference topics are generally determined 6-8 months before the event is held. Ideas will be kept on file for a full year, so if the agenda for the conference has already been determined, your ideas will be considered for the next year’s event, or in case any space opens up in the current year’s program. You will be contacted only if your idea is selected for an upcoming conference.

What is the APPA Code of Conduct for meeting attendees?

Attendees of American Public Power Association meetings agree to abide by the APPA Code of Conduct. If attendees engage in unacceptable behavior as outlined in the Code of Conduct, the Association may take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to, expulsion from the current and future meetings, with no warning or refund.