Agenda

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Whether you’re new to the electric utility world or looking to keep pace with the rapidly evolving energy industry landscape, this course offers a practical, non-technical overview of how electric systems work. Get a solid grounding of how public power utilities operate — from energy source to meter — gaining insight into the latest trends in how utility infrastructure is built, operated, and maintained. Examine the forces transforming the industry and how regulatory structures and market dynamics are reshaping traditional business models. Learn how leading utilities are adapting their strategies and practices to maintain financial strength, enhance operational resilience, and ensure long term sustainability.

Utility staff and leaders of all levels, policymakers, and anyone who is supporting a utility’s strategic reset are welcome in this dive into the fundamentals and emerging trends shaping the sector. Leave ready to participate more confidently in your utility’s planning, oversight, and strategic decision making — and with a copy of APPA’s Electric Utility Basics manual to keep as a reference guide.

Topics:
•    Electric utility regulations and business models 
•    The regional generation and transmission grid
•    Your local public power system
•    Trends and challenges in electric utility management

Lunch is included with this workshop. 

Strong leadership — whether at the board, executive, or operational level — requires more than reviewing financial reports. It requires the ability to interpret what the numbers reveal about organizational health, strategic risk, and long term sustainability. Whether you’re a board member, CEO, general manager, or another utility leader, you need to be able to confidently analyze financial statements and use them to guide high level decision making. Through a public power lens, break down the elements of core utility financial statements — the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement — and discover the metrics that matter most for executive oversight, including liquidity, debt capacity, operating margins, and reserve strength. Explore how financial performance connects directly to rates, capital planning, workforce and infrastructure investments, and long term resilience. Review practical examples in plain language to gain familiarity with how to spot trends, identify emerging risks, ask sharper questions, and strengthen financial stewardship across your organization.

Topics:

• The key types and components of financial statements
• Indicators of organizational and financial health
• What else to look for in balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow
• Translating financial analysis to planning and strategy

When a crisis strikes, leaders are expected to respond with speed, clarity, and confidence—often in highly charged situations where instincts can work against effective communication. In today’s fast moving media environment, successful crisis communications requires a strategic approach focused on de escalation, trust building, and keeping stakeholders informed. This fast paced session provides practical guidance for managing high stakes situations before they spiral out of control. Participants will learn how to protect credibility, calm stakeholders, and maintain control of the narrative when it matters most.

Topics include:

• Establishing and maintaining control of the message
• Using social media to inform rather than inflame
• Working effectively with reporters during a crisis
• Navigating differences across TV, print, radio, and online media
• Responding when legal guidance conflicts with communication needs
• Communicating during extreme crisis events, including mass casualty incidents

The projections for demand from data centers can vary drastically and continue to skyrocket in some areas of the country. Examine what’s driving the dramatic increase in interconnection requests coming from data centers, how much is attributable to the rise in use of artificial intelligence, and what may happen with electric demand when technology and the AI industry continues to evolve. Discuss the uncertainty related to data center forecasts and how much is known and still unknown about phantom loads, the ongoing evolution of chips, cooling efficiencies, approaches to AI training, the competitive dynamics of the AI industry, and likelihood of failure. Understand the differences between training models and inference applications and what that means for load requirements. Evaluate the potential risks and opportunities AI poses to utilities, including demands on infrastructure and long-term financial health.

Topics:

• How utilities are preparing for projected power demand from data centers
• The distinction between typical data centers and AI-driven data centers in terms of load and goals
• Where AI is headed next and what it could mean for demand and energy efficiency
• Recent regulatory filings and decisions that could shape AI’s evolution
• Potential utility applications for AI, including forecasting locational demand, integrating variable resources, improving situational awareness, and increasing efficiency of transmission systems

Most utility governance officials must quickly learn the roles, responsibilities, and expectations that come with the job. Get a comprehensive overview of public power and the duties and legal obligations of people on the governing board, including city council members. Review the nuts and bolts of governance requirements, such as open meetings and records, fiduciary responsibilities, charters and bylaws, conflicts of interest, and interaction with regulatory agencies. Learn what you can do to encourage effective board meetings and productive communication between your fellow board members, utility staff, and stakeholders. Swap strategies for successful board operations.

Topics: 
•    Advantages of the public power model 
•    Duties and obligations of governing board members
•    Common challenges and sticky situations for board members
•    Making the most of your experience

Emerging electric loads — such as data centers, EV charging, distributed solar, and energy storage — are rapidly reshaping demand patterns and forcing utilities to rethink rate structures, infrastructure planning, and long term strategy. With powerful new economic drivers behind the growth in artificial intelligence, electrification, and more, utilities are facing both unprecedented opportunities for economic development and complex challenges in continuing to provide reliable, affordable power for their communities. Explore what customers with high load factors need from the grid and how you can transform those needs into thoughtfully designed rates, line extension policies, and contracts that balance opportunity and risks, protect existing ratepayers, and still offer a competitive value proposition for attracting and retaining large power users.

Topics:

• Data center and other large load customer characteristics
• Developing standby rates for customers with dispatchable onsite generation
• Economic development rates that support cost recovery and fairness
• Integrating solar and other distributed energy resources to contribute to the system
• Incentives, discounts, and competitive rate structures
• Approaches for mitigating risk with large load customers

Explore the main dynamics driving change in power grids across the United States. From load growth fueled by data centers, growing industrial load, and beneficial electrification, to supply challenges related to costs and interconnection of new assets and the emergence of energy storage and new generation technologies, a multitude of forces are conspiring to create the grid of tomorrow. Dive into what is driving demand and what is putting pressure on aging distribution systems. Gain insight into where emerging generation technologies stand, including advanced geothermal, small modular reactors, and even fusion, and how they may play into your future power supply planning. Review how a host of technologies are changing the relationship between utilities and their customers and discuss strategies for keeping your utility aligned with customer expectations.

Topics:

• Grid structures and regulatory models
• Macro demand drivers (data centers, new industrial load, green hydrogen, electrification)
• Challenges associated with grid technologies and the evolving bulk power supply mix
• New considerations for resource adequacy planning
• Overcoming difficulties in transmission and interconnection of new supply resources

Public power leaders are operating in one of the most dynamic periods in electric industry history. Rapid technological advances, shifting policies, and evolving community expectations are reshaping how utilities plan, invest, and deliver value. Get a comprehensive overview of the strategic planning practices that can help you navigate uncertainty and position your utility for long term success. Examine the essential elements of an effective strategic planning process, including how to build alignment around a shared vision and mission, identify strategic priorities, and engage the right stakeholders. Review how strategic planning has evolved and how to ensure your planning leverages the advantages of the public power model in supporting your communities. Walk through a straightforward, eight step planning model designed for utilities of all sizes and discuss practical methods for distinguishing true strategic priorities from distractions. Discuss how to move from strategy to action — setting direction, defining goals, and translating ideas into concrete steps that strengthen financial resilience, operational performance, and community impact.

Topics:

• Building alignment around a shared vision, mission, and strategic priorities
• Engaging key stakeholders and understanding the advantages of the public power model
• An eight-step strategic planning model for utilities
• Distinguishing true strategic priorities from distractions
• Moving from strategy to action through goal setting and implementation

A look at the strategies, structures, and partnerships that strengthen utility resilience before, during, and after an emergency event. Learn how to build readiness during blue sky periods through effective training programs and exercise design. Explore the fundamentals of the Incident Command System, the role of Emergency Operations Centers, and how utilities can integrate into broader emergency management frameworks. Also examine what makes for a culture of preparedness, including expectations and roles for utility staff.

Take a detailed walk through the disaster recovery and public assistance processes, including what to expect working with FEMA, how to use various APPA resources, and lessons from responses to recent events. Gain practical insight into using the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, including how to document damages and manage recovery operations efficiently. Discuss the importance of building strong community partnerships and strategies for how utilities can collaborate with local emergency managers, state agencies, and mutual aid networks to enhance coordination and improve outcomes.

Topics:

• ICS fundamentals and utility integration with emergency management
• EOC roles, activation, and coordination
• Disaster recovery and public assistance resources
• Strengthening partnerships with local and state agencies and mutual aid networks

Kick off APPA’s National Conference high above the skyline at View Boston — an unforgettable 360‑degree experience perched atop one of New England’s tallest buildings. Take in sweeping, breathtaking views of the city while enjoying great food, great company, and a fresh perspective on Boston’s vibrant energy. It’s the perfect place to connect, unwind, and soak in the city before the week begins. Join us for a night your camera and your colleagues will thank you for!

All conference participants and guests are welcome.

Welcome to Boston

A Legacy of Service, A Future of Opportunity

Politics with a Punch: Insider Insights on Today’s Top News 

Get an unfiltered, insider look at what’s really happening behind the headlines with renowned journalist Anna Palmer. With years spent covering the power dynamics, decision-makers, and deal-making that shape national policy, Palmer brings a front-row perspective on how Washington works (and sometimes doesn’t). Get a breakdown of the forces driving today’s most important political and policy conversations — what matters, what’s noise, and what leaders in every sector should be paying attention to — from someone who regularly engages with key players on Capitol Hill and in Washington.
 

Take a deeper dive into the outlook for various parts of the energy sector in the U.S., including natural gas supply-demand balances and pricing forecasts. Examine what these trends mean for power generation and resource planning, and whether projected load growth is real and how it could affect your capacity planning. Gain insights into key drivers shaping energy prices and reliability and what to expect in the coming years.

In challenging moments — whether navigating workforce pressures, rising customer expectations, or full-scale utility crises — communication is the backbone of effective leadership. In high‑stress situations, communicators and leaders often operate at the intersection of urgency, fear, and intense public scrutiny. Discuss the principles of strategic communication and crisis leadership to help you better cut through the noise, focus on the signals that truly matter, and guide your organization with clarity, confidence, and empathy.

Extreme weather continues to challenge operational plans and technology roadmaps at utilities across the country. Hear from utility leaders from different regions in the U.S. about their experience with extreme events and how their storm and emergency operations plans support resilience for the utility and the communities they serve. Walk through the proven practices contained in storm operations plans, how response efforts are modernizing, and how AMI played a critical role in rapid recovery and restoration efforts. 

Modernizing operational technology is no longer optional — it’s essential for reliability, efficiency, and meeting customer expectations. Hear how a panel of utility leaders from small, mid-sized, and large public power utilities approached the challenges and opportunities of technology modernization. From integrating new systems to managing cybersecurity risks, optimizing grid operations, and balancing innovation with budget constraints, get perspective on what planning and implementation strategies fit with your utility’s size and resources.

Hear what’s happening in Congress this year on issues that impact public power and your utility, including tax and finance, permitting reform, supply chain challenges, and grid security. Discover how you can add your voice and show Congress the power and needs of your community. 

Get a practical roadmap for planning, deploying, and operating modern reciprocating engine (RICE) plants for public power. This session highlights why fast start engines provide flexible, dispatchable capacity and support peak reliability, black start capability, and microgrids for critical services. Presenters will compare technology and procurement decisions through a municipal lens, share key commissioning lessons and performance metrics, and show how data driven remote support can improve availability and reduce outages.

Fleet electrification is transforming the energy landscape and public power utilities are uniquely positioned to lead this change. Hear about new initiatives in fleet electrification, including buses, trains, and more. Explore how collaboration and a willingness to rethink traditional approaches can lead to success for utilities, municipal leaders, contractors, EV manufacturers, and funding partners alike. Discuss possibilities and ideas for working across sectors to navigate the challenges and opportunities of electrification.

Large commercial and industrial customers play a critical role in the health and vibrancy of public power communities — but what do they really need from their local utility? In this engaging panel, hear directly from major energy users about their expectations, priorities, and experiences partnering with public power utilities. Reflect on what matters most to businesses when it comes to reliability, communication, rates, sustainability goals, and long‑term planning.

Data centers can be a great engine for economic growth in some areas, but their development can be detrimental in other communities. With a thoughtful and focused approach public power entities can utilize data centers as a catalyst for investments to reduce system constraints and increase resilience. Get an overview of the current state of the data center industry and how to assess if your customer is credible.

Get the latest look at the administration’s regulatory agenda and what changes would mean for public power. Discuss how public power can brace for these changes and embrace potential opportunities that arise from new rules and compliance.

Gas-fired generation remains a cornerstone of reliability for power producers nationwide — but the market is changing fast. Accelerating load growth, evolving emissions requirements, and shifting market signals are reshaping how gas plants are planned, built, and operated. Take a focused look at the gas generation landscape and its implications for public power utilities. Hear an EPC contractor’s perspective on what’s driving costs and development timelines, and what practical considerations utilities evaluating gas resources should weigh.

Cyber and physical security risks have become core business risks – with operations, finances, and public trust potentially vulnerable in an attack. Hear from a panel of public power senior leaders on how they are engaging with the E-ISAC to inform enterprise risk decisions, protect sensitive data, and strengthen organizational resilience. Learn how security intelligence and industry collaboration are influencing investment priorities, reducing exposure and cost, and helping leadership teams move from reactive response to proactive risk management.

As data center and other high‑density load requests grow nationwide, public power utilities are facing new challenges around resource adequacy, system planning, and community expectations. Hear from utilities that are already working with data centers about what’s working, what’s changing, and what to watch for. Discuss how to evaluate proposals, structure effective partnerships, and balance reliability, affordability, and community engagement amid rapid load growth.

Public power utilities are more than providers of reliable electricity — they are catalysts for local economic growth. Explore how public power utilities can leverage infrastructure investments, partnerships, and innovative programs to drive community development, attract businesses, and support workforce readiness. Walk through how utilities can align operational strategies with broader economic goals, ensuring that communities remain competitive and vibrant.

New requirements, funding, codes, and rising customer expectations are changing the structure and components of energy efficiency and electrification programs. Chat with a panel of professionals from Northeastern public power providers on what practical steps they have taken to adapt and improve their demand-side management portfolios. Discuss strategies for improving participation, streamlining delivery, targeting high-impact end users, updating existing offerings or launching new programs that fit your community’s needs. 

As AI rapidly expands, the policy discussion around its use increasingly overlaps with energy policy, whether in Congress or in regulatory discussions at FERC. Explore how the crossroads of energy and AI affect public power utilities and what trends you need to watch to keep your operations aligned. Learn how load growth considerations, data, and cybersecurity issues are shaping the fast‑moving policy environment and emerging rules.

Light Up Navajo is a partnership between the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and the American Public Power Association to bring electricity to families in the Navajo Nation for the very first time. Learn why the initiative matters to the communities it serves and for the utilities that participate, including the impact the program has had since it began. Get a sense of what the volunteer crews experience as they help extend power lines and what your utility needs to know if it wants to get involved. Hear firsthand experiences, logistical considerations, and steps to join this life‑changing effort to strengthen communities and improve quality of life across the Navajo Nation.

Get an update on the evolving regulatory landscape for fusion energy and why and how fusion can be separated from energy technologies relying on nuclear fission. Discuss the key roles fusion centers can play in regional innovation and the opportunities for utilities, municipalities, research institutions, and the industrial sector to engage with fusion commercialization efforts. 

Presentation of National Awards
Recognizing excellence in public power leadership

What’s Ahead for the Global Economy and Energy Markets

Get an update on the latest requirements and process for working with FEMA before, during, and after a disaster. Walk through current rules, documentation and reporting expectations, and best practices for navigating the reimbursement process. Participate in a quick hot wash on lessons from those involved in emergency response in 2025 and gain practical guidance to strengthen preparedness, improve response coordination, and avoid common pitfalls in federal recovery procedures.

Get a clear overview of recent federal tax credit developments — such as zero‑emission and clean energy incentives — and the practical requirements that come with them, including prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules. Discuss what public power utilities need to know to stay compliant, access available benefits, and avoid common pitfalls with grid modernization projects. Gain a better understanding of how today’s tax policies intersect with infrastructure planning, clean energy investments, and long‑term financial strategy.

Communicating about rate increases is never easy — especially when complex financial drivers must be explained to elected officials and customers in clear, accessible terms. Share practical strategies for turning technical data into simple, credible narratives that build understanding and trust. Review how other utilities have framed key messages on rates and tailored explanations for governing boards, councils, and customers. Collect tools to make rate conversations more transparent, effective, and less contentious, including how to align communication with financial planning.

Get a comparative overview of the small modular reactor and other advanced nuclear technologies in various stages of development and deployment across the globe. Learn about the major types of advanced nuclear technologies, including the advantages and challenges of each design and where they stand in the development pipeline. Discuss how the different technologies can align with your utility’s decarbonization and grid modernization goals and how the evolving regulatory and investment landscape could affect adoption.

There are myriad practical ways to incorporate AI into utility operations, from tools to bolster reliability, improve efficiency, and support customer service. Hear about real-world applications — from demand forecasting and anomaly detection to predictive maintenance, customer service automation, and energy theft detection. Learn what insights utilities have already gained from using AI and advanced analytics for grid modernization, including what precautionary steps and preparation is required before diving in. 

How does strong operational discipline lead to exceptional customer experiences? Shrewsbury Electric & Cable Operations recently earned a Gold Public Power Customer Satisfaction Award, with approval ratings above 95% across key areas like reliability, outage response, communication, and innovation. Using SELCO’s experience as a practical case study, gain insight into the organizational practices and response strategies that drive high satisfaction. Discuss actionable ideas to strengthen outage coordination, improve communication during critical events, and build a culture of accountability and trust.

Get briefed on the status of the EV market, including where infrastructure development stands. Explore how and why you can be accommodating to EVs in your community, even if your customers haven’t been keen to adopt them yet. Learn which rate structures, off-peak charging incentives, programs, and approaches taken by public power utilities have shown to unlock value for customers and utilities alike.

Distributed front-of-the-meter battery energy storage systems and flexible loads are transforming how public power utilities manage costs and reliability. Review strategies for deploying these resources to strengthen system performance, reduce peak demand, lower wholesale exposure, and defer costly capital upgrades. Hear which real-world approaches your public power colleagues are using for planning, coordination, and implementation of storage assets into their systems to access dispatchable capacity that supports resource adequacy, integrates renewables, and fills operational gaps.

Get the inside scoop on how Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor rate your credit and municipal bond issues directly from representatives from all three agencies. Learn how each views the latest global trends and threats to utilities as working for and against public power — and your utility’s — financial strength in a competitive market. Discuss the steps your board and managers should take to put your utility in the best position to raise capital.

Stay current on the regulatory issues shaping public power. Get a concise overview of key FERC and NERC priorities, emerging reliability and market topics, and the federal trends affecting utility planning and operations. Learn how federal antitrust reviews intersect with FERC oversight — an increasingly important factor as utilities pursue new generation and infrastructure projects in a high‑demand environment. Gain practical insight into what’s changing, what to watch, and how to prepare for evolving federal scrutiny of utility actions and investments.

Earning designation as a Reliable Public Power Provider or Smart Energy Provider can be more than just an honor — they can be powerful tools to improve and hone your operations. Learn how ElectriCities of North Carolina embedded these programs into its strategic priorities, using member participation and aggregate scoring to identify strengths, close gaps, and guide new services. Learn how using these assessments can strengthen continuous improvement and strategic alignment across your utility, whether for long‑term planning, program development, or to provide a roadmap for operational excellence.

Public power utilities deliver reliable, safe, community-owned energy — but many struggle to clearly communicate what makes them unique, valuable  community assets. Explore what your public power colleagues in the Northeast have achieved through outreach campaigns, messaging, and employee education initiatives. Learn strategies for aligning external communications with internal education, ensuring frontline employees — such as customer service representatives and lineworkers — are confident, knowledgeable ambassadors that can help build customer trust, boost engagement, and deepen understanding of public power’s value. 

Resource adequacy is not a new challenge — but accelerating load growth, driven in large part by AI, data centers, electrification, and changing customer expectations, is pushing long standing planning assumptions to their limits. For utility CEOs, the question is no longer whether resource pressures will intensify, but how quickly — and how decisively leaders must respond.

Get reports from the board Treasurer on APPA’s performance and financials and cast your vote on policy resolutions to guide APPA’s advocacy efforts for the coming year and for which members will represent your region on the APPA Board of Directors. Each utility member must appoint a voting delegate for this meeting. 

Experience an unforgettable evening at one of Boston’s most iconic places: Fenway Park. Mix and mingle with colleagues, soak in the ballpark atmosphere, and enjoy a relaxed night of networking in an exclusive area of one of baseball’s most historic settings. Watch the Boston Red Sox take on the Washington Nationals while you enjoy sweeping ballpark views, classic bites, and a front row experience of the game from the Sam Adams Deck — one of Fenway’s most legendary vantage points. Whether you’re a die hard fan or just love a great summer evening, this reception offers the perfect blend of Boston charm, camaraderie, and America’s favorite pastime. 

Tickets are required for this event and are limited. Conference attendees can add a game ticket to their conference registration for $25. Guest tickets are available separately for $70 each.

Doors open at 7:30 am. Please be seated by 8:30 am for breakfast service.

Installation of the 2026-2027 Board Chair

Closing Keynote: Going for the Gold — Leadership Lessons from the Captain of the "Miracle on Ice"
End the National Conference on a high note with an unforgettable keynote from Mike Eruzione, captain of the legendary 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team and the central figure of the hit film Miracle. As the leader who helped orchestrate one of the greatest upsets in sports history, Eruzione brings a powerful message about what it really takes to lead, inspire, and achieve seemingly impossible goals.

Drawing from his Olympic journey, Eruzione shares stories of resilience, teamwork, and the unwavering belief that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things when they commit to a common goal. Explore how the principles that fueled the Miracle on Ice — trust, accountability, preparation, adaptability, and heart — apply just as powerfully to today’s organizational, leadership, and community challenges.

Get a powerful reminder in why leadership matters, how teams triumph, and what it means to “go for the gold” in your organization and your community. A perfect finale for a week dedicated to learning, connection, and the power of public power leaders working together.

Learn more about Eruzione in Netflix's new documentary, Miracle: The Boys of 80.