It’s not enough for you to know the risks your utility faces, you have to be able to express to others across the organization why various internal stakeholders need to be involved in managing the risk. Gain strategies and review tools for how to communicate the purpose and responsibilities of risk, controls, and audit in a way that resonates with those outside of risk management, fostering a more efficient enterprise. Review simple frameworks for organizing information in a way that helps reduce confusion, improve collaboration, and reinforce the value of enterprise risk management in everyday work.

Public power utilities must compete for skilled talent while balancing public accountability and fiscal responsibility. Explore practical approaches to keeping public power compensation competitive through market data, compensation studies, and strategic pay practices. Gain insights on how utilities can strengthen recruitment, improve retention, and align compensation strategies to support a sustainable and resilient workforce.

Gain a deeper understanding of how various factors are affecting the price of electricity, including load growth, technology, and geopolitical concerns. Learn practical strategies to balance affordability, financial resilience, and economic development. Review the core contractual and financing mechanisms, cost of service study considerations, and targeted rate design strategies that align risks and rewards appropriately, ensuring growth opportunities are good for all customers.

Continued activity and uncertainty around tariffs and trade‑related supply chain pressures is making utility planning challenging. Walk through recent trends and decisions and what steps utilities can take to prepare for continued uncertainty. Discuss which key risk indicators to monitor and how these risks could influence your utility’s long‑term project and budget decisions.

Customers are increasingly adopting behind-the-meter technologies, including solar. Explore how and why Austin Energy and Sacramento Municipal Utility District, early leaders in value-based solar compensation, evolved their value of solar methodologies. Learn how changing customer adoption patterns, grid needs, and policy considerations have shaped their approaches over time, and what lessons other utilities can apply as they evaluate the future of distributed energy resource compensation.

As utilities navigate industry transformation, workforce transitions, and increasing operational complexities, the ability to build and sustain a future-ready workforce has never been more important. This panel discussion will bring together senior leaders from small to large utilities to explore how organizations can strengthen knowledge transfer, support cross-generational workforce development, and foster innovation while preparing employees to meet evolving customer, infrastructure, and regulatory demands.

Utilities strive to establish fair and equitable rates in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Gain insight into the electric utility ratemaking process from the lens of a utility finance professional, including how utilities are applying cost-of-service studies to the process. Share lessons from recent utility rate cases and discuss how finance can help preserve affordability.

For those new to the utility world, get an overview of key industry terms, common challenges, and current trends affecting utilities. Gain a deeper understanding of how utilities work and how they can affect the communities they serve and the environment. Also discuss the utility’s role in hot topics like energy distribution, water management, and new technologies.

Any number of developments — now or in the near future — could reshape your resilience planning efforts. Instead of gazing into the proverbial crystal ball, hear which requirements trends, planning targets, operational shifts, and forecasting insights experts advise you follow and analyze to better anticipate changes and strengthen long‑term strategies for your utility.