Data centers can be a powerful engine for economic growth, but their development can also create significant challenges for utilities and communities. Gain clarity on who is showing up at the utility door -- from hyperscale cloud providers and AI developers to colocation operators and crypto miners -- and what it takes to move a project from first inquiry to energization.

Learn what a real project timeline looks like, how to structure agreements that protect existing ratepayers before infrastructure dollars are committed, and what utilities most commonly get caught off guard by. Explore how public power utilities are participating in community coalitions, engaging governing boards proactively, and communicating the economic benefits of new large loads to skeptical stakeholders.

Dive into a detailed case study of how one public power utility with more than a decade of data center experience structured its next phase of growth through a competitive RFP process — and what their partnership with a data center developer revealed about speed, credibility, and long-term operations.

Topics include:

• Understanding the data center customer landscape and what drives site selection decisions
• Planning for growth: what a real project timeline looks like and where utilities get caught off guard
• Structuring large load agreements that protect existing ratepayers from speculative load risk
• Building the coalition of the willing: engaging boards, communities, and regulators
• Analyzing and communicating the economic benefits of data center development
• Case study: Grand River Dam Authority's decade of operations and competitive RFP process

Honoring Our Colleagues: Excellence in Public Power Communications

Celebrate winners of the Excellence in Public Power Communications awards, including the audience choice video award.

Breaking Through: My Journey to Becoming the First Female NFL Official

Sarah Thomas is a woman of many firsts—she was the first female official to ever work a major college football game, the first woman to officiate a bowl game, and the first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium. In 2021 she became the first female to officiate a Super Bowl. Now she’s sharing essential leadership lessons from her journey to the top of a male-dominated industry and vital insights on shattering the glass ceiling in the world of professional sports that can be applied to any field or industry. As an example of what’s possible if you believe, Sarah shows audience members how to break through in their own careers, from staying focused under pressure and creating change to managing work-life balance and being the best at what you do.

Welcome

Board Chair Address

Honoring Our Colleagues: Key Account and Advanced Key Account Certificate Program Graduates
Congratulate the newest graduates from the APPA Academy's Key Accounts and Advanced Key Accounts Certificate Programs.

The Customer Conversation: Tips from the Front Lines
How do utilities communicate clearly and effectively with customers on the issues that matter most—from rates and outages to programs, services, community engagement, and the value of public power? Join a panel of your peers as they share how their organizations connect with customers across different audiences, situations, and channels. Through real-world examples and practical lessons learned, panelists will discuss strategies for simplifying complex information, addressing customer questions and concerns, communicating during challenging moments, and building trust over time. Whether you're talking with residential customers, business accounts, or community stakeholders, you'll leave with fresh ideas and proven approaches for making customer communications more clear, consistent, and effective.

Honoring Our Colleagues: Excellence in Public Power Communications 
Immerse yourself in visionary communication strategies that will leave you enlightened and motivated as we showcase the videos capturing the highest honors this year in the prestigious Excellence in Public Power Communications Awards.
 

Welcome
Teresa Broyles-Aplin, President and CEO, Nashville Electric Service

CEO Address
Scott Corwin, President and CEO, American Public Power Association

Honoring Our Colleagues: Smart Energy Providers and Public Power Customer Satisfaction Awards
Applaud excellence in energy efficiency and sustainability with the 2026 Smart Energy Provider designees. Celebrate exceptional customer service as we recognize the winners of the Public Power Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Creating Superfans: How To Turn Customers Into Lifelong Advocates
We’re living in an experience economy. Customer experience drives over two-thirds of customer loyalty; more than brand and cost combined. Learn why it’s important for organizations of all kinds to consider every member of your team as part of the Experience Department, and how customer experience translates to competitive advantage. Walk through a memorable, five-step framework proven to create — and keep — superfans that you can take back to your utility.

Brittany Hodak is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and customer experience expert who helps businesses turn customers into superfans. Her SUPER Model™ framework has empowered thousands of organizations’ employees to transform customers’ apathy into advocacy. When her debut book, Creating Superfans, was released, Forbes declared: “If you have customers, you need this book. Period.” A recognized authority on customer experience, Brittany has authored more than 350 articles for top media outlets, including Success, Adweek, and Inc.

Learn what experienced key accounts representatives are doing to navigate common challenges in today’s evolving landscape. Hear which strategies have driven success in their utilities, and gain candid lessons and practical insights into what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what makes sense for your key accounts. Then discuss key takeaways and exchange ideas for strengthening your key account program and driving meaningful impact in small group roundtables.

Find out how utilities are using smart rate design and pricing strategies for large loads to improve reliability, guide growth, and influence customer behavior — while remaining fair, simple, and competitive. Learn about tools to help you communicate the value of your rates, avoid under recovery and cross subsidization, evaluate contract options, and confidently price large load opportunities using real world lessons and proven frameworks.

Dissect why key account programs often fail, highlighting common issues related to strategy, clarity, prioritization, relationships, and follow-through. Get practical guidance and tools to help you strengthen your approach, operate your program more strategically, and build stronger, more effective partnerships.

This session explores the evolving, two-way relationship between utilities and data centers, including a case study from Grand River Dam Authority about how they changed their approach to source the next phase of their growth.

The panel discussion will highlight how both partners work together to support growth, reliability, and long-term success. Attendees will gain insight into the needs, priorities, and expectations of each side, and how effective collaboration can drive strategic planning, infrastructure development, and mutually beneficial outcomes.

Being a key accounts representative means serving as your utility’s trusted ambassador. Gain practical guidance and tips for how to represent your organization with confidence, professionalism, and strong business etiquette when engaging with your clients.

Kick off the conference with an interactive peer discussion focused on your most pressing key accounts challenges that sets the stage for a collaborative and engaging conference experience. Exchange insights on managing large loads and navigating rate increases, share effective incentive strategies, and learn how fellow key account representatives are overcoming obstacles and delivering measurable wins.