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. Gain practical insight into what’s changing, what to watch, and how to prepare for evolving federal scrutiny of utility actions and investments.
Understand the difference in the power generation mix of the various regions and why those differences lead to residential power prices being 2 to 3 times as high in some regions as other lower cost regions. The energy resources a region has access to is very important to ultimate cost of retail power in the regions. Couple that with a state level legislative/regulatory factors and the residential costs differences are much more understandable.
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.
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 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.
A severe ice storm in December 2008 exposed significant vulnerabilities in New England’s overhead distribution systems, leading to extended outages and difficult restoration efforts. In response, the Littleton Electric Light and Water Departments invested in targeted system hardening, including the installation of spacer cable. This session shares lessons learned and examines how focused capital improvements can strengthen reliability and storm resilience.
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.
Presentation of National Awards
Recognizing excellence in public power leadership
What’s Ahead for the Global Economy and Energy Markets
