Battery energy storage systems, or BESS, are transforming how utilities manage reliability, resilience, and capacity. Get a comprehensive overview of BESS applications and strategies, including practical use cases and examples from public power. Explore how storage can be deployed for multiple objectives — from improving distribution reliability to supporting bulk supply services — while learning about emerging technologies and safety considerations. Through real-world examples and interactive discussion, gain understanding of the technical, operational, and economic aspects of BESS deployment, all to help you make informed decisions and plan for your utility’s future.

Topics

• BESS applications and benefits
• Behind-the-meter storage and its role in customer solutions
• Strategies for reliability improvement and distribution capacity
• Value stacking and multi-objective dispatch for maximum ROI
• Integration with solar and other DERs
• Flexible connections for BESS (emerging concepts)
• Safety considerations and risk management
• Energy storage resources

AI, Cybercrime, Identity Theft, and Scams
Known for his former life as con man, check forger, and impostor between the ages of 15 and 21, Frank Abagnale’s story inspired the Academy Award-nominated feature film, Catch Me If You Can. Abagnale’s unique expertise and first-hand experience now focus on a life of service, and his contributions to the world of cybersecurity are immeasurable. The FBI and more than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations, and government agencies utilize his fraud prevention programs. And although most of his work is with the U.S. government, he refuses to be paid for it. He is a premier cybersecurity speaker, appearing at the FBI Academy and Bureau field offices, a faculty member at the National Advocacy Center, and runs Abagnale & Associates, a financial fraud consultancy company. 

Get together with friends and associates before exploring Rocket City’s historical downtown charm, southern farm-to-table restaurants, and unique brewery scene.

Dive into practical applications for some of the most complex and often misunderstood rules in the APPA Safety Manual. Walk through sections you may have overlooked and gain a deeper understanding of why these practices matter. Topics include truck grounding, equipotential grounding, rubber glove use, and radio frequency hazards. Get a preview of proposed changes under consideration in the next version of the NESC and discuss how the changes might affect public power’s safety practices in the future.