Discover what’s driving system outages at utilities across the U.S. and where your utility’s reliability indices compare to public power benchmarks as reported in the PowerTRX Reliability platform (formerly eReliability Tracker). Dive into where the data shows mitigation strategies are working, from vegetation management to contact with wildlife, and what other practices can help your utility understand and improve its reliability track record.

Community growth brings economic opportunities but also new risks for utilities. Explore how T&D planners can manage line extension policies, capacity constraints, power supply costs, and rate design to ensure growth benefits both the utility and its customers. Review how growth has affected utility capacity and reliability in different regions and how public power is leveraging distributed generation to manage some growth.

As the landscape for EV charging infrastructure continues to evolve, utilities and commercial customers have changing considerations for load, cost, and other grid impacts. Follow the latest trends in Level 3 DC fast chargers, including how this infrastructure is affecting load growth and electric rates. Review strategies for right-sizing transformers with EV load and considerations for optimizing EV infrastructure builds, whether utility-owned or commercial installations. Discover collaboration opportunities for industrial-scale and residential charging and how rate design can influence adoption and grid effects.

Join us for a run-down of the latest regulatory agenda at the Environmental Protection Agency, including recent developments affecting public power environmental programs and operations, from power plant air emission requirements to wastewater discharges, permitting, and solid waste disposal.

Join networking breaks in the Sponsor Showcase between sessions to reset and recharge. This is an opportunity to visit with sponsors who are developing cutting-edge tools and technologies to help tackle challenges the communities in public power face.

Welcome to Huntsville

Honoring Our Colleagues: Safety Awards of Excellence

Keynote: Leading Through Impossible

Col. Jack “2fish” Fischer is a senior space operations leader, combat fighter pilot, astronaut, and flight test expert with 29 years of experience across the spectrum of operational levels. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Draper Fellow with bachelors and masters degrees in Astronautics. He is a command pilot astronaut with over 3,000 hours in over 40 aircraft, a Society of Experimental Test Pilots Associate Fellow, and has spent 136 days in space with two spacewalks. 2fish is currently serving as the Chief Integration Officer at Intuitive Machines, managing all production, mission operations, and integrated functions across IM’s enterprise. An active member of the community, he is also a member of the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium Executive Committee as part of the Texas Space Commission.

RP3 designees and Safety Award honorees can get their photos taken.

Visit with peers and chat with conference sponsors at this informal breakfast.  

Imagine planning a trip without choosing a destination, mapping an itinerary, or deciding who you’ll travel with. Many of us approach our careers this way — hoping things will work out without ever taking the wheel. This is your invitation to stop wandering and start steering — not just for yourself, but for the teams you lead and influence. Learn how to begin to take ownership of your career and individual leadership development, while also learning how to cultivate accountability, foster a growth mindset, and empower others on your team. First, reflect on your values, uncover your strengths, and learn tools to help you create a personalized roadmap for growth. Then, explore how to effectively encourage your team to adopt a growth mindset, take accountability, and create a team development action plan. Whether you're just starting out or looking to reignite your path, stop waiting for someone else to lead and start practicing how to guide your own journey toward a fulfilling career and culture of results.

Part 1: Lead Yourself

• The Five KNOWs to build clarity, confidence, and direction.
• Identifying stealth development opportunities.
• Your leadership brand and impact.
• Building your “nextwork” to accelerate career momentum.

Part 2: Lead Others

• How to foster a culture of accountability and results within your team.
• Developing and empowering others through coaching, feedback, and recognition.
• Instilling a growth mindset across your team.
• How to create a team development action plan aligned with your leadership values and organizational goals.