How does strong operational discipline lead to exceptional customer experiences? Shrewsbury Electric & Cable Operations (SELCO) recently earned APPA’s Gold Public Power Customer Satisfaction Award, with approval ratings above 95% across key areas like reliability, outage response, communication, and innovation. This session uses SELCO’s experience as a practical case study to highlight the organizational practices and response strategies that drive high satisfaction. Attendees will gain actionable ideas to strengthen outage coordination, improve communication during critical events, and build a culture of accountability and trust.

As the grid evolves, so does the tax and compliance landscape that utilities must navigate. This session provides 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. Presenters will break down what public power utilities need to know to stay compliant, access available benefits, and avoid common pitfalls as they pursue modernization projects. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how today’s tax policies intersect with infrastructure planning, clean energy investments, and long‑term financial strategy.

Get a comparative overview of the SMR and 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.

Stay up to date on the latest FEMA requirements and what utilities need to know before, during, and after a disaster. This session provides a clear overview of current rules, documentation and reporting expectations, and best practices for navigating the reimbursement process. Get insights from last year’s disaster season, along with a “hot wash” on lessons learned and a look at how the FEMA process played out in 2025. Attendees will gain practical guidance to strengthen preparedness, improve response coordination, and avoid common pitfalls in federal recovery procedures.

AI is rapidly reshaping utility operations, offering practical tools to improve reliability, efficiency, and customer service. This session highlights real-world applications—from demand forecasting and anomaly detection to predictive maintenance, customer service automation, and energy theft detection. Hear real world examples of utilities use of drones and AI to assess hard‑to‑reach distribution assets, along with insights on how AI and advanced analytics are supporting grid modernization.

Presentation of National Awards
Recognizing excellence in public power leadership

What’s Ahead for the Global Economy and Energy Markets