Long before a disaster strikes, everyone involved in emergency response and recovery in a community should be prepared with an understanding of what to do, how to access resources, and have established relationships for smooth coordination. Explore the latest practices in emergency operations planning, including how utilities are incorporating new technologies, what makes for effective drills and exercises, and get a refresher on when and how to leverage the Mutual Aid Network. Discuss strategies for handling media inquiries during crises, lessons from recent events like California’s wildfires and windstorms, and weighing options for insurance. Learn how policy reforms are affecting disaster recovery and resilience, including how FEMA support is evolving.

A wave of cutting-edge technologies promise to transform generation, storage, and grid management. Explore where technologies from long-duration energy storage to small modular reactors, geothermal and AI are in development and what utilities can expect from them in the next decade. Join a lively discussion with tech experts and industry peers on how and when public power should evaluate emerging technologies and how they might help you meet reliability, sustainability, and affordability goals.

Dive into the factors creating challenges for public power leaders in ensuring resource adequacy and system reliability. Hear different perspectives from across the sector with a panel of executives on how they are navigating the uncertainty surrounding large loads, conflicting federal and state policies, and long-term investments. Discuss practical options for securing new resources — from locally owned projects and microgrids to SMRs and emerging technologies. Weigh your options and share strategies to adapt, innovate, and maintain reliability in today’s evolving energy landscape.

Continue the conversation and connect with your fellow public power leaders over lunch hosted by APPA.