Highlights of the Program

2 days business program:

Learn from real-world case studies by industry leaders.

SHOWCASING INNOVATION:

Discover the latest technology and techniques from across the industry.

leaders talk:

Hear from top-level experts about how to stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.

MULTIPLE STREAMS:

A business program that is multi-disciplinary, giving you a broad view of the industry.

SMART TECHNOLOGIES:

Explore the latest smart and AI-driven solutions, and see how they can be used in your business.

roundtable discussion:

Join talks with industry peers. Share ideas, make connections, and find new partners.

Program

Day 1 :
Monday, August 31, 2026
08:00 - 08:50
REGISTRATION & MORNING REFRESHMENTS
08:50 - 09:00
OPENING ADDRESS
09:00 - 09:30
RESERVED PRESENTATION SLOT
09:30 - 09:55
THE RISE OF EMBEDDED VPPS: ACTIVATING GRID CAPACITY AT THE POINT OF SALE
Brady Manning
GoodLeap

Brady Manning

GoodLeap

  • Embedding VPP enrollment into purchasing, financing, and installation workflows to shift homeowner participation from fragmented opt-in to scalable default activation
  • Distilling lessons from reaching 100 MW of VPP-eligible capacity in 18 months, including what drives adoption and where traditional VPP models break down
  • Redefining financing platforms as critical grid infrastructure by aligning homeowner electrification incentives with utility and grid value streams
09:55 - 10:00
Q&A SESSION ON TEXAS MARKET REFORM AND VPP DEPLOYMENT
10:00 - 10:30
SPEED NETWORKING SESSION
  • Exchange business cards and get connected in short one-to-one meetings
  • Start the conversation to arrange a more formal meeting later on in the conference
  • Share your professional background and discuss your biggest business issues — don't forget your business cards!
10:30 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
11:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION ON VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS
11:30 - 11:55
OPERATIONAL ENVELOPE OF VPPs FOR TRANSMISSION GRID SERVICES
Nasser Faarooqui
GridGPT

Nasser Faarooqui

GridGPT

  • Strategic value of virtual power plants in transmission planning and real-time grid operations across evolving power systems
  • Visibility and control requirements enabling transmission utilities to securely integrate and dispatch aggregated DER assets
  • Transmission and distribution coordination frameworks enhancing reliability, flexibility, and congestion management
  • Market outlook and regulatory pathways for VPP participation supported by case studies from Australia and Europe
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON VPP INTEGRATION FOR GRID SERVICES
12:00 - 12:25
POWERING THE FUTURE: INTELLIGENT ENERGY MANAGEMENT FOR EV CHARGING
Muhammad Daoudi
Kempower

Muhammad Daoudi

Kempower

  • Showcasing grid optimization strategies through distributed EV charging architectures and software-enabled control
  • Profiling static load management and real-time monitoring for improved charging efficiency
  • Outlining utility-integrated energy management using OpenADR supported by live deployments
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON OPTIMIZING EV CHARGING THROUGH SMART ENERGY SYSTEMS
12:30 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH AND VISITING THE VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS EXHIBITION
13:30 - 14:00
PANEL DISCUSSION ON VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS
14:00 - 14:25
UNLOCKING THE TRUE VALUE OF DERS FOR SCALING VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS
Shaurya Singh
TechSci Research

Shaurya Singh

TechSci Research

  • Identifying high-growth VPP opportunities across utility C&I and residential market segments
  • Utilizing data-driven forecasting and pricing analysis to enhance DER participation outcomes
  • Competitive benchmarking approaches to support stakeholders in unlocking sustainable revenue streams
  • Analyzing global VPP trends and project insights to highlight evolving models and scaling pathways
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON DER STRATEGIES AND MARKET INTELLIGENCE FOR VPPs
14:30 - 14:55
POTENTIAL OF VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS TO IMPROVE ENERGY EQUITY
Yunus Kinkhabwala
PSE Healthy Energy

Yunus Kinkhabwala

PSE Healthy Energy

  • Contribution of household distributed energy resources to affordability, resilience, and air quality improvements
  • System and community value of distributed resources alongside conventional power sector solutions
  • Relationship between energy equity outcomes, resource accessibility, and virtual power plant participation models
  • Discussion of an open-access tool to evaluate residential energy interventions across costs, emissions, and customer impacts
14:55 - 15:00
Q&A SESSION ON COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM DISTRIBUTED ENERGY
15:00 - 15:20
AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
15:20 - 15:45
FROM INTERCONNECTION BOTTLENECK TO GRID ASSET WITH BESS-ENABLED VPPs
Sriram Sarma Emani
Emani Energy

Sriram Sarma Emani

Emani Energy

  • The role of BESS-enabled virtual power plants in accelerating large-load interconnection for data center power access
  • Medium-voltage orchestration strategies combining flexible loads, storage, and co-located generation assets
  • Technical capabilities including curtailment, low-voltage ride-through compliance, backup transfer, and AI load smoothing
  • Monetization opportunities through reliability services, congestion management, and energy trading models
15:45 - 15:50
Q&A SESSION ON FLEXIBLE GRID STRATEGIES FOR DATA CENTER POWER
15:50 - 16:15
BTM MICRO-NUCLEAR BASELOAD AND BESS: THE ULTIMATE DER
Ara Krikorian
Radiant

Ara Krikorian

Radiant

  • Enabling reliable low-carbon baseload generation across diverse behind-the-meter energy applications
  • Integrating micro-nuclear with battery storage, improving flexibility while strengthening resilience and independence
  • Delivering competitive energy value, reducing reliance on fuel supply chains and traditional grid infrastructure
16:15 - 16:20
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING RESILIENT AND LOW-CARBON DISTRIBUTED ENERGY
16:20 - 16:45
DER PORTFOLIO OPTIMIZATION MODEL USING STATE-LEVEL DATA
Tim Cook
Current Energy Group

Tim Cook

Current Energy Group

  • DER portfolio optimization results, demonstrating net benefits across varying state conditions
  • Market and policy influences, shaping optimal DER strategies and participant outcomes
  • Model structure and inputs, explaining constraints across a range of DER technologies
  • State-level system data, driving portfolio optimization outcomes and value realization
16:45 - 16:50
Q&A SESSION ON ENERGY MODELING AND SYSTEM VALUE DRIVERS
16:50 - 17:15
POWERED LAND NEEDS A VPP WITH BEHIND-THE-METER AGGREGATION
Kate Sherwood
ZeroEnergy

Kate Sherwood

ZeroEnergy

  • The role of behind-the-meter aggregation in accelerating early power access for AI and hyperscale developments
  • Describing portfolio-based virtual power plants that combine distributed generation, storage, and flexible load assets
  • Market opportunities across ERCOT, PJM, and ISO-NE to monetize surplus capacity and strengthen project bankability
  • Procurement, aggregation, and financing strategies for scaling dispatchable power solutions across site portfolios
17:15 - 17:20
Q&A SESSION ON SCALING DISPATCHABLE POWER FOR DATA CENTER GROWTH
17:20 - 18:20
NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
Day 2 :
Tuesday, 1 SEPTEMBER, 2026
08:00 - 08:30
MORNING REFRESHMENTS
08:30 - 08:40
OPENING ADDRESS
08:40 - 09:05
BEYOND ROE: REWIRING UTILITY INCENTIVES FOR THE VPP ERA
Jessica Fishman
Independent Consultant

Jessica Fishman

Independent Consultant

  • Interpreting how traditional return models prioritizing capital over flexibility hinder VPP adoption
  • Considering the transition of utilities into platform orchestrators coordinating distributed energy resources
  • New revenue models capturing value from energy flows while aligning stakeholder incentives
  • Regulatory, organizational, and market shifts enabling system-wide benefits and customer participation
09:05 - 09:10
Q&A SESSION ON FUTURE UTILITY MODELS AND VPP VALUE
09:10 - 09:35
SECURING VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS: PRACTICAL ARCHITECTURES FOR DER AND OT
Glen Combe
Fortinet

Glen Combe

Fortinet

  • Establishing secure segmentation across DER assets platforms and control systems to strengthening grid edge resilience
  • Enhancing visibility into OT and DER communications, including legacy and proprietary protocols across environments
  • Protecting grid edge devices and aggregators through threat prevention virtual patching and secure remote access models
  • Applying zero trust principles to enabling scalable secure VPP deployments without disrupting ongoing operations
09:35 - 09:40
Q&A SESSION ON SECURING GRID-EDGE OPERATIONS AND DER NETWORKS
09:40 - 10:05
SCALING VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS IN ERCOT: POLICY AND MARKET PATHWAYS
Matthew Boms
Advanced Energy United

Matthew Boms

Advanced Energy United

  • Outlining ERCOT market design and the growing opportunity for virtual power plants across Texas
  • Key interconnection, regulatory, and operational barriers that currently constrain large-scale VPP deployment
  • Mapping policy, market, and capital alignment strategies to enable durable, system-wide VPP growth
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON TEXAS MARKET REFORM AND VPP DEPLOYMENT
10:10 - 10:30
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
10:30 - 10:55
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR SCALING VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS (VPPs)
Shruti Singh
Oregon Institute of Technology

Shruti Singh

Oregon Institute of Technology

  • Connecting microgrids to VPPs, demonstrating value through coordination and aggregated system optimization
  • Examining key cost drivers, moving beyond hardware to include control, operations, and integration factors
  • Leveraging value stacking, combining multiple revenue streams to strengthen overall economic viability
  • Improving scalability through control intelligence, while addressing policy, incentives, and operational insights
10:55 - 11:00
Q&A SESSION ON VPP ECONOMICS VALUE STREAMS AND SCALABILITY DRIVERS
11:00 - 11:25
DISPATCHABLE LOAD SHIFT AND DISTRIBUTED STORAGE AS THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF VPPs
Boaz Ur
Nostromo Energy

Boaz Ur

Nostromo Energy

  • Comparing traditional demand response approaches with emerging grid requirements for daily operational flexibility
  • Looking at dispatchable load shift as a framework for operating behind-the-meter storage as a virtual power plant
  • Demonstrating how real-time visibility and dispatchability improve grid utilization and system reliability
  • Highlighting customer and grid benefits, including fair compensation mechanisms and reduced reliance on peaker plants
11:25 - 11:30
Q&A SESSION ON DISPATCHABLE LOAD SHIFT AND VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS
11:30 - 11:55
FROM FORECAST TO DISPATCH: TURNING WEATHER UNCERTAINTY INTO VPP DECISIONS
Brock Burghardt
Atmospheric

Brock Burghardt

Atmospheric

  • Detecting forecast uncertainty and translating it into actionable dispatch curtailment and demand response decisions
  • Using ensemble spread, scenario framing, and thresholds to optimize battery dispatch and asset performance
  • Evaluating real-world cases to correct misaligned inputs and reduce grid stress and missed opportunities
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON IMPROVING DISPATCH AND GRID PERFORMANCE
12:00 - 12:15
FEEDBACK AND RAFFLE DRAW
12:15 - 12:30
CLOSING REMARKS
12:30 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH

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