6 Must-Attend Sessions at This Year’s E Source Forum

Every September, utility professionals from across the US and Canada come together in Denver for the E Source Forum. In its 32nd year, the Forum features a mix of educational sessions, collaboration, workshops, networking, and fun. You’ll hear from E Source experts and guest speakers from leading utilities, energy companies, and consumer brands such as the Home Depot, Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Nissan.

This year, we’ll be hosting innovative sessions in six topical tracks that represent the most pressing and relevant subjects in today’s energy industry:

Below is a sampling of the topics we’ll be featuring over three illuminating days that will equip you with actionable knowledge to take back to your organization. If your utility is an E Source member, registration is complimentary and included as part of your membership, and we encourage you to join us September 17 to 20 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown for this one-of-a-kind event. If you haven’t already, register now! If you have any questions about the Forum, please contact our events team or call 1-800-ESOURCE (1-800-376-8723).

Account Management

Exploring Business Customer Nuances
Wednesday, September 18 | 10:15–11:15 a.m.

Your business customers are unique, so you’re not likely to find a one-size-fits-all approach to serving them. During this session, we’ll share trends and insights gleaned from our market research studies that will help you strategize by business type. Learn about the differences between lodging, grocery, retail, industrial, healthcare, and other sectors, as well as what you should be focusing on to best serve each business type.

Speaker: Devin Fink, E Source

Customer Experience

Update Your Bill from the Customers’ Point of View
Wednesday, September 18 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Updating your bill may seem like a simple proposition, but we often encounter challenges when we forget to include customers in the process. Join us to learn how E Source approaches bill-redesign projects and get best practices for integrating the customer into your bill-redesign initiative.

Speakers: Sylvia Smith, Nashville Electric Service; Melanie Wemple, E Source
Moderator: Jeffrey Daigle, E Source

Demand-Side Management

Beyond the Bulb: DSM Programs for the New Grid
Thursday, September 19 | 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Even in a nonlighting world, the future is bright! From portfolio redesigns to innovative program structures, utilities are finding creative ways to reinvigorate their demand-side management (DSM) initiatives. In this session, you’ll learn how to increase energy savings, maintain cost-effectiveness, and position programs to take the next step in time-based grid efficiency.

Speakers: Carmen Best, Recurve; Liza Minor, E Source
Moderator: Beth Fitzjarrald, E Source

Distributed Energy Resources

C&I Customers Want DERs. Don’t Believe Us? We’ll Let Them Tell You
Thursday, September 19 | 1:45–3:00 p.m.

Commercial and industrial (C&I) customers are interested in distributed energy resources (DERs) as a way to power their businesses with sustainable energy. When utilities don’t provide these customers with DERs, they could turn to third-party providers. Join us to hear a panel of C&I representatives explain the types of DER programs and technologies they want their utility to provide.

Speakers: Carol Dollard, Colorado State University; Jay Paidipati, IBM; Dana Villeneuve, New Belgium Brewing
Moderator: Nick Lenssen, E Source

Marketing & Communications

Braving the Storm: Emergency Communications in a Changing World
Thursday, September 19 | 9:30–10:30 a.m.

In the past year, we’ve seen devastating wildfires in the western US, a polar vortex and tragic flooding in the Midwest, and increasingly powerful hurricanes in the Southeast, mid-Atlantic, and Gulf Coast regions. Hear from a panel of utility crisis communicators as they discuss how corporate communications teams are evolving to help customers and the public through more-frequent, more-intense weather events.

Speaker: Sabrina Potirala, ComEd
Moderator: Luke Currin, E Source

Technology

Battleground Space Heating: The Future of Heat-Pump Technology
Wednesday, September 18 | 10:15–11:15 a.m.

The battle is on in the sacred sector of space heating, which natural gas companies have dominated for more than a century now. The playing field is not level, pitched by public policymakers in thrall to the ideology of electrification toward electric utilities. The weapon of choice: heat pumps. Join us to learn how utilities are driving the evolution of electric and gas heat-pump technology in order to give themselves a competitive advantage.

Speaker: Christopher Dymond, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Moderator: Jay Stein, E Source

About the author

JEFF STOERMER Marketing Operations Specialist As a marketing operations specialist at E Source, Jeff works on lead-generation campaigns, social media, public-facing content, and automation. He has eight years of marketing experience in a variety of industries, including loyalty marketing, retail customer experience, publishing, and insurance. Jeff holds a BA in business administration from the University of Cincinnati, with a focus on marketing.