AGENDA

Breakfast Buffet

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM

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Welcome Remarks

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 8:00 AM - 8:15 AM

General

Terry Sobolewski, CEO at Franklin Energy

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Opening Keynote - Making Magic: The Art of Being Unreasonable

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 8:15 AM - 8:45 AM

General

Danielle Marquis, VP of Marketing and Solutions at Franklin Energy

What would happen if we stopped making our customers feel like ratepayers? And what if we didn’t make our employees feel like resources? What if, instead, we started to make them feel…special? We know customer and employee experience is critical to the success of our programs, yet the various challenges of our industry often make it feel impossible to deliver a journey that delights. In this session, we’ll explore inspiration from an unlikely place: a Michelin-starred restaurant in the middle of Manhattan. You’ll learn the art of Unreasonable Hospitality and how creating a hospitality-first culture can improve everything about our programs, from finding and retaining great talent, to turning participants into raving fans, to increasing cost-effectiveness.

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The Canary in the Decarb Coal Mine: Lessons in Innovative Whole-Home Programs from California

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM

Residential   Energy Efficiency   Load Management   Electrification

Allison Bially, VP of Client Delivery at AESC
Jonathan Budner, Senior Manager of Residential Solutions at Franklin Energy*
Justin Kjeldsen, Regional Director at Franklin Energy
Rachel Kuykendall, Principal Strategic Analyst Decarbonization Strategies at PG&E
Andrew McAllister, Commissioner at CEC
Joel Pareda, MAP and MCE/SVCE/PCE program TA at Enso²

In this panel discussion, you’ll learn directly from experts running whole-home decarbonization programs since 2019. We’ll explore topics such as trade ally cost and quality management, costs and strategies to address abatement and mitigation issues, risk management and program performance results for measured savings programs, and more! The panel will discuss what’s working well, what mistakes have been made, how they were addressed, and where we can go from here.

 

*Moderator

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Snack Break

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 9:15 AM - 9:30 AM

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You're Invited: A Sneak Peek Behind the Product Development Process at AM Conservation

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Residential   Multifamily   Small Business   Energy Efficiency

Jason Swanson, Director of Engineering at AM Conservation
Brady Loomis, Senior Manager of Marketing - Products at AM Conservation
Kyle Kichura, Technical Product Manager at AM Conservation

You might be thinking, this product is doing well for my program, but how did it get here? That's where we come in. Whether it's a more cost-effective way to do air purifier filters or proudly carrying weatherization products that are made in the USA, our team made it happen. Join us as we dive into a few of these specific stories before we do a live product launch—from requirements to prototype to launch!

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Proprietary Research-Informed Best Practices in Serving Residents Navigating Limited Resources

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Residential   Multifamily   Energy Efficiency   Load Management   Electrification

Elly Bunzendahl, Senior Manager at AESC
Ann Marie Dryden, Managing Partner at Power Direct
Lee Ann Head, Director of Emerging Solutions at Franklin Energy

We know that residents earning low to moderate incomes are often underserved, yet the success of both utility and state energy office programs hinges on our ability to connect with this group. In this session, we’ll share the results of our proprietary research into the demographics, housing characteristics, preferences, and consumer behavior of both homeowners and renters with low to moderate incomes. We’ll also share insights into the prioritization and marketing strategies that will best serve them and the critical program design elements necessary for success.

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Emerging Decarbonization Measures and Load Management Approaches for Commercial & Industrial Customers

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Large C&I   Energy Efficiency   Load Management   Electrification

Agbesi Akpedonu, Director of Business Development at Franklin Energy*
Lisa Biering, Manager of Product Innovation at Consumers Energy
Tyler Weber, Senior Engineer AESC
Eric Van Orden, Principal at Energy Swytch

This panel discussion will include industry leaders sharing ideas, strategies, and technical solutions on how to combine emerging decarbonization measures with advanced load management initiatives to improve the operational efficiency of large buildings. It will cover ways to overcome current market challenges and barriers and the importance of customer-centric solutions and technologies—all with an engaging, game show-like format that will bring top audience concerns to the experts in real-time.

 

*Moderator

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Innovation Everywhere

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Residential   Energy Efficiency   Electrification

Danielle Marquis, VP of Marketing and Solutions at Franklin Energy*
John Phillip, Program Manager at Franklin Energy
Tim Lewis, Sales Manager at AM Conservation
Brett Bishop, Opportunity Architect at Franklin Energy

At Franklin Energy, we believe innovation is everywhere, so we put that theory to the test and opened a call for new program and product ideas to our entire staff. In this “Shark Tank” style session, you’ll listen to 5-minute pitches of the ideas our staff voted as the Top 3 from dozens of submissions. Now we want your input! What questions do you have for our innovators? And which idea would you most like to see developed and brought to market?

 

*Moderator

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Lunch

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

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Turnkey Air Source Heat Pump Program: All-in-One Hardware, Labor, and Management Solution

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Residential   Small Business   Energy Efficiency   Electrification

Amanda Berthold, National Account Manager at Daikin
Joe Bickham, Regional Director at Franklin Energy
Dustin Gouner, National Account Manager at Daikin
Kyle Kichura, Technical Product Manager at AM Conservation
Troy Sherman, Director of Product at AM Conservation*

Heat pumps can save 50% or more energy than their traditional HVAC and water heating counterparts. Fueled by commitments from the US Climate Alliance to install more than 20 million heat pumps by 2030, $8.8 billion in federal funding through the IRA's HER and HEAR programs, and new DOE regulations, the opportunity for accelerating efficiency and electrification program savings through heat pump installations has never been stronger. But launching new heat pump programs—or accelerating existing program performance—is typically challenging, time-consuming, and complex. This session will explore an integrated hardware, labor/contractor, and management solution ideal for commercial, residential, and marketplace programs.

*Moderator

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Charge Ahead: Pioneering the Electrification Journey

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Residential   Multifamily   Small Business   Large C&I   Electrification

Komal Doshi, VP of Beneficial Electrification at Walker Miller
Lee Ann Head, Director of Emerging Solutions at Franklin Energy
Monica Rosenbluth, E Source
Brook Smallwood, The JPI Group
Hollie Whitmire, Regional Director at Franklin Energy*

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on the future of transportation and building electrification. This session will explore policy initiatives and innovative early-stage programs aimed at accelerating the electrification transition. Our expert panelists will share insights on the challenges and opportunities in the EV landscape; the role of utilities in supporting electrification of appliances, buildings and transportation; and the challenges of workforce development in this emerging area. Attendees will gain an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of electrification and learn about some of the innovative solutions driving this critical transformation.

 

*Moderator

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Integrating Utility Programs with IRA Funding

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Residential   Multifamily   Energy Efficiency   Electrification

Shauna Basques, Milepost
Tyson Brown, Google Nest
Philip Haddix, DCSEU
Alyssa Latuchie, Director of Market Development at Franklin Energy*
Eric Wall, Vice President of Technology, Delivery, and Support at Franklin Energy

The Inflation Reduction Act presents an unprecedented opportunity for households to reduce their energy burden and gives access to an array of non-energy benefits as well.  States want to maximize the benefits going to households and find ways to work with existing utility programs to bring even more benefits.  While the increased impact is clear, the pathway to achieve those impacts are not.  There are various hurdles to overcome such as savings attribution and alignment of existing utility programs with IRA programs. This panel will explore the issues that make this a complicated problem along with address potential paths for integration.

 

*Moderator

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Free Time

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

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Have Some Fun!

3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Pre-register for a social activity! Options include golf scramble at Wild Dunes, a culinary walking tour of Charleston, and pickleball & drinks at Wild Dunes. Activity shuttles depart from Sweetgrass Inn valet station.

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Evening Reception

Grand Pavilion, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Join us for cocktails, dinner, and a live band.

Brunch

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

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Decarb's Trio: Energy Efficiency, Load Management, and Electrification

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Residential   Multifamily   Small Business   Large C&I   Energy Efficiency   Load Management   Electrification

Gregory Elcock, VP of Customer Clean Energy Programs at Con Edison
Mitch Hassett, Sales Manager at ecobee
Laree St. Onge, Vice President of Member Services and Energy Solutions at Trico Electric Cooperative
Marisa Uchin, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Franklin Energy*

Decarbonizing our energy system requires many approaches—and the more they work in harmony, the faster the progress will be. This panel will bring a diverse set of perspectives on what approaches are working and which ones need more attention. We’ll cover a spectrum of interrelated topics from regulation to programs, technology, customers, workforce, and more. We’ll seek out both hard-earned lessons learned and early successes where these approaches are coming together well to accelerate progress in decarbonizing our energy system.

 

*Moderator

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Boldly Transforming Our Energy Future: A Roundtable on Innovative Program Delivery

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Residential   Multifamily   Small Business   Large C&I   General

Sushma Annareddy, Chief Technology Officer at Franklin Energy
Jackie Bliss, President at Franklin Energy
Laina McQueen, VP of Client Marketing at Franklin Energy
Eric Wall, VP of Technology, Delivery, and Support at Franklin Energy
Jon Zeslawski, Senior Director of Transformation Management Office at Franklin Energy

At the heart of our mission is industry-leading program delivery. In this roundtable discussion, our operations, technology and services leaders will explore how we are boldly changing our energy future. By leveraging cross-training, process improvements, resource optimization, AI and other technology advancements, we are creating and delivering programs contractors and customers quickly understand, easily engage with, and ultimately, love.

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Closing Remarks

Sweetgrass Pavilion, 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM

General

Terry Sobolewski, Chief Executive Officer at Franklin Energy
Paul Schueller, Founder and Board Member at Franklin Energy