Agenda
Sunday, May 12 | |
Noon | Golf Tournament (Bonneville Golf Course) Team tee times will start at noon. (separate registration required) Golf tournament hosted by Bronze Sponsors Dixie Power and Deseret Power, and Supporting Sponsor Utah Rural Electric Cooperative Association |
Monday, May 13 | |
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Pre-conference class: The What, Why, and How of Board Governance (separate registration required) |
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Pre-conference class: What to Say (or Not Say) to the Media (separate registration required) |
8:30-11:30 a.m. | Government Relations Committee Meeting Open to all members |
1:30-4:30 p.m. | NWPPA Board of Trustees meeting |
5-6:30 p.m. | NWPPA Welcome Reception Hosted by Diamond Sponsor CoBank |
Tuesday, May 14 | |
Need a new headshot for your website, newsletter, or LinkedIn page? Then stop by the Pioneer Utility Resources booth today or tomorrow to have one taken. Thanks to Pioneer’s gold sponsorship, all headshots are free! | |
7-8 a.m. | Breakfast and exhibits Breakfast hosted by Silver Sponsor Meridian Cooperative |
8-10 a.m. | Spouse/companion hospitality room |
8-9:30 a.m. | Welcome and keynote speaker Welcome from NWPPA: Kurt Miller, Executive Director, NWPPA Welcome to Utah: Mason Baker, CEO/General Manager, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS)); and Congressman John Curtis (UT-03) Keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Vinny Boles, Retired Army Major, Supply Chain Expert Hosted by Diamond Sponsor NRUCFC Using his over four decades worth of military logistical experience, work in the commercial sector, academia and executive coaching to the DOD, Major General Boles illustrates the lessons from previous historical challenges providing attendees “news they can use” as they work to address their supply chain challenges and opportunities. |
9:30-10 a.m. | Winter’s Sting: Emerald PUD’s Journey to Restoration After an Unprecedented Ice Storm Speaker: Kyle Roadman, General Manager, Emerald PUD In January 2024, Emerald PUD in Lane County, Oregon, was hit with a massive ice storm that devastated the utility’s distribution system. The numbers are staggering: 80% of its system impacted, 400 broken poles, the loss of nearly every substation feed, a low of just 2 MW of system load, and $11 million in damages. Learn how, despite the massive scale of this event, Emerald was able to respond safely and efficiently while keeping customers on its side. |
10-10:20 a.m. | Break and exhibits Break hosted by Bronze Sponsor The Energy Authority |
How Not to Get Stung by Security Breaches: Cyber, Financial, and Physical Panelists: Brendan Johnson, Manager of IT, Columbia REA; Julie Desimone, Partner, National Practice Leader—Renewable Energy, Moss Adams; and Joe Wilson, Transmission & Distribution Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities | |
11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. | NWPPA Annual Business Meeting and Lunch Lunch hosted by Gold Sponsor GDS Associates Listen to Executive Director Kurt Miller report the association’s achievements for the year, as well as vote on board nominations and policy resolutions. |
1:15-2:30 p.m. | New Technology Is All the Buzz Panelists: Jason Norlen, General Manager, Heber Light & Power; Greg Cullen, Vice President, Energy Services and Development, Energy Northwest; and Doug Remboldt, President and CEO, NISC Technologies addressed include battery storage, AI, and more. |
2:30-2:50 p.m. | Break and exhibits Break hosted by Bronze Sponsors Cooperative Response Center and Toth and Associates |
2:50-4 p.m. | Negotiations and Partnerships: Building Better Tribal Relationships Panelists: Mike Collins, Director, Wasco Electric Cooperative; Bill Towey, Fisheries Scientist, Chelan PUD;and Brett Isaac, Founder and Executive Chairman, Navajo Power |
Evening | Dine Around Salt Lake City Join long-time colleagues and make new connections at one of several local Salt Lake City restaurants. Sign-up sheets will be available at the registration desk. |
Wednesday, May 15 | |
7-8 a.m. | Breakfast and exhibits Hosted by Silver Sponsor CINTAS |
8-10 a.m. | Spouse/companion hospitality room |
8-9 a.m. | Creating Connection and Engagement Through an Inclusive Business Strategy Speaker: Dr. Jon Wedding, Program Manager, SMUD; Visiting Assistant Professor, University of the Pacific |
9:10-10:25 a.m. | Growth and the Sticky Challenges It Can Create Panelists: Mark Johnson, General Manager, Flathead Electric Cooperative; Robert Echenrode, General Manager and CEO, Umatilla Electric Cooperative; and LaDel Laub, President and CEO, Dixie Power |
10:25-10:45 a.m. | Break and exhibits Hosted by Bronze Sponsor Energy Northwest |
10:45-11:55 a.m. | The Legislative Hive Panelists: Andy Barth, Government Affairs & Community Relations Manager, Inland Power & Light; Michael Rovito, CCC, Deputy Director, Alaska Power Association; and Michael Squires, Director of Government Affairs, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) Moderator: Scott Corwin, CEO, American Public Power Association Government relations experts from throughout NWPPA’s territory will discuss public power issues being addressed (or not addressed) in D.C. |
Noon-1:30 p.m. | Lunchtime presentation: The Power of One Keynote: Tony Anderson, Board President, NRECA Take a different look at safety through the loss of a father, loss of a lineworker, and what it is like to grow up without a parent and the impact of simple acts of kindness. |
1:30-2:45 p.m. | Get Involved: How to Be a Worker Bee for Public Power Kayla Sidwell, Senior Communications Specialist, Benton PUD; and Garrett Hylton, Manager of Marketing and Member Advocacy, Wells Rural Electric Cooperative Learn different ways our members are advocating for public power and enlisting their customers/members to be a voice for their utilities. |
2:45-3:05 p.m. | Break and exhibits Break hosted by Bronze Sponsor FCS GROUP |
3:05-4:05 p.m. | How AI Broke the Electric Grid and How to Fix It Speaker: Thomas McAndrew, President and CEO, Enchanted Rock After 20 years of surplus dispatchable generation, grid decarbonization and almost no electric load growth, everything has changed. The growth of intermittent renewable supply and retirement of coal and natural gas generation has collided with the electrification of everything to create grid stress events such as rolling blackouts in California in August 2020, Texas in February 2021, and the eastern U.S. in December 2022. And now massive load growth from AI data centers has pushed the grid to the breaking point. Breathless headlines state the grid is out of power while utilities stop providing new electric service. But there is a fix that is faster and lower cost than most realize. |
5-6 p.m. | President’s reception Hosted by Diamond Sponsor GridLiance |
6-9 p.m. | Awards banquet and entertainment Banquet hosted by Platinum Sponsor Powerex Entertainment hosted by Gold Sponsor NISC |
Pre-conference Event
Join us for a fun afternoon of golfing and networking with your public power peers! This year’s scramble will be held at the beautiful Bonneville Golf Course. Registration includes greens fees and cart rental.
Pre-conference classes
As someone who governs a public utility, you carry a significant responsibility. The services your utility provides are critical in consumers’ lives. Ensuring the operations are well managed and appropriate is a top priority. Just as important is how you approach monitoring, evaluating, and executing priorities.
Do you really know what it takes to be interviewed in today’s digital world? From what to do when a customer, or “concerned citizen,” puts a cellphone in your face and hits record, to how to control the narrative of a traditional media interview, to how to survive the “gotcha” questions we all fear!