The Council's Spring Symposium

The Council’s 2024 Spring Symposium*:

• Date: Thursday, May 16, 2024
• Location: Westin Bayview, 400 W Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101 (in-person only)
• Symposium: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. Registration opens at 9:00 am, followed by a Networking Reception from 5:00 -6:30 pm
• You are also invited to an informal networking gathering the evening before, on May 15th around 6:00 pm - details to follow!

The Spring Symposium is the Council’s one-day professional education conference, focused on practical approaches that can be taken to more effectively deploy efficiency and demand management resources to achieve California's clean energy and decarbonization goals. Topics include a combination of technical and policy issues.

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Agenda:

Energy Affordability - The Next Energy Crisis?
Over the past decade, California electricity rates have far outpaced inflation, with no signs in sight of slowing down. As California electricity rates continue to increase, concerns over rate and bill affordability are being raised, but so far solutions have been elusive. Speakers will discuss the multiple approaches under consideration by energy agencies and the legislature while providing context associated with various proposals.

Policies for a Flexible Future
The CAISO is considering two recent proposals that, if approved, could dramatically accelerate the adoption, deployment and use of distributed energy resources in California and the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) through the Regional Issues Forum. This session will discuss progress towards a Modified Proxy Demand Resource that will more easily enable exporting behind-the-meter energy storage to participate in the CAISO market. Speakers will also explore pathways to leverage device-level data to maximize dispatchable flexible load, improve operational visibility, and reduce barriers to demand response participation.

Community Choice Aggregators - Delivering Program Results: Lessons Learned and New Initiatives
Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) continue to grow and flourish in California, advancing innovative, industry-leading projects and programs that address the needs of their communities. Speakers from multiple CCAs will share their successes thus far and how they plan to continue advancing their communities' needs in the future.

Decarbonizing California: Progress Updates and Upcoming Opportunities
California has committed to decarbonize its building sector by 2045 and install six million heat pumps by 2030. This requires a wide range of policies and program activities, such as TECH Clean California, BUILD, the Equitable Building Decarbonization program, and others. In addition, the Biden Administration has committed the Federal Government on a path to make investments in Building Decarbonization, Clean Transportation, and Clean Energy. Join our speakers for a roundup of results to date in California and a review of future opportunities for state and federal funding for decarbonization in our State.

Solicitation & Contracting - Updated Survey Results; Recommendations for Potential Reform
This session builds on the Implementer Panel at the recent CPUC 2024 Third-Party Solicitations Annual Stakeholder Meeting addressing the questions: 1.) What Improvements Have Implementers Seen and Would Like to See? and 2.) How are Implementers Aligning with CPUC Policies in New EE Business Cycle? Updated survey data from Council Members will be shared, with speakers identifying gaps and challenges, while offering recommendations to better align Energy Efficiency programs and outcomes going forward.

The Value of Demand Flexibility in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Electricity load is increasing nationally, driven in part by massive incentives in domestic manufacturing; trends in electrification of transportation, buildings, and industry; clean energy targets across the economy; and new investments in data centers and artificial intelligence. Innovative business models, policies, and regulations will be needed to accelerate the deployment of clean energy resources onto the grid. This session will look at some of the technologies, pilots, and programs underway in California, their status, and plans to address potential roadblocks.

*Speakers and times will be announced soon! See website for all details: cedmc.org/events/spring-symposium

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Ticket Pricing

• Member Early Bird - $400 - Extended until Monday, April 29!
• CEDMC Member - $450
• Non-Member Early Bird $500 - Extended until Monday, April 29!
• Non-Member - $550
• Utility/REN/CCA/State & Federal Agency: $150
• Government, Student, Non-profit: $95
• In-person only, no online viewing option.