2026 Event Schedule

This workshop is designed to equip utility leaders, planners, and engineers with a clear, actionable strategy for de-risking substantial grid modernization investments. The curriculum has been broken out into two parts with specific timing and a break in between, enabling attendees to engage with one or both pieces:

• The first section (9:00-10:30am) will cover the crucial strategy for proving the business case for new technology without committing ratepayer dollars. This includes demonstrating how to leverage initiatives like the DOE's American-Made Prize Programs to gain initial, external funding.
  
  
• The second section (10:45 – 12:15pm) focuses on the full program lifecycle, providing a practical framework to translate initial capital and strategy into successful execution. Attendees will learn how to achieve the sustained, rigorous results necessary to justify and guarantee follow-on ratepayer investment.

Attendees will come away with insights that allow them secure funding and turn smart investments into rate-based success.

Part 1:
9:00-10:30 - More info coming soon!

Part 2:
10:45 – 12:15 - Feasibility First: Strategic Foundations for Grid Modernization Rate Cases

As utilities accelerate grid modernization efforts—integrating advanced technologies, distributed energy resources, and resilience upgrades—the pressure to justify these investments through rate-based funding has never been greater. This course is designed to help utility professionals understand how to leverage a project feasibility phase as a strategic investment to prepare for a rate case filing and increase the opportunity for a successful regulatory outcome.  

Utility leaders in Grid Modernization, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, Planning and Engineering, and Operations will align on the value of a feasibility phase to prevent costly missteps in a filing, strengthen stakeholder engagement and alignment, improve capital recovery, and more clearly connect the Utility ‘Grid of the Future’ strategy to the funding necessary to execute.

Introduction to Grid Modernization and Rate Cases (15 min)

• Objective: Establish foundational understanding.
• What is grid modernization? (Smart grid tech, DERs, resilience)
• What is a rate case and how it supports capital recovery
• Regulatory expectations and scrutiny
• Common pitfalls in rate cases 
  
  

The Feasibility Phase – What, Why, and How (30 min)

• Objective: Define feasibility studies and their components.
• Technical assessment: infrastructure readiness, interoperability
• Organizational assessment: staffing availability, operational change readiness
• Economic assessment: cost-benefit analysis, ROI projections
• Regulatory assessment: policy alignment, stakeholder engagement
• Environmental and social impact assessments: environmental impact studies, customer surveys
   

Strategic Value of Feasibility Before Rate Case Filing (15 min)

• Objective: Show how feasibility studies strengthen rate cases.
• Topics:
  • Building a defensible business case with data
  • Enhancing transparency and stakeholder trust
  • Avoiding stranded assets and regulatory rejection
  • Aligning with cost recovery mechanisms and performance metrics
     

Practical Tools and Frameworks (30 min)

• Objective: Equip participants with actionable tools.
• Topics:
  • Step-by-step feasibility study framework
  • Templates for stakeholder engagement and risk assessment
  • Group Exercise: Drafting a feasibility outline for a sample grid upgrade