The energy landscape is rapidly evolving, and staying ahead of industry trends has never been more crucial. Uplight’s fourth annual Customer Connect conference returns on May 20-22, 2025, at the Rally Hotel in Denver, CO, bringing together forward-thinking energy professionals who are leading the clean energy transition. This day and a half event offers utility professionals, ecosystem partners, policymakers, and industry leaders a collaborative environment to explore innovative solutions and share valuable insights.
1. Expand Your Professional Network with Industry Leaders
Uplight Customer Connect (UCC) 2025 is larger than previous years, offering networking opportunities with energy professionals from utilities, CCAs, ecosystem partners, and other organizations. Connect with peers from Evergy, Alliant, The Brattle Group, Tesla, ComEd, Optiwatt, and more. These connections provide valuable opportunities to exchange ideas, discuss common challenges, and form partnerships that extend well beyond the conference.
2. Enjoy a Curated Agenda & Gain Actionable Insights from Industry Experts
Dive deep into recent trends and best practices through expert-led sessions across three comprehensive content tracks:
- Energy Customers as MVPs: Learn strategies for activating customers across all segments through personalized and connected experiences.
- Demand is the New Supply: Explore cost-effective approaches to firm capacity through successful rates, demand management, and VPP programs.
- Integrating Tech: Discover how to harness technology and IT teams to achieve your program objectives and outcomes.
Highlights include Tesla’s Doug Middleton and Uplight’s Vidyha Ganesan presenting research-backed insights on customer battery program preferences and participation patterns across income segments, along with practical steps for successfully introducing batteries into residential demand response (DR) programs in the session Scaling Storage: Battery Program Insights Across Customer Segments.
The session The Future of VPPs will explore the path to large-scale virtual power plant (VPP) deployment, addressing regulatory, technology, and customer enrollment barriers and opportunities. This panel features Tom Plant, Commissioner at Colorado PUC, Ryan Hledik from The Brattle Group, Kristin Munsch from ComEd, and Kahryn Riley from Uplight
You can view the full agenda with descriptions for each session here!
3. Work Hard, Play Hard: Experience Denver’s Vibrant Culture & Design Your Own Hat!
Work and play hard in the Mile High City! Stay at the Rally Hotel in the heart of downtown Denver, where Uplight will host a welcome reception with food and drinks on May 20th, the night of arrival. You’ll put your energy industry knowledge to the test with Megawatt Maniacs trivia—swag will be available for winners!
On the night of the 21st, enjoy an evening social event at Terminal Bar, an upscale gastropub located in the iconic Union Station with a wide selection of Colorado craft beer. On top of food, drinks, and live music, the evening features local experiences and fun. Design your own custom western hat with Denver’s GemHats, where you can choose your style, color, custom hat band, and personalized branding. Cap off the night with molecular desserts from The Inventing Room’s Liquid Nitrogen ice cream station, featuring gourmet creations like Strawberries & Cream Sundaes and “Dirty” Rocky Road with exploding whipped cream.
4. Draw Inspiration from Paralympic Melissa Stockwell
Gain perspective and motivation from keynote speaker Melissa Stockwell, a former U.S. Army officer, mother, and three-time Paralympian. Her moving presentation, “The Power of Choice,” offers a powerful testament to overcoming adversity, demonstrating perseverance, and embracing the transformative power of personal choice.
Her story provides lessons in resilience that can be applied to both professional and personal challenges, and her belief that anyone can do anything if they set their mind to it mirrors Uplight’s vision—that with innovation and commitment, we can build a future powered by clean, sustainable energy.
5. Accelerate Your Professional Growth and Program Development
UCC is designed not just for information sharing, but for collaboration and professional development. The interactive format allows you to share insights and learnings, gain practical insights, and make valuable connections that can help advance both your programs and your career. Return to your organization with fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and practical solutions around customer engagement, demand-side management, and technology integration that can be implemented immediately.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of shaping the clean energy future alongside some of the industry’s most innovative thinkers and practitioners. Request your spot at UCC today.
