Connect
Agenda
We have a lot in store for Uplight Customer Connect this year! Check out our agenda full of insightful and inspiring presentations, panels, working groups, research workshops, and of course, entertainment.
Monday
May 22
4:30pm
Welcome Reception at the Rally Hotel
Once you've checked into your hotel room, take the elevator up to the Rally's third floor, where we'll enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres and beverages on their rooftop deck complete with stunning views of Coors Field.
6:30pm
Colorado Rockies vs Miami Marlins
Walk over to Coors Field across from the Rally Hotel to watch the Colorado Rockies play against the Miami Marlins! Enjoy the local favorites: a Rockie Dog and a Coors Light, in Uplight’s dedicated section of Coors Field, at upper midfield!
Tuesday
May 23
8-8:50am
Breakfast on the Terrace at the Rally Hotel
8:50-9am
Introduction to UCC
Indy Ratnathicam, Chief Professional Services Officer
David Schoenberg, Chief Delivery & Operations Officer
David Schoenberg, Chief Delivery & Operations Officer
9-9:30am
Customers at the Edge
As the grid undergoes the greatest transformation since its inception, how customers think about energy, and how energy providers think about customers, must transform in an equally profound way.
In this session, Luis will provide an industry-level view of how electrification, digitization, and engagement are all driving towards demand-side solutions that reframe how we must think about the needs, wants, and journeys of energy customers.
In this session, Luis will provide an industry-level view of how electrification, digitization, and engagement are all driving towards demand-side solutions that reframe how we must think about the needs, wants, and journeys of energy customers.
9:30-10:15am
Uplight State of the Union
Jesse Demmel, Chief Technology Officer
Greg Gould, Chief Product Officer
David Schoenberg, Chief Delivery & Operations Officer
Uplight’s product, technology, and delivery leaders will discuss Uplight’s winning strategy of turning engagement into managed devices and driving increased customer satisfaction while also previewing new product developments.
Greg Gould, Chief Product Officer
David Schoenberg, Chief Delivery & Operations Officer
Uplight’s product, technology, and delivery leaders will discuss Uplight’s winning strategy of turning engagement into managed devices and driving increased customer satisfaction while also previewing new product developments.
10:15-10:25am
Morning Snack Break
Recharge and enjoy a selection of sweet and salty snacks. Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options are available.
10:25-11:10am
Leveraging Connected Customer Journeys to Serve All Customers: Focus on Income-qualified Customers
Moderator: Joe DeMatteo, Chief Strategy Officer
Jeff Smith, DSM Director at Georgia Power Company
Lynda Johnson, Manager, Marketing Services at Mississippi Power Company
Jeff Smith from Georgia Power Company and Lynda Johnson from Mississippi Power will discuss how they have approached serving diverse customer segments–including income-qualified customers, what considerations they have made, what they’ve learned, and where they are looking to go next.
Jeff Smith, DSM Director at Georgia Power Company
Lynda Johnson, Manager, Marketing Services at Mississippi Power Company
Jeff Smith from Georgia Power Company and Lynda Johnson from Mississippi Power will discuss how they have approached serving diverse customer segments–including income-qualified customers, what considerations they have made, what they’ve learned, and where they are looking to go next.
11:15-12pm
WORKING GROUPS (Choose 1)
A Deep Dive into the Customer Transportation Electrification Experience
Erin D’Amato, Director of Innovation Solutions
Jessica Sands, Senior Product Manager
Bianca Sloma, Director Utility Solutions at Qmerit
The push to electrification is an essential piece of climate strategies for utilities driving towards ambitious decarbonization goals. To succeed, customer engagement and adoption is key; but for customers, the process to buy, install, and utilize green energy technology isn’t always easy (or straightforward).
In this session, learn about what we’ve learned from working with contractor installers, and how we translate these learnings into continuous design and experience improvements. Our partner Qmerit will also share learnings from the field and insight on how their network can help utilities overcome adoption challenges.
Jessica Sands, Senior Product Manager
Bianca Sloma, Director Utility Solutions at Qmerit
The push to electrification is an essential piece of climate strategies for utilities driving towards ambitious decarbonization goals. To succeed, customer engagement and adoption is key; but for customers, the process to buy, install, and utilize green energy technology isn’t always easy (or straightforward).
In this session, learn about what we’ve learned from working with contractor installers, and how we translate these learnings into continuous design and experience improvements. Our partner Qmerit will also share learnings from the field and insight on how their network can help utilities overcome adoption challenges.
Springboarding Deeper Engagement with BEE
Faith Muriithi, PSE&G NJ
Kristen Karls, Account Director
Becky Anderson, Account Manager
Alex Lopez, Senior Product Marketing Manager
Many utilities have established BEE programs, but in many cases, the low-hanging savings fruit has been claimed. Learn how utilities like PSE&G NJ continue to innovate, targeting their customers with the most relevant offers to drive targeted energy efficiency customer education and engagement. And importantly, how HERs and other channels cross-promote cross-departmental programs, expanding the impact of BEE.
Kristen Karls, Account Director
Becky Anderson, Account Manager
Alex Lopez, Senior Product Marketing Manager
Many utilities have established BEE programs, but in many cases, the low-hanging savings fruit has been claimed. Learn how utilities like PSE&G NJ continue to innovate, targeting their customers with the most relevant offers to drive targeted energy efficiency customer education and engagement. And importantly, how HERs and other channels cross-promote cross-departmental programs, expanding the impact of BEE.
The Power of Business Analytics for Behavioral Change
Micah Strauss, Product Manager II
With business customers making up two-thirds of overall load, they also have the potential to significantly flatten this load. Utilities can leverage data science and analytics to help businesses understand how they are using energy and where the biggest opportunities are for saving energy. Learn how utilities are using tools such as operations schedules, usage based on weather, and more to enable businesses to make lasting changes to consumption patterns.
With business customers making up two-thirds of overall load, they also have the potential to significantly flatten this load. Utilities can leverage data science and analytics to help businesses understand how they are using energy and where the biggest opportunities are for saving energy. Learn how utilities are using tools such as operations schedules, usage based on weather, and more to enable businesses to make lasting changes to consumption patterns.
1-2:15pm
Customer Research Workshops (Choose 1)
Learn about Uplight’s extensive primary research on energy customer preferences, motivations, and barriers to program enrollments or rate adoption. Choose between two research areas for discovery of the research process and a collaborative space to develop takeaways to bring back to your utility.
Applying a Behavioral Science Lens to Time of Use Rates
Josh Caldwell, Senior Director, Product Design
Julia Wilson, Product Design Lead
Skye Habberfield, Product Designer
Ihno Lee-Babineaux, PhD, Behavioral Scientist Lead
Implementing new rates can be a learning curve for both utilities and customers. In order to optimize a TOU rate, customers have to change their thinking around energy use as well as their behavior–or they risk increased bills and dissatisfaction. Effective customer rate education is critical to a successful rate roll-out.
In this workshop session, explore Uplight’s research on customer perceptions around default time-of-use (TOU) rollouts. Learn how to use behavioral science principles to optimize rate education and minimize negative sentiment. And come away with research-based learnings that you can apply to your current or future rate program.
Julia Wilson, Product Design Lead
Skye Habberfield, Product Designer
Ihno Lee-Babineaux, PhD, Behavioral Scientist Lead
Implementing new rates can be a learning curve for both utilities and customers. In order to optimize a TOU rate, customers have to change their thinking around energy use as well as their behavior–or they risk increased bills and dissatisfaction. Effective customer rate education is critical to a successful rate roll-out.
In this workshop session, explore Uplight’s research on customer perceptions around default time-of-use (TOU) rollouts. Learn how to use behavioral science principles to optimize rate education and minimize negative sentiment. And come away with research-based learnings that you can apply to your current or future rate program.
Enrolling for Load Flexibility
Beth Karlin, PhD, Founder and CEO of See Change Institute
In order to achieve engagement, equity, decarbonization, and other goals, utilities are tasked with motivating their customers to enroll in rates and demand response programs that boost load flexibility. But, getting customers into these often complex programs can be more challenging than anticipated.
Learn about the quantitative and qualitative research Uplight has conducted with See Change Institute to better understand why customers enroll in these programs, why they don’t, and the links between devices, programs, and customer attributes.
Then, we’ll turn the tables and work together to translate these learnings into takeaways that you can use to improve your own program enrollment and consider how to reach customers, overcome barriers, and drive enrollment in your load flexibility programs.
In order to achieve engagement, equity, decarbonization, and other goals, utilities are tasked with motivating their customers to enroll in rates and demand response programs that boost load flexibility. But, getting customers into these often complex programs can be more challenging than anticipated.
Learn about the quantitative and qualitative research Uplight has conducted with See Change Institute to better understand why customers enroll in these programs, why they don’t, and the links between devices, programs, and customer attributes.
Then, we’ll turn the tables and work together to translate these learnings into takeaways that you can use to improve your own program enrollment and consider how to reach customers, overcome barriers, and drive enrollment in your load flexibility programs.
2:20-3:05pm
Real Reliability: The Value of Virtual Power
Ryan Hledik, Principal at The Brattle Group
As more customers and businesses adopt distributed energy resources, load flexibility is becoming increasingly important to capture for utilities. This need will only become more critical as more customers adopt clean energy such as EVs, heat pumps, solar, electric appliances, and more.
This session with the Brattle Group will discuss their recent research that quantifies the value that virtual power plants (VPP) create as well as projecting future growth and market potential–enabling utilities to prepare for a load flexibility future.
As more customers and businesses adopt distributed energy resources, load flexibility is becoming increasingly important to capture for utilities. This need will only become more critical as more customers adopt clean energy such as EVs, heat pumps, solar, electric appliances, and more.
This session with the Brattle Group will discuss their recent research that quantifies the value that virtual power plants (VPP) create as well as projecting future growth and market potential–enabling utilities to prepare for a load flexibility future.
3:10-3:55pm
WORKING GROUPS (Choose 1)
Demand Response From Pilot to Scale
Don McPhail, RCS General Business Manager
Rachel Henderson, Senior Product Marketing Manager
As utilities are tasked with creating more load flexibility through demand response, many are exploring new and innovative device additions to their programs to expand the target customer audience and grow program participation. This session will explore new marketing strategies, channels, and partners to expand devices under control as well as learnings and best practices from Uplight managed utility load flexibility programs Come learn how Uplight has doubled our devices under management in under a year, and discuss your own approaches for growing your DR program.
Rachel Henderson, Senior Product Marketing Manager
As utilities are tasked with creating more load flexibility through demand response, many are exploring new and innovative device additions to their programs to expand the target customer audience and grow program participation. This session will explore new marketing strategies, channels, and partners to expand devices under control as well as learnings and best practices from Uplight managed utility load flexibility programs Come learn how Uplight has doubled our devices under management in under a year, and discuss your own approaches for growing your DR program.
Connecting the Customer Rate Experience
Alex Lopez, Senior Product Marketing Manager
Scott Engstrom, VP Corporate Strategy & Business Development at GridX
Rates are an important mechanism for aligning supply and demand, but customers can struggle to understand how a potential rate might impact them or what changes to make once they are on a new rate. Hear from PG&E, GridX, and Uplight about how personalization enables customers with devices and programs and helps them succeed on their new rate.
Scott Engstrom, VP Corporate Strategy & Business Development at GridX
Rates are an important mechanism for aligning supply and demand, but customers can struggle to understand how a potential rate might impact them or what changes to make once they are on a new rate. Hear from PG&E, GridX, and Uplight about how personalization enables customers with devices and programs and helps them succeed on their new rate.
Managing EV Load with Data Aggregation
Erin D’Amato, Director of Innovation Solutions
Jonce Dimoski, Program Manager at PSE&G NJ
Bill LeBlanc, Chief Catalyst at Rolling Energy Resources
The number of EVs on the grid is growing, and with that comes the need to optimize grid resources by helping customers manage their charging patterns. In order to target customers with offers for EV chargers, rates, and other programs, first you have to find them. Learn how PSE&G worked with Uplight and RER to access a holistic view of EV charging data and analytics through both telematics and EV chargers and use this data for program targeting and development.
Jonce Dimoski, Program Manager at PSE&G NJ
Bill LeBlanc, Chief Catalyst at Rolling Energy Resources
The number of EVs on the grid is growing, and with that comes the need to optimize grid resources by helping customers manage their charging patterns. In order to target customers with offers for EV chargers, rates, and other programs, first you have to find them. Learn how PSE&G worked with Uplight and RER to access a holistic view of EV charging data and analytics through both telematics and EV chargers and use this data for program targeting and development.
3:55-4:10pm
Afternoon Snack Break
Recharge and enjoy a selection of sweet and salty snacks. Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options are available.
4:10-5:25pm
Keynote: Charting Internal Cultural Transformation
Natalie Baumgartner, Chief Workforce Scientist at Achievers
Michelle Anastasi, Chief People Officer
Utilities are tasked with leading the clean energy transformation, and at the same time need to also transform internally to do so–attracting top talent, cultivating innovation, increasing the speed of delivery, and breaking down internal silos. Natalie Baumgartner, Chief Workforce Scientist at Achievers, will talk about cultural transformation within organizations and how it can revolutionize the way that we work.
Uplight's Chief People Officer. Michelle Anastasi will join Natalie at the end for a discussion on how Uplight has charted our own cultural transformation.
Michelle Anastasi, Chief People Officer
Utilities are tasked with leading the clean energy transformation, and at the same time need to also transform internally to do so–attracting top talent, cultivating innovation, increasing the speed of delivery, and breaking down internal silos. Natalie Baumgartner, Chief Workforce Scientist at Achievers, will talk about cultural transformation within organizations and how it can revolutionize the way that we work.
Uplight's Chief People Officer. Michelle Anastasi will join Natalie at the end for a discussion on how Uplight has charted our own cultural transformation.
6:30pm
Dinner and Evening Entertainment
Join your peers and the Uplight team in the evening for dinner and drinks at Tamayo on Denver’s first designated local historic district: Larimer Square!
Wednesday
May 24
8-9am
Breakfast on the Terrace at the Rally Hotel
9-9:10am
Opening Remarks
Scott McClintock, Senior Vice President, Sales
9:10-9:55am
Facilitated Discussions
Attendees will have the option to attend one of two peer-facilitated discussions.
Serving income-eligible customers
Natalie Gray, Manager of DSM Energy Efficiency, Evergy
Electrification
Erik Krause, Director, Customer Experience Delivery, SMUD
10-10:45 am
Actions and Next Steps
In this session, we will replay key learnings and concluding thoughts and outline tangible next steps and actions for you to bring learnings and next steps back to your organizations.
10:50-11:50
Grab-and-go lunch available
11:15-12pm
One-on-One Utility Sessions (Optional)
Following the event conclusion, meet 1:1 with your Uplight account team and Uplight leadership to discuss areas specific to your organization. Your Uplight team will reach out directly to coordinate.