The 2021 Spring Conference will be held virtually May 18-20, 2021!

The Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference has been a tradition since RMEL’s early beginnings. Known for providing outstanding continuing education and networking opportunities, this conference is a must attend event for engineering, operations and management personnel in the electric energy industry. With 30 presentations, this conference covers issues in generation, transmission, distribution, safety, customer service, human resources and other management topics. The timely topics and breakout structure of the conference allows attendees to customize their education experience to focus on presentations and resources that address their needs. Ample time is also provided to network with industry peers and visit with exhibitors. Maximize your time and training budget with this value priced and content rich event. Continuing education certificates are provided for the sessions attended.

Preliminary Program Information

ALL TIMES ARE IN MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME
*Topics and Presenters Subject to Change
GENERAL SESSIONS
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 18 & 20
 
TUESDAY, MAY 18th,
9:15-10:15 a.m. MDT		 Keynote: Former U.S. Navy SEAL Rear Admiral Scott Moore
TUESDAY, MAY 18th,
1:30-2:30 p.m. MDT
 Senior Leadership Panel with Bruce Akin, VP, Transmission & Distribution, Evergy; Rudy Garza, Chief Customer Engagement Officer, CPS Energy; Kevin Howard, Chief Operating Officer, Western Area Power Administration; and Cheryl Mele, Regional Vice President, El Paso Electric Company
THURSDAY, MAY 20th,
9:15-10:15 a.m. MDT		 Keynote: Dr. Joti Samra, R.Psych., CEO & Founder, MyWorkplaceHealth
THURSDAY, MAY 20th,
1:30-2:30 p.m. MDT
 General Session: The Outlook for the U.S. Economy and Energy
   
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, MAY 18 & 20, 10:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. 
 
  GENERATION TRACK  T&D TRACK  MANAGEMENT TRACK
TUESDAY, MAY 18th, 
10:30-11:15 a.m. MDT		 The People Side of Plant Closure and Decommissioning
Panelist # 1 – Tim Osborn, Craig Station Plant Manager, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association
Panelist # 2 – Robert McLeroy, Former Nucla Station Plant Manager, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association
Panelist # 3 – Brian Rychener, Escalante Station Plant Manager, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association
Moderator – Barry Ingold, Sr. Vice President, Generation, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Assn.
 
Moving Beyond Average Reliability Metrics
Christopher McCarthy, Senior Vice President-Sales Enablement, Brian Levite, Regulatory Affairs Director and Dave Koepp, Regional Vice President, S&C Electric Company
 Nation State Threats to the Electric Power System
Anthony Montoya, Senior Subject Matter Expert – Grid Operations, Centauri Corp.
 
TUESDAY, MAY 18th,
11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. MDT
Causes and Costs of ERCOT Rolling Blackouts in February 2021
Thomas Popik, Chairman and President, Foundation for Resilient Societies
 Using Asset Risk Management Practices to Improve Resiliency
Kerby Nester, Leader, Transmission Technical Services, Great River Energy 
Tom Myers, Principal Asset Management Consultant, HDR 
PNM’s  Road to Digital, Challenges, Success, and a Brighter Future
Jason Jones, Director of Generation Engineering, PNM Resources
Edwin Elmendorp, Information Architect, Kinsmen Group
TUESDAY, MAY 18th,
12:30-1:15 p.m. MDT		 Economics of Hydrogen in Power Generation
Jason Rowell, AVP and Global Technology Portfolio Manager, Black & Veatch
 CPS Energy’s Resiliency Service Pilot
Brian Seiler, P.E., Product Development Analyst. Technology & Product Innovation, CPS Energy		 EV’s – Leadership Opportunities for Utilities
Karl Popham, Manager, Electric Vehicles & Emerging Tech, Austin Energy
THURSDAY, MAY 20th,
10:30-11:15 a.m. MDT		 Generation Flexibility
Michael Caravaggio, Senior Program Manager, EPRI
 Grid Enhancing Technologies
Bruce Tsuchida, Principal, Brattle		 Electrifying Fleets: City of Houston Case Study, and impact of Electric Vehicles for Fleets and Utilities Across the USA
Yann Kulp, Co-Founder & Head of Business Development, eIQ Mobility, a NextEra Energy Resources Company
THURSDAY, MAY 20th,
11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. MDT		 Resource Adequacy in the Western Interconnection 
Jordan White, Vice President of Strategic Engagement and Deputy General Counsel, WECC, & Victoria Ravenscroft Senior Manager, Policy and External Affairs, WECC		 Life Cycle Planning of T&D Assets
Christopher Lyles, VP of Asset Planning & Management, Western Area Power Administration		 Inclusion Starts With "I"

Joyce Cooper, Director- Diversity & Inclusion, and Steve Kerrigan, Director, Labor Relations, Omaha Public Power District
THURSDAY, MAY 20th,
12:30-1:15 p.m. MDT		 NERC Cold Weather Reliability Standards
Gerry Huitt, Energy Supply Reliability Standards, Policy, and Compliance , Xcel Energy		 Utah’s Wildland Fire Protection Program
Jake Barker, Director, Area and Transmission Planning, PacifiCorp		 CPS Energy’s Flexible Path & FlexPOWER Bundle: A Strategic Approach to Integrated Resource Plan Implementation
Krista Davis, Director, Energy Supply & Market Operations Strategy, CPS Energy
 
NETWORKING ROUNDTABLES & TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th
  ROUNDTABLES AND TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th,
9:00-10:15 a.m. MDT		 Generation Roundtable: Pathways to Decarbonization
Moderated by Curt Brown, Central Region Director - Power Gen Services, Black & Veatch & Chair of RMEL’s Generation Committee
Presentation by Ryan Stigge, Sr. Production Operations Engineer, Omaha Public Power District
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT Technology Showcase - Kiewit: Fleet Vehicle Electrification: The Convergence of Power and Infrastructure
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT Technology Showcase - TG Advisers: RCA Process for Flexible Operations Failure
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT Technology Showcase - Ulteig: The Next Generation of Field Data Capture: 360 Video and Mapping Integration
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT Technology Showcase - Wärtsilä: A New Era of Resilience
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT Technology Showcase - Ampirical
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT Technology Showcase - Black & Veatch
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, Available at 10:15 a.m. MDT Technology Showcase - S&C Electric Company
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th,
12:45-2:00 p.m. MDT		 Safety Roundtable: BESS-practices - How Modeling Improves Design
Moderated by Paul Hayes, FPE, General Manager, American Fire Technologies
Panelist: Dan Clark, Energy Innovation Advisor, Arizona Public Service
Panelist: Rody Hardy, Powin
Panelist: Anil Kapahi, Director, Jensen Hughes
Panelist: Bobby Ruiz, Fire Chief, Peoria Fire-Medical Department