2021 Midwest Energy Solutions Conference

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February 16-19, 2021
Virtual Experience

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Agenda
Attendee list
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Presenter slides: see links below

MES 2021 AGENDA

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Keynote Speakers: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, State of Michigan and Liesl Eichler Clark, Director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Plenary Session: Energy Efficiency Implications in a Biden Administration

Paula Glover, Alliance to Save Energy
David Terry, National Association of State Energy Offices
J.R. Tolbert, Advanced Energy Economy
Moderator: Stacey Paradis, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Breakout Sessions:

No Wires, No Problem: Non-wires Solutions for Optimizing the Grid
Addressing the Need for Energy Efficiency in Tribal Communities
- Ben Benoit, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Division of Resource Management
- Tehassi Tasi Hill, Oneida Nation
- Bryan Van Stippen, National Indian Carbon Coalition
- Moderator: Kelly Mulder, Illume
Energy Efficiency Research and Development Lightning Round
- Gary Cushman, Nicor Gas
- Nicholas Crowder, Ameren Illinois
- Kelly Gunn, ComEd
- David Podorson, Xcel Energy
- Moderator: Bill LeBlanc, E Source

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Plenary Session: How Can Energy Efficiency Support Grid Resiliency?

Tony Hunziker, MISO
Aditya Ranade, Minnesota Department of Commerce
Daniel Scripps, Michigan Public Service Commission
Moderator: Nick Dreher, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Breakout Sessions:

The 2020 Gauntlet: How Programs Can Best Account for an Everchanging World
- Jennifer Allen, Waypoint Energy
- Carrie Harkness, Consumers Energy
- Chris Neme, Energy Futures Group
- Emily Startz, Power TakeOff
- Moderator: Vinoth Kumar Sekar, Willdan
Decarbonization and EE: How Corporations are Addressing Climate Demands
- Jeremy Faust, Fifth Third Bank
- Maeve Tropf, Steelcase
- Robert Vandling, CommonSpirit Health
- Meg Villarreal, Nestle
- Moderator: Alli Gold Roberts, Ceres

Workshops:

Empowering Women in Energy Efficiency
- Stacey Paradis, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
- E'Lois Thomas, Ph.D., SEEL, LLC

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Keynote Discussion: Understanding the Importance of Equity & Environmental Justice

Regina Strong, State of Michigan
E'Lois Thomas, Ph.D., SEEL, LLC

Breakout Sessions:

Evolving Evaluation: No Savings Left Behind
- Christine Del Priore, Agentis
- Jeff Erickson, Guidehouse
- Scott Pigg, Slipstream
- Moderator: Vince Gutierrez, ComEd
Not Everything’s Included: Assessing and Quantifying Non-Energy Impacts
The Systemic Problem of Energy Affordability
- Ariel Drehobl, ACEEE
- Mark LeBel, The Regulatory Assistance Project
- Ben Passer, Fresh Energy
- Moderator: Sarah Moskowitz, Citizens Utility Board
Lessons Learned from Swimming Upstream
- Jenna Bagnall-Reilly, TRC
- Nick Leritz, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Sarah Tocco, DTE Energy
- Moderator: Hannah Howard, Opinion Dynamics
At the Local Level: Municipal Leadership in Economic and Environmental Initiatives
- Emily Andrews, U.S. Green Building Council- Missouri Gateway Chapter
- Kathy Kuntz, Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change
- Kim Havey, City of Minneapolis
- Moderator: Brandon Renaud, Columbia Water & Light

Workshops

Seeking EEquity and Inclusion in Our Industry
- Denise Abdul-Rahman, NAACP
- Justin Idleburg, Idleburg Consultants
- Holly Spears, SEEL, LLC
- Carla Walker-Miller, Walker-Miller Energy Services

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Breakout Sessions:

Electric Vehicles: A Driving Force to the Grid and Energy Efficiency Goals
- Dru Larson, Rochester Public Utilities
- Carl Samuelson, Michaels Energy
- Eric Wood, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Moderator: Kristol Simms, Ameren Illinois
Industrial Adaptation: How Industrial Energy Users Can Utilize Energy Efficiency to Overcome Obstacles
- Mark Dhennin, Cummins, Inc.
- Alfred Hildreth, General Motors
- Tim Peterkoski, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
- Moderator: Melissa Hulting, U.S. EPA
Reduce Emissions by CommittEE: Keeping an Open Mind on Program Designs to Counteract Climate Change
- Julia Friedman, Oracle Utilities
- David Pickles, ICF
- Nathan Shannon, Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative
- Moderator: Brian File, Evergy
The Growing Need for Energy Efficiency in Indoor Agriculture
- Nick Collins, ERS
- Lauren Gaikowski, Franklin Energy
- Michael La Count, LivWell Enlightened Health
- Diane Strauss, CREAM: Conscious Renewal - Energy, Agriculture, Medicine
- Moderator: Gretchen Schimelpfenig, Resource Innovation Institute