KEYNOTE FIRESIDE CHAT

April 11: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

BIO

Dr. Ahad Esmaeilian is Vice President of Clean Energy at Audubon Engineering Company, where he oversee solar, wind, energy storage and green hydrogen businesses for the Company. Prior to Audubon, Ahad served as Director of New Initiatives Development at Avangrid, the third largest renewable owner/operator in USA, and prior to that as the Manager of Smart Grid for Avangrid. He has been the key to several of Smart Grid Initiatives at New York Power Authority, the largest state-owned utility in USA.

He holds bachelor and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from The University of Tehran, a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Clarkson University, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Texas A&M University, and has a rich experience in both electrical engineering and business administration. Ahad is a Senior Member of the IEEE and currently serves as the Chairman of the IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference & Exposition.

BIO

Dr. Jessica Bian is the President of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES). She is a visionary leader and architect, has spearheaded electric industry’s reliability metrics and grid risk assessment. Currently she is the Vice President of Grid Services at Grid-X Partners. Before that, she was with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington, DC. Previously, she was the Director of Performance Analysis at North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Under her leadership, a total of 18 industry-wide reliability indicators were established to determine grid reliability, adequacy, and associated risks. She is widely recognized as a pioneer and trusted world leader in the field.

Before joining NERC, Dr. Bian was with PJM, ERCOT and Westinghouse Electric. She earned her Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from the Taiyuan University of Technology, China; Master of Science from the Electric Power Research Institute, Beijing, China; and Ph.D. from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She was the PES President-Elect (2020-2021) and Secretary (2016-2019).

BIO

Professor Saifur Rahman is the founding director of the Advanced Research Institute at Virginia Tech, USA, where he is the Joseph R. Loring Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also directs the Center for Energy and the Global Environment at the university. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE and an IEEE Millennium Medal winner. He was the president of the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) for 2018 and 2019 and is the current IEEE President & CEO.

He is the founding editor-in-chief of the IEEE Electrification Magazine and the IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy. He has published more than 160 journal papers and has made more than 500 conference and invited presentations. His h-index is 60 with over 18,000 citations.

In 2006, he served on the IEEE Board of Directors as the Vice President for Publication Services and Products. He is a distinguished lecturer for IEEE PES and has lectured on renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart grid, energy internet, blockchain, and IoT sensor integration in more than 30 countries.

He is the founder of BEM Controls, LLC, a Virginia (USA)-based software company providing building energy management solutions. He served as the chair of the US National Science Foundation Advisory Committee for International Science and Engineering from 2010 to 2013. His research at Virginia Tech has been funded by Duke Energy, Tokyo Electric Power Company, the US National Science Foundation, the US Department of Defense, the US Department of Energy, and the State of Virginia (USA). He has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech.

Grid Edge Technologies

Shaping Utilities of the Future

April 11: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Hear from industry and utility leaders on their current and upcoming efforts to enhance the smarter and greener grid. Panelists will provide a unique opportunity for attendees to gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that the utility industry is facing as it works towards a more intelligent and sustainable energy system.

BIO

Wayne Bishop Jr. is Vice President at Quanta Technology, a subsidiary of Quanta Services. He has worked in the electric power industry for over 30 years. Wayne is also IEEE PES Vice President of Meetings and Conferences, a member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society Governing Board and a member of the IEEE PES Executive Committee. He helped write and implement the Long-Range Strategic Plan for IEEE PES and is a Senior Member of IEEE. In addition, Wayne currently serves as a Senior Advisor to LUMA Energy, the electric utility in Puerto Rico.

Previously, Wayne worked at OMICRON electronics for 13 years where he was the Head of Marketing for North America. Prior to that, Wayne was employed at Doble Engineering Company for nearly 20 years in several senior management positions. In 2007, he was appointed by Doble’s Board of Directors to serve on the Executive Committee to broker the sale of Doble Engineering to ESCO Technologies.  

Wayne is a graduate of Merrimack College, Harvard University, and the Executive MBA Program at Suffolk University in Boston, graduating with honors. Wayne speaks regularly at industry conferences and has published several articles and papers in industry publications including IEEE Power and Energy Magazine and T&D World Magazine.

Wayne and his family live in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts.

BIO

Caroline Winn is chief executive officer for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), one of Sempra’s regulated California utilities. Sempra is a San Diego-based energy services holding company whose subsidiaries provide electricity, natural gas and value-added products and services.

SDG&E provides service to 3.6 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 873,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.

Winn became CEO of SDG&E in August 2020. Previously, she served as the chief operating officer of SDG&E, overseeing operations of the utility’s gas and electric infrastructure assets, and customer services. In that role, Winn is widely recognized for SDG&E’s national leadership in sustainability, technology and innovation, including the company’s significant safety and wildfire mitigation efforts.

Winn also served as chief energy delivery officer, managing all energy delivery activities for SDG&E, including electric distribution operations and gas services, customer services, and external and state legislative affairs.

Since joining the company in 1986 as an associate engineer, Winn has held several leadership positions with SDG&E and Southern California Gas (SoCalGas).

Winn currently serves on the board of directors for Father Joe’s Villages and Monarch School; the executive council for Western Energy Institute; and the director’s council of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She also serves on the board as an independent director for both Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. and Kayne Anderson NextGen Energy & Infrastructure, Inc.

Previously, Winn has served as the board chair for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and continues to currently serve as a board member. She has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University Sacramento and is a registered professional engineer in the State of California.

BIO

Jeff Bladen serves Meta Platforms as its Global Director of Energy. He brings more than 20 years of energy and technology management experience in the energy sector. In this role, Jeff has broad responsibility for the strategy and execution of Meta’s energy footprint. This includes meeting energy needs in Meta’s data center and other operations and also includes the energy components of the company’s zero carbon footprint goals.

Jeff previously served in multiple key roles at the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) as the executive director of digital strategy as well as executive director of system operations & market services. In those roles, Mr. Bladen oversaw the enterprise technology strategy including the company’s largest technology renewal program in its history. He also led the Market Services division where he was responsible for the strategic direction of MISO’s markets including the design and the development of new products and market mechanisms to enhance the MISO marketplace and day to day operations of the market settlements functions.

Prior to MISO, Mr. Bladen served as the head of department and leader of DNV GL Energy’s (formerly KEMA) Markets, Policy & Strategy Development practice for North America. In this position, Jeff focused on market issues, government policy and market design challenges for DNV GL Energy’s wholesale and retail energy practice. Before joining DNV GL, Mr. Bladen served as a market strategy leader at PJM Interconnection where he managed PJM’s market strategy subdivision directly overseeing departments focused on new market design, retail markets, demand response, alternative and renewable resources, and market economic analysis. Mr. Bladen also served as an original employee at New Energy Ventures where he helped to build one of the most successful competitive retail electricity businesses in North America.

Mr. Bladen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Stern School at New York University.

BIO

Curt Mansfield is senior vice president, power delivery at PacifiCorp He oversees operations, maintenance, construction, engineering, asset management and support organizations for Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power operating divisions with PacifiCorp, which serves approximately 2 million customers in Utah, Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, Oregon, northern California and Washington. He has held this position since May 2021.

Mansfield has 40 years of experience in the electric utility business. He has held a variety of craft, line, staff, supervisory and senior leadership positions. Mansfield began his career in 1981 with Utah Power & Light, which later merged with PacifiCorp in 1989 and is currently a holding company under Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

He currently serves on the board of directors of NeighborWorks-Salt Lake City and a member of the Utah governors cybersecurity task force and previously was on the board of directors of Utah Clean Cities Coalition and a member of the Utah governor’s Alternative Transportation & Fuels Advisory Group. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho’s Utility Executive Course, and currently a trustee of the IBEW Western Utilities Pension and Health & Welfare Trust Funds.

BIO

Dr. Shay Bahramirad is the Senior Vice President of Engineering, Asset Management, and Capital Programs at LUMA Energy, the power company responsible for electric service in Puerto Rico.  In this role, she is responsible for the oversight, planning, and execution of plans to modernize the power infrastructure.   This includes a foundation of developing local engineering talent, teams and processes, and the prudent application of new technology.  Her primary goals are the safe, reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective delivery of electricity to the people of Puerto Rico. 

Shay has held several positions in the sector including Vice President of Climate and Resilience at Quanta Technology, where she was responsible for assisting cities and utilities with climate change risk assessments for their assets, operations, and services and for developing investment strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Engineering and Smart Grid at ComEd, the electric utility serving Chicago and Northern Illinois, where she had led efforts to demonstrate and deploy technologies to ensure that the distribution system meets strategic goals related to reliability, resiliency and sustainability, while developing and implementing a broader community of the future vision including a focus on industry-informed STEM education for underrepresented communities in the industry including girls. She has been an expert witness testifying on several state and federal regulatory proceedings around microgrids, energy storage, investment strategies, and the interconnection of distributed energy resources.

Dr. Bahramirad is a leading figure in the industry. She is the President-elect of IEEE Power and Energy Society, an editorial board member of the Electricity Journal, US CIGRE Executive member, an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a founder of IEEE Women in Power.

She is a contributor to the United Nations SG7, Affordable and Clean Energy.

Shay completed her PhD in electrical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and has published more than many academic articles, as well as being the recipient of multiple US patents.

Grid Edge Technologies

Innovators at the Edge of Transition

April 11: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

These experts will share their unique perspectives on the current state of the industry, offer insights on how to navigate the complex and rapidly evolving landscape of energy production and distribution, and discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by new technologies and business models, exploring ways to drive growth and progress in the industry.

BIO

Kaveh Aflaki has over 20 years of leadership experience in the clean energy and utility sector, including in renewable and zero-carbon energy, grid modernization, energy storage, e-mobility, and global sustainability initiatives. He currently runs the commercial team for North America at Smart Wires as the Director of Customer Solutions. He is the executive board member of IEMS. He is a senior member of IEEE and the Chair of IEEE Smart Grid Meetings and Conferences. Kaveh also serves as the Technical Chair for the IEEE-PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference and Exposition. Kaveh has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

BIO

Tom Deitrich was appointed president and chief executive officer and named to Itron’s board of directors on Aug. 6, 2019. He joined Itron in 2015 as executive vice president and COO and has played a major role in shaping the company’s strategy to partner with cities and utilities to deliver industrial IoT solutions.

Tom has more than 25 years of experience in global operations at leading technology firms and has held numerous executive management positions where he led business-level strategies that transformed and significantly improved business results. He has extensive experience in product management, research and development, supply chain management and business development in several industries, including industrial equipment, telecommunications and semiconductors.

Before joining Itron, Tom was senior vice president and general manager for Digital Networking at Freescale Semiconductor. Prior to Freescale, Tom worked for Flextronics International, Ericsson Mobile Communications and General Electric Corporation.

BIO

Kinnera Angadi is the Chief Technology Officer for Honeywell Smart Energy & Thermal Solutions. She leads end-to-end solutions and delivers metering, communication, thermal, and software solutions for the utility industry. Kinnera inspires innovation within the organization consisting of advanced technologies charted to solve key challenges across electric, water, thermal, burners, and gas utility customers. She is driving sustainability across Honeywell paving a path for digitization.

BIO

Erik Takayesu is senior vice president of the Asset Strategy & Planning at Southern California Edison. He leads the company’s business and asset management strategy, electric system planning, technology demonstration and development, and wildfire safety. Since joining SCE in 1991, he led a number of organizations responsible for grid operations, the construction and maintenance of some of SCE’s largest projects, grid modernization, and distributed resource integration to enable the clean energy transition for the 21st century.

Takayesu earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree in organizational leadership at Gonzaga University. He is also a licensed professional engineer in the state of California.

He oversees PGE’s strategic system architecture and system upgrades, which will serve as the foundation for the smart grid of the future. This includes initiatives related to system integration and operations, smart cities, enabling distributed energy resources, energy storage, dispatchable standby generation, transmission system performance and market interfaces, as well as research and development.

BIO

Dr. Ipakchi has over 35 years of experience in the application of information technologies to power systems and electric utility operations. As the Senior VP of Smart Grid and Green Power at OATI, he is responsible for product development and market strategy for distribution operations and smart grid areas. Prior to OATI, he was Vice President of Integration Services at a leading consulting firm, assisting utilities with technology roadmap, business and implementation strategies.. Prior to that, Dr. Ipakchi held various senior management positions at ABB and Alstom leading teams for power application and market systems development, and system solutions delivery. He has been actively involved in various initiatives under DOE, NIST, SGIP, IEEE and various ISOs. He holds a PhD from University of California at Berkeley, and is co-holder of three US patents on power systems applications and instrument diagnostics.

Grid Edge Technologies

Managing Electrification

April 12: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

The electric power industry is undergoing one of its most dramatic transformations driven by the need to integrate clean energy technologies, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and to address climate change impact on the grid. Electrification of transportation and other sectors is the key to achieve decarbonization goals. This panel will address key success factors to achieve transportation electrification, including city ports, while managing the grid impact. It will address how to achieve collaboration among various stakeholders to develop plans to electrify the transportation, determine impact on the grid, and evaluate mitigation options using most efficient technologies. The industry leaders will discuss need for identifying driving patterns, optimizing charging locations and energy requirements in conjunction with the grid integration, and selecting various mitigation solutions, such as grid reconfiguration and upgrades, managed charging, and DER solutions. The panelists will also address regulatory and standardization requirements.

BIO

Damir is president and founder of QuantaTechnology. He also served as president of Quanta Energized Services that achieved perfect safety record. Previously, he was vice president of ABB Automation Products and president of KEMA T&D US.  

Dr. Novosel is elected to National Academy of Engineers in 2014 and served as President of the IEEE Power and Energy Society. He is also a member of the CIGRE US National Committee and received the CIGRE Attwood Associate and Distinguished Service awards.  He is presently member of the IEEE Standards Board and chairs IEEE Industry Technical Support Leadership Committee. He holds 17 US and international patents. 

Damir Novosel, IEEE Fellow, holds PhD degree in electrical engineering from Mississippi State University, where he was a Fulbright scholar and was selected Mississippi State University Distinguished Engineering Fellow. 

BIO

Coming soon

BIO

Kevin Geraghty is the chief operating officer and chief safety officer for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), one of Sempra Energy’s regulated California utilities. He is responsible for the safe and reliable engineering, construction, operations and maintenance of the company’s gas, electric and generation resources.  He is also responsible for customer service and programs, workplace safety and public safety including emergency management. 

Previously, Geraghty served as both chief safety officer and as senior vice president of electric operations responsible for all aspects of electric transmission, distribution and substation operations, enterprise engineering and major capital projects.

Geraghty has been in the gas and electric utility business for more than 35 years. Prior to joining San Diego Gas & Electric, he was senior vice president, operations at NV Energy.

Geraghty holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

He is a board member of the San Diego Habitat for Humanity.

BIO

Mark G. Lauby is senior vice president and chief engineer at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Mr. Lauby joined NERC in January 2007 and has held a number of positions, including vice president and director of Standards and vice president and director of Reliability Assessments and Performance Analysis. 

In 2012, Mr. Lauby was elected to the North American Energy Standards Board and was appointed to the Department of Energy’s Electric Advisory Committee by the Secretary of Energy in 2014. Mr. Lauby has served as chair and is a life member of the International Electricity Research Exchange, and served as chair of a number of IEEE working groups. From 1999 to 2007, Mr. Lauby was appointed as a member of the Board of Excellent Energy International Co., LTD, an energy service company based in Thailand. He has been recognized for his technical achievements in many technical associations, including the 1992 IEEE Walter Fee Young Engineer of the Year Award. He was named a Fellow by IEEE in November 2011 for “leadership in the development and application of techniques for bulk power system reliability,” and in 2014, Mr. Lauby was awarded the IEEE Power and Energy Society’s Roy Billinton Power System Reliability Award. In 2020, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) elected Mr. Lauby as a member, citing his development and application of techniques for electric grid reliability analysis. 

Prior to joining NERC, Mr. Lauby worked for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for 20 years, holding a number of senior positions, including: director, Power Delivery and Markets; managing director, Asia, EPRI International; and manager, Power System Engineering in the Power System Planning and Operations Program. Mr. Lauby began his electric industry career in 1979 at the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His responsibilities included transmission planning, power system reliability assessment and probabilistic evaluation. 

Mr. Lauby is the author of more than 100 technical papers on the subjects of power system reliability, expert systems, transmission system planning, and power system numerical analysis techniques. Mr. Lauby served as chair and is a life member of the International Electricity Research Exchange and served as chair of a number of IEEE working groups. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. In addition, Mr. Lauby attended the London Business School Accelerated Development Program as well as the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School. 

BIO

Colton Ching is senior vice president of planning and technology. He has responsibility for planning Hawaiian Electric’s 100 percent renewable energy grid and for the procurement of cost-effective, reliable and resilient renewable generation.

Ching is also responsible for developing and managing Hawaiian Electric’s strategies and budgets for the transmission and distribution system. He previously served as vice president of Energy Delivery, as well as vice president of System Operation and Planning and has 30 years of utility experience.

In addition to his work at Hawaiian Electric, Colton serves on the Metro Board of Directors of
the YMCA of Honolulu and the Executive Board of the Aloha Council of the Scouts BSA. Colton is
also one of 13 inaugural cohorts in the Omidyar Fellows Leadership program.

Ching was born and raised on Maui and is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he received a degree in mechanical engineering.

Grid Edge Technologies

Reliability and Resiliency

April 12: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

This panel will explore the ways in which Grid Edge Technologies (GET) can be used to enhance the reliability and resiliency of the electric grid. Industry experts and thought leaders will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of GET, as well as the benefits that can be gained from using these technologies to improve the grid’s performance. Learn how GET solutions are enabling grid operators to monitor and control the flow of electricity in real-time, improve the reliability and resiliency of the grid by providing early warning of potential outages, and improving the overall efficiency of the grid.

BIO

Darcy Immerman is the Senior Vice President for Growth at NORESCO, a part of Carrier Global Corporation.  As part of the senior leadership team, Darcy identifies market trends and strategic pursuits, leverages existing contracts, manages Carrier Corporation and strategic partner relationships, and expands go-to-market offerings including “x-as-a-service” and various P3 models.  A 30+ year veteran of the clean energy industry, she helps campuses, buildings and communities meet energy transition challenges including decarbonization, digitization, resiliency, ESG compliance, and climate change adaptation. She serves as Immediate Past Chair, IEEE Power and Energy Society Executive Advisory Committee focused on modernizing the grid to support the clean energy transition.  Previously, Darcy was the Senior Vice President of Resiliency and Energy at AECOM.

Darcy has received the Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Management from the DOE, and the Energy Efficiency Award from National Resources Canada.  Recently, Darcy and her husband Steve were awarded the Essex County Community Foundation’s George Peabody Award for Leadership in Philanthropy.

BIO

Larry Bekkedahl is responsible for advancing PGE’s strategy to build the grid of the future — one that is resilient, smart, and delivers a clean energy future.

He oversees PGE’s strategic system architecture and system upgrades, which will serve as the foundation for the smart grid of the future. This includes initiatives related to system integration and operations, smart cities, enabling distributed energy resources, energy storage, dispatchable standby generation, transmission system performance and market interfaces, as well as research and development.

Bekkedahl joined PGE in 2014 as vice president of Transmission & Distribution. He has more than three decades of leadership experience in the energy industry. Before joining PGE, he was senior vice president for transmission services at the Bonneville Power Administration and held leadership positions at Clark Public Utilities, PacifiCorp and Montana Power Company.

He has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Montana State University and serves on the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Research Advisory Committee, the Stanford University Bits and Watts Advisory Council, the University of Akron Energy Advisory Committee, and the All Hands Raised board for Portland Public Schools Foundation.

BIO

Mark Carpenter is Sr. Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Operations at Oncor where he has spent his entire career.  Over Mark’s 50 year career, he has held various field management and engineering management positions in the transmission and distribution of electrical energy.  Previous assignments also include Vice President-Chief Information Officer, Vice President-Chief Technology Officer, Director of Engineering, and Director of System Protection. Throughout his career, he has focused on developing people and creating high performance teams.

Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Texas Tech in 1975 and is active in professional activities. He is an IEEE Fellow, an honorary member of the IEEE Power System Relaying Committee, a member of the IEEE/PES Executive Advisory Council, a member of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas and is on the Dean of Engineering Council at Texas Tech. In 2021 he received the IEEE PES Leadership in Power award.

He is also active in the community as demonstrated by his involvement with the Chinese Institute of Engineers DFW Chapter and as President of Family Promise of Irving, a non-profit organization that assists homeless family regain their foothold by providing safe housing and developmental opportunities in  conjunction with a network of churches in Irving. He is active in his church and is married with five kids, four daughters-in-law, and ten grandkids.

BIO

Ranked as the #1 engineering design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Record magazine’s annual industry rankings, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm, with a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. The recent incorporation of URS furthers AECOM’s standing as a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. With nearly 100,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals — the company serves clients in more than 150 countries around the world. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM has annual revenue of approximately US$20 billion.

The macro forces shaping our world are becoming amplified in the urban environment. While these challenges are mounting in many cases, they also present a unique opportunity to deliver comprehensive approaches. Cities are the platform to innovate. Cities are where challenges are turned into opportunities. Through AECOM’s Cities Initiative, we are elevating our best expertise to deliver solutions that are comprehensive, integrated, and scalable. We balance the pragmatic with the visionary to meet the needs of our city clients.

Prior to joining AECOM, Ms. Casalino spent 10 years in City Government for the City of Chicago. With increasing responsibility she finished her tenure as Commissioner of Planning and Development in Mayor Richard J. Daley’s cabinet.

With 30 years of experience in the development, design and management of complex infrastructure projects, Ms. Casalino has been a leader in project development, specifically in the Chicago area and greater Midwest. She believes that a combination of local presence, technical expertise and global reach gives clients the confidence of local knowledge with proven global solutions on complex projects.

BIO

As Chief Technology Officer, Marissa is responsible for the company’s technology research, product development, deployment, and engineering teams. She is an expert in developing products that change the way the consumers and utility executives think about procuring, dispatching, and pricing distributed energy resources. Marissa joined Utilidata in 2018, bringing more than 15 years of expertise in energy systems and grid optimization, having previously overseen product development for Tendril and managed grid modernization research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Marissa is a graduate of Colorado College with a PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard University and serves on the board of Grid Forward. She lives with her family in Golden, Colorado where she is a Colorado Governor’s Fellow.

Grid Edge Technologies

Technology and Strategy

April 13: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

This panel will explore the technological advancements and strategic considerations for implementing Grid Edge Technologies (GET) in the electric grid. Industry experts and thought leaders will discuss the latest developments in GET, the strategic approaches needed for successful deployment, and the importance of collaboration and partnerships between utilities, regulators, and technology providers in order to achieve successful GET deployment.

BIO

Chan Wong is the Director of Innovation and Transformation of Ampirical LLC, where he helps to create the Emerging Technology Integration roadmap and strategies of the company. Previously, Chan worked for Entergy Service Inc for more than 10 years in the areas of Transmission, Smart Meter and IoT. He holds a Ph.D Degree in Automotive engineering from Clemson University; MBA, MS and BS of Electrical Engineering from Tulane university.

Chan is a senior IEEE member and currently serves the VP Strategic Communications and Partnerships of IEEE PES, and he is also the DOE liaison of the PES Industry Technical Support Leadership Committee to foster collaboration between industry, DOE and IEEE communities. At the same time, he is a member of CIGRE, ANSI and IEC standards committee focusing on testing, interoperability, and cybersecurity.  Further, he serves as the board of advisor of the Tulane Engineering Physic Department and Tulane Freeman Business School. His passion is to groom the next generation talents and young professional be a creative leaders and technology catalyst in the industry. 

BIO

Amith Kota is the Chief Technology Officer at Landis+Gyr. Amith is a Global Executive with experience in aligning digital technology and innovation investments with business growth while reducing cost, complexity and risk. He has championed complex initiatives from idea generation through value realization, and delivered these capabilities aligned with business vision and strategies.

Prior to joining Landis+Gyr, he was the Chief Enterprise Architect and Global Head of Emerging Technologies at Gulfstream Aerospace, A General Dynamics company, where he was accountable for global enterprise strategy & architecture to create new revenue channels and optimize business margins through technology innovations. 

Earlier in his career, Amith held various leadership positions at Progressive Insurance and various startups across Architecture & Strategy, Sales, Business Applications organizations responsible for digital customer experience, Omni-channel engagement and systems Amith holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and an Executive Certificate in Innovation and Strategy from the Case Western Reserve University.

BIO

Raja Macha is executive vice president and chief technology officer of Eaton, a power management company. Raja joined Eaton on December 1, 2020, in his role of chief technology officer.

Before joining Eaton, he worked as senior vice president and chief technology officer of the Industrial Automation business of Schneider Electric, where he was responsible for the overall innovation, technology and capability development for the business.

Prior to Schneider Electric, Raja led the R&D function of Invensys operations management and held other senior leadership roles in large projects and sales. Raja comes with 32 years of diverse leadership roles in automotive, information technology services and consulting companies in various manufacturing domains.

Raja received his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication from Indian Institute of Technology- Roorkee (India), and a master’s diploma in business administration from Institute of Management Development and Research – Pune (India). Recent patent awards include unique computing methods to enhance availability of control systems.

BIO

Hanna Grene, Worldwide Leader Power and Utilities, is an energy and technology executive with over 14 years of leadership experience in strategic planning, operations, policy, and business development. She has worked closely with federal agencies, governments, utilities, and C&I clients worldwide to fund and execute renewable energy and grid resilience projects. At Microsoft, Hanna leads strategy and partnerships across the Power and Utilities market in the Americas and works closely with Fortune 500 executives and policymakers to accelerate investment and innovation in a decarbonized, secure, resilient, and affordable energy system.

Hanna has an MBA from the Rady School of Management at the University of California San Diego and a BA in International Relations from American University in Washington, DC. She has been published as a subject matter expert on energy and climate policy and technology and has authored original research on corporate governance and culture. In 2021, Hanna was recognized as a San Diego 40 Under 40 Top Business Leader.

BIO

Rafael da Silva Ozaki’s aim, along with all from Siemens Smart Infrastructure, is to turn the
world into a more connected and caring place – where resources are conserved, and
sustainable energy is delivered reliably and efficiently. Rafael is responsible for ensuring the
successful implementation of Siemens Grid Software strategy in the US, Mexico and for the
whole Americas and Pacific regions for Control Center enterprise solutions. Focus areas are
Enterprise planning, engineering and real time operations. His commitment to digitalization,
innovation, efficiency and new Biz Models helps ensure the longevity of Grid Software as part
of Siemens’ strategic vision for a fast paced and sustainable business.
Joining Siemens in 2006, Rafael has spent over 15 years in various positions, increasing in
management responsibility, including Head of Strategy and Business Development for the
Global Business Unit, Head of CRM and Country Strategies for High Voltage Products Global and
Business Unit Head for Siemens Brazil, Energy Automation. He was also an Executive Assistant
to the former Energy Management Division at Siemens in Germany where he handled strategic
and governance projects for the Management Board, Business Units, Regions and
Customers/Authorities.
Based out of Raleigh, North Carolina/US, Rafael currently holds a chair at IEEE Executive
Committee for Power Engineering. He is multilingual, with fluency in English and Spanish,
intermediated in German, and native in Portuguese. He received an undergraduate degree in
electrical and control engineering from University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, a post-graduate degree
in Power and Control Engineering from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain, as well as an
MBA in finance and strategy from Fundação Getulio Vargas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Grid Edge Technologies

A Regulatory Perspective

April 13: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

This panel will explore the regulatory challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of Grid Edge Technologies (GET) in the electric grid. Industry experts and thought leaders will discuss the regulatory frameworks and policies that are necessary for the successful deployment of GET. The panel will explore the role of regulatory agencies in promoting innovation and competition in the GET market, how they can facilitate the deployment of GET while protecting consumer rights and interests, and the importance of collaboration and partnerships between regulatory agencies, utilities, and technology providers in shaping the future of the grid.

BIO

Hamed Heyhat is the Vice President of Honeywell Smart Energy. In this role, Hamed is responsible for leading the North America team that is helping to transform the utility industry and creating innovative digital solutions for more sustainable and efficient future. Hamed’s prior experience within Utility Industry includes leading different businesses in Middle East, North and Latin America for large corporation including General Electric & Alstom, where he transforms businesses to create sustainable growth partnering with clients in this segment. Hamed experience covers running businesses active in industrial software and automations, digital services, renewable energy, communication infrastructure and building large turnkey projects. He was leading the teams to introduce some of the most advanced software platforms focused on asset performance management and building and servicing large High Voltage DC stations. Hamed holds a Master of Business Administration degree for Manchester Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from IUST in Iran. Hamed is based in Houston, Texas.

BIO

Michael Pesin is Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Advanced Grid Research and Development Division in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity. Mr. Pesin has 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry, much of it directing development and execution of advanced technology programs. His most recent assignment was with Seattle City Light (SCL) where he developed the technology strategy, managed research and development projects and directed strategic programs to management demonstration projects. His subordinate strategic programs included substation automation, distributed automation, advanced metering infrastructure, enterprise OT communication networks, energy storage, microgrids, transactive energy management and distributed management systems. 

Mr. Pesin has numerous professional affiliations, publications and patents. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, is a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of Washington, a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA).

BIO

David Hochschild was appointed chair of the California Energy Commission by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2019. He fills the environmental position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members are required by law to have professional training in specific areas – engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law.

Chair Hochschild’s career has spanned public service, environmental advocacy, and the private sector. He first got involved in the solar energy field in 2001 in San Francisco as a special assistant to Mayor Willie Brown where Chair Hochschild launched a citywide $100 million initiative to put solar panels on public buildings. He also cofounded the Vote Solar Initiative, a 60,000-member advocacy organization promoting solar policies at the local, state, and federal levels. He was executive director of a national consortium of leading solar manufacturers and worked for five years at Solaria, a solar company in Silicon Valley. From 2007 to 2008, he served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

For his work to advance clean energy, Chair Hochschild was awarded the Sierra Club’s Trailblazer Award, the American Lung Association’s Clean Air Hero Award, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roof True Champion Award. Chair Hochschild holds a bachelor of arts from Swarthmore College and a master of public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs.

BIO

Coming Soon

BIO

Jon Wellinghoff is an internationally recognized expert and thought leader in energy

policy, electric grid operations and markets, and the interface of disruptive energy

systems with traditional utility structures. His firm GridPolicy, Inc. is dedicated to

furthering the deployment of and investment in clean sustainable distributed energy

resources (DER) and efficient grid enhancing technologies (GET). He is also the Chief

Regulatory Officer of Voltus, Inc. the world’s leading platform for DERs. In 2006, Jon

received his first of two Presidential appointments to serve as a Commissioner on the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and was designated by the President

in 2009 to be Chairman of FERC. He was FERC’s longest serving Chairman (2009-

2013). In 2016, the Public Utilities Fortnightly named Jon one of the 10 individuals since

1990 who have had the greatest impact on the electric utility industry.

Grid Edge Technologies

Public Power Perspective

April 13: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

This panel will explore the ways in which public power utilities are utilizing Grid Edge Technologies (GET) to improve the efficiency and reliability of the electric grid. Industry experts and thought leaders from public power utilities will discuss their experiences, challenges and successes in deploying GET solutions, while exploring the unique challenges faced by public power utilities.

BIO

John Di Stasio is the president of the Large Public Power Council (LPPC), where he advocates for America’s largest public power systems in Washington, D.C. LPPC’s 27 members are not-for-profit, locally governed, and directly accountable to the communities they serve. Collectively, they provide reliable and affordable power to over 30 million consumers in some of the nation’s largest cities, including New York, Orlando, Austin, Los Angeles, and Seattle, to name a few. John is also the former General Manager and CEO of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Under his leadership, SMUD launched one of the biggest smart grid projects in the country and maintained some of the lowest electric rates in California. Throughout John’s 35 years of service to the electric power industry, he has testified before the United States Congress and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on topics including cybersecurity, transmission, infrastructure, reliability, and environmental regulations. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Energy Systems Integration Group and GridWise Alliance’s Grid Infrastructure Advisory Council and former president of both the Northwest Public Power Association and the California Municipal Utility Association.

BIO

The Board of Commissioners appointed John Haarlow to serve as CEO/General Manager beginning October 8, 2018. He joined the PUD in February 2017 as Assistant General Manager of Distribution & Engineering Services, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry. In that role, he was responsible for construction, engineering, operations and maintenance of the utility’s transmission, substation and distribution assets. He also oversaw fleet, real estate and environmental functions.

Before joining the PUD, John worked for the Public Service Company of New Mexico, serving as both Director of Safety and Transmission and Distribution Engineering and Operations. He began his career at the Central Illinois Light Company where he was an IBEW journeyman for 10 years. Haarlow also worked as Vice President of Power Delivery for the Indianapolis Power and Light Company. He attended University of Illinois and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting.

BIO

Paul Lau, who previously served as SMUD’s Chief Grid Strategy & Operations Officer, was named Chief Executive Officer & General Manager in October 2020. He reports to the SMUD Board of Directors. As CEO, he leads the sixth largest community-owned electric utility in the nation serving a population of 1.5 million residents and managing a $1.7 billion budget.

As Chief Grid Strategy & Operations Officer, Mr. Lau was responsible for the operations of SMUD’s power markets, transmission, and distribution grids, including the Balancing Authority of Northern California, the development of a holistic smart grid strategy, and SMUD’s research and development programs. In this role, he served as executive sponsor for SMUD’s deployment of advanced metering infrastructure and smart grid initiatives.

A 40-year SMUD veteran, Mr. Lau has held several other executive leadership positions, including Assistant General Manager of Power Supply & Grid Operations and Assistant General Manager of Customer, Distribution & Technology.

Mr. Lau serves on the boards of the Large Public Power Council, American Public Power Association, California Municipal Utilities Association, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Smart Electric Power Alliance, Electric Transportation Community Development Corporation, and the California Mobility Center and as a Commissioner of the Balancing Authority of Northern California. He serves on the boards of a number of Sacramento-area community organizations, including the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Greater Sacramento Economic Council, and Valley Vision. He serves as Director-at-Large and is Past Chair of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.

Active in international energy issues, Mr. Lau serves as a delegate with the United States Energy Association, where he has helped with electrification, operations, and demand-side management in countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Jordan.

A registered professional electrical engineer in the state of California, Mr. Lau received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Power Engineering from California State University, Sacramento. He also is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum.

BIO

Joseph F. Kessler, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, oversees NYPA’s power generation and transmission assets, commercial operations and the New York State Canal Corporation’s operations.

Before assuming this role in 2016, Joe was Senior Vice President of Power Generation, responsible for oversight of NYPA’s generating facilities across New York State. After starting his career at an electrical construction firm designing and building systems, Joe joined NYPA in 2001 as an engineer in the Electrical Maintenance department.

Joe is Chairman of NYPA’s Asset Management Board and is a member of NYPA’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee. He also serves as Executive Sponsor of NYPA’s Multicultural Employee Resource Group.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Energy Systems), and an MBA from SUNY at Buffalo, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York and Maryland.

Joe is a board member of the Hydropower Research Institute and the Northland Workforce Development Center, has served on the Electric Power Research Institute’s Generation Sector and Research Advisory Councils, and is on the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative Board Working Group and the Large Public Power Council’s Operational Executive Working Group. He is a member of SUNY at Buffalo’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council.

Joe is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a member of the Erie-Niagara Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers, the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

A lifelong Western New Yorker, Joe and his wife Lisa live in West Seneca and have three children.

BIO

Aram Benyamin is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest publicly-owned utility. He assumed the leadership role in November 2022. Mr. Benyamin rejoined the Department from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), where he previously served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He initially joined CSU as the General Manager of Energy Supply in 2015 following his retirement from LADWP where he began his career as an entry-level engineer and ascended to one of the top executive positions in the Power System. In his capacity as COO, Mr. Benyamin works with the General Manager on all facets of LADWP’s operations, policies, budget, and goals, and is responsible for directly overseeing the Senior Assistant General Manager(s) over the Power System and assists in shepherding the evolutionary plans and goals of that system.

Mr. Benyamin brings a wealth of utility executive experience to this position. As CEO of a highly regarded public utility, he managed CSU through its own Integrated Resource Plan to lay out the next decades of that city’s energy future, accelerated their resiliency and conservation efforts in the face of prolonged drought and the Colorado River crisis, and directed innovative business solutions to leverage fiber, technology, and modernization.

Aram Benyamin is a Professional Engineer with a bachelor’s of science degree in engineering from California State University, Los Angeles. He also has a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from the University of La Verne and a master’s degree in public of administration (MPA) from California State University, Northridge.

Grid Edge Technologies

Future Outlook

April 13: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

This panel will explore the potential developments and advancements in Grid Edge Technologies (GET) and their impact on the future of the electric grid. Panelists will share their future visions on the upcoming energy development roadmap and industry disruption in terms of workforce, cloud data fusion, and new cyber world. The panel will explore various GET solutions that are currently under development, such as advanced analytics, machine learning, and blockchain, and their potential to transform the way electricity is generated, distributed, and consumed. The panelists will also discuss the future of renewable energy integration, electric vehicles, and other distributed energy resources, and how GET can enable these technologies to play a greater role in the grid.

BIO

Liuxi (Calvin) Zhang is Global Technology Director in Eaton Corporation, leading Eaton’s global Energy Systems Research organization reporting directly to EVP and Chief Technology Officer.

Calvin is responsible for leading a global team of scientists and engineers and providing strategic direction in the field of Energy Systems Management (including Renewable and DER management, Grid and Cyber Resiliency, as well as Transportation Electrification). In this role, Calvin manages strategic relationships with external customers, internal and external ecosystems to develop and implement technology and commercial strategies, and translate them into solutions across various applications and markets.

Prior to joining Eaton, Calvin was with Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd)/Exelon, as Senior Manager of Distribution Engineering, and Senior Manager of Smart Grid and Innovation, leading teams to develop smart grid strategy and roadmap, identify and evaluate emerging technologies, and manage demonstration projects. Prior to ComEd, Calvin worked with Nexant Inc. as Senior Distribution Systems Engineer, leading research, software development and product management for ADMS/DERMS applications.

Calvin was awarded his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University, USA. He obtained his Master and Bachelor degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Calvin is IEEE Senior Member. He is Vice Chair for the 2023 IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference and Exposition. He also serves IEEE PES Long Range Planning Committee (LRP) for Chapter Activities and Membership Development.   

BIO

Reji is the President of India Smart Grid Forum since its inception in 2011 and is also the Chairman of Global Smart Energy Federation since November 2016. He an internationally renowned expert with nearly four decades of experience in the electricity sector in diverse functions covering the entire value chain and across continents. He is spearheading a mission to leverage technology to transform the electric grid in India and provide clean and reliable electricity to every citizen 24×7 at affordable cost. He is actively advocating for the “Right to Electricity Act” that will ensure lifeline supply of electricity to all citizens in India. Reji has played pivotal role in several ground breaking initiatives related to renewable energy, electric grid modernization, electric mobility, energy storage and digitalization in India during the past two decades. His current areas of research and work include: Grid Integrated Vehicles, District Cooling, Electric Cooking, Smart Grids as Anchor Infrastructure for Smart Cities, Grid Interactive Buildings and Campuses; Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Blockchain Applications for Utilities; Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Systems and the Future of Transportation; and Interconnection of Regional Grids in Asia – ASEAN, SAARC and GCC grids. In November 2016, Reji was unanimously elected as Chairman of Global Smart Grid Federation, now renamed as Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF), a global umbrella organization of smart grid/energy associations and utilities from 16 countries and the European Union; and headquartered in Washington DC, USA. As an entrepreneur, Reji has built successful enterprises in India and overseas and exited them. He has studied Engineering, Finance, Management and Law; worked with NTPC and IBM and has been senior consultant with ADB, World Bank and USAID. A recognized thought leader in clean energy, smart grid technologies, smart cities and electric mobility, Reji is a popular key-note speaker at international symposiums and conferences on these domains. He has also contributed to several articles, books, research reports and white papers on variety of topics.

BIO

Raiford Smith is the Chief Utility Innovation Officer of AES’ US Utilities – AES Indiana and AES Ohio – providing safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to more than one million customers. AES’ US Utilities are leading the inclusive, clean energy transition with new solutions to exceed customers’ energy needs.  In this role, Raiford leads planning, asset management, engineering, and project management functions for transmission and distribution.  He also leads efforts around creating new customer products and services while developing new analytical models to generate insights about customers and the electric grid.

While Raiford began his career as a unionized call center clerk at Savannah Electric and Power Company, he has spent three decades since then in the electric and natural gas industries as well as in high-tech.  Prior to his role at AES, Raiford led Google’s global energy, water and wastewater, economic and community development, and supply planning teams, managing over $1.2Bn OpEx budget to help Google transition from 100% renewable energy to 24×7 carbon free energy.  Additionally, he led the product and UX functions at Tapestry, Google X’s moonshot for the electric grid.  Prior to his work at Google, Raiford held a wide variety of roles at other energy companies, including CPS Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy, and the Southern Company.  He has led initiatives that contributed hundreds of millions of dollars of recurring EBITDA, grew customer engagement, and improved service reliability through new customer products and services, analytics, smart grid, and distributed energy resources.   His career has spanned a very diverse set of roles in legal, mergers and acquisitions, energy trading, transmission & distribution, product management, regulatory, information technology, and customer support. 

Raiford graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, earned an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, earned a JD from the Charlotte School of Law, and received a business analytics certificate from Harvard University’s Business Analytics Program.  Raiford is a licensed attorney (North Carolina), holds multiple patents for distributed computing at the grid edge, and has published numerous papers on the future of the electric industry, energy regulatory economics, and energy-related technology. 

BIO

Dr. Ahad Esmaeilian is Vice President of Clean Energy at Audubon Engineering Company, where he oversee solar, wind, energy storage and green hydrogen businesses for the Company. Prior to Audubon, Ahad served as Director of New Initiatives Development at Avangrid, the third largest renewable owner/operator in USA, and prior to that as the Manager of Smart Grid for Avangrid. He has been the key to several of Smart Grid Initiatives at New York Power Authority, the largest state-owned utility in USA.

He holds bachelor and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from The University of Tehran, a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Clarkson University, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Texas A&M University, and has a rich experience in both electrical engineering and business administration. Ahad is a Senior Member of the IEEE and currently serves as the Chairman of the IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference & Exposition.

BIO

Page Crahan is general manager of Tapestry, X’s moonshot for the electric grid. Tapestry is focused on creating highly accurate simulations of the grid to forecast how it will behave from nanoseconds to decades ahead. Tapestry is also creating tools for governments, utilities, energy developers and major energy users to help them build, manage and operate grids dominated by renewable and other clean energy technologies.

Before joining X, Page held roles as a go-to-market and commercial leader and advisor at two start-ups, both of which attained ‘unicorn’ status: Sunrun in rooftop solar energy in the U.S., and Konfio in financial services in Mexico.  She was previously co-CEO and founder of Clarus Power, a venture-backed residential solar customer acquisition platform. 

Page is an expert in business model innovation, customer acquisition, product design, and scaling hyper-growth teams. She was recognized as one of the top 50 Climate Tech Operators in the 2021 Climate Draft. She is an advisor and angel investor with her firm Persistent Ventures and she is a limited partner in Powerhouse Ventures. Page is a co-inventor of several U.S. Patents in the energy domain. She earned a certificate from the Stanford GSB Summer Institute for General Management and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Santa Clara University.