Join CREA for the 14th Annual Summit

October 30 will mark the 14th annual Energy Innovations Summit, hosted by CREA. This year’s event will be held at the Westin Westminster Hotel in Westminster, just 15 minutes from downtown Denver. At the Energy Innovations Summit, you will have the opportunity to hear more than two dozen experts discuss the latest development in today’s dynamic energy industry. Breakout sessions will give you a greater understanding of industry issues such as renewable hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, the latest in battery technology and many other innovations impacting the energy industry.

As part of the one-day event registration, you will enjoy lunch and have access to the vendor expo. The expo gives you a chance to interact with vendors from across the state and learn about innovative products and services to help your business grow.

Registration now open.

2022 Summit Materials

Welcome – Ginny Buczek, President, Colorado Rural Electric Association

General Session – Navigating the Energy Transition: A Conversation with Colorado Utility Leaders

Duane Highley, Chief Executive Officer, Tri-State G&T
Robert Kenney, President, Xcel Energy Colorado
Moderator: Kent Singer, Executive Director, CREA

Breakout Session #1 – Small Modular Reactors: The Key to a Carbon-Free Future?

Dr. Ron Faibish, Senior Director Strategic Development, General Atomics
Mike Miller, Project Director, NuScale Power
Tara Neider, Sr. Vice President & Project Director, Natrium Demonstration Reactor, TerraPower
Moderator: Dr. Jeffrey King, Professor, Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

Breakout Session #2 – Electric Vehicles: Technology Update

Mike Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer, Prieto Battery, Inc.
Gurmesh Sidhu, Chief Product Officer, Moment Energy
Dr. James Trevey, Chief Technology Officer, Forge Nano
Moderator: Steve Rooney, Editor/Publisher, Intelligent Vehicle Briefs

Breakout Session #3 – The Business Case for Microgrids

Cameron Brooks, Executive Director, Think Microgrid
Bryan Hannegan, President & Chief Executive Officer, Holy Cross Energy
Margaret Miller, Director of Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs, ENGIE North America and Vice Chair Microgrid Resources Coalition
Moderator: Tim Coleman, Manager Government Relations, CREA

Breakout Session #4 – Hydrogen Possibilities and Roadblocks

J. Doug Arnette, Operations and Maintenance Manager, Georgia Power Company
Joe Beach, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Starfire Energy
Keith Wipke, Laboratory Program Manager-Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies Program, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Moderator: Holly Krutka, Executive Director, School of Energy Resources, University of Wyoming

Lunch with Guest Speaker

Robert Chapman, Senior Vice President, Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions, EPRI – Reliability & Resilience to Enable a Net Zero Economy

Breakout Session #5 – Battery Storage & Supply Chain Challenges

David Millar, Director of Consulting Services, Ascend Analytics
Dr. Caitlin Murphy, Senior Energy Policy Analyst, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Simon Price, Chief Executive Officer, Exawatt
Moderator: Teri Viswanath, Lead Economist, Power Energy and Water, CoBank

Breakout Session #6 – The Heat Beneath Our Feet: The Potential of Geothermal Energy

Ryan Dougherty, President, Geothermal Exchange Organization
Dr. William Fleckenstein, Director of Strategic Business Development, Office of Global Initiatives and Business Development, Colorado School of Mines
Dr. Amanda Kolker, Laboratory Program Manager – Geothermal Technologies, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Moderator: Keith Hay, Director of Policy, Colorado Energy Office

Emerging Co-op Business Models

Mark Gabriel, President & Chief Executive Officer, United Power
Jessica Matlock, Chief Executive Officer, La Plata Electric Association
Brad Zaporski, General Manager & Chief Executive Officer, San Miguel Power Association
Moderator: Craig Johnson, Director of Government Relations-General Counsel, CREA

Additional Resource

Lisa Tiffin, Safe Electricity, Electricity 101. Maintaining Tri-State’s System: Resource Adequacy in a Transitioning Grid