Program

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All session times are Pacific Time (PT). To view the schedule, click here.

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021

9:30am to 10:00am

Opening Networking & Forum

Networking

10:00am to 10:05am

Organizer's Welcome

Keynote

GreenBiz Senior Energy Analyst & VERGE Electrify Co-Chair Sarah Golden welcomes participants to VERGE Electrify. Welcome!

10:05am to 10:20am

Jigar Shah: The Key To Financing Deep Electrification

Keynote

Entrepreneur and investor Jigar Shah just took over leading the Department of Energy's Loan Program, which has $40 billion in loans and loan guarantees ready to deploy for energy infrastructure projects across the U.S. Before taking over this role, Shah pioneered energy-as-a-service business models with Generate Capital and SunEdison. Hear Shah's lessons learned about how financing and new business models are key to the future of deep electrification.

10:20am to 10:30am

Saul Griffith: 1 Billion Machines. Rewiring America.

Keynote

Rewiring America founder Saul Griffith has a plan to rapidly electrify the country, create 25 million jobs and avoid the climate disaster.

10:30am to 10:50am

Ensuring Electrification of Everything is Equitable

Keynote

As vehicles and buildings are increasingly powered by electricity, how do we ensure that all communities reap the technology, environmental and savings benefits of this new technology? What policies, best practices, and collaborations are needed to make sure that the advantages of electrification are available to all?

10:50am to 11:00am

Closing Keynotes Day 1 + Special Guests

Keynote

Don't miss a musical closing from some very special guests.

11:00am to 11:30am

Edison Energy Insights: Live Demo + Q&A

Booth Session

Edison Energy Forum Booth

Optimize your renewable energy journey by leveraging our Digital Platform – Edison Energy Insights. Our client-centric technology puts you at the heart of your data, creating transparency and driving insights across your global portfolio. Coupling industry-leading market intelligence and an advisory approach with data trends and analytics, the Insights Platform empowers you to better manage today, and proactively shape your future energy decisions. Join us for an interactive walkthrough, where we'll take a peek underneath the hood and provide a look inside the Platform; demonstrating how you can manage renewable energy market data, RFPs, offer evaluations, contract settlements, and more, all in one place.

Networking Break & Forum

Networking

11:30am to 12:15pm

The Future of Commercial Buildings

Breakout

Buildings are where our lives happen. The way they're built influences our health, perspective and environment. Join visionaries who are imagining the next generation of all-electric commercial buildings, and learn how these structures can support the world we want and the climate we need.

Lessons Learned From The Front Lines of Electric Fleets

Breakout

Everyone is talking about "fleet electrification" in 2021, but the state of play is very complex. How do leading corporate and city fleet managers make EV buying decisions and deploy charging infrastructure for various vehicle types across campuses and cities? Hear from fleet pioneers that moved early in the market and learned valuable lessons along the way.

Resilience in an All-Electric Age

Breakout

As the demand for electricity increases, we'll need more wires and cables — all as extreme weather becomes more common. Join this discussion about what will be needed to prepare the grid for an all-electric future, and learn what technologies are available to support the grid while keeping your lights on.

12:30pm to 1:15pm

What Industrial Processes Can We Electrify Today?

Breakout

There are more options available to electrify industrial processes than you may expect — particularly for low-heat applications. Our experts will cover what processes could be electrified today, and what that would mean for costs, emissions and operations. They'll also discuss what it will take to get companies to make the switch.

How New Energies Will Help the Grid

Breakout

New and distributed energy assets — including microgrids and large-scale assets close to customers — can help relieve congestion on the grid and ensure resilience. This session features organizations finding new ways to site renewable resources to provide cleaner energy, where and when it’s needed.

What Will It Take For EVs To Benefit the Grid

Breakout

In the ideal electric future, electric vehicles would plug into the grid and use dynamic software to help make the grid more resilient and smart. The reality is that the details of vehicle-grid integration are only just emerging, and the dream of "vehicle-to-grid" technology is a ways off. These experts will explore what it will take to move from vision to reality.

1:15pm to 1:45pm

Networking Break & Forum

Networking

The Rise of Renewables and Impacts to Grid Management

Booth Session

Itron Forum Booth

The accelerated adoption of renewable energy or better known as Distributed Energy Resources (DER) has become a disruptor to the traditional, centralized network of energy distribution, increasing the sense of urgency for utilities to modernize their grid operations to prepare. The rise of these decentralized power sources onto the grid brings potential impacts including power surges, inconsistent power quality and reverse power flow. Join this session to learn about ways to protect the grid and maintain power quality through networks of intelligent controls across the distribution network. Advanced grid applications such as Volt VAR Optimization (VVO), Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR), and Fault, Location, Isolation, System Restoration (FLISR) enabled by data from an AMI network can work together to support successful grid modernization strategies while maintaining high levels of service reliability.

1:45pm to 2:30pm

How To Make Sure The EV Rollout Is Equitable

Breakout

As electric vehicle adoption surges, the rollout needs to be accessible to all, not just wealthy, early-adopter homeowners. What steps are needed to ensure that the EV revolution will include all types of communities?

How to Transform Commercial Buildings to be Gas-Free

Breakout

Wondering how we can update existing buildings to become all-electric? Come hear the latest thinking about retrofits, from Levi Plaza to San Francisco International Airport. Experts will discuss their plans to get buy-in and finance an all-electric future.

Lessons From the Greening of Steel

Breakout

Steel production is one of the most emissions-intensive processes in the world — but the industry is on a path to change that. Come hear how technology and supply chains are aligning to electrify and decarbonize steel, and what this could mean for other hard-to-abate sectors.

2:30pm to 3:00pm

Ask An Expert: EV Charging with Cathy Zoi

Ask An Expert

A chance to ask questions, learn and interact with attendees and speakers.

Ask An Expert: Building Decarb with Panama Bartholomy

Ask An Expert

A chance to ask questions, learn and interact with attendees and speakers.

Ask An Expert: Financing Electrification with Patrick Sagisi

Ask An Expert

A chance to ask questions, learn and interact with attendees and speakers.

Wednesday, May 26th, 2021

9:30am to 10:00am

Opening Networking & Forum

Networking

10:00am to 10:05am

Day 2 Welcome

Keynote

Welcome back to the kick off of day 2.

10:05am to 10:20am

The Electric Vehicle Boom Is Here

Keynote

Electric transportation is having a global moment. Batteries are dropping in cost. Automakers are rushing to launch new models. And policymakers are quickly crafting regulations that embrace zero emission vehicles over fossil fuel-powered ones. Hear from three leaders who are at the forefront of this electric vehicle movement.

10:20am to 10:25am

Spotlight on Electric Induction Cooking!

Keynote

Catch a hands-on demo of electric cooking and learn how and why to move away from gas.

10:25am to 10:40am

Cities Lead The Way With All-Electric Buildings

Keynote

Early-adopter cities are banning the use of natural gas for both new commercial and residential buildings. What is driving this trend? And what are the lessons learned about getting these policies implemented?

10:40am to 10:50am

Industrial Decarbonization 101

Keynote

What is it? Why is it important? And what is the government doing about it? A quick 101 from White House Council on Environmental Quality's Jane Flegal.

10:50am to 11:00am

Why Electrification Is Critical for Grid Resilience

Keynote

Communities are increasingly facing grid blackouts — like those in California and Texas — due to extreme weather events. At the same time, widepsread electrification will require significant growth in clean energy generation to meet the demands of electric vehicles, machines and buildings. How do we make sure that the future of the grid is resilient, clean and smart?

11:00am

Closing Day 2 Keynote Program + Musical Special Guests

Keynote

Don't miss the closing of Day 2 keynotes with an electrified piano and cello duo!

11:00am to 11:30am

Networking Break & Forum

Networking

Advancing the Hydrogen Economy with Bloom Energy

Booth Session

Bloom Energy Forum Booth

Bloom Energy is advancing the hydrogen economy with its hydrogen powered fuel cells and its electrolyzer technology. This discussion will include the reasons hydrogen is needed to advance the decarbonization agenda, how we can create carbon-free hydrogen and how this fuel can be used across power generation, transportation and industrial processes.

11:30am to 12:15pm

Being Smart about All-Electric Buildings

Breakout

All-electric buildings will transform the demands on the electric grid. Smart devices that use artificial intelligence and the internet-of-things will be key for enabling buildings to provide energy resilience, cost savings and added flexibility to the grid. Learn about these buildings of the future, and why they're closer than you might think.

Innovations Showcase

Breakout

Electrifying everything means we need new, big ideas — in finance, technology and policy. Join this fast-paced session of microtalks featuring promising technologies and provocative ideas that could change the future of electrification.

Moving Beyond Pilots: How to Scale EV Infrastructure

Breakout

2021 is the year that companies and organizations will move beyond EV charging pilots and begin to deploy charging infrastructure at scale. Federal, state and local policies are helping drive this acceleration as is the surge in new electric vehicle models. But challenges remain when it comes to charging business models, including lack of interoperability and customer ease of use.

12:30pm to 1:15pm

Electrification for All

Breakout

To electrify everything, the solutions need to be accessible to everyone. This session features experts working on innovative financing and programs designed to make sure the benefits of all-electric buildings are available in low-income communities. Come hear how your organization can align its efforts to spur forward electrification for all.

Can Companies Electrify Their Supply Chains?

Breakout

Most of the industrial emissions are embedded in companies' supply chains. This session will explore how businesses are using their influence to decarbonize and electrify scope 3 emissions, and how more buyers and suppliers can get involved.

What You Need to Know About Policy

Breakout

The regulatory environment is quickly changing, with far-reaching implications for the future of electrification. Come with your questions for experts who can help you navigate what you need to know about the Biden Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and statehouses.

The Future of Batteries When Everything's Electric

Breakout

Mass adoption of electric vehicles and clean energy will rely on low-cost, reliable energy storage. The cost of lithium-ion batteries has dropped dramatically in recent years, but new battery innovations will be required to help reduce battery costs even more. What are the batteries we need today and tomorrow to electrify everything?

1:15pm to 1:45pm

Networking Break & Forum

Networking

Solar-Powered Overhead Charging Solution with Zero CapEx

Booth Session

AMPLY Power Forum Booth

As public transit fleets evaluate bus electrification to meet zero-emission goals, costly and lengthy construction timelines can hamper deployment. To meet this need, AMPLY Power is working with Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, Teichert Energy, and Schunk Group to expand fleet electrification offerings, including the first commercially available combination solar canopy and overhead electric vehicle charging solution. The solution is designed, built, owned and operated as a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) or solar lease with zero CapEx and fixed-price charging. The field-tested solution, enabled by the patent-pending Pantograph In-Depot Equipment (PIDE) Canopy Mount, allows fleets to reduce the cost of EV charging while leveraging renewable electricity.

1:45pm to 2:30pm

Electric Logistics & Delivery: The Time Is Now

Breakout

Last-mile delivery vans are rapidly electrifying, while electric regional hauling trucks are showing promise. How do logistics operators and customers make sustainable transport decisions, and what are the unique opportunities and challenges of using electric vehicles for logistics and delivery?

How Does Green Hydrogen Fit into Electrifying Everything?

Breakout

Not all industrial processes have market-ready electrification options. Green hydrogen could fill those gaps. How close are we to scaling green hydrogen, and what will it mean for industry, transportation and the grid? Our experts offer insights.