Just announced! Take a closer look at the Forum 2023 agenda

Our planning for E Source Forum 2023 is underway, and we have lots in store for you!

This year’s sessions will cover topics that are top of mind for utilities. They’re built around four tracks so you can tailor your agenda to match your interests:

• Customer experience (CX)
• Customer programs
• Distributed grid management
• Marketing and communications

Check out the agenda and start planning your personal Forum experience today.

Without further ado, let’s explore each track and learn what’s on tap.

What to expect from the Forum 2023 agenda

Customer experience

We know utilities are faced with the challenge of meeting decarbonization goals and increasing resiliency while trying to provide a great customer experience. This track focuses on strategies to improve CX and help you meet your goals while reducing costs. Look out for topics such as:

• Increasing grid resiliency and improving the outage experience for vulnerable customers
• Creating a smooth customer journey through utility fleet advisory services
• Gathering customer data in the contact center to identify and solve problems
• Implementing new technologies to create internal efficiencies and improve CX

Customer programs

This track will explore some of the ways utilities can create or adjust their customer programs to ensure that program uptake remains high while delivering savings, that the programs are pushing the utility toward its decarbonization objectives, and that it’s all being done equitably. Some of our sessions will cover:

• Revamping residential programs to find more savings and reach a larger audience
• Balancing the pursuit of transportation electrification versus building electrification programs
• Helping commercial customers reach decarbonization goals while remaining resilient
• Developing new construction programs with affordability and sustainability as guiding principles

Distributed grid management

Utilities are navigating a wave of electrification—both from buildings and transportation. As they move forward, utilities are also tasked with continuing to deliver safe, reliable, low-cost energy to customers. This track will focus on approaches you can take to help support the grid in the face of electrification, such as virtual power plants and even energy efficiency. Explore topics such as:

• Improving EV demand forecasts using collaborative, data-driven approaches
• Using distributed energy resources such as batteries, EVs, and other flexible resources as virtual power plants
• Funding grid upgrades
• Saving energy and managing the reliability and cost implications of electrification by putting customers on a “watt diet”

Marketing and communications

This track will focus on helping utilities and municipalities engage with customers to meet their goals, improve customer satisfaction, and improve awareness of utility products, programs, and services. With something for gas and electric utilities alike, some of the topics we’ll cover include:

• Using product marketing to advise customers about products, programs, and services
• Building lasting relationships with business customers and communicating value to them
• Understanding the needs and wants of low- and moderate-income (LMI) customers to improve engagement and outreach
• Adopting effective solutions that can win customers’ attention