2026 IEEE PES T&D Opening Keynote & Super Sessions

Tuesday, 5 May

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM - Opening Keynote Session

• Join us as we officially kick off the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Conference & Exposition with the Opening Keynote and Session, bringing the entire community together to celebrate the innovations, leaders, and ideas powering the future of transmission and distribution.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Carbon Goals vs. Grid Reality: Achieving Resource Adequacy and Grid Flexibility Through Nuclear, Solar and Alternative Energy

• Achieving carbon neutrality requires a pragmatic mix of energy sources. Ensuring long-term resource adequacy requires leveraging a mix of generation technologies and enhancing grid flexibility. This session explores how nuclear, solar, battery storage, and electric vehicles can support system stability, meet peak demand, and defer costly infrastructure upgrades. Panelists will discuss the operational capabilities and trade-offs of various energy sources, as well as strategies to maintain reliability in an evolving energy landscape.

Wednesday, 6 May

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM - The Power Puzzle: Solving the Demands of Large Load Integration While Considering Affordability and Reliabilityn

• As the rapid growth of data centers is reshaping energy demand, regulators, utilities, and data center developers must rethink grid interconnection policies, how best to allocate costs for the needed generation and the grid, and its overall impact on the grid. This session examines evolving regulatory frameworks, permitting challenges, economic models, and how utilities can proactively build grid infrastructure that accommodates data center expansion without compromising grid reliability.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Breaking News – Leveraging Technology for Reliable, Resilient, and Affordable Energy Delivery

• This session is dedicated to the latest industry-shaping news, from policy shifts and affordability to groundbreaking technological breakthroughs. As the electrical power systems exhibit more dynamic and faster behavior, including variable system margins, and weather-related issues, risks of major outages have increased. This panel will address necessary actions to assure reliable, resilient, and affordable energy delivery in supporting society needs and goals.

Thursday, 7 May

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM - Lessons from the Frontline: Practical Experiences in Achieving Resilience

• With extreme weather events, cyber and physical threats, and outage risks on the rise, utilities are adopting novel resilience strategies. It is important to implement new frameworks for defining, measuring, and enhancing resilience. Measuring grid resilience includes integrating adaptive technologies and predictive analytics. This session brings together industry leaders to share firsthand accounts, best practices, and innovative grid-hardening solutions.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Future of Grid Automation: Securing ADMS, DERMS & Beyond

• The next generation of grid automation is here, powered by AI, edge computing, and advanced sensors. AI-driven automation is enhancing grid efficiency but also introducing new cyber vulnerabilities. This session explores how utilities are leveraging tools such as ADMS and DERMS to create a more responsive, efficient, and reliable power grid. It also explores the regulatory and security considerations for AI in critical infrastructure.

* Time stated is CDT