Smart Energy Exchange
SECC 2026 Smart Energy Exchange, empowers consumers and enables utilites and is hosted by Xcel Energy and Colorado Spring Utilities.
Smart Energy Exchange brings together SECC members, industry peers, and thought leaders to turn consumer insight into practical industry action. Through collaborative workshops, main stage conversations, and peer-driven discussion, attendees will explore the trends shaping the energy consumer experience, learn from organizations facing similar challenges, and gain ideas they can bring back to their own teams.
This is more than an event. It is a chance to directly shape SECC’s future research and education priorities, contribute to the conversations guiding the industry, and help define what comes next for customers and communities. This year’s theme is around affordability, reliability and sustainability.
Be sure to attend this panel on Tuesday at 9:10 am, right after the welcome and opening remarks:
Where Energy Efficiency Connects with Grid Reliability: Consumers as Grid Resources
In an era of rapid technological change and unprecedented load growth, the grid is entering a new phase, one where customers are increasingly expected to act as grid resources. This session will examine how proven, programmatic approaches can unlock grid value by engaging demand-side solutions at scale. We will explore how energy efficiency, demand response, well-designed rates, and related strategies work together to deliver resilience, affordability, and a sustainable path for grid growth. Through practical examples and industry insights, the conversation will highlight how distributed capacity can be orchestrated to meet today’s reliability challenges while preparing the grid for what’s next.
- Nick Tumilowicz, Director, Distributed Energy Management, Itron
- Seth Little, Director, Market Development, CLEAResult
- Carlos A. Hill, Manager, Renewables and Demand Response, Xcel Energy
- Whitley McGovern, Senior Account Executive, Virtual Peaker
- Alejandro Ruiz, Energy Resources Director, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association
- Terrend Ross Jr., Program Manager, Tampa Electric