A quick spin around this year's POWERGEN International

(Dallas is hosting POWERGEN International and DISTRIBUTECH International. Image source: Wikimedia Commons/Robert W. Hensley)

By David Wagman, VP of Energy Content

We are counting down the days to the start of POWERGEN International and DISTRIBUTECH International, and are looking forward to bringing the industry back together in person in Dallas from May 23-25 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Once inside the exhibit hall, attendees will have access to the more than 450 solution providers who are confirmed to exhibit in person. (Have a look at the current exhibit floorplan for POWERGEN International and DISTRIBUTECH International.)

And now that we are in the home stretch to these industry-leading events, we continue to see strong commitments from our in-person audience including registered attendees from more than 100 power producers, 145 EPC companies and international attendees from 47 countries.

Joining me in Dallas will be our entire editorial team, including Jennifer Runyon, Elizabeth Ingram, John Engel, and Kevin Clark, plus dozens of colleagues from across Clarion Events to make this a safe, insightful, and fun event. The editorial team will be busy covering the live event, but we also look forward to meeting you in person and welcoming you back to the industry’s most important technical conference and exhibition.

POWERGEN’s bedrock has always been its unmatched conference sessions that offer actionable insights into issues related to operations and maintenance, process automation, new technology, and resource integration, among other topics.

Here is a link to the current conference program. And below are some highlights that caught my eye from each day of the conference.

May 23 highlights

Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry will offer keynote remarks May 23.

The keynote session sets the stage and kicks off three exciting days of education and networking. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will appear via video to offer remarks. Other speakers include Jim Greer, EVP, and COO of Oncor; Tom Deitrich, President and CEO of Itron; Braden Cammauf, Head of FPT Industrial Brand Nafta; and Rick Perry, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and Governor of Texas.

Then, from 10:30-11:00 am as part of our Digitalization track, plan to attend Mitsubishi’s discussion “Leveraging Digitalization to Secure Your Clean Energy Transition.” Maybe invite a colleague to sit in on “The Options for Long Duration Energy Storage,” which features speakers from Rye Development, Burns & McDonnell, and Apex Compressed Air Energy Storage. Two technical pros from the Electric Power Research Institute join up to present “Exploring Plant Control Strategies to Support Grid Frequency Response.” This session takes place from 11:00-11:30 am.

In the afternoon, from 1:30-2:00 pm and as part of our Decarbonization track, plan to catch “Integrating Sustainable Engine Technologies into a Microgrid” with speakers from Caterpillar and Concentric Power. And be sure not to miss “Firing H2 in the Real World: Lessons Learned and Project Outcomes.” This session in our Hydrogen track convenes from 2:00-2:30 pm. Follow that with the session “How Will the Grid Survive Large Penetrations of Solar and Wind Resources?” offered by Terabase from 2:30-3:00 pm.

Or, as part of our highly respected Leadership Summit, plan to spend time with former Secretary Perry; Massoud Amin, professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota; and Julia Matevosyan, Chief Engineer at ESIG Energy at 1:00-2:15 pm as they tackle the topic, “Power Challenges Bigger than Texas: Addressing Resource Adequacy, Resiliency and Security in an Uncertain World.”

Conference sessions continue until 5:00 pm, but why not take some time to visit the exhibit floor on the always-exciting opening day and grab a beverage during our Cantina Receptions, which are held each day from 3:00-6:00 pm.

May 24 highlights

On May 24, get your day started with breakfast and networking at one of our Breakfast Roundtables. These informal, moderated sessions on more than two dozen topics start at 8:00 am and will spark conversation and facilitate business connections.

Consider stopping by our Optimizing Plant Performance track, as NextEra and Exelon take part in a panel discussion “Priming the Utility Workforce to Improve Operations and Outage Planning” at 10:00-11:30 am.

Electric power generation pros from Florida Power & Light, ENEXSA, AES Corp., and Calpine join together for “Digital Power Plants: Connecting Business to Operations” from 10:30-11:30 am. Another must-attend morning session is “Challenges and Realities for Hydrogen Capable Gas Turbines” with presentations from Vistra, Georgia Tech, EPRI, and GE Gas Power.

In the afternoon, futurist Nancy Giordano offers her vision on the changing nature of work in the post-pandemic world. She told Clarion Energy’s Jenn Runyon this “exponential productivity revolution” is affecting all sectors of the economy, including the energy sector. Giordano speaks at 1:00 pm.

Also, check out “Island(ed) Microgrids: The Benefits of Implementing Microgrids in Isolated Regions.” This insightful session is part of our Future of Electricity track and takes place from 1:30-2:00 pm.

As part of our New Energy Mix Knowledge Hub on the exhibit floor, plan to attend “The Repowering of a Remote Independent Power Grid” from 2:00-2:30 pm. Speakers include Siemens Energy and POWER Engineers. And, before the afternoon’s Cantina Reception beckons you, plan to attend “How Utilities are Embracing Sustainability and ESG as a Strategic Advantage,” part of our Renewable and Energy Storage Hub. This session takes place from 2:30-3:00 pm, also on the exhibit floor.

May 25 highlights

Dive into our final day of conference sessions so you are energized with the latest insights and ideas to share with your team and management. In our Future of Electricity track, get the latest update on a pathbreaking hydrogen conversion project by attending “Transforming the LADWP’s Energy Mix by Converting the Intermountain Power Site from Coal to Gas and Green Hydrogen.” That session takes place from 9:00-10:00 am. In our Decarbonization track, pick up some useful tips and strategies in the session “Best Practices for Structuring and Negotiating EPC Contracts for Renewable Power Projects,” presented from 9:30-10:00 am.

And, to round out your experience, consider attending our Trends in Conventional Power Knowledge Hub presentation, “Additive Manufactured 180 MW F-ClassGas Turbine Flow Path Vane Sets: Innovative Approaches and Operator Performance Benefits.” This fascinating session takes place on the exhibit floor from 10:00-10:30 am.

Those are only a few highlights of what is shaping up to an outstanding conference and exhibition for you and your entire team.

I look forward to seeing you in Dallas!

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