Designed for electric utility executives, participants engage in best practice roundtables to address electric distribution system and substation reliability and safety. Members share benchmarking and performance study results spanning safety, workforce management, infrastructure improvements and overall performance excellence. The small size of this program provides a unique environment for collaborative thinking, open discourse and building long-term relationships.
Participation is restricted to senior leaders of WEI energy member companies. This strategic forum is designed for vice presidents, directors of electric operations and general managers responsible for maintaining system reliability.
Member: $749 USD
Registration price increases $100 after February 17, 2023. Registration includes access to all Operations Business Strategies- Electric agenda items, digital meeting materials, and meals listed on the agenda. Guest tickets are available for $150 and allow for a personal guest (a spouse or partner who does not work in the energy industry) to accompany a registered attendee at the event. Guest registration includes all meals and receptions.
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Hosted Networking Breakfast
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Welcome + Introductions
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Safety Spotlight
Speaker(s): Tyler Nice, Operations & Engineering Manager, Eugene Water & Electric Board
How do you engage your employees in a job briefing? We invite you to bring your strategies and, if available, an example of your utility’s pre-job briefing.
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Successes, Current Challenges, Opportunities Roundtable
Moderator(s): David Howell, Director, Avista Corp.
What challenges and successes are at the forefront of Operations for your company? Please come prepared to share your utility’s current successes, challenges, and opportunities.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Hosted Networking Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Successes, Current Challenges, Opportunities Roundtable, Continued
Moderator(s): David Howell, Director, Avista Corp.
What challenges and successes are at the forefront of Operations for your company? Please come prepared to share your utility’s current successes, challenges, and opportunities.
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Networking Break
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Technology in the Field
Speaker(s): Tina Yanitski, Director, Distribution, Electricity Operations, EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc., Tyler Nice, Operations & Engineering Manager, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Kevin Putnam, Senior Director, Compliance & Utility Operations, Portland General Electric
Learn about what technologies your peers are utilizing in the field. This session will kick off with examples from EPCOR and Portland General Electric, followed by an open roundtable discussion. Please come prepared to share your utility’s current insights, success, and challenges with technology in the field.
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Hosted Networking Dinner
Join us for a networking dinner at the Pendry's Lionfish Restaurant.
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Hosted Networking Breakfast
8:30 AM - 8:45 AM
Safety Spotlight
8:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Key Metrics
Speaker(s): Kevin Putnam, Senior Director, Compliance & Utility Operations, Portland General Electric
What key metrics do you use? This session will start with a presentation from Portland General Electric on their three key metric areas: Safety Quality, Schedule, and Budget. After, we invite you to share what key metrics your utility utilizes.
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Networking Break
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Roundtable Discussion
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Wrap Up + Future Planning
Please contact the hotel directly at (619) 738-7000 to reserve your room. Identify yourself as being with Western Energy Institute (WEI) to receive a special rate of $299 USD/night. Please note that a mandatory nightly $36 + tax resort fee applies and includes access to various hotel amenities. This rate is guaranteed until February 17, 2023 or until the WEI room block is full.
Click here to make your reservations online.