Agenda

Arrivals

Innovation Zone and Plugfest Set-Up – exhibitors will need Badges and wristbands to be allowed in the hall for set up – see Registration.

Registration Open

Badges will be required for all sessions and networking events

Innovation Zone Set-Up

(hall will be emptied by security and locked at 11am to move all to Lunch and the Opening Keynote and Thought Leadership Sessions)

Lunch – Badges Required

Opening Keynote

Leslie Duke, Chair and CEO of Burns & McDonnell will offer industry insights to set the stage for the 2024 UBBA Summit & Plugfest.

Thought Leadership Keynotes and General Sessions

• Advancements in AI Innovation Impacting Utilities – Guest Speakers: Llewellyn King moderating fireside chat with Phil Moeller from EEI
• Deeper Dive into AI Tools for Utilities – Speakers: Adam Nathan (WWT) and Carlos Carazo (Southern California Edison)
• Policy and Politics Impacting the Evolution of the Grid – Guest Speakers: Dr. Karen Wayland, CEO of the GridWise Alliance and Brien Sheahan, former Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission; Discussion Facilitated by Chris Guttman-McCabe,  Anterix Chief Regulatory and Communications Officer
• Data Centers Everywhere…It’s a Drag, Man: Preparing for the AI, EV, and Cryptocurrency Energy Surge –  Speakers: Fireside chat facilitated by Chris Vana (Ameren) with Scott Broadwell (Southern California Edison) and Mauricio Subieta (Nokia)
• Utility Quantum Computing – Is now the time? – Speakers: Scott Broadwell (SoCalEd) and Ken Rabedeau (Nokia), TBA
• Unleashing Hidden Potential and Energy Consumer-Centric Innovation – Speaker: Matt Olson, Chief Innovation Officer of Burns & McDonnell

Welcome Reception in the Innovation Zone

SPONSORED BY:    AND   

Registration Open

Breakfast

Innovation Zone and Plugfest Demonstrations

• STAGE 1 USE CASE:  AMI2.0 – As Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) evolves from a focused revenue use case to a multi-sensor platform, these Plugfest Teams will explore, educate, and demonstrate what is AMI 2.0 and how AMI 2.0 applications enable operational efficiencies to grid monitoring.

• STAGE 2 USE CASE: Device Routing – As utilities transition to private LTE networks there will be several thousands of LTE devices deployed for distribution automation. Routing of all these use cases will be critical to ensure regulatory compliance, reliability, safety, and security. These Plugfest Teams will explore, educate, and demonstrate several routing and segmentation techniques for LTE devices serving distribution automation use cases.

• STAGE 3 USE CASE: Edge Computing & Low Latency – Moving decision making to the edge will be a valuable strategy for critical infrastructure communication. These Plugfest Teams will explore, educate, and demonstrate how configuring devices and applications to make automated decisions in the field increase operational efficiencies, reduce costs, reduce latency, and increase overall safety.

Lunch & UBBA Chairman’s Awards and the Plugfest Awards

Thought Leadership Keynote and General Sessions

• Evergy Welcome and Insights from CEO, David Campbell
• Evergy Executive Fireside Chat with Evergy COO, Kevin Bryant and Evergy CTO, Charles King discussing the strategic motivation to pursue private LTE
• Insights and Information from Public Utilities Commissioners – Guest Speakers: Commissioner Kim Duffley, N.C. Utilities Commission and Commissioner Andres French, Chair of the Kansas Corporation Commission
• Securing the Grid: Cybersecurity Challenges and Strategies for Utility Critical Infrastructure Communications – Speakers: Matt Wakefield (EPRI), Jerome Farquharson (1898 & CO) & Del Rodillas (Palo Alto Networks) and Jon Yaldwyn (Aviat Networks)
• Next-Gen AMI – Information & Control Beyond Metering – Speakers: Jon Conway (Burns & McDonnell) with John Sala (Duquesne Light) Mo Al-Ahmar (SoCalEd) & Ron Brady (Xcel Energy)
• National Spectrum Strategy  – Guest Speakers: Scott Harris (formerly of NTIA and UBBA Consultant) with UBBA Chairman, Michael Rosenthal, (Southern Linc)
• Delivering Connectivity for Rural Electric Cooperatives Across the U.S. – Speakers: Alice Moy-Gonzales (Anterix), Joe Walsh (NRTC), David Woodham (SoLinc) and Koustuv Ghoshal (Ericsson)

Registration Open

Breakfast & UBBA Members Meeting

Innovation Zone Exhibits, Plugfest Recap (Stage 2) and Thursday Tech Sessions (Stages 1 & 3) – see Tech Session schedule below

Morning – Thursday Tech Sessions (*Professional Development Certificates available)

Stage 1 Technical Sessions:

• 9:00-9:55           Anterix          Topic Title: Lessons Learned: An Industry Framework for Private Wireless Broadband Deployment
  • • • • • • As utilities consider private broadband networks to support grid modernization, this session will provide a deeper understanding of the methodologies, solutions, and services that deliver the most value from their private broadband network investments. We’ll focus on helping to solve the utility industry’s most critical challenges with solutions enabled by an unprecedented collaboration between technology innovators, thought leaders, vendors, and security professionals.  Together, industry-leading utilities on this panel will provide an in-depth look at primary learnings from their experience in planning and deploying private networks.  The result is specific insights into a summary framework that can be used by utilities nationwide as they consider the move to private to wireless broadband.
• 10:00-10:55        Aclara            Topic Title: Driving decision making at the edge:  Combining open standard, embedded edge computing with emerging LTE infrastructure options to deliver maximum value for AMI 2.0 and beyond
  • • • • • • This session maps out a path to breaking down legacy AMI and grid management barriers to innovation by integrating true open standards computing platforms in edge devices, and optimizing solutions with advanced network capabilities.   Key architectural and operational considerations will be reviewed.  The discussion will share learnings from field experience managing massive scale utility deployments of distributed applications, including behind the meter use cases, and leveraging public and private LTE infrastructure. 
• 11:00-11:55          RAD                 Topic Title: Combining Fiber (GPON) and PLTE to create high performance highly available networks
  • • • • • • This session will be focused on quality of service and traffic priorities. Demonstrations will include how to extend cellular QCI of LTE/5G networks into the fiber domain, how traffic priorities can be managed and implemented on one fiber connected to multiple tower sites, how PLTE traffic can content with traffic already running on a faber networks, how to dedicate traffic to a particular communication technology , and WAN uplink resiliency using two WAN uplinks for user equipment where the primary WAN uplink is fiber and the secondary WAN uplink is PLTE.

Stage 3 Technical Sessions:

• 9:00-9:55           Motorola        Topic Title: Ensuring Interoperability between LMR and Broadband
  • • • • • • Mission Critical Push To Talk (MCPTT) connects your teams over mobile broadband and also has the capability to connect via your existing LMR networks too. During this technical session, the Motorola Solutions’ experts will discuss how these technologies converge and provide interoperability across your systems
• 10:00-10:55        UScellular       Topic Title: Staying ahead of the curve: How emerging technologies in private cellular will impact utility deployments today and tomorrow
  • • • • • • Utilities technology investments in private cellular bring tremendous value. Let us bring you not only the latest information on topics such as eSIM, 5G SA/NSA, and CAT M1/NB-IoT, but how a network operator thinks about and deploys these technologies in the real world.
• 11:00-11:55          Nokia               Topic Title: Applying AI/ML centric automation to private LTE / 5G Utility field area network deployment & operations
  • • • • • • Nokia technology leaders will discuss the latest in AI/ML centric applications that can be leveraged to automate network deployment and testing, operating, and maintaining private LTE / 5G network infrastructure and devices.  During this session, we will demonstrate how to apply automation techniques within a Utility Network to maximize efficiencies, improve network security, and lower operational costs.

Plugfest Showcase Recap (only on Stage 2)

• TEAM 1 – USE CASE 1:  AMI2.0 
• TEAM 2 – USE CASE 1:  AMI2.0
• TEAM 1 –  USE CASE 2: Device Routing
• TEAM 2 –  USE CASE 2: Device Routing
• TEAM 1 USE CASE 3 : Edge Computing & Low Latency 
• TEAM 2 USE CASE 3 : Edge Computing & Low Latency

Lunch

Afternoon – Thursday Tech Sessions (*Professional Development Certificates available)

Stage 1 Technical Sessions:

• 1:00-1:55          Ericsson                      Topic Title: 5G’s Role in Mission Critical Private Networks
  • • • • • • • Join us as we take a birds-eye view of the future of mission critical networks for utilities and the intersection with 5G. This session will explore how 5G will impact a utility’s private network beyond basic connectivity, potential of new use cases enabled by 5G, what must be in place to ensure a successful 5G, and key considerations and lessons learned from utilities who have deployed mission critical private networks.
• 2:00-2:55         WESCO                      Topic Title: Leveraging PLTE for Secure, Robust Utility Communication Networks
  • • • • • • • Evaluating current utility communication networks and how it serves systems and functions is an integral part of the utility’s annual planning process. SCADA, Distribution Automation, AMI networks, field IoT sensors, truck and crew connectivity and internal enterprise systems all use communication networks to aggregate and analyze data utilities required to optimize performance. Traditionally, utilities rely on mobile service providers to deliver broadband access. With private networks as an alternative solution, utilities can deploy, own and operate their organization’s network.  In our panel discussion, we will engage in an open conversation around PLTE and how utilities can benefit from this emerging wireless technology. Discover how PLTE can complement existing networks, creating more resilient grids and systems from our expertise, who bring years of experience in design, implementation, and launching of wireless communication networks.
• 3:00-4:00         Itron                           Topic Title: Intelligent Connectivity: Introducing the Future of Itron’s Network Platform
  • • • • • • • Join this session to learn more about Itron’s Intelligent Connectivity network strategy and how it provides a foundation for the future of connectivity for utilities and cities. Presenters will discuss how to balance network reliability and resiliency with cost by combining private LTE and public MNOs, ensuring robust performance for multiple use cases. Learn how our innovative approach can help you manage and scale your operations efficiently, setting the stage for a smarter, more connected future.

Stage 3 Technical Sessions:

• 1:00-1:55          Ubiik                             Topic Title: Leveraging Dual-Spectrum for Cost-effective Utility LTE Network Expansion
  • • • • • • • In this technical session, we will explore strategies for utilities to maximize their network capacity and connectivity by leveraging both the B106 spectrum and the 915MHz license-free band. Attendees will learn how to increase their network efficiency without additional costs, using the same Base Stations, User Equipment (UEs), and antennas in both spectrums. Join us to discover how your utility can do more with enhanced network connectivity solutions, paving the way for a more resilient and efficient grid.
• 2:00-2:55        Select Spectrum        Topic Title: Three Architecture Alternatives for AMI 2.0
  • • • • • • • While interest in AMI 2.0 is growing dramatically, different suppliers offer different views of the ideal architecture for next generation Advanced Metering Infrastructure. This panel will describe the relative advantages of three different views of architectures for AMI 2.0 Networks including issues related to CAPEX, OPEX, network capacity, resilience and environmental/energy footprint.
• 3:00-4:00        One Layer                    Topic Title: Demystify Device Onboarding in Private LTE Networks: Challenges and Practical Solutions that you can implement right away
  • • • • • • • In the rapidly evolving landscape of private LTE networks, efficient asset management is critical for scalability and operational excellence. We will discuss private cellular device management aspects, including device onboarding at scale, SIM provisioning and device activation, day-to-day monitoring and maintenance, and methods for addressing issues when something goes wrong. We will share real-world examples and use cases. Secure your spot now to be part of the evolution of private network excellence! And don’t miss the OneLayer live demo in action in the Innovation Zone.

Happy Hour and Passport to PLTE Games Prizes (Must be present to win)!

Innovation Zone Exhibitor Breakdown

Free Night for Vendor & Member Private Dinners

Departures