2025 Energy Efficiency & Technology Conference
Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center
6155 Earle Brown Drive
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
Register now!
Session Information:
Energy Conservation Optimization (ECO) Rebate Programs and Services Overview
Learn about returning rebate offerings for 2025, including prescriptive and custom rebates for commercial and industrial process applications, as well as audit programs and other programs that could help your facility save energy and money.
Presenter: Todd Berreman, Director, Gas Conservation Improvement Programs, CenterPoint Energy
Morning Keynote:
The Value of Natural Gas
Natural Gas provides numerous benefits to businesses like yours. Eric Burgis, with the Energy Solutions Center in Washington DC, will discuss the value of natural gas such as affordability, supply abundance, resiliency environmental benefits and how natural gas can help balance intermittent power produced from renewable electric sources.
Presenter: Eric Burgis, Director Commercial & Industrial Markets - Energy Solutions Center
View details about available sessions from each track:
Session 1
Natural gas distribution system and system integrity overview
Learn how CenterPoint Energy promotes natural gas reliability for customers and manages peak shaving facilities for additional natural gas demand, during cold weather months and through the year. You will also hear how gas purchasing and economic curtailment factor in, what some of the distribution system updates are and an overview of the process for customer expansion for added natural gas load.
Presenters:
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Casey Tollefson, Director Gas Engineering Minnesota, CenterPoint Energy
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Tim Olsen, Manager, Gas Control, CenterPoint Energy
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Ryan Urich, Staff Engineer, CenterPoint Energy
Session 2
Natural Gas Innovation Act (NGIA) updates
Hear an update on the progress of CenterPoint’s Natural Gas Innovation Act, a portfolio of pilots and research and development projects focused on advancing Minnesota's energy future by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding decarbonization efforts for Minnesota customers.
Presenter: Emma Ingebretsen, Manager, Decarbonization Project Manager, CenterPoint Energy
Session 3
Upgrading your steam and hot water boiler system without replacing it
Explore effective ways to make your boiler system run as efficiently as possible without replacing it by incorporating a variety of boiler system components such as linkageless controls, burner replacements, reset and cut-out controls, and more, many of which qualify for rebates! You’ll gain valuable insights from the utility, a mechanical contractor, and customer case studies.
Presenters:
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Paul Albinson, Key Accounts Manager, CenterPoint Energy
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Tim Hane, MN Service Manager and Joe Dambroski, General Manager, PBBS
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TJ Zerwas, Manager of Buildings and Grounds, Big Lake Schools
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Jason Bichler, Director of Buildings and Grounds, St. Michael-Albertville School District
Session 1
Emergining technologies and carbon reduction strategies
You could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while saving money on energy costs with energy efficiency improvements. In this presentation, you will explore a variety of energy-efficient technologies for heating, water heating, gas air conditioning and combined heat and power. Back-up power for resiliency will also be discussed. You'll also learn about some new & innovative technologies that are designed to reduce your carbon footprint.
Presenters: Eric Burgis, Director of Commercial and Residential Markets, Energy Solutions Center
Session 2
Think outside the box with custom rebates
CenterPoint Energy’s custom rebate program is designed to provide rebate opportunities for natural gas-saving technologies not covered in prescriptive rebate offerings for natural gas consumption in a manufacturing process, or for heating or water heating. Installing more efficient equipment may cut energy use and operating costs, as well as offset associated project engineering costs. This session will walk through the process from start to finish, show examples of projects and provide details about other programs available that could help with engineering and audit study costs.
Presenters:
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Eric Johansen, Energy Efficiency Engineer, CenterPoint Energy
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Abbey Schmidt, Engineer, Michaels Energy
Session 3
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG): What is it, how is it produced, and what's the current and future of the market.
Renewable natural gas (RNG) is natural gas derived from organic waste and other renewable non-fossil resources. Nationally, RNG production is increasing and natural gas users with sustainability goals are studying the viability of RNG as way to reduce their carbon footprint. In this session, you will learn what RNG is, how it's produced, the current and future state of the market, as well as programs currently available locally for procuring RNG.
Presenter: Jen Stokes, Lead Key Accounts Manager, CenterPoint Energy
