2026 Energy Efficiency & Technology Conference
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
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:
Keynote
Meteorology in Action: Understanding Weather Forecasting and What's Ahead
Explore how weather forecasting works and why it matters in everyday decision-making. This session will highlight how local observations, radar and satellite data, and forecast models are analyzed to track developing conditions and communicate risk. Attendees will also receive a weather outlook focused on Minnesota, including the potential influence of Super El Niño, along with broader national patterns and trends that could shape regional weather in the near future.
Presenter: Ian Leonard, Chief Meteorologist, Fox 9
View details about available sessions from each track:
Session 1
Natural gas price update
Take a deeper look at the factors that affect natural gas prices. Learn where your natural gas supply comes from, what's included in natural gas costs, the relationships between supply, demand, and storage and the factors that affect them, and hear a natural gas price forecast.
Presenter:
Eric Todd, Vice President Business Development, Encore Energy
Session 2
Preparing Your Building Automation System for the Long Haul
A Building Automation System (BAS) helps your facility maintain steady, efficient performance — much like cruise control on a long drive. But automation alone doesn’t guarantee savings. This session explores the no- to low-cost tune-ups that uncover immediate savings, as well as higher-impact opportunities for customers ready to go the extra mile. Learn how to prepare your building for long-term savings and how to take the next step with support from your utility team.
Presenters:
Colin Brennan, Engineering Manager, Michaels Energy
Stephanie Pederson, Program Manager, Michaels Energy
Session 3
Boiler Optimization to Improve Energy Efficiency
Learn how important general boiler maintenance practices for your steam or hot water boiler system including recommended daily, weekly and monthly maintenance checks still apply to today’s boiler technologies and how the newer boiler and burner technologies provide new challenges to the maintenance and operation of steam or hot water boilers. We’ll also look at the importance of boiler tune-ups for both heating and process systems, the value of doing them, and what to look at when doing a tune-up and explore how general maintenance can help improve energy efficiency which have the potential to equate to big cost savings!
Presenters:
Tim Hane, MN Service Manager, PBBS
Joe Dambrowski, General Manager, PBBS
Session 1
Natural Gas Innovation Act- Commercial and Industrial Pilot Updates
Hear an update on the progress of the portfolio of commercial and industrial pilot programs in CenterPoint Energy’s Natural Gas Innovation Act. NGIA includes R&D projects focused on advancing Minnesota's energy future by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding decarbonization efforts for our Minnesota customers.
Presenters:
Nick VanDuzee, Lead Project Manager, Decarbonization, CenterPoint Energy
Mike Fogherty, Senior Project Manager, CenterPoint Energy
Session 2
Combined Heat & Power (CHP) and Other DER Solutions in Today’s Market
Gain insight into the growing market demand for CHP and other natural gas–fueled, customer side generation solutions. Explore why commercial and industrial customers are interested in primary power, backup capacity, and enhanced resiliency—and the role CenterPoint Energy can play in delivering these capabilities. You’ll also learn how CNP can collaborate with key partners to meet these needs using a variety of deal structures, including customer owned models and Energy as a Service approaches.
Presenter:
Chris Gilles, Director, Utility Engagement, Energy Systems Group
Session 3
Artificial Intelligence (AI) influence on HVAC system operations
Artificial Intelligence applications are beginning to reshape how commercial and industrial facilities operate their HVAC, boiler, and gas-fired equipment systems. From predictive maintenance and early fault detection to energy optimization and leak identification, AI has the potential to help facility managers and plant engineers reduce downtime, lower fuel consumption, and improve operational efficiency. This session will break down what AI means, why it’s accelerating now, and how it can be applied to the operation of natural gas–driven building systems. Attendees will leave with practical, real-world examples of how AI can enhance equipment reliability, energy performance, and day-to-day operational decision-making.
Presenter:
Justin Grammens, Managing Partner, Recursive Awesome
