Wednesday, Aug. 6th

10:00 AM | Check in & Late Registration

10:30 AM | Opening & Sponsor Remarks
– David Wiers: At-Large Board Member, TEPA & President & Founder, Satori Energy
– Kayla Austin: Vice President, Retail Operations, SmartestEnergy US

10:45 AM | From Build Back Better to the Big Beautiful Bill: How Federal Energy Policy Can Build Better Brokers

– Moderator | Mark Pruitt: Principal, The Power Bureau
– David Braun: Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Intelligent Generation
– Chris Gersch: Founder/CEO, Verde Solutions
– Sarah Wochos: Policy & Business Development, New Leaf Energy

11:30 AM | Conference Lunch

12:45 PM | Insights & Allocations: RESA/O’Connor Data Update & ICC Cost Allocation Workshop Recap

Get up to speed on two key developments shaping Illinois’ competitive energy landscape. This session kicks off with an update on RESA/O’Connor data, highlighting regional trends in generation development and the economics of load growth. It will then shift to insights from the Illinois Commerce Commission’s ComEd cost allocation workshop, with discussion on how distribution and supply cost allocations impact market participants.

– Rich Spilky: Presenting on behalf of RESA
– Kevin Wright: President, The Illinois Competitive Energy Association

1:30 PM | When Risk Flows Downstream: How Wholesale Volatility Shapes Credit, Contracts, and Customer Costs

As wholesale market volatility rises, suppliers are adjusting credit policies, risk tolerance, and product offerings and these changes that directly impact broker-customer relationships. This panel, hosted by SmartestEnergy, will explore how upstream risk is reshaping downstream dynamics and what it means for contracts, pricing, and customer strategies. We’ll discuss the importance of proactive account management, transparent communication, and strong collaboration to navigate today’s evolving risk landscape.

– Colton Evans: Head of Market Operations, SmartestEnergy US
– Joe Schmidberger: Head of Risk, SmartestEnergy US
– Matt Stasium: Head of Strategic Partnerships & Sales, SmartestEnergy US

2:15 PM
Networking Break

2:45 PM | Competitive Markets & Grid Reliability: What’s Next for Illinois Energy Policy?
Morrill and Fielder putting together 

It has been four years since the Illinois General Assembly passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, the state’s roadmap to zero carbon emission energy generation by 2050. This panel will discuss how Illinois currently sits at a crossroads between supply and demand, recent policy negotiations to ensure long-term generation and grid reliability, and how changes to CEJA may impact the competitive energy marketplace.

– Moderator | Curt Fiedler: Principal, Morril & Fiedler
– Marc Poulos: Associate General Counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers & Local 150 and Executive Director for the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting
– Patrick Schweska: General Counsel for the IL Manufacturers’ Association

3:30 PM | From Meter to Market: How Tech and Regulation Are Rewiring Retail Energy

Illinois is undergoing a regulatory and technological shift as utilities modernize infrastructure and implement the Renewable Energy Access Plan (REAP). With greater access to customer data, the retail energy market is positioned for meaningful innovation. This panel will explore how data transparency, regulatory updates, and integrated technologies are expanding customer choice, supporting AI-driven solutions, and enabling differentiated retail products.

Moderator | John Holtz: Senior Director – Market Development & Regulatory Affairs, NRG
– Zac Lowder: CCO, Arbor
– TJ Navarro: Director, Solutions, Constellation
– Bob Ricobene: Vice President, OBM

4:15 PM | Closing Remarks
– Kirsten Young: Vice President, Retail Partner Sales, Sales Enablement, and Support, Constellation

4:30 PM | Networking & Happy Hour
– Sponsored by Constellation Energy