Plant Management Institute
Plant Management Institute at Experience POWER
The Plant Management Institute Forum
Tuesday, October 28
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
The Plant Management Institute Reception
Tuesday, October 28
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The Plant Management Institute prides itself on being an open forum for free-flowing conversations about the challenges facing today’s plant manager/resource manager. With the power industry needing to address numerous changes to operations, some of the topics we normally cover have taken on new meanings or directions. Now more than ever, it’s time to reconnect with your peers to share stories of the challenges, and your solutions, to these challenges that have been tried and tested.
If you are tasked with running a power plant, are responsible for the resources that supply power, or are in a supervisory role, this forum is geared for you. We will open the forum with a top-of-mind, roundtable discussion, and as topics become evident, we will consider those that are most important to a plant’s successful operation. We will then look as a group at those challenges, discussing those that are critical for operation and also those that may not be critical, but also can’t be ignored.
Add on Plant Management Institute during registration to get your pass to this important forum. Plant Management Institute is only available to electricity generating companies/utilities.
The Plant Management Institute is a network of electric power industry leaders dedicated to creating a forum and peer support network for knowledge transfer among the industry’s plant management.
- Honing Leadership skills
- Building Community Collaboration
- Investing in Human Capital
- Building a Successful Team
- Sharing Lessons-Learned
- Sharing Best Practices
- Strengthening Your Network
Grand Sponsor
Reception Sponsor
In this hour of PMI, we will tackle additional hot topics chosen by the group but some opening ideas are significant events, root cause analysis, case studies, and extent of conditions. Bring your challenges and be ready to discuss them with your peers.
This meeting is limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only.
This session focuses on developing a robust safety culture within organizations, emphasizing proactive strategies and effective crisis management. Key topics include the implementation of Emergency Action Plans (EAP) at the station level for active incidents and the integration of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) for coordinated responses. We will be highlighting methods to encourage near-miss reporting and streamline the reporting process while involving Peer to Peer observations. Experts will share insights on transforming deep-rooted safety issues and fostering an environment where open communication and safety sharing are the norms. Join us to learn best practices for enhancing safety culture and ensuring the well-being of your team and community.
This meeting is limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only.
Limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only
In this session, we will delve into the complex and ever-evolving landscape of environmental regulations and their impact on power plant operations. We will explore the nuances of the 111 Rules, highlighting the key differences and their implications for compliance and operational efficiency. Additionally, the session will cover EOP-011, with a focus on its significance for winterization efforts, referencing insights from our dedicated session on this critical topic. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to navigate these regulatory challenges, ensuring their plants remain both compliant and resilient in the face of changing environmental standards. Join us to stay ahead in the environmental chess game and avoid operational pitfalls.
This meeting is limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only.
This session delves into the intersection of operational excellence, financial influence, and the pace of transition in the energy sector. Key topics include addressing supply chain issues and adapting to the realities of the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) environment. We will discuss the impact of load growth on operations and how market dynamics influence decision-making for plant managers. Insights into purchasing power, managing high demand during low load periods, and sourcing reliable power will be explored. Additionally, the session will highlight the value of maintaining existing generation reliability amidst these challenges. Join industry experts as they share strategies to achieve operational excellence and navigate the financial and market complexities of the evolving energy landscape.
This meeting is limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only.
Limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only
This meeting is limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only.
Limited to small-to-utility scale electricity generating companies/utilities only
Discuss the issues related to lead times and costs associated with turbines, reciprocating engines, electrical gear, etc.
Deploying Digital Twin technology successfully requires more than 3D modeling—it demands deep alignment with customer infrastructure, workflows, and future goals. In this session, VTS shares lessons from real-world implementations across industries, including Ford’s Blue Oval City, highlighting a tailored, phased deployment strategy (“Crawl – Walk – Run”). Attendees will learn how to overcome common barriers like data integration, workforce adoption, and regulatory hurdles. Emphasis is placed on selecting customizable, intuitive solutions and treating Digital Twins as evolving systems. Drawing on extensive field experience, presenter Kevin offers practical insights to help organizations achieve lasting success in digital transformation and operational excellence.
As energy demands rise and climate risks grow, safe, resilient battery storage is critical for grid stability and decarbonization. This session highlights how fail-safe lithium-ion batteries are overcoming safety barriers that limit traditional BESS in occupied and critical infrastructure. Jon M. Williams, CEO of Viridi, will share insights from real-world deployments with the DOE, military, and industrial partners. Topics include anti-propagation technology, AI-based energy management, and modular BESS design. Attendees will learn best practices for integrating these systems into microgrids and disaster-prone environments, gaining practical strategies to enhance safety, reliability, and scalability in distributed energy storage.
Repowering wind and solar projects offers a strategic way to extend asset life, enhance performance, and maximize tax incentives. This session from Sargent & Lundy draws on insights from over 100 wind repowering projects, sharing best practices and common challenges. It also explores the growing need for solar PV repowering as aging infrastructure and active incentives, like the Inflation Reduction Act, drive reinvestment. The presentation will highlight key considerations for optimizing component replacements, avoiding costly interconnection upgrades, and maximizing tax credit eligibility. Attendees will gain actionable guidance for planning capital deployment in both wind and solar repowering efforts.
This session explores how integrating AI with physics-based models enhances power plant efficiency, profitability, and energy market performance. Attendees will learn how AI supports complex data analysis, forecasting, and automated decision-making. Two real-world case studies will be presented: one detailing improved dispatch planning at a district heating facility, and another highlighting AI-driven operations in a hybrid plant using solar, batteries, hydrogen, and fuel cells. The session offers practical insights into leveraging AI for optimized dispatch, lifecycle management, and energy delivery. Designed for power generation professionals, it provides actionable strategies for applying AI in next-generation energy system management.
As energy storage demand surges, safety and performance limitations of lithium-ion batteries prompt the need for alternatives. This session introduces CMBlu Energy’s Organic SolidFlow battery—a safer, metal-free solution offering up to 10 hours of storage and higher energy density than existing flow batteries. Giovanni Damato, President of CMBlu Energy, will present how this innovative technology combines flow and solid-state benefits to meet the evolving needs of utilities and industry. Attendees will gain insight into market challenges for new technologies and learn how emerging battery systems can enhance safety, sustainability, and long-duration performance in modern energy projects.
With solar power installations rapidly increasing, end-of-life management of PV panels is becoming critical. By 2030, global solar waste could reach 4 million metric tons annually, and 200 million metric tons by 2050. Most panels have a lifespan of 25 years, but efficiency declines after 10, leading to large-scale decommissioning. Without proper recycling and disposal, this waste could harm ecosystems and negate solar’s environmental benefits. This session emphasizes the urgent need to establish a circular economy for solar—promoting repair, reuse, and recycling—to recover valuable materials, reduce landfill impact, and turn waste challenges into economic opportunities for a sustainable solar future.
Cooling tower inefficiencies can significantly impact power plant performance, increasing energy and water use and causing costly disruptions. This session presents a case study on implementing TowerPulse, a sensor and software system that uses physics-informed machine learning to optimize cooling tower operations. Attendees will learn how real-time data and predictive analytics improved efficiency, reduced maintenance costs, and boosted power production. The presentation will cover cooling tower fundamentals, deployment lessons, and measurable results, offering a practical roadmap for engineers and operators to adopt digital solutions that enhance reliability, lower resource consumption, and support sustainability in power generation.
As energy storage demand surges to support the clean energy transition, a diversified approach beyond lithium-ion is essential. In this session, Mukesh Chatter explores the limitations of lithium-based chemistries—such as toxicity, flammability, and cost—and makes the case for scaling non-lithium battery technologies tailored to specific grid and environmental needs. With record storage growth in 2024 and rising electrification, the power sector requires safer, more resilient solutions for wildfire-prone areas and urban settings. Attendees will gain insight into emerging technologies that can complement lithium-ion systems and play a critical role in achieving reliable, scalable, and sustainable energy storage.
As competition in the wind energy sector grows, AI offers powerful tools to boost efficiency, predictability, and profitability. This session explores how AI enhances wind prediction, construction planning, and market trading by improving data analysis, forecasting, and decision-making. Key benefits include better ROI predictability, automated insights into market volatility, and refined revenue forecasting. AI also identifies construction risks using historical data and NLP, aiding budget control. While challenges remain—such as data quality, system integration, and privacy concerns—strategic AI adoption can transform operations. Companies leveraging AI are positioned to gain a competitive advantage in the evolving renewable energy landscape.
Looking for strong leaders in the energy industry can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But what if the talent you need is already within your existing workforce? How can you incentivize high-performing workers to pursue promotions and take on leadership roles? This panel discussion will equip you with practical strategies to identify and develop future leaders. Panelists will share best practices for talent identification and recruitment strategies aimed at finding future energy leaders. They will discuss how to assess soft skills, foster leadership development within an organization and build solid mentoring programs.
As the energy landscape evolves, the integration of electricity and gas systems has become a critical challenge for planners, policymakers, and market operators. With increasing electrification, aggressive decarbonization targets, and shifting energy market dynamics, traditional siloed approaches to planning are no longer sufficient. Regions across North America—from New England’s constrained grid to Texas’ variable renewable generation—illustrate the urgent need for a co-optimized approach that considers the interdependencies between power and gas. This presentation will explore the risks of neglecting these linkages, drawing on real-world examples where energy supply security, affordability, and emissions goals have been jeopardized by fragmented planning. It will also examine how advanced energy modeling, including digital twin technology, is reshaping the way industry leaders approach integrated resource planning. By leveraging a whole-system view, energy decision-makers can better anticipate supply constraints, optimize resource allocation, and create more resilient energy markets. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on how sector coupling and co-optimization are shaping the future of energy reliability and decarbonization.
Sponsored by Wartsila
Across the U.S forecasted demand growth is at its highest level in the past two decades. Simultaneously, grid operators are facing a growing gap between their system’s installed nameplate capacity and the accredited capacity resources can deliver during the highest-risk hours.
Consequently, RTOs are publicly recognizing the value of specific types of generation and evolving resource adequacy rules to emphasize reliability, flexible and dispatchable resources. Reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE), belong at the top of the resource adequacy solution stack for both cost and reliability. As a flexible and modular dispatchable resource, RICE is among the few technologies that can provide reliable capacity while balancing real-time uncertainty. A review of EIA information shows engine power plants consistently demonstrate strong rated capacity performance across markets, averaging 12% better during summer months compared to competition.
RICE’s competitive edge is ascribed to its resilient technological attributes. Those include stable output as temperatures climb above 100°F, the ability to operate on low gas pressure and having high part load efficiency. Additionally, the RICE plant modular engine systems design enables maintenance to be performed in rotation while at the same time providing redundancy that eliminates the likelihood of catastrophic, whole-plant outages.
As utilities look to manage unprecedented load growth and mitigate costs, resource adequacy policies must incentivize generation resources that supply the capacity they claim at the times electricity is most needed. With resiliency-minded attributes and unmatched flexibility, RICE systems deliver on their capacity promise.
As technologies rapidly evolve and new skillsets become essential, it's crucial to adapt innovative approaches to education and development, whether it's reimagining traditional curriculum frameworks, integrating emerging technologies into learning and development environments, creating customized learning journeys or fostering lifelong learning, this session will showcase diverse perspectives and best practices using real-world examples and outcomes.
TBD
As the energy landscape evolves, nuclear power is poised to play a critical role in meeting rising electricity demand, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing grid reliability. This panel will examine the expansion of advanced nuclear technologies, the modernization of the existing reactor fleet, and the long-term potential of fusion energy. Panel will discuss regulatory, economic, and technical advancements driven SMR’s, extending the lifespan of the existing nuclear fleet.
Sponsored by Everllence
Data Centers have joined Renewable Energy as one of the leading topics on the Transmission Operator and Utilities minds. Their growth in number and increasing load requirements are attractive streams of potential revenue. But are there more challenges to just finding equipment in order to increase generation capacity to support these new loads? Ironically, Data Centers are proving themselves to be more like Renewables than originally considered. Like Renewables, Data Centers can be quite unpredictable, but in completely different fashions. While Renewables may abruptly stop generating electricity when the sun does not shine or the wind stops blowing, Data Centers may abruptly cut their electricity demand when data transfers complete or inquiries finish. This segment draws parallels between these two dynamics and how it affects generation equipment in earnest, and how certain technologies are best suited for this increasing unpredictability.
TBD
Discuss DERs, grid communications/interactivity, digital connectivity
This session will focus on the EPC/OME perspective
As the thermal power generation industry navigates the complex transition to a cleaner energy future, plant operators face numerous challenges in maintaining operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This presentation will address critical issues and provide actionable insights into Operation & Maintenance (O&M) best practices that ensure gas-fired plants remain viable and profitable.
Sponsored by DVL Group
As the energy landscape rapidly evolves—driven by decarbonization goals, grid instability, and rising demand—mission-critical facilities must adapt their infrastructure strategies to maintain uptime, flexibility, and resilience. This session brings together perspectives from both the field and the front lines, highlighting how facility teams and energy partners are navigating this complex transition.
Through discussion and operational insights, we’ll explore what’s working (and what’s not) in real-world deployments of distributed energy resources, microgrids, battery storage, and automated transfer systems. The conversation will examine the human and technical factors behind resilient infrastructure—from early-stage planning and interconnection challenges to lifecycle maintenance and system integration across diverse sites.
This session will offer practical takeaways and lessons learned from projects that sit at the intersection of traditional and next-generation power. Join us to explore how end-users and engineers can collaborate more effectively to meet today’s reliability standards and tomorrow’s sustainability targets.
Space-based solar power (SBSP) offers a promising solution to current U.S. power grid challenges by providing constant, intense solar energy from satellites orbiting Earth. Unlike terrestrial solar, SBSP can deliver zero-carbon, baseload, and dispatchable power through microwave transmission, addressing rising demand, retiring generators, and environmental goals simultaneously. While historically hindered by technological, regulatory, and economic barriers, recent advances in space launch, robotics, and photovoltaics are making SBSP increasingly feasible. This presentation will explore these evolving solutions and highlight why SBSP could become a vital, cost-effective component of the energy mix by mid-century, supporting grid reliability and sustainability.
As the energy market continues to transition, the pressures being placed on traditional fossil generation are changing with it. As a result, the gas-fired Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) fleet is continuously being required to operate under different circumstances. With flexibility being one of these key aspects, many plants are transitioning to transient operations, starting and stopping multiple times a week. This presentation will demonstrate how Combined Cycle Plants can improve their reliability, flexibility and market appeal for maximizing its operational profile within any local power market, using modification to the control or the plant and the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI).
Sponsored by Mesa Solutions
The term "five nines"—or 99.999% reliability—is often cited as a benchmark in critical power applications, yet its true meaning and practical implications are not always well understood. This presentation demystifies the concept by explaining the fundamental math and logic behind reliability calculations, using intuitive examples rather than dense statistical theory. We’ll explore how different reliability levels translate into expected downtime over various timeframes, and what that means for operators of mission-critical infrastructure.
Moving from theory to practice, the talk will present realistic reliability calculations for onsite power generation configurations, including single-unit and multi-unit setups. We will examine how component selection, maintenance practices, redundancy schemes, and system architecture all contribute to—or detract from—achieving ultra-high reliability. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of what “five nines” really entails, and actionable insights into how to design and operate power systems that deliver on this demanding standard.
SESSION DESCRPTION TBD
This session will explore the future of power generation, highlighting cutting-edge technologies, and advancements in new generation, along with innovations in construction. Experts will discuss permitting design and construction of new generating plants.
Great River Energy deployed the largest dynamic line rating (DLR) system in the U.S., achieving a remarkable 48.92% capacity increase on its pilot transmission line. The project covers 10 transmission lines spanning 175 miles using 50 physical Neurons and 37 virtual sensors that monitor conductor temperature, current, and environmental conditions in real-time. Innovative drone installation enabled deployment in under 10 working days with zero outages. Moving from pilot to full-scale deployment in less than nine months, Great River Energy demonstrated that DLR provides a cost-effective solution for managing renewable energy variability while deferring expensive infrastructure investments.
Agrivoltaics is not just a breakthrough in land-use efficiency—it is a key contributor to grid resilience, reliability, and sustainability. By integrating solar energy production with active agricultural land, agrivoltaics enhances energy diversification, reduces grid strain, and provides localized generation to support growing energy demands. This dual-use approach minimizes transmission losses, stabilizes voltage fluctuations, and supports distributed energy resource (DER) integration. As utilities seek to modernize the grid and meet decarbonization goals, agrivoltaics offers a scalable solution that aligns with both energy and agricultural needs. This session will explore how agrivoltaics strengthens grid infrastructure, enhances renewable energy distribution, and fosters a more resilient energy ecosystem.
The community solar sector in the U.S. is rapidly expanding, projected to reach 14 GW by 2028, driven by its role in making renewable energy more accessible and economically viable. This canceled panel, moderated by Darrell Proctor, would have explored how community solar supports distributed generation and benefits diverse stakeholders, including local communities, low-to-moderate-income subscribers, and corporations. Speakers from Ampion and its developer clients would share insights on project lifecycle stages—from site selection and subscriber management to grid interconnection and incentive utilization—highlighting best practices and success stories that demonstrate the synergy between sustainability, community engagement, and economic growth in advancing the energy transition.
Land in the American West carries deep significance, it's sacred to Indigenous communities, central to multi-generational ranching and farming families, and increasingly vital for the future of renewable energy and energy storage. As solar, wind, battery storage, and pumped storage hydropower projects expand across the region, navigating land and title complexities is essential for long-term project success. This session will explore best practices and lessons learned in securing land for renewable energy and energy storage projects, addressing title challenges, and fostering relationships built on trust and respect.