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2026 MIDWEST ENERGY SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE
January 27-29, 2026
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
QUICK LINKS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27
Pre-Conference Workshop
Human-Centered Design Sprint: Solving Wicked Problems Together
- Rachel Dortin, Encolor & The Shared Space Project
Plenary Session 1
High Voltage and Higher Stakes: A Fireside Chat on the Midwestern RTOs
Workshop A1
May the Workforce Be With You
Break Out A2
Notes from EE Underground
- Dustin Langille, Elara Engineering
- Ryan Doughtery, Geothermal Exchange Organization
- John Thomas, WaterFurnace International
- Brian Urlaub, Salas O'Brien
Break Out A3
Weaving an EE Safety Net: Braiding Funds for Community Building Retrofits
- Matthew Brown, NEIF
- Abby Corso, Elevate
- Sarah Amspacher, Resource Innovations
- Jeff Jones, Hope Village CDC
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28
Plenary 2
Tipping the Scale: Selling EE in this New Era
Workshop B1
How EE & DR Can Offer Resilience in Extreme Heat
Break Out B2
Powering Progress: Advancing Industrial Energy Efficiency in the Midwest
- Martin Jacobson, ComEd
- Michael LeMonds, Amrize
- Joe Mays, Cascade Energy
- Amy Droitcour, 2050 Partners, A West Monroe Company
Break Out B3
Check Your Grid Before You Wreck Your Grid
- Adam Farabaugh, Uplight
- Natalie Gray, Evergy
- Claire Miziolek, Energy Solutions
- Julia Friedman, Oracle
Break Out C1
No Need to Freak, Let's Talk Winter Peaks
Break Out C2
Best of the Midwest: Inspiring Efficiency Award Winners
- Paul Grimyser, ComEd
- Julie Lyons Bricker, Oakland County
- Sarah McCarville, MidAmerican Energy
- Mary Spruill, The NEED Project -National Energy Education Development
Break Out C3
Commercial Efficiency: Driving New EE Technology Forward
- McKale Carter, E Source
- Christopher Cloutier, IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Rachel Lebedinsky, Guidehouse
- Kirstin Policastro, ICF International
Workshop D1
BYO BPS (Building Your Own Building Performance Standard)
Break Out D2
Extending the Impact: Pairing EE with other DSM Resources
- Sandeep Alavandi, GTI Energy
- Kavi Chintam, Vote Solar
- Nick Dreher, Renew Home
- Amalia Hicks, Cadmus
Break Out D3
Utility RD&D Showdown
- Nic Crowder, Ameren Illinois
- Thomas Manjarres, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas
- Andrew McNeally, Upper Peninsula Power Company
- Caleb Simpson, ComEd
- Jonathan Skarzynski, Nicor Gas
THURSDAY, January 29
Break Out E1
Market Transformation through Collaboration: Advancing Heat Pump Adoption in the Midwest
- Charles Ampong, Guidehouse
- Ryan Kerr, GTI Energy
- Mike Stanek, Xcel Energy
- Christopher Sullivan-Trainor, Guidehouse
- Molly Graham, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Molly Graham, Midwest Energy Efficiency AllianceBreak Out E2
Dealing with Data Center Demand
- James Gignac, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Wesley Whited, DNV
- Patrick Brown, Michaels Energy
- Maddie Emerson, TRC
Break Out E3
Programming for Priority Populations
- Gregory Ehrendreich, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Marti Frank, Efficiency for Everyone
- Levi Kingery, Focus on Energy
- Lindsay Buckwell-Yeung, Evergreen Energy Partners
- Julie Hollensbe, Walker-Miller Energy-Services
Plenary 3
Federal Update
2026 MES SPONSORS
