ENGINEERS & OPERATIONS CONFERENCESeptember 24-26, 2025The Garden Event Center, 425 S Lake Ave,Duluth, MNThis annual conference is a venue for the co-op engineering and operations professionals to learn about best practices and emerging issues, obtain valuable tools to enhance operations, and have the opportunity to network and share lessons learned and experiences with others from around the state. There is opportunity to share and discover programs that are successful for other cooperatives. Good practices, education about new practices and tools in system design, and updates on rules and regulations are reviewed.AGENDA
WEDNESDAY12:00pm Registration1:00pm Welcome & Introductions 1:10pm History of MN Climate the Past 100 Years - Kenny Blumfield, Climatologist 2:00pm Form Battery Installations Updates - GRE & Connexus2:30pm Break2:45pm Federated Update - Chad Knutson3:30pm Artificial Intelligence: Voltwrite - Dairyland Power 4:00pm Adjourn 5:30pm Dinner sponsored by Primus Marketing
THURSDAY7:00am Breakfast in hotel breakfast area8:00am MISO Overview - Jarred Miland, MISO9:00am Project Management Panel: Substations & Line Rebuild Timelines/Supply Chain - 10:15am Break10:30am Personal Grounding & Protection - Joe Cardona, Hubbell Power Systems11:15am CEO Panel - Al Hamon, Runestone; Ron Meier, McLeod; Luke Johnson, Meeker12:15pm Lunch 1:00pm Wildfire Mitigation SEL & Out of State Utility Examples - Kevin Damron, Avista & Josh LaBlanc, SEL2:30pm Break2:40pm Stray Voltage Overview3:15pm Vendor Member Presentations3:45pm Adjourn4:30pm - 6:00pm MREA vendor member trade show and reception. The Garden Event Center.
FRIDAY7:00am Breakfast in hotel breakfast area 8:00am Power Quality - Chris Mullens, PMI 9:00am Ethics and the Cooperative - Erica Schmidt, Connexus10:00am Break 10:15am MREA Legislative Update - Darrick, MREA 10:45am Data Analytics with Shared or Limited Resources - Kahara Franze, PSE11:15am Committee Elections 11:30 Wrap up & Adjourn
Continuing Education Credits (CECs)Attendance at this event can be utilized for the submission of CECs. Each participant will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance after the event takes place. Please click the following link to access instructions for printing the certificate, found in your profile on our website. Please note that the number of credits listed within MREA's system is an estimation of what this event is worth. Each state calculates CECs differently, thus individuals should follow recommendations of the state in which they make submissions when calculating CEUs earned for this, and other, events and classes attended. For assistance in calculating PDH visit http://mn.gov/aelslagid/contedfaq.html
HOTELThe Inn on Lake Superior350 Canal Park DriveDuluth, MN 55802218-726-1111Please call the hotel to make reservations under the MREA September Room Block.
EVENT POLICIES
MREA EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY (Click on link)
MREA EVENT CODE OF CONDUCT (LINK TO FULL POLICY)MREA is committed to providing a safe, productive and welcoming environment for all participants and staff in MREA meetings, conferences, training programs, and events both online and in-person. All Event participants including but not limited to attendees, speakers, exhibitors, staff, students, guests and vendors, are expected to abide by this MREA Event Code of Conduct, and this code applies to all space and situations in which MREA meeting-related activities are being conducted, including virtual meetings and those sponsored by organizations other than MREA but held in conjunction with MREA Events. Participation constitutes agreement to comply with the Code of Conduct as a condition of attendance.
2025 LATE REGISTRATIONAll events in 2025 will be subject to a $50 late registration fee for anyone that registers less than 2 weeks prior to the published event dates.
W 1:00-4:30 Th 8:00-3:45 F 8:00-11:45
The Garden Event Center
Tradeshow held at The Garden Event Center
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