Light breakfast (pastries and coffee) will be provided.

Speaker:

• Zach Woogen, Executive Director, VGIC

• John Holmes, Board Chair, VGIC

Market development and policy innovation flourish at the hands of innovative thinkers, doers, and collaborators. VGIC is honored to be joined by three insightful decision-makers who see the bigger picture opportunity for transportation electrification and vehicle-grid integration (VGI) and are working to drive progress.

Speakers Include:

• Cliff Rechtschaffen, Board Member, California Air Resources Board

• John Reynolds, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission

• Marie Steele, Vice President, Energy Management Systems, NV Energy

• Zach Woogen, Executive Director, VGIC (Moderator)

Panel sponsored by The Mobility House

EVs can offer significant value beyond transportation, especially when integrated smartly into the grid. This panel will explore how EVs can help reduce system costs, defer infrastructure investments, and provide grid services that ultimately benefit all ratepayers, not just EV drivers. What regulatory structures and utility strategies can unlock these benefits, and how can we ensure equitable outcomes and mitigate upward rate pressure?

Speakers Include:

• Kevin Schwain, Sr. Director of Electric Vehicles, EnergyHub

• Pete Skala, VP of Professional & Advisory Services, Kevala

• Sam Houston, Senior Manager for the Clean Transportation Program, Union of Concerned Scientists

• Steve Letendre, PhD, Senior Advisor, VGIC (Moderator)

Panel sponsored by SMUD

As VGI scales from pilot projects to everyday grid operations, stakeholders must prepare for the technical, operational, and institutional shifts ahead. This panel will examine readiness across the ecosystem. What investments and policy updates are needed now to prepare for widespread VGI initiatives, including managed charging programs, bidirectional charging rates, and DER-paired flexible service connections?

Speakers Include:

• Addie Melvin, Senior Client Solutions Manager, ev.energy

• Aseem Kapur, Chief Revenue Officer, GM Energy

• Dimitris Vantzis, Department Manager, Targeted Demand Management, Con Edison

• Grace Pratt, Associate, Caliber Strategies (Moderator)

Panel sponsored by General Motors

Bidirectional charging in residential settings has the potential to transform EVs into everyday grid resources. However, technical barriers, customer participation models, and interconnection challenges remain. This panel dives into the state of the market and explores what’s needed to bring bidirectional capabilities into homes across the country.

Speakers Include:

• Frances Bell, Founder and CEO, Bidirectional Energy

• Dan Fletcher, Head of Ecosystems, dcbel

• Dr. Nicholas Keeling, Director of Global Charging Products Engineering, Rivian

• Vincent Weyl, Vehicle-Grid Integration Principal, California Energy Commission (Moderator)

Panel sponsored by Kaluza

Effective VGI requires compensation frameworks that are transparent, predictable, and fair. This panel will explore emerging models for valuing EV grid services from time-varying rates and incentives to market participation and performance-based payments. What approaches are working, and what’s still missing from the compensation conversation?

Speakers Include:

• Brian Vollbrecht, Energy Program Data Analyst, California Energy Commission

• Clint Chan, Regulatory Analyst and International Liaison, California Public Utilities Commission

• Oriana Tiell, Principal Product Manager, Pacific Gas & Electric Company

• Vyshnavi Kosigi, Energy Policy Analyst, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (Moderator)

Speaker:

• Zach Woogen, Executive Director, VGIC

Light appetizers and refreshments at the David Brower Center.