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Presentations from our 2026 Spring Technical Workshop can be downloaded below.

VIEW THE 2026 SPRING TECH YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

All presentations for the DOE i2X FIRST Grid-Forming Inverter Workshop can be found here.

Tutorial: Increasing DER Hosting Capacity with Flexible Interconnections and Flow Control

Tutorial Chair: Leo Jiang, Engineering Fellow, ESIG

This tutorial focuses on two proven, low-cost advanced grid technologies – flexible interconnections and power-electronics-based flow controllers – that can significantly increase hosting capacity for distributed energy resources (DERs). These can be faster and more cost-effective than traditional grid reinforcements, by maximizing the utilization of existing network assets, accelerating DER interconnections, reducing costs and environmental impacts, and providing the operational flexibility needed for future grids. While conventional reinforcements remain essential for long-term firm capacity, advanced technologies can defer or reduce the size of infrastructure upgrades and/or provide a transition while long-term firm capacity is being constructed. The tutorial features innovative solutions and guides participants through the full adoption lifecycle of these advanced applications, illustrated with real-world utility-scale demonstration projects and key lessons learned.

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Speakers:
  • Jon Grooters, Director of the US Market, EnerNex
  • Zach Pollock, Director of Grid Strategy & Emerging Technology, Xcel Energy
  • Mike Hanestad, Principal Power System Engineer and Team Lead, RLC Engineering
  • Mark Szewczuk, Power Systems Engineer, EnerNex

Introduction/Opening Remarks

  • Keynote Presentation
    Mark Rothleder, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, California Independent System Operator (CAISO):
  • Industry Overview
    Debbie Lew, Executive Director, ESIG

Opening Plenary: Energy Affordability

Session Chair: Deborah Reynolds, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)

What are the factors that impact electricity costs today and in the future? How can affordability be managed while maintaining reliability and delivering service to all customers?

Session 1A: IBR Dominated Systems

Session Chair: Katie Iversen, Senior Manager, Generation Modeling Engineering, AES

Foundational assumptions around protection, voltage control, and resource capabilities are being redefined in IBR-dominated grids. This session highlights real-world experience and emerging requirements for operating and planning reliable grids with very high inverter penetration.

Session 1B: The Expanding Role of Electricity Markets Across the West

Session Chair: Steve Beuning, Consultant (Former Xcel Energy, Holy Cross Energy, Guzman Energy)

Across the West, electricity markets have always had a troubled history. However, in 2026 the launch of the extended Day-Ahead Market is planned, which is followed by the expansion of the SPP RTO in the Western Interconnection, its Markets+ option, and the Western Resource Adequacy Program. Some form of electricity markets will soon be apart of a large majority of the Western Interconnection within the next two years, a long way from where the West was just 15 years ago. The session will discuss the history and the importance of how far the west has come in embracing electricity markets, while discussing key challenges such as seams, GHG pricing, and other key topics.

  • Chairman Eric Blank, Commissioner, Colorado Public Utilities Commission
  • Scott Miller, Executive Director, Western Power Trading Forum
  • Cathleen Colbert, Senior Director of Western Markets Policy, Vistra
  • Kelsey Martinez, Director of Regional Markets & Transmission Strategy, Public Service Company of New Mexico
  • Sam Rugel, Director, System Control & Reliability, Tucson Electric Power
  • Kathleen Staks, Director, Western Freedom

Session 2A: Proactive Distribution System Planning

Introduction
Session Chair: Juliet Homer, Chief Systems Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

What emerging approaches and practices are utilities and regulators using to proactively address distribution system load growth, and how do they manage associated challenges and risks? 

Session 2B: Expanding the Grid in the Western U.S.: Planning, Coordination, and Delivery

Session Chair: Jennifer Galaway, Senior Manager, Transmission Strategy & Regulation, Portland General Electric

This panel will examine transmission expansion in the Western U.S., highlighting successes, how the landscape is changing, and where gaps remain.

Session 3A: EMT Modeling and Studies

Session Chair: Dave Mueller, Vice President of Energy System Studies, EnerNex

In inverter-dominated grids, EMT simulations are becoming essential for interconnection, planning, and operations. This session covers large-scale EMT applications, model tuning, NERC guidance, workforce training needs, and emerging online EMT-based dynamic security assessment.

Session 3B: FERC Order 2222 on DER Aggregation Participation in Wholesale Markets: Five Years Later, Has it Lived Up to its Potential?

Session Chair: Kristin Swenson, Blue Note Energy

Five years after FERC issued its landmark Order 2222 to enable DERs to participate in organized wholesale markets through DER aggregators, few aggregations currently are registered and providing wholesale market services. Some regions have delayed implementation until 2030. The panel will include some of the key parties: ISOs, distribution utilities, and aggregators, to discuss what other reforms are still needed or are still being worked on, including whether substantial deviation to the original vision FERC had is necessary to lead to greater adoption of DERs participating in wholesale markets.

Session 4A: System Strength Metrics and Impedance Scanning Methods

Session Chair: Shahil Shah, Principal Engineer, National Laboratory of the Rockies

As traditional short-circuit metrics fall short in IBR-dominated grids, planners need alternative metrics for system strength. This session explores impedance scanning, new screening tools, and new system strength metrics to assess stability risks and guide when EMT studies are truly needed.

Session 4B: Major Market Reform Experiences from Regions around the World

Session Chair: Robin Hytowitz, Electricity Markets and Data Center Program Lead, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

With regards to electricity market design reform, 2025 was a big year. Major changes to several key electricity market regions occurred around the world. This session will describe some of those major reforms sharing the insights into how they accomplished the major implementation, working with stakeholders and regulators to accomplish such large-scale changes, and then describe how the changes have been impacting the markets since their implementation.

Session 5A: Oscillation Detection and Analysis

Session Chair: Sarah Walinga, Senior Staff Power Controls Engineer, Tesla

With IBRs driving system dynamics, oscillatory interactions pose a growing reliability risk. The session highlights practical methods for detection, root-cause analysis, and mitigation using grid-forming controls, post-event measurements, EMT modeling, and stability frameworks.

Session 5B: Integrated Capacity Expansion and Resource Adequacy Methods

Session Chair: Jon Cook, Ph.D., Senior Principal Analyst, Salt River Project

This session will highlight advances in how modern planning models integrate capacity expansion and resource adequacy, focusing on new methods, key tradeoffs, and lessons from large-scale applications.

Session 6A: Advanced Technologies for Distribution Grid Optimization and Resource Integration

Introduction
Session Chair: Murali Baggu, Laboratory Program Manager, National Lab of the Rockies 

This panel shared advanced technologies for utility applications in breaking down data silos for distributed resource integration, implementing DERMS for distributed resource dispatch, and adopting emerging technologies, such as dynamic line rating (DLR) and dynamic operating envelope (DOE), to optimize grid operations with distributed resources.

Session 6B: FERC Order 1920: Assessing Benefits of Transmission

Session Chair: Rachel Levine, Senior Transmission Policy Analyst, Niskanen Center

Issued in 2024, FERC Order 1920 calls for the assessment of at least seven benefits of transmission. What are the leading methods, tools, and processes for estimating these benefits?

Session 7A: Large Loads: Stability Impacts, Interconnection Requirements, Modeling Considerations

Session Chair: Julia Matevosyan, Associate Director, Chief Engineer, ESIG

As data centers and other large, power-electronic loads connect at scale, their dynamic behavior is becoming a material stability and reliability risk. This session examines interconnection requirements, EMT modeling approaches, operational readiness, and interaction risks, with a focus on practical assessment and mitigation.

Session 7B: Integrated Planning

Session Chair: Angela Long, Founder & CEO, Rockcress Consulting

Integrated planning (e.g., T&D, G&T) can lead to more efficient solutions for the system as a whole. What processes and methods are being proposed or are being implemented for successful integrated planning?

Closing Plenary: Flexibility from Large Loads

Session Chair: Margarita Patria, Principal, Charles River Associates

Large loads can have large integration challenges, but they can also bring flexibility solutions. What form does this flexibility take, what value does it have, and how do we realize it?

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