Utility-Driven Economic Development

In this presentation, Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) will share details about its programs and services that advance statewide economic development in Florida. FPL’s award-winning economic development team collaborates with its communities to provide comprehensive marketing, business development, research, site readiness and workforce development support. Attendees will learn more about the state and local partnership and its impact on the Florida economy.

This presentation will explore the strategic use of natural gas to fortify manufacturing, industrial, and digital capabilities and reinforce the economic and energy security of the U.S. With a focus on understanding the pivotal role of natural gas and its infrastructure in supporting the continuous expansion of the U.S. manufacturing and industrial sectors, the discussion will address key inquiries surrounding the intricate relationship between manufacturing, gas availability and consumption, and economic dynamics.

This presentation will discuss the following:

• Discussion of creating a large load process
• The importance of creating one beforehand
• Discussion of implementation with utility partners, local economic developers, and state/regional groups 
• Policies versus Processes
• Application fees, etc. 
• Keeping track and deliverables

In this session, attendees will discover how Hoosier Energy collaborates with its member cooperatives and local economic development partners to drive impactful growth across Indiana and Illinois. As the nature and scale of economic development projects, particularly data centers, have evolved, so too has Hoosier Energy’s approach. Explore how the organization stepped back to reassess its business practices, ultimately establishing a streamlined process for engaging with large-scale projects and strengthening community partnerships. This session will highlight key strategies, lessons learned, and the collaborative framework now in place to support transformative development across the region.

This session will explore the dramatic transformation of the electric utility industry through the lens of a seasoned insider turned external observer. It will trace the historical trajectory of electricity demand and examine the consequences of deregulation, shifts in investor priorities, and the rise of natural gas and renewables.

The discussion will highlight the challenges utilities face in maintaining resource adequacy, modernizing aging transmission infrastructure, and integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) and grid-edge technologies. It will also consider the role of private equity in funding innovative solutions and the regulatory pressures that shape utility responses. Attendees will be invited to rethink traditional models and embrace a new paradigm that balances reliability, sustainability, and economic viability in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

Electric utilities are being asked to provide energy solutions for increasingly large industrial projects across the country. Great River Energy is working with its members to meet the demand of the large requests while maintaining electric reliability and minimizing costs and impacts on general service rates. In this session, attendees will learn how the utility is balancing the pressures on growth, infrastructure investment, and development of new power supply options to meet the needs of the consumer.

This session will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and strategic intelligence can serve as powerful tools for local and state economic development. Attendees will gain strategic insights into how these technologies can improve analysis, decision-making, and long-term planning in a fast-changing economic landscape. Special attention will be given to the growing challenge of misinformation and disinformation, and how AI and intelligence tools can help practitioners better discern credible information and make more reliable, data-driven choices.

The session is designed with practical application in mind, with an emphasis on how utility economic developers and other professionals can integrate AI platforms, data analytics, and intelligence frameworks into their daily work. Attendees will receive a comprehensive guide offering detailed, step-by-step advice on using these tools effectively in real-world development contexts.