Speakers for the ninth-annual Smart Energy Summit include Austin Energy, Carrier, DTE, Mercedes-Benz, Nest, and many more

New energy research announced today by Parks Associates reveals 56% of U.S. broadband households believe it is very important to have an energy-efficient home but only 9% think their home is very energy efficient. The research firm will explore strategies for energy providers and smart home innovators to close this gap among consumer at the ninth-annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, February 19-21, at the Omni Austin Downtown in Austin, Texas.

“The disconnect between consumer expectations of home efficiency and actual performance represents a significant opportunity,” said Tom Kerber, Director, IoT Strategy, Parks Associates. “Utilities can serve this need by providing tools and customized recommendations to simplify decision making, and eliminating friction associated with making upgrades overtime.”

Importance of an Energy-Efficient Home: Value vs. Reality | Parks Associates

Parks Associates’ 360 View: Energy Management, Smart Home, & Energy Providers tested interest in energy management features and found that consumers see the most value in the ability to check their household’s energy usage in real time, followed closely by getting an electric that is easy to read and understand.

Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer includes interactive expert panel discussions on the future of energy planning, wholesale market opportunities, and the keynote “Smart Neighborhoods and the Future of Energy,” by Kim Greene, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Southern Company.

 Smart Energy Summit features two key sessions focused on current wholesale market opportunities and the future of energy planning.

Speakers for “Managing the Grid with Distributed Energy Resources (DER)”:

  • Rich Barone, Manager, Demand Response, Hawaiian Electric / PLMA
  • Ben Cohen, Global Strategy Manager, AutoGrid
  • Denver Hinds, R&D Project Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
  • Dr. Marissa Hummon, Director of Product, Tendril
  • Matt Johnson, VP of Business Development, EnergyHub

 

Speakers for “Wholesale Market Opportunities”:

 

  • Robbie Berglund, Business Unit Executive, The Weather Company, an IBM Business
  • Bob King, CEO, Good Company Associates
  • Peter Klauer, Senior Advisor, Smart Grid Technology, California ISO
  • Greg Sorenson, PE, CIA, Supervisor, Market Power and Mitigation, Southwest Power Pool (SPP)
  • Paul Wattles, Sr. Analyst, Market Design & Development, ERCOT

 

Conference sponsors include Tendril, Rapid Response, Grid4C, Affinegy, Alarm.com, Austin Energy, Bidgely, Carrier, Innotrail, People Power, Powerley, Trusource Labs, The Weather Company, Whisker Labs, and the Z-Wave Alliance.

 

Parks Associatesis accepting press pass requests for Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer at www.parksassociates.com/ses-presspass. More information about the Smart Energy Summit is available at www.SES2018.com. To speak with an analyst or request specific research data, contact Julia Homier at Julia.homier@parksassociates.com or 972-996-0214.

About Smart Energy Summit

The 17th annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer addresses the rising demand for energy, accelerated by the growth of data centers and AI, and its impact on energy management, renewable adoption, and grid modernization. Organized by Parks Associates and co-located with DISTRIBUTECH, Smart Energy Summit brings together leaders from energy, smart home, and technology industries to explore strategies and partnerships critical to the energy transition. 

Smart Energy Summit takes place February 3-4, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center. It will focus on integrating smart energy solutions, leveraging AI and IoT for home energy management, and tackling challenges in demand response and grid orchestration. Supported by Parks Associates’ consumer and industry research, the event provides key insights into market trends and the path forward for utilities, technology providers, and consumer brands.

Follow #SmartEnergy26 on Parks Associates’ LinkedIn. For information on speaking, sponsoring, or attending Smart Energy Summit, visit www.smartenergysmt.com.