International research firm Parks Associates today announced the keynote lineup for its 10^th-annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer includes executive from IoT leaders Direct Energy, Nest, EnergyHub, Itron, and Tendril.  The executive conference, held February 18-20, 2019, in Austin, Texas, will examine the impact of smart home, AI and data analytics, and new energy storage solutions on utilities, energy service providers, and consumers.

According to Parks Associates, 32% of U.S. broadband households own at least one product that can be controlled with their smartphone, and from the very early stages, smart thermostats have been the “hero device” of the smart home ecosystem, leading early adoption at 13% of U.S. broadband households and often driving additional purchases.

“Smart home products, renewable generation, battery storage, and electric vehicles are transformative technologies individually, but as adoption of all these solutions emerges simultaneously in U.S. households, they are creating new layers of competition and complexity for home services, grid operations, and energy management,” said Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates. “We look forward to addressing the new roles of utility and energy providers at Smart Energy Summit, with industry leaders sharing insights on successful strategies and new revenue opportunities.”

Smart Energy Summit features the following keynotes:

• “Customer First: Growth through Peace of Mind”
  Leah Barton, VP & GM, Home Protection, Direct Energy
• “Digital Customer - The Smart Assistant's Role in Consumer Engagement”
  Aaron Berndt, Head, Central Region Energy Partnerships, Nest / Google
• “From ‘Ratepayers’ to Partners: The Value of Designing Customer-centric Device Programs”
  Erika Diamond, VP, Utility and Market Services, EnergyHub
• “How Data and Connectivity Turn Grid Threats into Opportunities”
  Steve Hambric, VP Consumer Energy Management, Itron
• “Why the Frowny Face? The Need for a Connected Approach to Home Energy Management”  Adrian Tuck, CEO, Tendril

At Smart Energy Summit, more than 250 industry leaders from utilities, service providers, manufacturers, and technology companies will participate in panel discussions about the energy markets and strategies to increase consumer engagement in demand response, distributed generation, and energy efficiency offerings.The tenth-annual conference will address the new approaches and solutions that are using connectivity and data to transform how energy is delivered.

Sponsors for Smart Energy Summit 2019 include Bidgely, Tendril, Rapid Response Monitoring, ecobee, Powerley, Trusource Labs, Austin Energy, GiftCard Partners, Intel Corporation, STRATIS, FLO, Grid4C, Inspire, and Alarm.com.

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.