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ABOUT THE Summer SYMPOSIUM:



TRACK 1:
EV GRID IMPACTS

TRACK 2:
DATA CENTER XCHANGE

PLMA’s 2026 Summer Symposium includes two parallel tracks which will be presented together in the same hotel, at the same time, and will also include shared opportunities for networking and conversation. Here’s what to expect from each track:

The EV Grid Impacts track will explore lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities related to V2G, V2X, and managed charging.

The Data Center XChange track will delve into the role that load flexibility solutions can play in accelerating data center energization.

Please note the Symposium consists of two half-day blocks:
Day One’s Focus: Today’s experiences and lessons learned.
Day Two’s Focus: Tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.

Call for presentations:

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 9, 2026
SYMPOSIUM DATES: August 25-26, 2026
SYMPOSIUM LOCATION: Arlington, Virginia

You are welcome to submit a presentation proposal for either or both Symposium tracks. The format for your proposed presentation can be a discussion, workshop, roundtable, presentation with Q&A, or something else entirely.

Both symposium tracks consist of a Day One block focused on today’s experiences and lessons learned while the Day Two block addesses tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.

These are the topics of interest for this Symposium:

EV Grid Impacts Track:
Please click on the button below titled “Tips for Submitting a Successful Presentation Proposal on EV Grid Impacts.”

Data Center XChange Track:
Please refer to the button below titled “Tips for Submitting a Successful Presentation Proposal for the Data Center XChange.”


Tips for Submitting a Successful Presentation Proposal on EV Grid Impacts

PLMA seeks exceptional proposals from across the energy and automotive industries that explore lessons learned and experiences to date, as well as knowledgeable and well-founded discussions of the unresolved challenges that must be solved. PLMA highly values proposals that include participation by utilities, customers, and other market actors. Please, no sales pitches.

Presentations of any length or style will be considered, with preference for 30 to 45-minute interactive sessions, or 60-minute panels, in which up to one third of the time is reserved for audience discussion. All topics and presenters will be considered, however PLMA especially values sessions having specific, actionable ties to flexible load management, demand response, and/or distributed energy resources.

EV GRID IMPACTS TRACK: Topics of interest include:   

  • Passive vs. Active Managed Charging
  • V2G Applications (Today’s demonstrations and planned pilots)
  • Shared Charging Infrastructure (Workplace and Multifamily Settings)
  • Locations of the Charging Management Intelligence — Telematics vs. Charger
  • Impacts to Distribution Utility Assets — Planning/Sizing/Management
  • Impact Analysis: Actuals vs. Counterfactuals
  • End of Life Plans: Reuse, Recycle, Utilize as Energy Storage Applications
  • Delivering a Driver-Centric Managed Charging Experience
  • Orchestration Between Automakers, EVSEs, Utilities, Solution Providers
  • Customer Acquisition Challenges and Opportunities, including Affordability Issues
  • Programs/Applications involving fleets of Electric Vehicles 
  • Extending Lessons Learned in Residential Programs to the Commercial Applications
  • Medium and Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks/Buses

Tips for Submitting a Successful Presentation Proposal for the Data Center XChange

For this nascent theme and first-time PLMA symposium track, we are specifically looking for practitioner-led presentations grounded in real-world experiences. Ideally, the Selection Committee would like to see real case studies with outcomes and lessons learned. Topics of interest are as follows:

UTILITY PERSPECTIVES:

  • How are utilities managing large load requests? What’s working, what’s not working?
  • How are utility systems planners modeling and responding to rapid load growth due to data centers?
  • What are the insights on large-load customers (current and planned) from the perspective of the IOUs, public power companies, co-ops and munis?

DATA CENTER FLEXIBILITY: INSIDE THE FENCE AND OUT:

  • Internal Flexibility: Workload shifting, computational demand response, cooling optimization, and UPS/back-up assets as grid resources.
  • External DERs: Use by data centers of on-site batteries, solar+storage, fuel cells, and virtual power plants.
  • Hybrid Approaches: how are hyper-scalers and co-location facilities combining internal and external strategies?
  • How are AI and high-performance computing load profiles different from traditional data center loads, and what does that mean for flexibility programs?

BUSINESS MODELS, CONTRACTING, AND PROGRAM DESIGN

  • Tariff and rate design innovations for large load customers: special contracts, dynamic pricing, and interruptible rates.
  • Structuring demand response and flexibility agreements with hyper-scalers and co-location providers.
  • Case studies on programs that have launched examining what has driven adoption or failure.
  • How procurement companies and real estate/facility managers factor into the flexibility equation.

THE REGULATORY AND LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE

  • What are the state and federal regulatory developments shaping data center interconnection and demand flexibility?
  • How are utility commissions (e.g., NARUC proceedings) approaching large-load tariff reform?
  • Legislative trends: data center siting, permitting, and energy procurement mandates.
  • Emerging best practices across jurisdictions: What can states and regions learn from the early movers?

INNOVATION AND WHAT’S NEXT

  • Emerging technology pathways: liquid cooling, modular data centers, small modular reactors, and their load flexibility implications.
  • AI-driven energy management within data centers and at the utility interface.
  • Novel partnership and co-investment models between utilities and hyper-scalers.
  • The role of industry partners, including EPRI’s DC Flex initiative, ESIG, and the national labs, in accelerating practical solutions.

OTHER AREAS OF DISCOVERY:

  • What’s missing from this list? Are there other key topics deserving of discussion at the Symposium? Please feel free to propose additional ideas and topics.

Completing your Presentation Proposal

PLMA’s submission form requests information about your presenters, your topic, its relevance to PLMA’s Symposium audience, and your
learning objectives. 

Proposal acceptance decisions will be made by PLMA’s Symposium Committee on May 20, 2026.

If your proposal is selected, each of your identified presenters will receive an invitation to present at the PLMA Summer Symposium, together with a discounted registration code. All presenters MUST register for and plan to attend the Symposium as confirmation of their acceptance to speak at the event.

Presenters are responsible for their own symposium registration cost, travel, and if applicable, hotel expenses.

All presenters must agree to comply with the PLMA Presenter Policy and Code of Conduct.

Important Note about the Summer Symposium Deadlines

PLMA deeply appreciates everyone’s best efforts to adhere to all Symposium deadlines as these deadlines make it possible to complete the event planning process on time, with accuracy, and without over-taxing our volunteer leaders and staff.

As such, ensuring your presention is presented at the Symposium is conditional upon meeting the speaker deadlines listed below. 
Missing these deadlines, or being unresponsive to PLMA staff requests, will unfortunately result in the removal of your session from the agenda.
  • June 19: All speakers and co-presenters must be registered to attend the Symposium. 
  • June 26: A current speaker bio and headshot portrait for each presenter must have been sent to Angelica Paul
  • July 24: All draft slides must have been submitted for review to the Symposium Co-Chairs and PLMA Staff. 
  • August 10: All rehearsals and presentations must have been practiced, reviewed, and finalized.

Volunteer to Score Presentation Proposals

PLMA member practitioners are invited to serve as volunteer scorers of the presentation proposals for this event. The scoring task requires reviewing and scoring submissions based on a list of criteria that includes industry relevance and the interest level for each proposed presentation’s approach. If you would like to score, but have also submitted your own presentation proposal, you will have the opportunity to recuse yourself from scoring your own or your organization’s proposed presentation.

Please email Angelica Paul if you’d like to volunteer to score the Summer Symposium presentation proposals.

This represents about a four- to six-hour time commitment.

Thank you!