Volunteer, Get Involved!

PLMA’s strategic taskforces host monthly standing meetings in which any PLMA member can participate. The taskforces offer collegial learning opportunities and represent a valuable contribution to the work of advancing flexible load management. To join a taskforce, please contact Rich Philip (link to rphilip@flexload.org)

If you are a PLMA member with strong industry knowledge and experience, and you have an interest in learning the “latest” industry developments, PLMA invites you to help score award nominations and conference presentation proposals. This is about a five-hour time commitment per scoring session.

PLMA offers member volunteers four scoring opportunities annually. You are welcome to get involved in just one or all four of these opportunities, as follows:

• Q1: Award nominations scoring

• Q1: Spring Conference presentation proposal scoring

• Q2: EV Symposium presentation proposal scoring

• Q3: Fall Conference presentation proposal scoring

Here’s How Scoring Works:

All PLMA Awards and Conference sessions are peer-selected though our rubric-based scoring system. Volunteer scorers can expect to be assign 10 to 15 nominations or presentations to score at each scoring event, which ensures that each submission receives input from multiple scorers.

Scoring takes about three hours, and PLMA hosts a Teams call before the start of scoring to explain the process and answer questions. There is also a Teams call at the completion of the scoring process to which all scorers are invited to discuss the submissions they scored and provide additional insights and feedback. Submissions are ranked from highest to lowest, based on their aggregate scores, and scorers are able to offer recommendations to the Awards Co-Chairs for award-worthy nominations, and to PLMA’s executive director for worthy conference or symposium agenda sessions.

The Recusal Process:

If you, your company, or your client are planning to submit an award nomination or conference/symposium presentation proposal, you are still welcome to score submissions. PLMA provides a recusal process which you can select, should the scoring platform assign you a submission you are personally involved in. Once you’ve recused yourself from scoring a specific submission, the platform will send you a replacement to score instead.

To Volunteer:

If you are a PLMA member, experienced in load management and interested in “giving back” by sharing your industry knowledge and experiences, PLMA invites you to consider serving as a mentor for a PLMA Demand Response Training class.

Mentors participate in PLMA’s DR Wholesale Markets class and also in its Program Design and Implementation class by offering specific examples from their own experiences, as well as discussing real-life applications in context, and answering attendee questions. During each class, mentors work together, usually two per class, to support the instructors and enhance the experience and learning opportunities for the training attendees. Mentors are considered integral to the class experience and are also included in meals and networking during PLMA’s in-person classes, which are held across the U.S.

Serving as a PLMA Training Mentor is a rewarding and enjoyable experience that contributes positively to building industry knowledge and skills around flexible load management, demand response, and DERs.

Please NOTE: Mentors are not required to prepare slides or instruct a class. This task is specifically focused on supporting PLMA’s instructors by sharing your industry knowledge and experiences.

Your time commitment for this activity is two days for each class you mentor and PLMA may be able to assist mentors with travel expenses on a case-by-case basis. 

If you would like to apply to serve as a training mentor, please send a one-page bio and statement of your qualifications to Rich Philip rphilip@flexload.org.

CHARTER:

ULME is an informally organized private group for utility representatives and provides a forum for open and frank discussions of industry progress and challenges, opportunity to share real-world lessons learned, and a place to share honest questions, feedback, and opportunities. PLMA supports this group which does not charge dues.