Electrify Indiana 2024 

Special event brings together cooperative stakeholders to promote beneficial electrification

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Posted on Oct 29 2024 in A Co-op Perspective, Bartholomew County REMC, Clark County REMC, Daviess-Martin County REMC, Decatur County REMC, Dubois REC, Harrison REMC, Henry County REMC, Jackson County REMC, Orange County REMC, Southeastern Indiana REMC, Southern Indiana Power, Tipmont, WIN Energy REMC
Electrify Indiana 2024
Hoosier Energy Events Manager Trina Pardue talks with Jim Aelick of Rudd Equipment during Electrify Indiana 2024

Electrify Indiana 2024, presented by Hoosier Energy, Wabash Valley Power Alliance, and Indiana Electric Cooperatives, took the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis by storm on Aug. 26. 

Over 300 people, representing 120 companies, 48 sponsors, and 44 tradeshow booths, attended the event designed to promote beneficial electrification. There was something for everyone. 

The day featured nine sessions in total, including options for three different tracks residential, transportation, and utility/commercial and industrial (C&I) — that could be mixed and matched. 

The event started with an unusual confluence in the Utility Leader Roundtable, which featured Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA), Wabash Valley Power Alliance, AES Indiana, NIPSCO, CenterPoint Energy, and Hoosier Energy’s CEO and President Donna Walker. Indiana Electric Cooperatives CEO John Cassady moderated the panel, which discussed topics affecting the industry, including megaloads. 

“When we were looking at load growth expectations in the long-range resource plan, it was very different than what we’re seeing now,” Walker said. “We were thinking about what electrical vehicles would look like, but we didn’t see megaloads on the horizon… What’s changed is this new, unexpected change of megaloads that’s jumped up in the last 12 months. If those come to fruition, it could anywhere from double to quadruple the size of our system, which takes a totally new way of approaching that.” 

Things snowballed from there as National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association’s Jennah Denney provided an overview of the changed and unchanged perspectives of electrification before everyone split off for their chosen track during the two morning sessions. 

With five networking breaks, plus breakfast and lunch, there was plenty of time to talk about what attendees saw and heard in addition to interacting with the vendors on hand. 

Another of the day’s hot topics was electric vehicles. In addition to speakers on the subject, Electrify Indiana 2024 included an EV Showcase with everything from a sporty Ford Mustang to a bucket truck to digging equipment and more lined up in front of the hotel, providing a welcome distraction between sessions. 

The co-op partners look forward to another Electrify Indiana in 2026.