The following was taken from Paige Knutsen’s opening remarks at the 2025 Midwest Energy Solutions Conference. The remarks have been shortened and edited for clarity. Watch the full remarks here.  

With any new administration, there are lots of changes. We can expect changes at the Department of Energy. We can expect changes at FERC and the EPA and more. Load growth is a big concern – with data centers, batteries and new reshoring of industry – all these different things are putting additional strain on our grid, and it is our responsibility to help bring solutions together.  

Virtual power plant (VPP) enthusiasts gathered on January 29 at our Midwest Energy Solutions (MES) Conference in Chicago for a collaborative workshop on how to accelerate VPP deployments across the U.S. organized around the imperatives listed in the Department of Energy (DOE) Liftoff Report for VPPs. Virtual power plants are collections of distributed energy resources (DERs) that can be called on to reduce electricity demand peaks. VPPs have the potential capacity to address 10-20% of peak load by 2030 according to the report. 

In just a few short days, the Midwest Energy Solutions Conference will return to the Marriott Magnificent Mile in Chicago for its 23rd anniversary as the region’s premier event for all things energy efficiency. With anticipated record attendance numbers and three days jam-packed with educational and networking opportunities, this year’s MES is sure to be one for the books. As a newcomer to both the conference and the EE industry, I connected with veteran MEEA staff and members to get answers to the need-to-know questions surrounding all things MES.

The 15th Annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference brought together city leaders, policy advocates and professionals from the real estate and construction industries to Cincinnati, Ohio. Attendees from across the country discussed ways that strong building codes and policies help cities and states meet clean energy goals and enhance energy efficiency in buildings.

In June, more than 100 MEEA members gathered in St. Louis, MO for a workforce development workshop led by Quinn Parker, Founder and CEO, Encolor and Paul Douglas, President, JPI Group.

Each year, MEEA is proud to provide scholarship support to dedicated students interested in attending our annual Midwest Energy Solutions Conference. With support from ComEd, we welcomed six students to last year's conference. These students had the opportunity to network with over 800 innovators and decision-makers from utilities, businesses, the public sector and nonprofits in attendance and learn about the energy efficiency industry. Many felt like they could finally see real world applications of material learned in their classes. They loved connecting with so many people working towards the same goal of energy efficiency.

MEEA’s Buildings Team recently held its 14th Annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference in Indianapolis on September 13 - 14. As in years past, the conference brought together various stakeholders from the region- and beyond-, including municipal decisionmakers, city staff, builders, architects, utility policy managers, researchers, engineers and university directors.

This fall, MEEA hit the road to shake off the small talk cobwebs and dip our toes into small, safe networking gatherings again. In seven weeks, we visited six cities to host our members for happy hours, each offering outdoor space to distance and mingle with snacks and cocktails.

These six events brought the first time I’d been in an airport or on a plane—or at a work gathering in 19 months—and I was nervous, but pleasantly surprised at the number of masks and understanding head nods I got throughout my travels.

Last month, MEEA hosted the 11th annual Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference. This year’s conference was held virtually October 20-22, and while the event felt a little different than previous years, participants new and old still relished insightful sessions and discussions from our top-tier speakers and attendees.

Day 1

The conference kicked off with welcoming remarks from MEEA’s Building Program Director, Chris Burgess. MEEA shared insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our region, including how it has influenced policymaking efforts, code effective dates and energy efficiency jobs in the region.

The Inspiring Efficiency Awards recognize Midwest leaders who deliver groundbreaking advancements in energy efficiency in five categories: Leadership, Education, Impact, Marketing and Innovation. The Inspiring Efficiency Impact Award is presented to the organization that has made a significant and measurable impact through a program, campaign or strategy to reduce energy consumption (or resulted in a quantifiable positive impact on health, emissions reductions, energy burden or other societal impact) based on their target market.