2027 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM)

The annual IEEE PES General Meeting is a forum for power engineers and academics to share research and developments in electrical power engineering. Its broad focus includes power systems and energy technologies, challenges facing electric grids and utilities, and technical direction and standards within IEEE PES.

The conference focuses on the customer-utility interface, including planning, demand management, distributed energy resources, storage, DERMS, energy efficiency, interconnection, standardization, scalability, AI, data center growth, and next-generation loads. The program includes tutorials, technical tours, welcome and opening remarks with a keynote, breakout sessions, exhibits, stage presentations, startup lightning pitches, a poster session, and a closing session. Super Sessions address generation mix and grid reliability; data center growth and the AI economy; flexible load management; AI for planning, operations, and reliability; and asset management for an affordable grid. The program also includes an invite-only Innovation Challenge and brings together utility engineers, planners, consultants, developers working on large-load interconnections, AI and data-center leaders, DER providers, policymakers, regulators, and researchers in data, cybersecurity, and grid-edge systems. PacifiCorp is the host utility.

FutureGrid brings together researchers, utilities, industry leaders, technology developers, and policymakers to shape the future of the electric grid. The conference focuses on technologies, challenges, and solutions transforming power generation, transmission, distribution, and grid operation, including renewable and distributed energy resources, inverter-based resources, energy storage, transmission expansion, microgrids, HVDC, grid stability and control, protection, reliability, resilience, and grid modernization. The program also explores forces reshaping the grid, including AI and machine learning, data centers and large loads, electrification, cybersecurity, power electronics, and energy markets. Through technical papers, industry panels, GridSchool tutorials and workshops, special sessions, and an expanded expo, the event connects academia, utilities, and industry around a reliable, resilient, intelligent, and sustainable grid. It is sponsored by the IEEE Industry Applications Society, Industrial Electronics Society, Power & Energy Society, and Power Electronics Society.

The program covers power-generation operations, grid reliability and security, project development, and changing electricity demand. Keynote sessions address supply, demand and the next build cycle; securing the grid amid AI-related threats; and reliability, readiness and the performance gap. Technical sessions include gas-turbine fleet performance and upgrade potential; advanced reactors and TRISO fuel; carbon-capture integration; battery storage and capacity-market accreditation; data-center power demand and flexibility; long-duration storage; nuclear digital modernization; renewable integration; and power-project delivery. Additional program areas include CHP, cybersecurity, grid planning, emissions, and operations and asset reliability.

The conference is for public power professionals who design, develop, and maintain the electric system. Program themes include Environmental, Generation & Fuels; Grid Modernization; Transmission & Distribution; Reliability & Resilience; and Safety. The audience includes vice presidents, superintendents, directors, managers, engineers, safety and training specialists, electric utility directors, city managers, and emerging leaders.

Produced by IEEE PES and hosted by Georgia Power, the exposition includes a Data Center Stage track exploring how the rise of hyperscale and edge data centers is influencing grid planning, energy infrastructure and sustainable load management. The conference brings together the transmission and distribution ecosystem, including utilities, regulators, researchers and technology providers, with many manufacturers timing new product launches to coincide with the event.

A business and education event for power generation professionals, including generator owner-operators, engineers, manufacturers, consultants, and service providers. Themes include operating and maintaining generation assets, new technologies, market shifts, operational challenges, managing costs, and bringing new capacity online.

Sessions cover Environmental, Generation & Fuels; Grid Modernization; Transmission & Distribution; and Reliability & Resilience. Conference attendees can also attend sessions in the concurrent Safety Summit. The conference focuses on practices for building and maintaining safe, reliable electric systems, and includes the Public Power NextTech Expo. The 2027 agenda has not been published.

The public-facing program combines plenary presentations, industry, academia, and technology-sector panels, and Purdue-led research posters and lightning talks. Themes include grid planning and operations amid rapid load growth; AI for grid performance and grid studies; flexibility across large loads, transmission systems, distribution networks, and distributed energy resources; and grid investments, interconnections, and transmission improvements. Panels address grid operations with large loads, flexibility as a grid resource, grid planning with large loads, and AI for grid operations. The members-only program includes an advisory board meeting and a concurrent student career event. The advisory board reviews 2026 project reports, considers Purdue faculty proposals for 2027 research, and deliberates on proposed research activities for industry-member voting. The career event gives Purdue students an opportunity to explore energy-sector engineering careers and discuss internships and employment with industry representatives.