COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP FOR DISTRIBUTION PLANNERS
September 21–24, 2026 | Pleasanton, California
Workshop Overview
This is a focused, collaborative professional workshop for utility distribution planners and related engineering leaders. We emphasize practical application through intensive peer discussion and structured decision-making frameworks. The program is designed to deliver immediate relevance to the daily complexities of utility planning work, moving beyond theory into defensible, real-world utility architecture.
Who Should Attend
Distribution System Planners
Professionals focused on the technical design, long-term capacity requirements, and future needs of the distribution system.
Planning Engineers
Engineers responsible for developing, evaluating, and defending planning recommendations while ensuring the quality, accuracy, and technical rigor of proposed solutions.
Asset Management Professionals
Professionals responsible for balancing risk, performance, cost, and asset health to support long-term infrastructure investment decisions.
Engineering Managers
Managers overseeing planning programs and capital portfolios while aligning engineering recommendations with organizational priorities and executive objectives.
Public Power Professionals
Municipal and POU professionals managing regional infrastructure with a focus on reliability and long-term value.
IOU Participants
Selected professionals from investor-owned utilities seeking practical planning approaches, peer discussion, and perspectives across different utility environments.
What Participants Will Learn
Outcome-focused insights and practical frameworks designed for immediate relevance to the challenges of modern utility infrastructure management.
Prioritize Distribution Needs
Learn how to prioritize distribution needs under capital, workforce, and supply chain constraints while maintaining system-level performance.
Connect Decisions to Value
Connect planning decisions to reliability, risk, customer impact, and long-term value to ensure sustainable infrastructure growth.
Communicate Tradeoffs Effectively
Master the communication of complex tradeoffs to managers, executives, and boards using structured and defensible evidence.
Deploy Structured Frameworks
Use structured decision frameworks to support and defend planning recommendations under regulatory and operational scrutiny.
Learn From Peer Challenges
Gain insights from peer utilities facing similar distribution challenges, fostering a collaborative ecosystem of practical knowledge.
The Roadmap
Workshop Agenda
Day 1
Utility Planning Context & System Thinking
- Day 1 – Utility planning context, emerging pressures, and system-level thinking.
- Identifying foundational constraints in the electric utility landscape.
- Framing the methodology for defensible decision-making.
Day 2
Data, Load Growth, Reliability, and Risk
- Day 2 – Data, load growth, reliability, condition, and risk inputs.
- Structuring fragmented data for engineering clarity.
- Analyzing technical risk factors and consequence modeling.
Day 3
Prioritization & Decision Frameworks
- Day 3 – Prioritization methods, capital planning, and decision frameworks.
- Allocating resources under capital and supply chain constraints.
- Creating defensible justifications for board-level review.
Day 4
Exercises, Discussion, & Planning
- Day 4 – Case exercises, peer discussion, application planning, and takeaways.
- Applying theoretical frameworks to real-world utility scenarios.
- Finalizing immediate relevance plans for your local utility work.
Workshop Format
25 SEATS ONLY
To ensure high levels of peer interaction and personal attention, enrollment is strictly limited to 25 distribution planners and utility engineering leaders.
Collaborative Format
Move beyond passive lectures. This session focuses on structured peer-to-peer discussions and interactive group exercises developed for senior engineering minds.
Utility Case Studies
Analyze real-world utility case discussions. Bridge raw technical data with strategic, defensible capital planning frameworks used by leading IOUs and public power agencies.
Immediate Application
Designed for distribution planners who need results. Every framework and decision tool presented is built for immediate application to your current capital planning cycle and risk management work.
This workshop draws on more than two decades of experience in electric utility engineering, asset management, capital planning, and utility leadership across investor-owned utilities, public power organizations, renewable energy, and consulting.
Rather than following a traditional lecture format, the workshop is designed as a facilitated exchange where participants explore structured decision frameworks, challenge assumptions, learn from one another, and develop practical approaches they can apply in their own organizations.
a Note from the Facilitator
"The purpose of this workshop is not to teach participants what to think, but to create an environment where utility professionals can learn from one another, explore emerging challenges, compare practical approaches, and leave with stronger professional relationships and ideas they can immediately apply."
tHe Experience ThAT SHapes the Workshop
Subbaiah Pasupulati
Founder & Director, SPS Institute
PEÂ PMPÂ MSEEÂ MBA
Asset Management Professional
Experiences Shaping the DiscussionÂ
- Real Utility Decisions
- Practical Planning
- Structured Decision Frameworks
- Cross Utility perspectives
- Systems thinking
- Lessons from real-world application Â
Perspectives Shaping the Workshop
- Asset Management
- Capital Planning
- Risk & Value
- Reliability & Resiliency
- Planning & Operations
- Executive & Board Decision Support
- Public Power & IOU
What Industry Professionals Are Saying
"Subbaiah's practicality, long-term vision, and decades of experience in energy system planning make him one of the most respected experts in the industry. Collaborating with him has been one of the highlights of my career."
— Peter Loehrer, Principal Distribution Engineer, California Investor-Owned Utility
"I had the pleasure of working with Subbaiah at Modesto Irrigation District after he hired me as a Senior Electrical Engineer to support Distribution System Planning. Coming from an Operations Planning background, his guidance transformed how I approached engineering and planning challenges. Rather than simply providing answers, he encouraged me to think from multiple perspectives and develop my own solutions.
As my mentor, he also helped me build a structured professional development plan that strengthened both my technical capabilities and long-term career growth. After three years of his mentorship, I feel highly competitive in the electric utility industry. Subbaiah doesn't just provide answers; he equips you with the tools and mindset to become a leader in your field."
— Charles Asaah, Senior Electrical Engineer, Modesto Irrigation District
Registration Fees
To maintain an interactive learning environment, attendance is limited. Utility participation is prioritized.
Public Utilities, Municipal Utilities & Cooperatives
$2,300
Investor-Owned Utilities
$3,200
Industry Participants (Software Providers, Consultants & Vendors)
$7,500
Registration includes:
- Four days of workshop instruction
- Workshop materials
- Breakfast and lunch each day
- Networking reception
- Certificate of completion
Industry participation is intentionally limited to maintain a utility-focused learning environment.