Electric cooperative leaders from around the country will gather in January to weigh the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence, navigate outcomes from the November elections and discuss other pressing industry issues at NRECA’s 2025 CEO Close-Up in Marco Island, Florida.

The conference will take place Jan. 12-14 at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.

“If you’re looking to grow as a leader while helping your cooperative succeed, the CEO Close-Up delivers practical value, tailored content and essential networking connections in an exclusive CEO-only environment,” said Erin Pressley, NRECA’s senior vice president of Education, Training and Events.

The 2025 conference will focus on technology—including AI, data centers, peak prediction modeling and cybersecurity—and “will inspire new ideas and solutions to your ongoing and future challenges,” Pressley said.

Pre-conference workshops will start Saturday, Jan. 11, a day before the annual America’s Electric Cooperatives Advocacy Classic, formerly called the Good Government Golf Tournament. The golf outing will raise funds to support political engagement activities that further the interests of electric co-ops.

The first pre-conference workshop is invitation-only for new CEOs and will look at building and sustaining a healthy company culture. On Sunday, Jan. 12, workshops will focus on media training for co-op CEOs and the role of leadership in cultivating a healthy company culture.

NRECA CEO Jim Matheson will address the Monday, Jan. 13 opening general session, and Casey Werth, global industry GM for IBM Technology’s public sector mission, will share what strategies are needed to securely leverage artificial intelligence in the energy sector. Political analyst and former CNN reporter Chris Cillizza will also give an overview of the political landscape following the elections.

Breakouts that day will touch on topics like AI and data centers and their energy market effects, the opportunities and risks of serving large data center loads, smart rate design, the future of labor law and navigating organizational change.

The Tuesday, Jan. 14 morning general session will feature Joe Brannan, CEO of North Carolina Electric Membership Corp. and North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, and Josh Winslow, CEO of Brunswick EMC. They will join a panel on collaborative operating models that highlight the power of the G&T-to-distribution co-op relationship to support utility planning and operations, cost savings and data analytics.

Breakout sessions that day will explore AI peak prediction models, the impact of electric vehicles on load and economic development, cybersecurity, AI legal considerations, safety challenges and how to make optimal investments for a reliable, sustainable grid.

The conference wraps up with Tuesday’s closing general session featuring Dr. Michelle Rozen, known as the Change Doctor, who will talk about exceptional leadership and the power of breaking through barriers.

View registration info and more details on the conference schedule.