[image-caption title="Touchstone%20Energy%E2%80%99s%20NEXT%20Conference%20for%20co-ops%20and%20their%20key%20accounts%20will%20take%20place%20Feb.%202-4%20at%20El%20Conquistador%20Tucson%20in%20Tucson%2C%20Arizona.%20(Photo%20Courtesy%3A%20El%20Conquistador%20Tucson)" description="%20" image="%2Fnews%2FPublishingImages%2Fnext.jpg" /]
National, regional and local energy managers and electric cooperative key account and energy services professionals will gather early next year for Touchstone Energy® Cooperative’s 2026 NEXT Conference in Tucson, Arizona.
The national forum connecting co-op employees and national business members will take place Feb. 2-4 at the El Conquistador Tucson. Originally known as the NET Conference, the first gathering was in 2000 in conjunction with the Touchstone Energy Tucson Open.
“Business members are mission-critical to the future of co-op communities, and we are delighted to offer this event as the national forum for co-ops, businesses and technology providers to convene and forge important relationships,” said Touchstone Energy Executive Director Jana Adams.
The deadline to secure hotel reservations at the conference rate is Jan. 6.
Pre-conference activities
Three workshops will kick off the conference on Feb. 2:
“Key Accounts University” will cover leadership best practices, communications tips and leveraging technologies.
“The Mega World of Large Tech Loads” will feature co-ops, businesses and developers serving data centers, automated warehouses and tech-heavy industries.
“The Cooperative Advantage for Business Members" will focus on the benefits of co-op membership compared to other utility relationships.
The workshops will be followed by lunch and a networking session.
General session speakers
Digital media expert and futurist Erik Qualman is the keynote speaker for the opening general session on Feb. 2. Qualman, bestselling author of “Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys” and “Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business,” will discuss the importance of continual transformation by fostering a culture of daily innovation.
The Feb. 3 general session will focus on the community and economic development impacts of large loads on key accounts and will feature Touchstone Energy’s Adams and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s Peter Muhoro, chief strategy, technology and innovation officer.
Former MLB catcher and Olympian Ryan Lavarnway will be the keynote speaker for the closing general session on Feb. 4. The record-holder for transfers between the major and minor leagues, Lavarnway will talk about the power of perseverance and resiliency.
Breakout sessions
The 12 breakout sessions will address energy trends and challenges facing co-op key accounts. These include natural disaster response, wildfire mitigation and supporting first responders; serving large tech and vital community loads; load flexibility for utilities and distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS); artificial intelligence; and smart grid resiliency and reliability.
Other sessions will highlight an energy manager from a co-op-served business on improved reliability through microgrid and demand response strategy; a successful collaboration between Arizona’s Trico Electric Cooperative and their key accounts; and a national energy and regulatory perspective.
Also scheduled are two networking opportunities, one for project managers on their NEXT big project and the other, “Key Accounts 101 for Cooperative Professionals,” on building a successful program.
Additional highlights
New this year are NEXT Energy Sessions and Networking, six 30-minute opportunities on Feb. 3 for participants to share ideas. Sessions will focus on microgrid solutions, data centers and EV charging infrastructure, rural loads, proactive peak shaving and smart buildings.
For a fee, participants can choose between three networking activities on Feb. 4: a golf outing at the El Conquistador golf course; a jeep tour of the Sonoran Desert; and a guided tour of the Biosphere 2 research facility.
Visit the NEXT conference webpage for more details and registration information.
