The International District Energy Association (IDEA) will be holding its 116th annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota from Monday, June 2 to Thursday, June 5, 2025. Minnesota is an epicenter of district energy growth and has seen significant investment in district energy in recent years, including in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Duluth and Rochester.
The annual conference, which first opened in 1909, generally attracts attendees from more than 400 cities and nearly 30 countries from around the world. This year, the conference is organized under the theme “Aggregate, Integrate, Innovate” - three of the main pillars and driving forces behind district energy.
“Aggregation, integration and innovation are a combination of qualities that are unique to district energy,” said Rob Thornton, President & CEO, IDEA. “Together, these three capabilities enable the technology’s ability to deliver resilient, efficient, reliable and sustainable energy solutions for cities and communities worldwide. We are excited to welcome this year’s event speakers, guests and attendees to Minneapolis, where our programming will touch on these three core values that are directly impacting the exciting pace and momentum behind district energy here in North America and around the globe.”
IDEA is proud to welcome this year’s keynote speaker, Joseph Majkut, to the conference on Tuesday, June 3. An expert in climate science and climate policy, Majkut is Director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). At a moment when the energy industry is experiencing seismic federal policy shifts, coupled with regional inflections for natural gas and projections of historic growth in demand for power, Majkut will share an informed perspective on the global energy transition and where the district energy industry fits as resilient city-scale infrastructure in a future of more extreme weather events.
Attendees will enjoy a rich agenda at IDEA2025 with over 85 sessions and up to five topic track options at a time during the main program. IDEA will also offer two preconference workshops, providing in-depth exploration of District Energy & Data Centers and District Thermal Energy Networks. Each led by industry-respected experts, these workshops will deliver valuable insights and practical takeaways on these rapidly emerging topics. Attendees will leave with invaluable relationships and connections to a collegial network of colleagues facing similar policy, business and regulatory challenges for answers beyond the conference. Additional programming and talk tracks will cover decarbonizing district energy systems, integrating renewables, sector coupling, thermal energy networks, electrification, governance strategies, geo-exchange, nuclear energy, system optimization, heating, cooling, compliance, and much, much more.
Program highlights include:
Monday, June 2
- Two workshop opportunities: District Energy & Data Centers and District Thermal Energy Networks (8:00am-3:00pm)
- District Energy & Data Centers participants will learn directly from data center developers and district energy providers about market opportunities for the co-location and integration of data centers with district energy systems while exploring technical, business and regulatory considerations.
- District Thermal Energy Networks attendees will explore technology options, business model guidance and discuss new tools to accelerate business development and shape policy evolution with federal, state, and local policy leaders.
- Forums focusing on specialty areas such as District Cooling, District Energy’s Women Initiative (DEWI), Future Energy, Business Development, and Young Professionals Group (YPG) (3:05pm-4:10pm)
- Annual IDEA General Meeting (4:15pm-5:30pm)
- Welcome Reception with Business Partner exhibitors (5:30pm-7:00pm)
Tuesday, June 3
- Conference Opening with remarks from Rob Thornton, IDEA President & CEO; Joan Kowal, IDEA Chair 2024-2025, Jacobs; Jacob Graff, General Conference Chair & Host, President North & West Regions for Cordia; and the Honorable Jacob Frey, Mayor of Minneapolis, MN (8:15am-9:15am)
- Global Industry Leaders Plenary Panel (9:15am-10:15am), featuring the following speakers (invited):
- Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower
- Earl Collins, CEO, Cordia
- Carlyle Coutinho, CEO, Enwave Energy Corporation
- Frank Cuomo, Director, Commodity Operations, Con Edison
- Luke Gaalswyk, CEO, Ever-Green Energy
- Kevin Hagerty, CEO, Vicinity Energy
- Meghan Riesterer, Chief Sustainability Officer, CenTrio
- Diego Mandelbaum, Chief Development Officer, Corix
- Keynote address with Joseph Majkut, Director, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) on “Energy Security Trends and Climate” (12:30pm-2:00pm)
- Ongoing workshops and talk tracks throughout the day
- Innovation Awards presentation (4:20pm-5:30pm)
Wednesday, June 4
- Global Leaders in Technologies will explore a range of emergent clean energy solutions at city-scale (8:00am-8:55am) featuring the following speakers:
- Rajesh Dixit, Senior Director, Global Product Management, Johnson Controls, Inc.
- Neil Ethier, Vice President Business Development, Eavor Technologies, Inc.
- Kevin Fox, Engineering Manager, Burns & McDonnell
- Kimberly Greene, North American Sales Director, 2G Energy North America
- Joan Kowal, Vice President, Business Development, Jacobs
- Noah Nkonge, Senior Manager, Sustainability, Heat Export, Equinix
- Tim Peer, Vice President, District Energy, BOND Construction
- Bernie Pfeifer, North American Sales Director Power Generation, Solar Turbines
- Ongoing workshops and talk tracks throughout the day
- Annual Recognition and Awards Luncheon with remarks from David Woodson, incoming IDEA Chair (12:15pm-1:25pm)
Thursday, June 5
- Two technical tour options of Cordia’s Main Plant & Dayton’s chiller plant, and District Energy St. Paul & University of Minnesota’s main energy plant
“While advancement in district energy technologies is crucial, innovation and integration are also key factors for the people operating, maintaining and developing these systems,” said Joan Kowal, IDEA Board Chair and Vice President, Business Development at Jacobs. “Our industry depends on a knowledgeable, dedicated workforce that is closely collaborating and exchanging ideas and best practices through events such as IDEA’s annual conference, allowing us all to better serve our customers.”
IDEA would like to thank our 2025 Diamond Sponsors, Cordia, Empower Energy Solutions and Corix, and our Platinum Sponsors, CenTrio, Johnson Controls and Enwave Energy Corporation for their generous support and participation throughout the conference.