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Southwest Electric Distribution Exchange2026 Conference

Hosted by

Pedernales Electric Cooperative

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

TimeEventEvent Location
8:00 AM – 6:00 PMRegistration Check-in & Information – ATTENDEESKalahari Ballroom Foyer
9:00 AM – 10:00 AMSWEDE Committee Meetings 
 
  • Design Committee
Acacia
 
  • Planning, Reliability & External Relations Committee
Bamboo
 
  • Construction, Operation & Maintenance Committee
Banyan
 
  • Materials, Equipment & Guidelines (Codes & Standards) Committee
Crown Palm
10:00 AM – 11:00 AMSWEDE Steering Committee MeetingAcacia
12:00 PMVendor SetupKillmanjaro Ballroom
11:00 AM – 12:30 PMGolf Tournament Registration & LunchTeravista Golf Club
1:00 PMGolf — Shotgun Start– Awards to follow during dinnerTeravista Golf Club
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Dinner Buffet, followed by leisure time to enjoy the hotel property
(Only for Conference and Guest Registrants)		Event Barn

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

TimeEventEvent Location
7:00 AM – 6:00 PMRegistration Check-in & InformationKalahari Ballroom Foyer
7:00 AM – 8:00 AMBreakfast & Vendor ExhibitionKillmanjaro Ballroom
7:00 AM – 8:00 AMWomen in SWEDE Networking BreakfastZambezi & Nile
8:00 AM – 8:20 AM
General Session Open — Paul Lochte, P.E. (Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc and SWEDE Chairperson)
Kalahari Salon E-I
8:20 AM – 10:00 AM
General Session – Design Committee
Design Tools & Considerations for Pole Sizing - Tommy Nylec, PE (CoServ)
Pole Foundations - David Huff (Entergy)
Pole inspection/replacement program — Simon Baraz (CPS)
Kalahari Salon E-I
10:00 AM – 10:30 AMBREAK & Vendor ExhibitionKillmanjaro Ballroom
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
General Session – Planning, Reliability & External Relations Committee
Distribution Automation / Circuit Reconfiguration (DACR) Rollout in AEP Texas: Challenges, Solutions and Results — Brandon Rokohl (AEP Texas)
Delivering Reliability Through Challenging Terrain — Katlyn Engel (CenterPoint Energy)
Voltage Reduction Strategy & Experiences — Logan Fowler, P.E. (Oncor)
Kalahari Salon E-I
12:00 PM – 1:00 PMLunch & Vendor ExhibitionKillmanjaro Ballroom
1:00 PM – 2:30 PMBreakout Sessions 
2:30 PM – 3:15 PMBreak & Vendor ExhibitionKillmanjaro Ballroom
3:15 PM – 4:40 PMBreakout Sessions continued... 
5:00 PM – 7:00 PMTrade Show / Vendor ExhibitionLight Appetizers and BeveragesDinner on your own...Killmanjaro Ballroom
7:00 PM – 12:00 AMVendor Load OutKillmanjaro Ballroom

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026 — BREAKOUT SESSION 1

TimeEventEvent Location
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM3:15 PM – 4:40 PM
Construction, Operation & Maintenance Committee Scott Lee, P.E. (Chair from AEP Texas)
  • Technology To Replace Expulsion Fuses - Van Tseng (CenterPoint), Scott Lee (AEP Texas)
  • New Vegetation Management Techniques - Robert Young (CenterPoint), Scott Lee 2.0 (Oncor), Keith Chucci (Oncor)
  • Drone Operations Centers - Eric Elizondo (AEP Texas, AEP Ohio)
  • Voltage Conversion Projects 12kV to 25kV or 35kV - Sergio Arredondo (PECI), David Flores (TNMP)
Kalahari Salon A
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM3:15 PM – 4:40 PM
Materials, Equipment & Guidelines (Codes and Standards) Committee Benjamin Isaak, P.E. (Chair from AEP)
  • System Resiliency Plan in response to PUC Rule 25.62 — Carlos Quintanilla, P.E. (Oncor), Roy Rojas (Oncor)
  • Resiliency initiatives — Round Table
  • 651R2 Recloser 32 — Pin Compatibility — Benjamin Issak, P.E. (AEP)
  • Foreign Transformers, Hanging Arrestors and Other — Round Table
Kalahari Salon B
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM3:15 PM – 4:40 PM
Design Committee Jesus Guerra, P.E. (Co-Chair from CenterPoint Energy) & Craig Robicheaux, P.E. (Co-Chair from Oncor)
  • Training for New Designers (RT) - Pedro Estrada (PECI)
  • Interactions with Planning, Standards & Materials, and Operations (RT) - Pablo Ortegon (AEP)
  • Strategic Undergrounding / Three Phase Underground Standards (RT) - Antulio Garcia (CPS)
  • Dealing with Customer Complaints on Electrical Equipment in ROW (RT)
  • DACR / Distribution Automation Design Considerations (P/RT) - Presentation: Anna Rodriguez (AEP), Roundtable: Pablo Ortegon (AEP)
Kalahari Salon C
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM3:15 PM – 4:40 PM
Planning, Reliability & External Relations Committee Melvin Schoech, P.E. (Chair from CenterPoint Energy)
SMEs from member utilities will provide their respective utility input focusing on Planning and Reliability, with full audience interaction
  • Training for New Designers (RT) - Pedro Estrada (PECI)
  • Resiliency Plan Experiences
  • AI Data Center Experiences
  • Home Battery Installation Experiences
  • Economic Development Impacts on Planning with an External Relations Focus
Kalahari Salon D

Thursday, April 9, 2026

TimeEventEvent Location
7:00 AM – 8:00 AMBreakfastKalahari Ballroom Foyer
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
General Session — Construction, Operation & Maintenance Committee
Construction Work Bundling, CenterPoint Energy (Caroline Geiger)
Hurricane Preparedness Response, CenterPoint Energy (Thomas Jacobus/Jonathon Robb)
Wildfire Mitigation from a Utility Perspective, AEP Texas (Patrick Rackley)
Kalahari Salon E-I
10:00 AM – 10:20 AMBREAKKalahari Ballroom Foyer
10:20 AM – 12:00 PM
General Session — Materials, Equipment & Guidelines (Codes and Standards) Committee
Covered Conductor Systems - Josh Contreras (Austin Energy)
Defining Composite Pole Performance - Patrick Maldonado (Austin Energy)
High Impedance Fault Detection - Sean Welton P.E., AEP)
Kalahari Salon E-I
12:00 PM – 1:30 PMEthics Training & LunchKalahari Salon E-I
1:30 PMAdjourn