Speakers:
Brian Patterson, Chairman, EMerge Alliance
Adrienne Pierce, CEO, New Sun Road
Brian Nelson, US Renewables Segment Lead, ABB
Gary Oppedahl, EVP Data Center Partnerships, The Sun Company
Abstract:
Electricity demand is surging—driven by AI, EVs, industrial automation, and widespread electrification—and traditional power systems are struggling to keep up. Hybrid AC/DC microgrids offer a scalable path to more efficient, resilient, and flexible energy.
Join us to explore how these systems integrate renewables, enable decentralized generation, and optimize power delivery across data centers, industrial sites, and communities. We’ll share real-world results from California Energy Commission (CEC)-funded, in-front-of-the-meter microgrid demonstrations in PG&E and Southern California Edison territories, highlighting practical approaches to resilience and local energy supply.
We’ll also examine how networked microgrids and DC systems are expanding what’s possible. By combining advanced controls, energy storage, and DC power electronics, hybrid microgrids cut losses, ease grid congestion, and improve reliability.
What you’ll take away:
Expert perspectives on the key challenges—interoperability, integration, and policy—and a clear view of how hybrid AC/DC microgrids are shaping a more adaptable, future-ready energy ecosystem.
About the speakers:
Brian Patterson
Chairman, EMerge Alliance
Brian T. Patterson is a founder and Chairman of the Board of the EMerge Alliance, a 501c non-profit corporation developing application standards for hybrid ac/dc powered building, enterprise, neighborhhod and community level microgrids. Patterson has an extensive technical and work history in electronics, fiber optics and building technologies and holds multiple patents in those fields. He is Managing Director of B. L. Coliker Associates, a technology consulting firm and formerly General Manger of Armstrong World Industries. He is the US representative to IEC SysC on LVDC, a member of IEEE and sponsor of its 2030.10 workgroup on electricity access, a representative to NEMA, CABA, SEPA, PSMA, and an active participant in UL/NEMA/NFPA/Emerge task group on DC power. He has held guest professorships in business and innovation management at Long Island University and Susquehanna University.
Adrienne Pierce
CEO, New Sun Road
Adrienne Pierce is the Chief Executive Officer for New Sun Road, a Public Benefit Corporation scaling energy management for more local, flexible power resources. With a background in microgrids and renewable energy, she headed product management at IronRidge, a leader in solar mounting and racking. At SunEdison, Adrienne managed the REDI project developing a platform to remotely monitor 1800 renewable energy sites globally. She currently chairs the Board of Green Empowerment, serves as an advisor to several startups and is an active member of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability. Adrienne taught chemistry and physics as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon, Africa. She holds an M.B.A from Thunderbird and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lafayette College.
Brian Nelson
US Renewables Segment Lead, ABB
Brian is a seasoned professional with 16 years of diverse experience at ABB, where he has excelled in various roles, including logistics, engineering, and business development. Currently serving as the Renewables Segment Leader for ABB’s Electrification business, Brian leads initiatives to drive growth in renewable energy markets, focusing on solar, energy storage, and wind.
With a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology from Purdue University, Brian combines a strong technical foundation with strategic insight. Early in their career, he gained hands-on experience in Power Transformer logistics and engineering before transitioning to support electric utilities as an Account Manager and Strategic Account Manager, where he spent much of his tenure.
Throughout his career, Brian has cultivated a deep understanding of utility infrastructure and market dynamics through his various roles. He stays ahead of industry advancements by closely tracking changes in NEC and IEEE standards to ensure alignment with market needs.
Brian is known for building strong relationships, delivering innovative solutions, and contributing to the sustainable energy transition. Beyond their professional work, he is the proud husband to a public school teacher and father of two kids.
Gary Oppedahl
EVP Data Center Partnerships, The Sun Company
Gary Oppedahl is Executive Vice President of Data Center Partnerships at The Sun Company, where he leads partnerships and power delivery strategies for data center developments facing constrained grid capacity and extended interconnection timelines. Gary has spent his career at the intersection of energy systems, digital infrastructure, and capital formation, working to translate emerging technologies into deployable infrastructure. His work focuses on enabling data center growth through integrated energy systems that combine grid services, distributed generation, storage, and advanced controls to meet the uptime and reliability requirements of AI-scale computing. Previously, Gary held leadership roles with Emera Technologies and BlockEnergy, where he helped commercialize resilient microgrid systems designed for mission-critical facilities and communities. Earlier in his career, he worked in engineering and operations roles at Intel, gaining firsthand experience with the infrastructure demands of large-scale computing environments. Gary is also the originator of the New Mexico Catalyst Fund, a public-private venture initiative designed to accelerate innovation investment in New Mexico. Today his work focuses on one of the defining infrastructure challenges of the AI era: aligning power delivery timelines with the rapid expansion of data center construction.