International District Energy Association

04/24/2026

Texas’ power grid is heading into winter stronger than it was a few years ago, supported by new planning, improved technology, and tighter grid operations.

But with electricity demand rising and severe weather becoming more frequent, a key question remains: how quickly can the state add, connect, and reliably operate grid-scale energy storage?

Read Arcelia Martin’s recent article in Inside Climate News on grid stabilization: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19122025/the-texas-power-grid-will-get-a-boost-from-batteries-this-winter/

04/22/2026

On this , we’re reminded that clean air is a shared challenge, one that crosses every border.

Global air‑quality data consistently show that the vast majority of cities worldwide fail to meet World Health Organization air‑quality guidelines, underscoring the urgency of rethinking how we power and heat our communities.

District energy is part of the solution. By replacing countless individual boilers and rooftop units with efficient, centralized systems, district energy reduces emissions at scale—improving local air quality and creating healthier, more resilient cities for the people who live and work in them.

Today and every day, IDEA celebrates the professionals and innovators around the world advancing district energy and community‑scale solutions. Thank you for your commitment to a more sustainable energy future—because this is the only world we’ve got.

Happy Earth Day! 🌎

04/13/2026

Infrastructure will play a defining role in the energy transition.

While major transmission projects can spend years in regulatory review, electricity demand is rising quickly—driven by , data centers, electric vehicles, and industrial electrification. Communities need smart, resilient energy assets that can be deployed sooner.

systems deliver heating, cooling, and power at the campus or community scale. By aggregating thermal loads across multiple buildings, they reduce stress on the electric grid, lower long-term energy costs, and help communities make progress on climate and affordability.

It's exactly the kind of infrastructure conversation that will be front and center at —Connecting Networks. Powering Change—June 23–26 in Ottawa.

What are your expectations for the rest of 2026? Share your thoughts below.

Register for IDEA2026 today, early-bird pricing ends Friday, April 17: https://www.districtenergy.org/idea2026/registration

04/10/2026

Six systems. Six approaches. One region leading the way.

Join us on Wednesday, April 29, at 1:00 p.m. ET, for IDEA's third webinar in the series on downtown decarbonization for a close look at how owners and operators in City of North Vancouver, City of Richmond, City of Victoria BC, City of Burnaby, and Thompson Rivers University are getting it done.

District energy operators across the Greater Vancouver area are proving that deep decarbonization isn't a distant goal—it's an operational reality. Waste heat recovery, geothermal, thermal solar, wood waste-to-energy, air source heat pumps—the technology mix is as unique as the systems themselves.

Register today! https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2017751722019/WN_nuaTP2bVQQS3WLyX4CmPQw #/registration

Learn more about our speakers, Uwe Fabert, Richard Harland, Aaron Yeung, Shiva Prakash, and Keith Bate from Lulu Island Energy Company, Lonsdale Energy, Corix, and Creative Energy: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2017751722019/WN_nuaTP2bVQQS3WLyX4CmPQw #/registration

04/08/2026

Sweden is charting the path for responsible AI in energy infrastructure.

Experts at Umeå University and energy company Umeå Energi are currently working on an AI-based decision support system at the Dåva combined heat and power plant in Umeå. New AI methods developed at the Department of Computing Science are predicted to detect deviations in complex systems much earlier than current approaches, strengthening energy resilience. The project focuses on improving efficiency and operational reliability while ensuring compliance with the EU’s AI Regulation for AI systems used in energy supply.

“Working with prediction in the energy sector is not new. What is new here is combining it with artificial intelligence while embedding reliability and responsibility into the application,” says Måns Kjellander of Umeå Energi.

This initiative offers a glimpse into the future of energy, as AI becomes a tool for smarter, safer systems.

Learn more here: https://www.umu.se/en/news/umea-first-in-sweden-to-use-responsible-ai-in-combined-heat-and-power_12156569/

04/07/2026

The program is live—lock in early-bird pricing before it ends Friday, April 17. ⏳

100+ speakers. Five topic tracks. Two full-day pre-conference workshops. Daily plenaries with global leaders. And a landmark ESAP milestone ceremony that will bring federal and municipal stakeholders to Ottawa specifically for this event.

This year's theme, Connecting Networks. Powering Change., reflects what IDEA is all about: bringing the global district energy community together to share real-world project experience, explore emerging technologies, and strengthen the partnerships shaping our industry's future.

Join us in Ottawa for IDEA's 117th Annual Conference & Trade Show—June 23–26, 2026, at Rogers Centre Ottawa.

Register now to secure your spot: https://www.districtenergy.org/idea2026/registration
View the program: https://idea2026.eventscribe.net/

04/03/2026

Clean energy infrastructure and technological innovation are joining forces. Google has announced plans to develop a new data center in Michigan in partnership with DTE Energy using an energy-first strategy that prioritizes grid reliability, affordability, and sustainability.

Some defining traits of the project include:

🔹 2.7 GW of new clean energy resources added to the grid that include solar, advanced storage, and demand flexibility
🔹 A Clean Capacity Acceleration Agreement helping accelerate Michigan’s transition away from coal
🔹 A $10M Energy Impact Fund to support local communities through weatherization and workforce development
🔹 A commitment to protect ratepayers, with Google fully funding electricity and infrastructure costs
🔹 A focus on responsible water use, guided by data on local environmental conditions

Michigan continues to position itself as a leader in next-generation infrastructure, and this approach will strengthen the grid while supporting long-term economic growth.

Read about the partnership here: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/infrastructure-and-cloud/global-network/clean-energy-reliability-michigan/

04/01/2026

Noresco has solidified its role in a $104-million upgrade of a FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation complex in Virginia servicing a chiller plant and providing on-site backup power generation for the 547-acre campus.

"This project at the FBI Quantico Complex will significantly enhance reliability, improve system efficiency, and reduce energy consumption in support of the FBI’s mission," says Doug Sattler, senior vice president at NORESCO.

Check out the Worcester Business Journal article for more details: https://wbjournal.com/article/westborough-firm-joins-104m-fbi-upgrade-in-quantico/

03/19/2026

Decarbonizing buildings in dense cities is complex, but New York rose to the challenge by piloting a sustainable solution for energy distribution.

Buildings are the largest source of emissions in New York, largely driven by onsite fossil fuel use. Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) offer shared infrastructure for heat recovery and smarter energy use across multiple buildings.

Through new Utility Thermal Energy Network pilots led by Con Edison, New York neighborhoods are recovering waste heat from existing systems to generate low-carbon heating and hot water. This initiative has expanded access to cleaner energy for commercial buildings in Rockefeller Center and disadvantaged apartment communities in Chelsea.

Solutions like Thermal Energy Networks are a reminder that system-wide initiatives create sustainable ripple effects. 🌱

Check out the WSP piece for more: https://www.wsp.com/en-us/projects/con-edison-thermal-energy-network-pilots-in-new-york-city

03/16/2026

registration is now open! ✨

Join us June 23–26 at the Rogers Centre Ottawa Convention Center for our 117th Annual Conference & Trade Show: a dynamic program featuring district energy projects from across North America and around the globe.

We're putting the finishing touches on a program—real projects, real results, and honest conversations about what's working and what's not. No theoreticals. Just actionable insights from practitioners who are doing this work every day.

Most importantly, we'll be shining a spotlight on why district energy matters to the future of our communities—the people leading the charge, and the kind of peer exchange you can only get when the whole industry is in one room. This is where the conversations happen that move our industry forward.

📌 Book your hotel now: Rooms are held at the Westin Ottawa and Fairmont Chateau Laurier, but they won't last: https://www.districtenergy.org/idea2026/hotel-travel/hotel-information

📣 Exhibiting or sponsoring? Reach out to Tanya Kozel to confirm availability before space is gone.

👉 Register here: https://www.districtenergy.org/idea2026/registration

03/10/2026

IDEA is headed to Ottawa this June for ! 🇨🇦

We learned from Carlyle Coutinho, CEO of Enwave Energy Corporation, that Canada’s leadership presence in the global energy transition is rising during a candid episode of Pitching Progress.

Coutinho shared all the details surrounding Enwave's role in scalable, climate-friendly infrastructure, highlighting their Deep Lake Water Cooling system, which harnesses water from Lake Ontario to heat and cool downtown Toronto.

🎧 Check out the podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heating-and-cooling-cities-more-efficiently-with/id1840230589?i=1000746185378

🔈 Or listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/75THagZ05tYWiZeoQ9SxdU?si=ad2f4a4e88164bcb

Podcast Episode · Pitching Progress · January 22 · 29m