2026 Michigan Energy Summit - Michigan Battle of the Buildings

MI Energy Summit 2026

Efficiency Powering Progress

May 14, 2026 | 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
The Lansing Center | Lansing, MI

The 2026 Michigan Energy Summit will be hosted at the Lansing Center on May 14, 2026. Formerly in Grand Rapids, this full-day conference will highlight the Michigan Battle of the Buildings 2025 'Biggest Losers' for their outstanding energy conservation efforts at a more central location to increase accessibility for our state-wide guests. Attendees will experience a comprehensive program, including a keynote speaker, main-room sessions, breakout sessions, a full exhibitor hall, and concluded with a happy hour sponsored by the Detroit Lions!

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2026 Michigan Enegry Summit Agenda

Registration & Continental Breakfast Welcome & Overview Fireside Chat Keynote Address BREAK Breakout Session I LUNCH Awards Ceremony BREAK Breakout Session II BREAK Closing Session: Data Centers 101 Happy Hour

Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Registration & Continental Breakfast - Exhibitor Hall Open

Welcome & Overview

Fireside Chat

Keynote Address

10:15 AM - 11:00 AM

Keynote Address

Vincent-Martinez_Head-Shot-scaled

Vincent Martinez, Hon. AIA, EIT
CEO, Architecture 2030

Location: Ballroom, Main Stage

BREAK

Breakout Session I

11:20 AM - 12:00 PM

Breakout I Session A | Decode Your Energy Bill: Rates, Rebates & Hidden Savings

Learn how to unlock rebates and reduce your energy bill to boost your bottom line.

This session breaks down the charges on your bill that are most often misunderstood, including demand costs and the Energy Waste Reduction line item, and shows you how a rate analysis can confirm whether you're even on the right rate. You'll also learn how to identify and claim utility rebates you may already be eligible for. Leave with practical steps to cut costs and put money back into your budget.

Moderator: TBD

Panelists:

DTE Representative
Consumers Energy Representative

Location: TBD

Breakout I Session B | Saving Energy, Building Careers: MSU's Training and Assessment Programs

Energy efficiency is one of the most impactful, and often overlooked, opportunities for small manufacturers and commercial buildings, yet many facilities don't know where to start. MSU’s ITAC and MI-BTAC programs are changing that by combining no-cost energy assessments with real-world workforce training. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and in collaboration with Henry Ford College and Michigan Tech, these programs improve energy efficiency and sustainability across Michigan while providing high school and community college students with hands-on training in energy efficiency, weatherization, building retrofits, and energy auditing. These skills are then applied through no-cost assessments for industrial and commercial buildings.

Moderator: Audrey Whaling, 2030 Program Manager, Michigan Green Building Collaborative

Panelists:

Dr. Kristen Cetin, Michigan State University
MSU Student/LCC Student

Location: TBD

Breakout I Session C | Benchmarking Your Way to Clean Energy

This session is designed for both newcomers and experienced practitioners looking to deepen their benchmarking practice. Panelists will walk attendees through how to take benchmarking beyond the basics, including strategies for benchmarking unique or hard-to-measure buildings, how to interpret and act on benchmarking outputs, and how to leverage tools like the Zero Tool to set and track clean energy goals.

Moderator: TBD

Panelists: TBD

Location: TBD

LUNCH

Awards Ceremony

BREAK

Breakout Session II

2:00 PM - 2:40 PM | Sessions A & B
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Session C (Tour)

2:00 PM - 2:40 PM

Breakout II Session A | Funding the Work: Grants, Incentives, and Financing for Energy Projects

This session brings together funding and financing experts to help attendees navigate the landscape of available resources for energy efficiency projects. Panelists will highlight federal, state, and private options, from elective pay opportunities to state-backed financing programs, giving participants the knowledge they need to move projects from planning to implementation.

Key Takeaways:

Learn how Elective Pay (direct pay) can make federal tax credits accessible to nonprofits, municipalities, and other tax-exempt entities
Explore Michigan EGLE's funding opportunities and the MI Healthy Climate Challenges
Discover low-interest financing options available through MI Saves for energy efficiency upgrades
Understand how to layer multiple funding sources to maximize project impact

Moderator: TBD

Panelist:

Wendy Berg, Elective Pay Program Ambassador - Region 4, Event & Membership Manager, Michigan Green Building Collaborative
EGLE Representative
MI Saves Representative

Location: TBD

2:00 PM - 2:40 PM

Breakout II Session B | Lessons from the Leaders: Battle of the Buildings Winners

Go behind the scenes with our Michigan Battle of the Building winners! Hear from the leaders who crushed their energy-saving goals and learn from their strategies, challenges, and successes. Get inspired, and walk away with actionable insights to drive sustainability in your own projects.

Moderator: TBD

Panelists: TBD

Location: TBD

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Breakout I Session C | Walking Tour - Geothermal at the Capitol

Embark on a unique journey through downtown Lansing and discover the power of geothermal energy! Join us for a walk to the Capitol to learn about sustainable energy, innovative infrastructure, and the State’s green initiatives.

Speakers/Guides: TBD

BREAK

Closing Session: Data Centers 101

3:00 PM - 3:50 PM

Closing Session: Data Centers 101

Data centers are rapidly expanding to support the digital economy, creating both economic opportunities and energy challenges for communities. This session will provide a high-level overview of data centers, their energy demands, and their impacts on electric rates, grid capacity, and local planning. It will also explore the role of state policy, utility regulation, and local strategies to ensure growth aligns with community priorities and quality of life. Speakers will share insights that help demystify data centers and guide communities through this evolving landscape.

Moderator:

Liesl Clark, Director, Climate Action Engagement
University of Michigan - School for Environment and Sustainability

Panelist:

Sarah Banas Mills, Director of Graham's Center for EmPowering Communities
Douglas Jester, Managing Partner at 5 Lakes Energy
Mike Auerbach, Planner at Carlisle/Wortman Associates

Location: Ballroom, Main Stage

Happy Hour

Exhibit at the

Energy Summit

By sponsoring or exhibiting at the Michigan Energy Summit, you unlock access to hundreds of professionals in the energy sector and support ongoing innovation in Michigan. As a sponsor/exhibitor, you will be acknowledged as a leader in the energy sector, be immersed in the latest industry trends, and network with fellow peers.

More information about sponsoring and exhibiting at the Michigan Energy Summit will be coming soon.

Learn More

Keynote Speaker

Vincent Martinez

Hon. AIA, EIT
CEO, Architecture 2030

Through his 19-year tenure at Architecture 2030, Vincent Martinez has been working to solve the climate crisis by catalyzing built environment decarbonization efforts through the development and activation of robust networks focused on private sector commitments, education, training, and public policies. Vincent has facilitated the collective impact of a large spectrum of industry partners and organizations to create local, regional, national and international initiatives and programs.

Vincent previous acted as the 2030 Districts Network Interim Director from 2013 to 2016, helping co-found the 2030 Districts model that has now been adopted by 22 North American cities and a founding member of the 2030 Districts Network Board of Governors. Vincent also formerly managed the development and dissemination of the AIA+2030 Professional Education Series, which provided design professionals in 27 markets across North America with strategies for reaching zero net carbon building operations and has since been developed into an AIA online education series. Through his work with the Zero Cities Project, a collaboration with national partners and 11 leading US cities, he led the development of Achieving Zero, a framework of incremental actions that cities and governments can put in place to ensure carbon neutral built environments by 2040. Vincent has most recently been leading Architecture 2030’s delegations at international climate convenings, including the UN Climate Conference COP28 in December 2023 and the Buildings and Climate Global Forum in 2024 hosted by the UN Environment Program and the Government of France.

Vincent is an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and was the 2018 chair of the AIA Energy Leadership Group, a former member of the AIA Sustainability Leadership Group, and was the 2022 chair of the AIA Committee on Climate Action and Design Excellence. He was named an Emerging Leader by the Design Futures Council in 2015 and one of Building Design+Construction‘s 40 Under 40 class of 2022. Vincent is also a former member of the World Economic Forum’s G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance Sustainability Task Force and the Forum’s Urban Infrastructure Task Force, and recently served on the American Society of Landscape Architect’s Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan Advisory Group.

compete in the michigan battle of the buildings

The Michigan Battle of the Buildings is an awards and recognition program for energy use reduction open to all Michigan area commercial, industrial & multi-family buildings. The program is a way to encourage energy-efficient practices in buildings across the state and to instill a spirit of friendly competition among the area’s building owners and operators. There is no cost to enter the competition. To enroll for the competition and learn more about the process, follow the link below.

Enroll