---
title: Top 5 Takeaways About the Future of Energy from CPES
description: Learn the key insights from energy industry leaders at Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) 2026 conference, including Budderfly's Adrien Merveille.
image: https://blog.budderfly.com/hubfs/CPES%20Blog.png
---
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Nov 06, 2026
# Top 5 Takeaways About the Future of Energy from CPES
Budderfly recently attended CPES’s 2026 conference, [The Future of Energy in Connecticut: Resiliency, Affordability, and Innovation](https://ctpower.org/fall-conference/). The Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) is Connecticut’s leading association of energy professionals. The event brought together energy executives, innovators, policymakers, regulators, and industry professionals for thought-provoking discussions and insights into the trends and innovations driving the state's evolving energy landscape.
Adrien Merveille, Budderfly’s Director, Engineering Implementation, took part in a panel called Innovation at the Meter: AMI, Rate Design, and How Data is Shaping the Competitive Market.
Moderated by Robinson + Cole Partner and CPES board member, Joey Lee Miranda, panelists included:
- Richard Spilky, Principal, Retail Market Development at Constellation Energy
- Elin Katz, Vice President of Energy Policy at Avangrid
- Adrien Merveille, Director, Engineering Implementation at Budderfly
The discussion was centered around what’s needed for a more resilient energy future, from data and automation to consumer education. Below are some of the most interesting takeaways from these energy leaders.
## **1. Affordability is driving customer engagement, but more education is needed.**
The industry has had a long-standing goal of making energy cheaper, cleaner and more reliable. Now [rising energy costs](https://blog.budderfly.com/why-your-energy-bills-keep-increasing) have elevated public interest and average consumers are thinking and talking about energy more.
At the same time, there’s a gap in how much the average consumer understands their energy usage. Panelists told stories about speaking to people who didn’t understand the various charges on their bills and who didn’t know about time of use rates or that energy is cheaper at night.
“We all need to do a better job as an industry on educating consumers,” said Elin Katz. “And now that there's a greater level of interest in learning about how you can have a greater agency over your electric bill, there's an opportunity for people to listen more than they might have.”
## **2. Behind-the-meter solutions are transforming energy and helping the grid.**
Energy rates and utility supply are significant challenges, but “behind-the-meter" solutions (those on the customer’s side) are having a significant impact in helping businesses manage costs, lower consumption, and boost resiliency.
[Energy-as-a-service](https://www.budderfly.com/energy-service/) providers like Budderfly help businesses enact these solutions without needing to spend capital or take on additional risk.
"Customer behavior is probably one of the most difficult challenges when considering again the energy transition and efficiency,” said Budderfly’s Merveille. “Because we step in and partner with them and take control of the outcome, we're able to bear in mind their needs operationally, while at the same time driving towards the outcome without needing the customer to take on the operational risk, the performance risk and the financial risk.”
There are major resiliency implications, too. These solutions also reduce demand and orchestrate consumption, “which has a [downstream impact on what the grid](https://www.budderfly.com/energy-service/virtual-power-plant/) is able to make available for all customers, including residential customers.”
## **3. Better data is essential for smarter energy management.**
All three panelists emphasized that access to timely, accurate energy data is critical for developing new products, managing demand, and improving efficiency.
Data is the foundation of Budderfly's business model, as Merveille noted, because "You can't effectively improve what you can't measure."
Things like [submeters and sensors](https://www.budderfly.com/our-technology/) installed throughout facilities can help show what drives consumption and to find opportunities for optimization. Whether it's utilities, suppliers, or building operators, accessing better data enables better decisions, better efficiency, and ultimately lower costs.
## **4. Customers want more control, but not more work. Automation is key.**
A recurring theme was that most customers want lower bills and greater control over their energy use. At the same time, they don’t have the time or desire to actively manage it every day.
Rather than relying on customers to manually change behavior, panelists agreed that automation is key to the future of energy management.
Battery storage and demand response programs are prime examples. Battery systems can automatically charge the battery at night when the prices are low and discharge the battery during the day when the prices are high. The customer doesn’t have to actively manage them.
Behind-the-meter solutions, too, can automate interaction with the grid and change customer behavior without the customer having to actually change their behavior, so that they can take advantage of highs and lows in the market to manage consumption and costs.
## **5. AI is becoming a major tool for energy optimization.**
The amount of data being collected and analyzed has exploded in recent years, enabling unprecedented levels of prediction and optimization. AI is increasingly being used to automate decisions, detect inefficiencies, and manage energy systems at scale.
At Budderfly, for example, data analysis provides insights that inform how we improve and replace equipment or implement controls in customer facilities. It allows for predictive maintenance, sensing potential equipment issues before breakdowns.
The panelists agreed that there are countless opportunities to utilize AI, from customer sites to the utility side, to improve customer service, project management, outages, maintenance, and more.
Ultimately, the panel's central message was that smarter use of data, automation, behind-the-meter solutions, and AI are key to improving energy costs, sustainability, and resilience.
The challenge for the industry is working together at every level to make energy more affordable and reliable, while ensuring solutions are accessible to customers.
---
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