Load Research Online

Conference Information

Our friends at Salt River Project (SRP) are proud to host the Spring 2017 Western Load Research Association (WLRA) meeting and conference in Tempe, Arizona, March 5-8, 2017.

Location

The Spring 2017 WLRA meeting and conference will be at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center:

Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center
60 East Fifth Street
Tempe, AZ 85281
480-894-1400

Conference Registration

Please register by Friday, March 3, 2017. Conference registration is $500.  You can register and pay online.  Alternately, you can register online and email a copy of your registration confirmation along with your payment (payable to Salt River Project) to:

Salt River Project
Attn: Melissa Buchler ISB685
PO BOX 52025
Phoenix, AZ 85072-2025

Hotel Reservations

You must make your hotel reservations by Friday, February 3 to guarantee room availability and to secure the conference rate of $214 (plus taxes) for a Deluxe King Non-smoking room per night.
Reservations can be made online or by telephone:

Online Booking Instructions:

1. Book online directly by clicking here (or follow the process in steps 2-6 below).
   – OR –
2. Visit the hotel’s website at http://www.missionpalms.com/
3. Select the arrival and departure dates, number of adults, kids, and number of rooms
4. Click on “PROMO CODE” and enter 2UB1U5 in the Group Code field
5. Click “CHECK AVAILABILITY”
6. The hotel will display the room type, (Deluxe Non-smoking) available at our conference rate. Click “VIEW AVAILABLE ROOMS”, then click “SELECT” to continue booking your room at the conference rate

You may also contact Reservations at 1.800.547.8705 and request the Western Load Research Association (WLRA) rate during your stay dates.

Transportation

The distance from Sky Harbor International Airport to the Tempe Mission Palms is 6 miles – our hotel provides a free, daily shuttle to and from the airport from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Once you have arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport, please follow the directions below to obtain the complimentary shuttle service to the hotel:

1. Pick up your luggage at the baggage claim
2. Call the Tempe Mission Palms operator at 480.894.1400 using your mobile phone or a pay phone
3. Tell the operator what terminal you are in
4. Follow the directions from the operator
5. Tempe Mission Palms vans are white and have the hotel logo on them. Like this:
    
6. The shuttle should arrive within a few minutes and the time to the hotel is ten minutes

Special Event: Cactus League Baseball Game – Athletics vs. Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields

SRP will host us at the Salt River Fields’ Coors Deck at Talking Stick Resort and Casino, just east of Scottsdale city limits and about 20 minutes away from our conference hotel. Round trip transportation from Tempe Mission Palms to the event will be provided. Salt River Fields is the spring home for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. The facility is one of the most popular venues in the Cactus League. We will enjoy the game as the Oakland Athletics take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, March 7th. One admission ticket is included in the conference’s registration fee. Admission includes a hotdog, cheeseburger, pasta salad, chips, cookie, and two beverages.

Additional tickets can be purchased prior to the event for $50. Space is limited!

Other Special Activity

Tour of Arizona State University’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment

SRP is pleased to announce that the conference will conclude on Wednesday, March 8 with a tour and presentation at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (http://ssebe.engineering.asu.edu/). The School is located a short walk away from our conference hotel.

Call for Papers

Presentations at the conference will continue to demonstrate that load research and load forecasting are great tools for dealing with the newer challenges of the modern electric utility industry. This includes smart grid implementations, distributed energy resources, demand response, renewable energy, dynamic pricing programs, time-of-use rates as well as traditional regulatory needs. Papers and discussions can focus on innovative new technologies and methodologies or the traditional principles of statistical analysis.

WLRA will accept papers on any subject related to load research or load forecasting, including but not limited to, least-cost sampling, end-use research, integrated resource planning, program evaluation, load profiling, innovative rate design, energy efficiency measures and peak-demand forecasts.

WLRA is continuing to expand utility involvement, and special priority consideration will be given to utilities wishing to make presentations. The continued success of the WLRA conferences depends on participation from utility members. It is for this reason that utility presentations are particularly encouraged, but utility-vendor partnership presentations are also welcomed and vendor presentations will be considered.

Presentations don’t need to be extravagant and can be as short as fifteen minutes in duration.
If you would like to make a presentation, please fill out the “Call for Papers” form (Link) and e-mail it to Joel Clark, WLRA Co-chair (see contact details below). Please submit your form by Monday, February 27.

Roundtable Discussions

The Spring Conference will continue to feature roundtable discussions. If there are topics you would like to discuss during the roundtables, please make sure to note them on your Conference Registration Form or contact Joel Clark directly.

Vendor Reception

As with previous WLRA conferences, the Tempe conference will have a vendor reception hosted by our attending industry vendors. The reception will be held in the evening on Monday, March 6th. As always, this is a great opportunity for attendees to catch up with colleagues from across the west, network with new providers and experts, and enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Contact Information

Conference Host:

Melissa Buchler
(602) 236-5815
[email protected]

WLRA Co-chair:

Joel Clark
(208) 388-5431
[email protected]

WLRA Co-chair:

Candice Potter
(415) 369-1194
[email protected]

Notes

1. The Western Load Research Association does not maintain a bank account.  All funds are handled by the host company.
2. Credit Card payments are collected by Load Research Online’s parent company NicNat Networks. Your credit card statement will show that your payment was to NICNAT NET or NICNAT NETWORKS LLC.  In order to avoid delays with the payment processing, please make sure to authorize your payment to NicNat Networks.
3. Credit Card payment processing is handled through PayPal.  You do not need a PayPal account to pay using this option.
4. A nominal surcharge is added on to the conference registration fee to cover the cost of credit card transactions.