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Forecasting

ISO Forecasting Summit 2026

October 6, 2026

Itron hosted the 17th Annual ISO Forecasting Summit from Sept. 23 – 25, 2026 in the Boston, Massachusetts Seaport District. Attendees included representatives from:

  • AEMO. Australian Energy Market Operator
  • AESO. Alberta Electric System Operator
  • BPA. Bonneville Power Administration
  • ERCOT. Energy Reliability Council of Texas
  • IESO. Independent Electricity System Operator (of Ontario)
  • ISONE. ISO New England
  • MISO. Midcontinent Independent System Operator
  • NYISO. New York Independent System Operator
  • PJM
  • SPP. Southwest Power Pool
  • TVA. Tennessee Valley Authority

The Annual ISO Summit is a unique opportunity for Independent System Operators (ISO) and Transmission System Operators (TSO) to convene around their unique challenges in an environment free of market participants, which allows them to candidly share their opinions, challenges and solutions. Attendees presented various issues that are impacting their short-term and long-term outlooks, including behind-the-meter solar generation, data centers and extreme weather conditions. We learned:

  • How attendees are utilizing AI to track, manage and organize an ever-growing and changing list of data centers.
  • How some ISOs are incorporating probabilistic and ensemble forecasting into their short-term and long-term outlooks.
  • How one ISO is using a dynamic seasonal approach to estimating statistical models with the goal of focusing the model on the current season without the need for manual intervention. This “Model Show & Tell” session was a popular new addition to the agenda this year and we intend to continue this tradition next year.

Most importantly, attendees whose experience ranged from a few months to decades, learned they are not alone in the challenges facing them every day. 

Most of this year’s attendees utilize Itron’s forecasting software (MetrixIDR, MetrixND and MetrixLT) and services to varying degrees. In fact, all but one of the organizations in attendance currently depend upon Itron’s demand-forecasting system MetrixIDR to support their real-time and day-ahead markets. Still, ISOs without existing relationships with Itron have attended in prior years and we always encourage new attendees.

Contact us at forecasting@itron.com if you are interested in joining the conversation in a future ISO Forecasting Summit.

By Rich Simons

Principal Forecast Consultant

Since joining Itron in 2000, Mr. Simons has developed, implemented and supported numerous day-ahead and real-time forecasting systems for Independent System Operators (ISOs), retailers, distribution companies, cooperatives and wholesale generators, including NYISO, IESO, TVA, Consolidated Edison, NRG Energy, PSEG and Vectren. Mr. Simons has implemented systems to support budget & long-term forecasting, weather-normalization, and unbilled-energy estimation for municipal utilities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities, including Ameren, Entergy and FirstEnergy. Mr. Simons has developed forecasting and analysis solutions for municipal water utilities and has developed several customized applications and models for forecasting revenues, managing bills, weather-normalizing sales and estimating unbilled energy. Mr. Simons has reconfigured, streamlined and deployed load research systems at multiple utilities including United Illuminating, Indianapolis Power & Light, TECO Energy, NVEnergy, Colorado Springs Utilities and Lincoln Electric. Mr. Simons has implemented real-time natural gas forecasting systems to support operations at Vectren Energy and Consolidated Edison. In 2019 and 2020, Mr. Simons was a key team-member on a well-publicized report for NYISO to analyze long-term weather trends across the New York state.

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