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Event Recap

IDEA Annual Conference 2026

Event Details

Topic

The theme for IDEA2026 was Connecting Networks, reflecting not only the very essence of district energy—interconnected systems delivering value to the communities they serve—but also the power of the people behind the scenes, building relationships to create a more sustainable future.

Purpose

Vicinity is committed to knowledge sharing with peers in the district energy space. Several members of the Vicinity team attended the IDEA Annual Conference.

Who attended

Keynote Speakers

Kevin Hagerty

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Vicinity Energy, Kevin Hagerty is leading the transformation of the district energy industry, driving Vicinity Energy’s bold transition to electrification and the rapid expansion of eSteam™—the first clean thermal energy product of its kind.

Session Details

Plenary Panel 1: A Discussion Among Industry Leaders – Connecting Networks

President and CEO of Vicinity Energy Kevin Hagerty joined IDEA President and CEO Robert Thornton and industry leaders on June 24 for the first plenary panel of the IDEA Annual Conference.

At this year’s Annual Conference, Vicinity President and CEO Kevin Hagerty opened the conference as part of the plenary panel discussion alongside fellow district energy industry leaders. Moderated by IDEA President and CEO Rob Thornton, the conversation focused on the evolving needs of customers and the competitive advantages of district energy.

Key takeaways included:

Prioritize customer needs. Sustainability goals matter, but customers need solutions that also deliver affordability, strong ROI, reliability, and long-term operational value.
Every customer has different priorities. From sustainability-focused early adopters to large portfolio owners seeking risk reduction and economic buyers focused on cost savings, successful engagement requires tailoring the value proposition to each audience.
Capital efficiency drives competitive advantage. In today’s inflationary environment, scalable, integrated infrastructure solutions like district energy will support customer growth and resiliency.

Photo gallery

District energy leaders gathered for the plenary panel at the IDEA Annual Conference..

District energy leaders gathered for the plenary panel at the IDEA Annual Conference..

Vicinity's Boston and Cambridge system was awarded with the Gold awards for both Total Building Area Committed and Total Square Footage Committed in North America.