Then and Now: How AESP and I Have Evolved

Zoe Knaus, Katie Falk, Ashley Palladino and Caty Lamadrid of Inova Energy Group

AESP Annual 2026 ended up being far more meaningful than I expected. When I started in the energy efficiency industry back in November 2011, I was sent to AESP in San Diego just a few months into the job. I barely understood the terminology, knew only a handful of people, and felt like an outsider walking into one of the largest conferences in the industry. This year, I returned to San Diego 14 years later, and I’m proud to say a lot has changed.

The faces of the industry have changed.
Fourteen years ago, the conference felt overwhelmingly homogenous. I remember going out after hours as the only woman in a group of men and simply accepting that as the norm. Fast forward to today: we launched AESP’s first Latino affinity group, a colleague led a powerful Black Women in Energy Summit, and when I look at the Board I’m honored to serve on, I see a range of cultures, identities, and lived experiences. I also had the privilege of being a Conference Ambassador to a young woman whose roots trace outside the U.S. While there is still work to do, I’m proud of the progress. To serve communities across the country, we must reflect them, and every year we get a little closer.

The program offerings have evolved.
It’s wild to remember that, early in my career, CFLs were still the big lighting solution, and lighting was everything. Today, the industry has broadened beyond the easiest kilowatt-hour savings to embrace what people and communities truly need. We’re talking about grid resilience, energy equity, and decarbonization, but also demand flexibility, electrification, and workforce development. We’re thinking bigger and pushing further.

The conversations have shifted too.
This year, I heard more dialogue around uplifting diverse and small businesses. AESP truly shines here. Whether it’s Small Business Alley or the pre-conference training on supplier strategies, they are clearly committed to understanding and supporting the full range of their membership. It was wonderful to represent Inova Energy Group and have an opportunity to share our story and our capabilities, and find other likeminded businesses.

But one of the biggest changes between AESP Annual in 2012 and 2026 is me.
I could never have imagined, 14 years ago, that I would find such a strong, supportive community. Through AESP I’ve had the opportunity to speak, moderate, lead a chapter, co-chair a topic committee, guide the Women in Energy affinity group, help launch a Latino group, co-chair two conference planning committees, review awards and scholarships, and help shape the future of this organization as a National Board member.

This is what AESP has always done well and continues to do today:
they help people grow in a world that’s constantly changing.

For that, and for the friendships and connections built along the way, I am incredibly grateful.