International District Energy Association (IDEA)
The International District Energy Association (IDEA) is a nonprofit industry association that advances district energy, thermal networks, and district cooling as critical infrastructure for reliable, efficient, and lower-carbon communities. IDEA brings together utilities, campuses, cities, and solution providers to share best practices, develop workforce and technical education, and accelerate real-world projects through conferences, research, and advocacy—helping members modernize energy systems and deliver resilient heating and cooling at scale.
IDEA's CampusEnergy2026
CampusEnergy2026 is IDEA’s annual conference and trade show for campus and district energy leaders focused on modernizing thermal infrastructure at scale. Held February 17–20, 2026 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington, D.C., the event brings together utility, energy, and sustainability professionals, engineers, policymakers, and solution providers for practical learning and real-world case studies on topics like thermal energy networks (TENs), district heating and cooling, CHP, energy storage, and data center integration—plus hands-on workshops, technical tours, and networking across the district energy community.
IDEA's CampusEnergy2026
From the first conversations on the expo floor to packed sessions and workshops, the momentum is real—focused on reliability, thermal energy networks, decarbonization at scale, and the practical lessons it takes to modernize campus and community energy systems.
Here’s a quick look at the highlights from Day 1 and the people pushing this work forward.
IDEA's CampusEnergy2026
From deeper technical sessions and real project case studies to nonstop conversations in the hallways and on the expo floor, today was all about what it takes to deliver reliable, resilient, lower-carbon thermal infrastructure—at scale.
Here are a few highlights from Day 2 and the people driving the work forward.