Last month, 17 utility forecasting professionals gathered in Boston, Massachusetts, for three hands-on Itron workshops beginning Sept. 5, 2026. Each participant selected one of three learning tracks based on their experience and forecasting needs:

• Forecasting 101 covered the fundamental skills required to understand traditional utility forecasting, including regression analysis and statistics.
• Sales and Demand Forecasting covered the basics of linear regression and exponential smoothing in the context of constructing strong sales, customer and demand forecast models. Participants learned how to identify the right forecast drivers, evaluate model results and performance and address outliers and serial correlation with integrated auto-regressive terms. The course also explored how to incorporate end-use structure into forecast models to capture efficiency program impacts and new technologies.
• Short-Term Forecasting covered the issues associated with real-time and day-ahead load forecasting. Topics included using regression and neural network models, interpreting statistics and constructing model variables that capture the impacts of weather conditions, calendar patterns and behind-the-meter (BTM) solar generation.

All three hands-on sessions centered on Itron’s MetrixND statistical modeling application, which distribution companies, energy retailers and Independent System Operators (ISOs) use globally to produce forecasts ranging from five minutes to 50 years ahead. Participants in the Sales and Demand Forecasting sessions also used Itron’s MetrixLT, a specialized application for calibrating long-term load shapes to energy and peak targets and calculating weather concepts critical to long-term forecasting.

The three Itron instructors brought nearly six decades of combined energy industry experience and had led similar sessions many times. Each participant received a laptop loaded with the software, presentations and exercises, making it possible to engage fully with the material. The workshops brought together professionals from distribution companies, cooperatives and ISOs working in areas from long-term planning to real-time operations. This mix created an environment of cross-pollination allowing participants to learn not only from the instructors, but to learn from each other.

The next workshops will be held in San Diego in fall 2027. Explore upcoming forecasting workshops and meetings here. For customized or in-person training or answers to other questions, contact forecasting@itron.com.