53rd Annual PURC Conference

for Utility Service Providers, Policymakers, and Regulators

SAVE THE DATE: February 18 – 19, 2026 (registration will open Oct. 2025)
Hilton University of Florida (1714 SW 34th Street, Gainesville)

Registration opens at 1pm on Wednesday and the conference begins at 1:30pm. The program concludes following lunch on Thursday.

Agenda-at-a-glance

For over 50 years, the annual conference has served as a neutral forum for engaging dialogue about issues facing utility service providers, policymakers and regulatory agencies.

The event is held every February in Gainesville, and it brings government officials, utility executives, industry leaders and academia together, primarily from Florida and the Southeast.

Registration Fees

Complete details, including registration fees, will be updated in October 2025. Registration includes:

• Reception (hors d’oeuvres, beer & wine) – Wednesday evening
• Breakfast – Thursday
• Conference Luncheon – Thursday
• Continuous beverage service and snack breaks

Hotel Information

The conference is hosted at the Hilton University of Florida – 1714 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, Florida. Registration opens at 1pm on Wednesday and the conference concludes following lunch on Thursday. A conference rate, $154 plus tax per night, is available for attendees. Reserve your room online or by calling reservations at (352) 371-3600. Reservations must be made by January 21, 2026 to secure the discounted rate.

Continuing Education Credit

PURC is registered with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation as a provider of continuing professional educations programs. Each year, we apply to the DBPR for technical business CPE credit for conference sessions, as well as to the Florida Bar for general CLER credit for Florida law practitioners.

Questions?

Contact the conference manager, Rebecca Beachy, via email or at +1 352-392-3655.

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PURC Distinguished Service Award

Each year at the PURC Annual Conference, PURC honors an individual who has contributed to the understanding of regulatory economics and finance. The PURC Distinguished Service Award recognizes the cumulative impact of an individual’s research and policy analyses on both the academic community and regulatory policymakers.

• Past PURC Distinguished Service Award Recipients

Gerald L. Gunter Distinguished Service Award

The Gerald L. Gunter Distinguished Service Award is presented jointly at our Annual Conference by PURC and the Florida Public Service Commission. It recognizes a Public Service Commission employee who has made a significant contribution to the development of regulatory policy.

The award is named after the late FPSC Commissioner Gerald L. Gunter, who was especially supportive of the relationship between the University and the Florida PSC. After his death in June 1991, the Gerald L. Gunter Memorial was established by his friends and colleagues. In addition to the Gunter Award, financial gifts enabled the establishment of the Gunter Professorship in the Warrington College of Business. Mark Jamison serves as the Gerald L. Gunter Professor of research in regulatory policy.