2026 AEP Conference - Call for Presentations
The San Diego Chapter will host the 2026 AEP Conference at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, April 23-26, 2026! The theme of this conference is "Sands to Shores: Pathways to Thriving Communities." As in the past, the 2026 Conference will provide an opportunity for CEQA practitioners and technical experts to meet and discuss important topics of the day, with an emphasis on expanding our knowledge and delving deeper into how our profession can improve the environments we live in.

Session Tracks

Navigating New Currents (Emerging Trends in CEQA & Regulatory Updates) – Are you navigating the never ending wave of CEQA? This track is dedicated to enhancing practitioners’ understanding and expertise in CEQA. Sessions and presentations will delve into the essentials, best practices, and emerging topics—from the use of AI in the industry to crafting ideal mitigation measures. These sessions will also explore the intricacies of project requirements, legislative updates, and provide the latest updates relevant to CEQA.

Sandy Solutions (Case Studies, Best Practices & Technical Studies) – This track delves into the analysis of technical resource areas and best practices for project components such as biological resources, aesthetics, greenhouse gases, cultural resources, land use and planning, and more. These sessions will offer valuable insights into preparing impact analyses for technical reports, permitting, and CEQA/NEPA documents, as well as strategies for mitigating potential environmental impacts and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Building on Solid Ground (Streamlining, Adaptation, Resilience, & Environmental Justice) – We as environmental and planning practitioners have a crucial responsibility to streamline development projects using adaptive practices, existing resources, and compliance with regulations. Meaningful steps include engaging with communities, fostering collaboration, resilient design, innovate technologies, and addressing environmental justice concerns to mitigate impacts effectively. This session track will focus on steps to better navigate, understand, and dismantle roadblocks to development in order to create a more equitable and resilient future for everyone. Sessions will describe best practices and lessons learned for helping our communities, working lands, and natural resources, adapting to changing conditions and hazards due to climate change, including relevant approaches given the recent and ongoing changes in the national environmental regulations.

Weathering the Storm (Regional Issues & Approaches) – California faces unique environmental issues due to its diverse geography, growing population, and changing climate conditions. This session track will primarily focus on the current state of the practice and specific issues plaguing San Diego and Imperial Counties but is open to sessions relevant to many other regions within California. Topics include renewable energy, water supply and groundwater management, new development, air quality, and agriculture. This track provides insights into innovative strategies, best practices, and collaborative approaches to addressing the complex challenges these counties face.

Making Waves: Future Innovators (Students, Emerging Professionals, & Technical Skills Development) – Aimed at fostering the next wave of innovators and honing the expertise of experienced professionals, this track emphasizes building a robust foundation of practical knowledge and technical proficiency essential for success in environmental and planning careers. Sessions will offer both informative presentations on diverse environmental subjects and skill-building techniques, alongside interactive, hands-on workshops that challenge and refine your abilities in a dynamic, collaborative setting.

Submittal Instructions

Submittals should include a brief description of the presentation and are limited to 300 words. Please be prepared to provide the name, biography, and contact information for each session moderator and/or panelist. All abstracts are due online by August 29, 2025. Only online abstract submissions will be accepted. Please note that if your abstract is accepted, no changes can be made except for additions/changes to speakers/speaker bios, so please ensure that your submission is complete. Please note that at least one speaker on your panel must be an AEP Member in good standing.

**ANY CHANGES TO YOUR SUBMITTAL WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER DECEMBER 5, 2025. If your panel/abstract is not complete at this time (this includes speaker bios), your abstract submission acceptance will be rescinded.**

All submissions that include an interactive component must state so in the abstract.

Please be prepared to provide AEP Management with a PDF version of your presentation for attendee distribution after the Conference concludes. PDF presentations are due by 5pm PST on April 26, 2026 via email.

Abstract Evaluation

Abstracts will be evaluated by the Conference Committee for relevance to the conference theme and session tracks, quality of the proposed presentation topic or panel, level of audience participation, transferability of the strategies and solutions presented, relevance to current trends and issues, and consistency with AEP’s Mission Statement.

Questions

Please contact Kelsey Hawkins, 2026 AEP Conference Co-Chair, or Brent Burmeister, 2026 AEP Conference Co-Chair.



Submissions accepted from 9:00pm EST on 05/15/2025 to 8:59am EST on 08/29/2025