2026 Preliminary Agenda
The Experience POWER conference program is shaped by a single idea — that the energy industry must deliver power faster, at greater scale, and with unwavering reliability. Developed by POWER editors and our expert Advisory Board, this preliminary program spans seven tracks covering grid infrastructure, nuclear, natural gas, digital technology, policy, workforce development, and more.
Speakers and session details will be announced as confirmed. Program is subject to change.
Monday, September 28
Pre-Conference & Opening Evening8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Pre-Registration Required
Kickoff Experience: Plant Tour
Sponsored by Mitsubishi Power · Location TBD · Space is limited
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Separate Registration Required
Plant Management Institute Forum
Sponsored by ST Power Services
5:00 PM
5:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Opens
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
5:00 – 6:00 PM
POWER Awards Ceremony
Sponsored by GE Vernova
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Illuminate & Celebrate: POWER Awards Reception
Sponsored by GE Vernova
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
8:00 – 10:00 PM
After Hours Party
Tuesday, September 29
Main Conference Day7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Open
7:30 – 8:00 AM
Rise & Shine Networking Breakfast
8:00 AM
General Session
Opening Welcome
8:15 AM – 8:45 AM
Keynote
The Genesis Mission: How AI Is Rewriting the Rules of American Science and Energy
The U.S. spends more than a trillion dollars a year on R&D. What if AI could double its productivity within a decade? Dr. Dario Gil, Under Secretary for Science at the Department of Energy and director of the Genesis Mission, makes the case that we're at an inflection point as consequential as the invention of the Internet—and that the convergence of AI supercomputing, high-performance computing, and quantum computing is about to transform how the nation does science. From fusion reactors to the Texas power grid, Gil maps the breakthroughs already underway, the infrastructure being built right now, and what it will take to produce 50 to 100 "AlphaFold moments" across every domain of science in the next five years.
Speaker
Dario Gil, Ph.D. — Under Secretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy
9:15 AM – 9:45 AM
Nuclear Power
Straight Talk on Nuclear: From Lab to License to Load
The promise of nuclear energy has never been greater—but realizing it demands alignment across research, regulation, and operations. This session brings together leaders spanning the full arc of nuclear's future: the advanced technologies moving from concept to reality, the regulatory frameworks being built to meet them, and what it actually takes to run safe, reliable nuclear plants today. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this is the session where you'll find real answers.
Chair
Aaron Larson — Executive Editor, POWER Magazine
Panelists
David A. Wright — Commissioner, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
John C. Wagner, Ph.D. — Director, Idaho National Laboratory
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
9:45 – 10:15 AM
Megawatt Mix & Mingle Networking Break / Nextgen in 10 Talks
Sponsored by Siemens Energy
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Concurrent breakout sessions
Nuclear Power
Restart the Kickstart — The Nuclear Renaissance 2.0
As the nation grapples with power demand, many are looking to recommission retired assets like Three Mile Island, as well as new SMRs. This session asks: have we learned from our past?
Chair
Jeff Duncan — Founding Partner, Former Member of Congress, Covenant Government Affairs
Panelists
John Johnson — President, JETS Consultants
David A. Wright — Commissioner, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Grace Vanderhei — Nuclear Engineer, Constellation
Grid Infrastructure
More Megawatts without New Buildouts: The Strategies for Plant Updates
As electrification, data centers, and industrial expansion drive demand to record highs, the race to build new generation is falling behind. For utilities and Independent Power Producers, the most efficient solution isn't always a new site—it's maximizing the one you already have. This session covers why megawatts need to be added quickly, explores high-impact strategies to upgrade existing assets for immediate capacity gains, and dives into available technical products while navigating critical execution hurdles including air permitting, the PJM queue, and supply chain bottlenecks currently impacting project schedules and feasibility.
Chair
Brian Heinbaugh — Vice President Operations & Asset Management, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Co-Chair
Rizwan James — Power Generation System Operations Director, Dominion Energy, Inc.
Panelists
William Coyle — Director, Power Generation Regulated Operations, Dominion Energy, Inc.
Aaron Jonas — Manager, Construction Projects–Interconnection, Dominion Energy, Inc.
Brian Pavlik — Director of Operations, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Distributed & Onsite Energy
Beyond Lithium: Alternatives to Lithium Energy Storage
Panelists discuss alternatives to lithium-based energy storage and BESS solutions, including commercialization timelines and real-world examples.
Chair
Justin Williams — Account Director, Trevi Communications
Panelists
Giovanni Damato — President, CMBlu Energy AG
Naphtal O. Haya — Practice Lead, Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES), DNV Energy
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Concurrent breakout sessions
Natural Gas
The Role of Gas Engines for Growing Power Demands
Gas power plants are facing new operating environments, especially around operational flexibility. This session provides insight into modular plug-and-play solutions to provide both backup power and primary power for grid support.
Chair
Jeffrey Fassett — President, IEM Energy Consultants
Panelists
Klaus Payrhuber, Dr. — INNIO Jenbacher GmbH & Co OG
Scott Blalock — General Manager, Global Integrated Applications Engineering, Energy Storage, Wartsila North America, Inc.
Digital Technology & AI
Digital Technology Trends for Maintenance of Mechanical Systems
Sponsored by Honeywell
A presentation and panel discussion of new and emerging trends in the use of sensors to predict maintenance needs of mechanical systems, and the use of AI to provide better outcomes and assist operators with budgeting, functionality, and maintenance planning. These technologies also require remote access, increasing the need for stronger cybersecurity between on-premises systems and remote users.
Grid Infrastructure
Accelerating Grid Reliability with Strategic Storage
Demand is outpacing supply. Transmission queues now stretch for years and permitting lead time is just as long. Panelists compare behind-the-meter, co-located, and front-of-meter applications, and explore how domestic supply chain and regulatory shifts influence bankability and long-term reliability.
Moderator
Rizwan James — Power Generation System Operations Director, Dominion Energy, Inc.
Panelist
Chris McKissack — CEO, Fullmark Energy
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
General Session
Powering the AI Era: Nuclear, Gas, and EPC Leaders on Meeting Unprecedented Demand
After two decades of relatively flat electricity demand, the U.S. power sector is confronting a surge driven by data center buildouts, electrification, manufacturing reshoring, and a tightening reserve margin across most regions. This panel brings together senior leaders from across the generation value chain—a nuclear OEM, a gas turbine OEM, and a major EPC contractor—for a candid discussion of how their companies are responding. Expect frank conversation on the resurgence of large-scale nuclear and the SMR pipeline, multi-year gas turbine backlogs, EPC capacity and skilled labor constraints, supply chain bottlenecks, and what realistic in-service dates look like for projects entering development today.
Chair
Darrell Proctor — Senior Editor, POWER Magazine
Panelists
Lou Martinez Sancho, Ph.D., MBB — Chief Technology Officer, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
12:30 – 1:30 PM
Networking Lunch — Small Group Meet-Ups
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Concurrent breakout sessions
Grid Infrastructure
PJM Fast-Track Interconnection — Explained
This session explains the steps PJM is taking to bring new generation online as fast as possible while protecting ratepayers from high-capacity prices.
Chair
Ed Myers — Vice President, Development, Long Ridge Energy
Policy & Markets
Powering the Cloud Next Door: Siting Data Centers with Co-Located Generation
This session dives into all the regulatory and technical considerations needed to succeed at behind-the-meter power generation for data center applications.
Chair
Mike Roth — O&M Coordinator, ODEC–Wildcat Point Generation Facility
Panelist
Kris Karfa — VP Business Development, Kindle Energy
Policy & Markets
Fuel Flip — Is Coal Generation Becoming Lower-Cost Than Natural Gas?
With increasing equipment costs and the potential for natural gas prices to rise, coupled with constrained pipeline capacity, panelists discuss the possibility that coal generation becomes cheaper than natural gas—from multiple perspectives.
Chair
Damian Beauchamp — President and Chief Development Officer, 8 Rivers
Panelists
Cindy Crane — Chair, Board of Directors, PacifiCorp (invited)
Kyle Haustveit — Assistant Secretary, U.S. DOE, Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (invited)
Digital Technology & AI
Battery Energy Storage System: Scenario-Driven Predictive Analytics
A practical operations playbook for employing machine learning-enabled analytics to detect losses and uncover corrective actions at speed, demonstrated through real-world scenarios.
Chair
Rizwan James — Power Generation System Operations Director, Dominion Energy, Inc.
Co-Chair
Brian Heinbaugh — Vice President Operations & Asset Management, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Speaker
Lennart Hinrichs — General Manager Americas, TWAICE
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Concurrent breakout sessions
Natural Gas
The Storm that Changed the Playbook
Freezing temperatures, ice, and snow cannot stop power plant operators from reliable operations. This session explores lessons learned and risk mitigation strategies from extreme weather events.
Chair
Michael Burroughs — Plant Manager, Plant Scherer (retired), Georgia Power
Moderator
Kate Tillotson — Principal, The Beacon Group
Panelists
Chris Anderson — General Counsel, Rayburn Electric Cooperative
Clint Vince — Chair, Dentons U.S. Energy Practice
Workforce Development
Building the Bench: Strategies for Powering the Next-Generation Workforce
This session explores a framework for achieving development and operational excellence in the workforce of the future.
Chair
Laura Heller — Vice President of Industry Coalitions, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
Co-Chair
Michelle Ray — Vice President of Generation Technical Support, Tennessee Valley Authority
Panelists
Jamie Choate — Director, Workforce Strategy & Enablement, Tennessee Valley Authority
Naeem Turner-Bandele — Founder and CEO, Latimer Enterprises LLC
Policy & Markets
Policy Whiplash and Power Demand: Community Engagement and Environmental Regulation
This session provides a comprehensive update on environmental regulations shaping the industry and examines how ongoing litigation could alter the trajectory of rulemaking and permitting timelines into 2026 and beyond. It also reframes permitting as both a technical compliance function and a political process shaped by community sentiment and organized advocacy.
Chair
Wayshalee Patel, B.S. ChE, MBA, P.E. — Director of Environmental Technologies, Licensing and Permitting, Sargent & Lundy
Co-Chair
Nick Montoni, Ph.D. — Senior Program Director, Policy and Markets, NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Panelists
Curtis Wilkerson — CEO, Orion Strategies
Cleo Carter — Policy Analyst, National Governors Association
Roberta Zwier — Vice President Site Development and Permitting, LS Power
Digital Technology & AI
Leveraging AI Across the Utility Lifecycle
Sponsored by Siemens Energy
This panel focuses on AI's role and application across the utility lifecycle. From generation, control systems, and emission monitoring to security and predictive maintenance, AI is playing an ever-increasingly important role.
Chair
Ed Myers — Vice President, Development, Long Ridge Energy
Panelists
Alan Karr — Director of Digital Software Operations, Siemens Energy, Inc.
James Robinson — Principal Project Engineer, Dynamic Energy Systems, DES Global, LLC
3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
3:15 – 4:00 PM
All Star Energy Networking Break / Nextgen in 10 Talks
Beverage Station Sponsor: GE Vernova
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Concurrent breakout sessions
Workforce Development
Women in Power: Leading Change from the Inside
Women are driving innovation and transformation across the power sector. This panel highlights how diverse leadership strengthens organizational resilience, fosters inclusive practices, and fuels progress in a rapidly evolving industry. Trailblazers share strategies for recruiting women into energy roles, advancing careers, and breaking barriers.
Chair
Wayshalee Patel, B.S. ChE, MBA, P.E. — Director of Environmental Technologies, Licensing and Permitting, Sargent & Lundy
Panelists
Lou Martinez Sancho, Ph.D., MBB — Chief Technology Officer, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
Roberta Zwier — Vice President Site Development and Permitting, LS Power
Anne Moon — Vice President Grid, Sargent & Lundy
Ann Jones — Vice President, Operations Support, Dominion Energy, Inc.
Grace Vanderhei — Nuclear Engineer, Constellation
Policy & Markets
State Policy + Regulatory Opportunities for Speed to Power
All fifty states are dealing with load growth and rising costs. Some states are taking proactive steps to meet these challenges. What are the policy and regulatory programs that have worked for responding to growth while keeping down costs?
Chair
Nick Montoni, Ph.D. — Senior Program Director, Policy and Markets, NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Panelists
Brian Watts — Data and Policy Analyst, Pew Charitable Trusts
Caitlin Flanagan — Policy Analyst, NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Arjun Krishnaswami — Senior Advisor, Clean Energy, Federation of American Scientists
Natural Gas
Can Multi-Prime Contracting Get Your Next Gas-Fired Plant Built?
The rapid resurgence of gas-fired generation driven by data center demand, grid reliability needs, and retirement of legacy assets has created unprecedented challenges for utilities and developers. This session explores whether multi-prime contracting offers a viable path forward.
Chair
Jeffrey Fassett — President, IEM Energy Consultants
Speakers
Jason Boffey — Principal, Mercer Thompson LLC
Larry Lindeman, P.E. — Owner & Executive Vice President, Fagen, Inc.
Natural Gas
Enhancing Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Flexibility through Automation and AI
Panelists demonstrate how combined cycle plants can improve reliability, flexibility, and market appeal for maximizing their operational profile—even within regulated power markets—using advanced automation and AI.
Chair
Siraj Taj — Founder / Principal, ST Power Services Consultants, LLC
Panelist
Scott Rogers — Technical Superintendent, Power South Energy Cooperative
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
5:00 – 6:00 PM
A Toast to Women in POWER Reception
Beverage Station Sponsors: Middough, OmegaFlex, Atwell
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
8:00 – 10:00 PM
Amp'd Up After Party
Empire Terrace
Wednesday, September 30
Closing Day7:30 AM
7:30 – 11:45 AM
Exhibit Hall Open
7:30 – 8:00 AM
POWER Up Networking Breakfast
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
General Session
Industry Outlook: Power Company Executives on Challenges, Trends, and the Path Forward
This executive panel brings together leaders from across the power sector for an in-depth discussion of the issues shaping the industry today. The discussion explores current trends in generation, transmission, and distribution, along with the regulatory environment, supply chain pressures, demand growth, and workforce considerations influencing strategic decisions. The session offers attendees a direct view into how utilities are adapting their planning, operations, and investment priorities to meet a rapidly evolving landscape.
Chair
Aaron Larson — Executive Editor, POWER Magazine
Panelists
Ed Gray — Vice President, Asset Management and Planning, PSE&G
9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Workforce & Operational Excellence
Fitness for Service 2.0
Few moments have placed more pressure on the U.S. power sector than the one we're in now—surging load growth, an evolving generation mix, mounting reliability concerns, rising costs, and a regulatory environment in flux. This session discusses multiple low-carbon energy technologies—including geothermal, fusion, space-based solar, and small modular reactors (SMRs)—that are poised to power the future.
Chair
Timothy Trudell — Communications Partner, EPRI Electric Power Research Institute
Speaker
John Siefert, Ph.D. — Area Manager, Generation Materials, EPRI Electric Power Research Institute
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
9:45 – 10:15 AM
Hole Lotta Energy Networking Break / Nextgen in 10 Talks
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
General Session
Inside the Issues: How Industry Associations Are Helping Members Navigate a Changing Energy Landscape
Executives from several of the industry's most influential associations share what's at the top of their members' agendas, the challenges keeping their members up at night, and the work their organizations are doing to help meet those challenges head-on. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of how different segments of the power sector are approaching today's defining issues—and where their priorities align, diverge, and intersect.
Chair
Aaron Larson — Executive Editor, POWER Magazine
Panelists
Tom Falcone — President, Large Public Power Council (LPPC)
Jim Matheson — CEO, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
Space Solar Power Symposium
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Space Solar Power Symposium
A dedicated half-day symposium exploring space-based solar power technologies, research, and the path to commercialization. Running concurrently with EP Conference morning sessions.
Separate Registration Required
11:45 AM
11:45 AM
Exhibit Hall Closes — EP Conference Concludes
