SPEAKERS

10:00 am - 5:00 pm: Registration & Information
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Welcome Lunch
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm: Opening Plenary Session

• Master of Ceremonies: Tommy McFly, Award-Winning Broadcaster & Monica Trauzzi, Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

1:15 pm - 1:25 pm: Opening Keynote: "Energy Evolution: Why This Room Matters"

• Speaker: Sheri Givens – President & CEO, SEPA

1:25 pm - 1:30 pm: Power Shot: Why I Keep Coming Back to EES

• Speaker: Melissa Washington – SVP, Governmental, Regulatory & External Affairs, ComEd

1:35 pm - 1:45 pm: Quick Note: Powering a Resilient Future — DOE’s Perspective on Grid Resilience
A brief but powerful look at how the US Department of Energy, offering insight into how DOE is partnering across sectors, accelerating innovation, and investing in research, infrastructure, and data-driven solutions to ensure a more resilient energy future.

• Speaker: Catherine Jereza – Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy

1:45 pm - 2:25 pm: Panel: Grid Resilience in an Age of Extremes
In an era of record breaking heat, storms, and wildfires, utilities are being forced to rethink what it really means to keep the lights on. This panel brings together four leaders on the front lines of grid resilience to explore how very different systems are adapting to extreme conditions and rising expectations.

• Speakers:
  • Bryan Hannegan – President & CEO, Holy Cross Energy (cooperative resilience and DER stories)
  • Catherine Jereza – Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity
  • Daniella Piper – EVP & Chief Innovation officer, NYPA
• Moderator: Clint Vince – Chair, U.S. Energy Practice & Co-Chair of the Dentons Global Transportation and Infrastructure Sector for the US Region, Dentons

2:30 pm - 3:10 pm: Panel: Different Models, Shared Mission
Investor-owned utilities (IOUs), municipals, and electric cooperatives operate within distinct governance structures, ownership models, and regulatory frameworks, and all share a commitment to safe, affordable, reliable, and increasingly clean energy. This session offers a broad view of how diverse utility frameworks collectively contribute to the evolving energy landscape.

• Speakers:
  • Scott Corwin – President & CEO, APPA
  • Jeffrey Connor – Chief Operating Officer, NRECA
  • Drew Maloney – CEO, EEI
• Moderator: Angela Strickland – Chief Experience Officer, SEPA

3:10 pm - 3:30 pm: Coffee Break

3:35 pm - 4:15 pm: Innovation Spotlights
TED-Style Innovation Spotlights Case Studies

• Speakers:
  • Jeff Ressler – CEO, Clean Power Research
  • Bob Yeager – President, Power & Water Solutions, Emerson
  • Dor Abuhasira – CEO, Percepto
• Moderator: Kate Strickland – Director, Research & Industry Strategy, SEPA

4:15 pm - 4:35 pm: Quick Note: If You Only Change One Thing This Year…

• Speaker: Doreen Harris – President & CEO, NYSERDA

4:35 pm - 4:55 pm: Fireside Chat: Securing Tomorrow’s Energy Grid
This dynamic cybersecurity fireside chat will explore how cooperatives, and policymakers are collaborating to protect the bulk power system and critical energy infrastructure from evolving cyber threats.

• Speakers:
  • Chris VanLokeren – CIO, NCEMC
  • Alex Fitzsimmons – Acting Under Secretary of Energy and CESER Director, U.S. Department of Energy
• Moderator: Lesley Jantarasami – VP, Research & Industry Strategy, SEPA

5:00 pm - 5:15 pm: Day 1 Power Close

• Master of Ceremonies: Tommy McFly, Award-Winning Broadcaster & Monica Trauzzi, Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

5:30 pm - 6:00 pm: Break (transition to Hotel Washington)

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Opening Reception at Hotel Washington
Kick off the conference at our opening networking reception at the Hotel Washington, featuring stunning views of the city skyline. Gather with fellow attendees for drinks and light bites, designed to make introductions easy and conversations flow. This dynamic evening will set the stage for the program ahead, giving you a fresh chance to connect with peers and industry leaders in an informal, welcoming setting.

Location: Hotel Washington, 515 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004

7:00 am - 5:00 pm: Registration & Information
7:30 am - 8:45 am: Networking Breakfast
9:00 am - 9:15 am: Brief Welcome + Day 2 GROWTH Introduction
Brief recap of Day 1, introduction and flow of Day 2 Growth

• Master of Ceremonies: Tommy McFly, Award-Winning Broadcaster & Monica Trauzzi, Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

9:10 am - 9:25 am: Quick Talk: How to Decode Market Signals for the Energy Transition and Next Generation of Growth
As the energy transition accelerates, investors are reassessing risk and return amid shifting policies, technologies, and capital flows. Join leading finance and energy experts to explore how the market is recalibrating to drive future growth.

• Speaker: Greg Gordon – Senior Advisor, Power and Utilities, Moelis

9:25 am - 10:10 am: Panel: Keeping Power Affordable: Funding Tomorrow’s Grid Without Overburdening Customers
Surging demand requires a modern grid, but growth shouldn't come at the expense of energy affordability. This session brings together policy experts and industry veterans to discuss the tools needed to manage this transition. We will examine new regulatory frameworks, infrastructure programs, and rate strategies designed to deliver a stable, affordable energy system for all.

• Speakers:
  • David Springe – Executive Director, NASUCA
  • Emile Thompson – Chairman, Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia
  • Kelly Speakes-Backman – Director, Maryland Energy Administration
• Moderator: Casey Herman – Senior Advisor, Energy Impact Partners

10:25 am - 11:10 am: Panel: Building Resilient Grids in Fire Country
The panel explores how tighter integration of existing tools can unlock more value before investing in new infrastructure, why technology only delivers impact when embedded in real-world utility planning and operations, and how deeper collaboration among vendors and utilities is essential to scaling effective wildfire mitigation.

• Speakers:
  • David Zipkin – SVP of Product, Technosylva
  • Peter Ambler – VP Government and Regulatory Affairs, Pano AI
  • Mishal Thadani – CEO & Co-Founder, Rhizome
• Moderator: Michelle Vargo – SVP Energy Operations, Puget Sound Energy

11:10 am - 11:25 am: Coffee Break

11:30 am - 11:50 am: Common Ground: A CEO Exchange with Pedro Pizarro 
Sheri Givens talks with Pedro Pizarro about the most pressing challenges facing our industry today.

• Speaker: Pedro J. Pizarro – President and Chief Executive Officer, Edison International
• Moderator: Sheri Givens – President & CEO, SEPA

11:50 am - 12:30 pm: Panel: Affording AI — Regulatory Strategies for Data Center Demand and Affordability
As AI scales, utilities face a high-stakes balancing act. This panel of utility leaders and regulators will explore how to accommodate massive data center growth without compromising energy affordability. Key topics include evolving regulatory frameworks, infrastructure planning, and cost-recovery strategies that protect the public interest.

• Speakers:
  • Chris Roe – Head of Energy & Sustainable Operations, Amazon
  • Melissa Washington – SVP, Governmental, Regulatory & External Affairs, ComEd
  • Judge Kelsey Bagot – Commissioner, Virginia State Corporation Commission
  • Chris Anderson – General Counsel, Rayburn Electric Coop
• Moderator: Lesley Jantarasami – VP, Research & Industry Strategy, SEPA

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch

1:45 pm - 2:15 pm: Fireside Chat: Nuclear’s Second Act in the Energy Evolution
A candid conversation on whether this is nuclear’s real “second act” in the clean energy transition, and what it will take for utilities, regulators, and investors to move from pilots and MOUs to shovels in the ground. Designed as a reality check on timelines, risks, and where nuclear truly fits alongside renewables, storage, and demand-side solutions.

• Speakers:
  • Jon Wentzel – SVP for Communications, Nuclear Energy Institute
  • Heather Reams – President & CEO, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

2:15 pm - 3:00 pm: Lightning Lab: If I Had to Change One Thing – Business Models Under Pressure

• Speakers:
  • Peter Muhoro – Chief Strategy, Technology, & Innovation Officer, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
  • Lora Anguay – Chief Energy Resources Officer, SMUD
  • Jeff Bladen – Head of Energy, Verrus
  • Caroline Choi – Executive Vice President, Public Policy & Corporate Affairs, Edison International and Southern California Edison
• Moderator: Monica Trauzzi – Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

3:00 pm - 3:20 pm: Lightning and a Bottle: Recap

• Moderator: Monica Trauzzi – Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

3:20 pm - 3:45 pm: Keynote: An Update from FERC

• Speaker: Judy Chang – Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

3:45 pm - 4:00 pm: Day 2 Power Close
Master of Ceremonies: Tommy McFly, Award-Winning Broadcaster & Monica Trauzzi, Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Networking & Gifting Experience

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Power Player Awards Dinner
The 2026 Power Player Awards will spotlight our defining and interconnected challenges — how to make our grid more resilient, how to manage exponential growth, and how to scale lessons around the globe.

The 2026 award categories highlight groundbreaking work aligned with SEPA’s focus areas, including:

• Grid Power Player
• Growth Power Player
• Globe Power Player
• Excellence in Leadership Power Player Award

The awards program will be hosted by Angela Strickland – Chief Experience Officer, SEPA and Lakin Garth – Senior Director, Research & Industry Strategy, SEPA

7:00 am - 12:00 pm: Registration & Information
7:30 am - 9:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 am - 9:10am: Brief Welcome + Day 3 GLOBE Introduction
Brief recap of Day 2, introduction and flow of Day 3 GLOBE

• Master of Ceremonies: Tommy McFly, Award-Winning Broadcaster & Monica Trauzzi, Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

9:10 am - 9:25am: Quick Note: Geopolitics of Energy: A Global Snapshot with Kevin Book
To introduce the final day’s theme of “Globe”, this quick note will give an overview of the global energy landscape, highlighting which geopolitical risks and opportunities are most likely to shape energy markets and security in the coming year. This high level session will give attendees a shared framework for understanding how global politics and energy are increasingly intertwined.

• Speaker: Kevin Book – Managing Partner, ClearView Energy Partners

9:25 am - 9:40 am: Fireside Chat: From Global Policy to the Connected Home
This fireside chat will explore how global energy trends and policies can manifest as technologies, platforms, and programs in people’s everyday lives.

• Speaker: Scott Harden – SVP, Chief Technology Officer, Home & Distribution, Schneider Electric
• Moderator: Monica Trauzzi – Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

9:50 am - 10:30 am: Innovation Spotlights 
TED-Style Innovation Spotlights Case Studies

• Speakers:
  • Hala Ballouz – Founder, Board Chair, Chief Vision Officer, Electric Power Engineers
  • Seth Frader-Thompson – President and Co-Founder, EnergyHub
  • Morgan Scott – Vice President, Global Partnerships & Outreach, EPRI
• Facilitator: Jared Leader – Senior Director, Grid Resilience, SEPA

10:30 am - 10:45 am: Coffee Break

10:55 am - 11:05 am: Quick Note: Lessons Learned from Portugal

• Speaker: Elaina Ball – Chief Strategy Officer, CPS Energy

11:05 am - 11:15 am: Introduction: Chef Eilif, Norwegian Embassy Chef

11:20 am - 12:00 pm: Panel: Global Perspectives, Shared Challenges
Representatives from Washington, DC–based embassies will share how their countries are navigating the clean energy transition, from scaling clean energy technologies and modernizing grids to advancing electrification and efficiency. Drawing on experiences from nations across the globe, the discussion will highlight policy approaches, public–private collaboration, and opportunities for partnerships on technology, investment, and innovation.

• Speakers:
  • Nick Damgaard Jensen – Energy Counselor, Royal Danish Embassy
  • Francisco Lacerda Machado – Economic Attaché, Embassy of Portugal in Washington DC
  • Francesco Maria Graziani – Climate and Energy Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to the United States 
• Moderator: Jonathan Elkind – Fellow & Senior Research Scholar, Center for Global Energy Policy

12:00 pm - 12:10 pm: Wrap-Up: Chef Eilif, Norwegian Embassy Chef

12:15 pm - 12:35 pm: Fireside Chat: Global Signals for a Connected Grid
As the Energy Evolution Summit comes to a close, Sheri Givens, President & CEO of SEPA, and Chris Ayers, Executive Director of the NC Utilities Commission Public Staff, examine grid modernization through the consumer advocate's lens. Together, they explore how centering affordability, resilience, and community voice from the start can turn investment decisions into real outcomes for families and the next generation.

• Speaker: Chris Ayers - Executive Director, North Carolina Utilities Commission Public Staff

12:35 pm - 12:55 pm: Day 3 Power Close

• Speakers:
  • Sheri Givens – President & CEO, SEPA
  • Monica Trauzzi – Chief Communications Officer, SEPA

1:00 pm: Conference Concludes; Light lunch available