2025 Speakers
Rizwan James
Power Generation System Operations Director
Dominion Energy, Inc.
Kate Bowling
Plant Manager Eastern Gas
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Michael Burroughs
Plant Manager - Plant Scherer (retired)
Georgia Power
Don Cribb
Founder/Principal, 3600 Consulting Group
Santee Cooper
Darren Buck
Director of Power Delivery
Platte River Power Authority
Ed Myers
Vice President - Development
Long Ridge Energy
Stephen Martz
Vice President Integrated Planning
Xcel Energy
Jamie Choate
Director, HR & LR Support Services
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Jan Kulmann PE
SVP and COO
United Power, Inc.
Britney Strout
Director of Asset Mgmt
Summit Utilities, Inc.
James Goosby
Executive in Residence-McCrary Institute
Southern Company
Justin Buckman
Manager of Power Production
Kissimmee Utility Authority - Cane Island
Michael Craig
Energy Management Systems Manager
Great River Energy
Aaron Larson
Executive Editor
POWER magazine
Tom Quinlan
Vice President / COO Products Business
Yokogawa Corporation of America
Paul DeCotis
Senior Partner, Utilities
West Monroe
Diane Fischer
Director, Generation Services
Kiewit
Eric DeCristofaro
Vice President
Sargent & Lundy
Darren McGuire
Commercial Product Manager
Siemens Energy
Giovanni Damato
President
CMBlu Energy
Chilukuri Maheshwar
Ex-Sr Training Superintendent - Engineering
ex-Anglo Eastern Maritime Academy
Maher Damak Ph.D.
Co-Founder & CEO
Infinite Cooling
Dave Hopson
Founder and Managing Partner
Triumphus
Matthew Fioretti
Senior Manager Market Development
Wartsila North America, Inc.
Prof John "Yiannis" K Galiotos, Ph.D.
Dean of Workforce Development and Associate Professor of Chemistry
Southern University at Shreveport
Alexandra Pony
Founder and Principal/PR Representative
PONY Communications
Rick Lank
President
Resilient Power Works, LLC
Justin Lindemann
Senior Policy Analyst
NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Nicholas Meyer
Marketing Manager
Yokogawa Corporation of America
Ray Rasmussen
Founder and Managing Principal
rGen Consulting
Stewart Nicholson
President
Primex
Hal Corin
Head of Development
Viridi Parente
Matt Bosch,
Executive Vice President of Growth and Development
Sparkfund
Beth Crouchet
Director Energy Markets & Resource Planning
Budderfly
Wayshalee Patel B.S.ChE, MBA, P.E.
Director of Environmental Technologies, Licensing and Permitting
Sargent & Lundy
Pareez Golub
Vice President Digital Modernization
Sargent & Lundy
Dawn Lima
VP - Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technologies
Foss & Company
Vihann Kong
Senior Executive Director
Ampion, PBC.
Laura Rippentrop
Senior Director, Land
rPlus Energies, LLC
Galen George
VP
Siemens Energy
Kevin Dahm
Director of Engineering
Vital Tech Services
Whitaker (Whit) Irvin, Jr.
CEO
Q Hydrogen
Siraj Taj
Founder / Principal
ST Power Services Consultants, LLC
Jack Huggins P.E.
Manager
Winyah Generating Station
Michael Caravaggio
Vice President of Fleet Reliability
EPRI Electric Power Research Institute
Sonal Patel
Senior Editor
POWER magazine
Michael Craig PE
Energy Management Systems Manager
Great River Energy
Darrell Proctor
Executive Editor
POWER magazine
Risto Paldanius
Vice President, Americas
Wartsila North America, Inc.
Craighton Goeppele
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
TerraPower, Llc
Ty Remington
Vice President, Gas Power Sales
GE Vernova
Johnny Howze, III
SVP Supply Chain & Chief Procurement Officer
NiSource Corporation
Eduardo De Luna Pena
Chief Product Officer
Transnational Electric Power LLC
Kate Tillotson
Principal
The Beacon Group
Michael T. Steffes
President & CEO
ACES
Bryan Hannegan
President & CEO
Holy Cross Energy
Jan Ahlen
Vice President, Utility Research and Policy
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation
Eric Stein
President
Viridi
Justin Williams
Account Director
Trevi Communications
Osman Sediqi
Chief Operating Officer
GS Power Partners
Thomas M. Poteet III, P.E.
Senior VP, Corporate Development
Mesa Solutions
Matt Huber
Chief Technology Officer
Emtel Energy
Sarbari Basu
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) & General Manager (GM)
Prismecs
DeAnna C. Myers
Senior Manager, Learning & Development
Sargent & Lundy
Matt McNeil
Head of Solution (Gas, Trading, Cloud Services)
Energy Exemplar Llc
Mike Painter
Business Development Manager, Digital Solutions
Emerson
Andrew Mahaffey P.E.
Director II Design Engineering
Fluor Corporation
Ann Runnalls
Senior Program Manager/Department Manager
WSP USA, Inc
Matt Murdock
Founder and CEO
Raven SR
Christian Mueller
Sr. Sales Manager
INNIO Jenbacher
Nicholas Torres P.E.
Sr. Project Manager
Sargent & Lundy
Kathleen Nelson Romans
Head of Commercial
Aalo Atomics
Jon Baylor
Sr. Vice President, Development
Kindle Energy
Cassandra Heller
Energy Consultant
Everllence
Tom Drake
National Sales Manager
Everllence
Tony White
Head of Vertical Market Chemical, Glass & Energy US Sales
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Sarah Osborn PMP, FS Eng
Global Digital Transformation Lead
Siemens Industry Software, Inc.
Gary Griffith
Senior Account Executive for Energy
Applied CAx
Bradley Morian
Senior Director, Digital Engineering
X Energy LLC
George Karayannis
Public Sector Segment Lead
Schneider Electric
Sarah Ruen
VP of Regulatory & Origination
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
Luke Martin
Partner
Scott Madden Inc.
Jeffrey Fassett
President
IEM Energy Consultants
Robert Leake
Director of Marketing
DVL Group
Tyler Bain
Electrical Engineer
United Power
Alexander D'Angelo
Power System Sales Engineer
DVL Group
Andrew Nelson, Ph.D.
Section Head of Nuclear Fuel Development
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Patrick Daou
Project Director
Sargent & Lundy
Nicholas Papanastassiou
Director of Market Development
Energyhub
Jorge Vargas
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Aspen Power LLC
Thomas Graves
Business Line Director
1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell
Tom Cleaver
Vice President
Heimdall Power
Jennifer Atcheson
Senior Vice President Product
ION Clean Energy
Steve Kalland
Executive Director
NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Eleanor Zwart
Senior Business Development Analyst
Cloudbreak Energy
John W. Northington
Director, National Carbon Capture Center
Southern Company Services
Michael Anderson
Director Programs & Performance
GSE Solutions
Darrell Proctor
Senior Editor
POWER magazine
Galen George
Director Digital Sales
Siemens Energy
Sarbari Basu
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHROI) & General Manager (GM)
Prismecs
Rizwan James
Power Generation System Operations Director
Dominion Energy, Inc.
Sessions:
Rizwan James, Director-Power Generation System Operation Joined Dominion Energy in 2004 as a combustion turbine technician at the Fairless Energy Power Plant. Through series of career advancements his new role is Director Power Generation System Operations. Rizwan James is responsible for providing fleetwide operational support to Power Generation assets which include regulated fleet asset management and budgetary oversight, regulatory reporting, and oversight of the PG Operational Excellence team. He is also responsible for leading Power Generation operations teams, leading Power Generation's hydrogen strategy for combustion turbines, and providing support for Project Construction
Kate Bowling
Plant Manager Eastern Gas
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Sessions:
Kate has spent the last 20 plus years working for Tennessee Valley Authority honing her skills and knowledge in the policy procedures and power production and core business of the industry. She currently serves as site management in rotational development capacity for several power plants in the TVA network.
Michael Burroughs
Plant Manager - Plant Scherer (retired)
Georgia Power
Michael Burroughs is an an almost 34 year veteran of the electric utility industry with experience in coal, gas, fuels, solar, wind, operations strategy, environmental rules impact, Plant closures, and leadership development.
Michael began his career in 1991 as a Plant Engineer with Alabama Power Company's Barry Generating Plant which is part of the Southern Company. During the next 15 years, Michael held positions at Alabama Power Company and Gulf Power Company (former subsidiary of Southern Company) in front line supervision and management in Engineering, Planning, Maintenance, Operations, and Compliance in Power Plants. Michael was afterwards selected to be the Assistant To Executive Vice President of Alabama Power and Chief Production Officer for the Southern Company.
Since 2007, Michael has been in the Plant Manager roles at Alabama Power Company's Barry Steam Plant and Georgia Power Company's Plant Yates and Plant Scherer. He was also elected to be the Vice President of Generation and Senior Production Officer for Gulf Power Company before retiring at the end of 2024 after a long impactful and accomplished career.
Michael also served on the Plant Scherer Managing Board, Board member Coal Users Group, Florida Solar Energy Center Policy Advisory Board, Board member of Southeast Labor and Management Public Affairs Committee, Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, and Pensacola Sports Association.
Michael earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in December 1990.
Michael is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and has one daughter Genesis Nicole, who is a school teacher in Pensacola, Florida.
Don Cribb
Founder/Principal, 3600 Consulting Group
Santee Cooper
Sessions:
Don Cribb brings over three decades of expertise in the power generation industry to his role on the Planning Committee for the 2025 Experience Power Conference. As the Owner and Lead Consultant of 3600 Consulting Group, he drives excellence in capital planning and reliability, leveraging advanced analytics to deliver customized, data-driven solutions for resilient and cost-effective power generation.
With a distinguished career at Santee Cooper, a state-owned power utility in South Carolina, Don held pivotal leadership roles, including Senior Director of Generation, where he managed a 5,200 MW asset portfolio, overseeing $185 million in annual O&M budgets and $90 million in Capital budgets ensuring compliance with state, federal, and NERC regulations. As Manager of Cross Generating Station, he led a 2,400 MW facility, fostering safety, reliability, and employee engagement through innovative continuous improvement initiatives like idea-driven systems and workplace optimization programs. His earlier roles, from Superintendent of Operations to Maintenance Engineer, honed his technical and strategic acumen, with hands-on experience in turbine overhauls, boiler maintenance, and predictive maintenance.
A graduate of The Citadel with an MBA and Clemson University with a BS in Engineering, Don combines technical proficiency with visionary leadership. His commitment to the industry extends to community involvement, including serving on the University of South Carolina's SAGE Research Institute board and volunteering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity. As a member of the Experience Power 2025 Steering Committee, Don is dedicated to shaping a forward-thinking conference that addresses the evolving challenges and opportunities in power generation.
Darren Buck
Director of Power Delivery
Platte River Power Authority
Sessions:
Darren Buck joined Platte River Power Authority in 2021 as the director of power delivery and has 30 years of experience in the electric utility business. Platte River has 800 miles of transmission and manages 30 facilities. Darren is responsible for overseeing real-time operations across transmission, maintenance, engineering, construction, fiber telecommunications and physical security. Prior to his position at Platte River, Darren served in numerous executive positions responsible for maintenance, construction and operations for 8,000 miles of transmission lines and hundreds of substations across eight western states. He is active in electric industry organizations including the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and the North American Transmission Forum. Darren has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.
Platte River Power Authority is a not-for-profit, community-owned public power utility that generates and delivers safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Loveland, Colorado, for delivery to their utility customers. In addition to providing a public health and safety service to the owner communities, Platte River is working toward a 100% noncarbon energy future through a Resource Diversification Policy approved by its board of directors in 2018.
Ed Myers
Vice President - Development
Long Ridge Energy
Ed Myers, Vice President of Business Development at Long Ridge Energy and Power, brings over 20 years of experience in power, data center, and telecommunications infrastructure sales and transactions. Before joining Long Ridge, Ed served as Vice President of Business and Corporate Development at Tillman Global Holdings' in-building wireless systems integrator and finance company, TDC.
Earlier, he co-founded and led the telecommunications group at Parallel Infrastructure, a national build-to-suit communications tower and fiber service provider. Ed also managed offer development and the national spectrum program for FiberTower, a cell tower backhaul and fixed wireless service provider. His leadership journey spans notable roles with AT&T, Level 3, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.
A University of Virginia graduate, Ed holds BA and MA degrees in English Literature and frequently lectures at UVA's Darden School of Business and the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology.
Stephen Martz
Vice President Integrated Planning
Xcel Energy
Sessions:
In his current role, Steve oversees the integrated planning organization at Xcel Energy. In this role he is responsible for the long-term system planning and strategy of the electric distribution and transmission, generation, and natural gas businesses.
Prior to his current role, Steve was the vice president of engineering with responsibility for technical design, system planning, asset management, integrity, and project management. He started with Xcel in 2015 as head of the planning group where he was responsible for company growth planning and asset optimization.
Steve was previously employed by Sempra Energy where he worked in various capacities including design engineering, operations management, R&D, corporate development, and marketing.
Steve holds a BS in Chemical & Materials Engineering from Cal Poly and Masters degrees in Finance and Business Administration. He actively serves on several industry committees with the American Gas Association and the Southern Gas Association. He also serves as a board member for the Energy Systems Integration Group, Rocky Mountain Pipeliners Club and Reach Out Students for Education.
Jamie Choate
Director, HR & LR Support Services
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Sessions:
Jamie Choate is the Director of HR & LR Support Services at Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
In this role, she leads a team dedicated to advancing workforce strategies through technology, analytics, and continuous improvement. By integrating HR systems, transactions, and project management, she enhances organizational efficiency while strengthening the Human Resources organization. Her focus on innovation and data driven insights ensures that people and processes align to deliver lasting value to both employees and the organization.
As a results-driven leader, Jamie excels in strategic planning, organizational leadership, financial management, training programs and change management. She is committed to bolstering innovation across TVA and continuously evaluating progress with an eye on the future of work.
Her extensive background in the energy sector has provided her with deep technical knowledge and a strong leadership presence. With over two decades of experience at TVA, Jamie has held several leadership positions, including Director of Workforce Strategy & Development, Director of Learning and Development, Director of Technical Training, Senior Manager of Regulatory & Corporate Training, and Manager of Power Production Operations Training.
Jamie holds an MBA from Ashford University Forbes School of Business and Technology, a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Martin, and an Associate's degree in General Studies from Columbia State Community College.
Jamie currently resides in Ooltewah, TN with her husband and three children. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with community events and spending time with family traveling to her kids' sporting events.
Jan Kulmann PE
SVP and COO
United Power, Inc.
Jan Kulmann is a licensed professional engineer with over 27 years of experience in the energy industry, currently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at United Power. In this role, she oversees operations, maintenance, and safety for the electric cooperative, drawing on a career that spans both the utility and oil and gas sectors.
Jan has led major initiatives in emissions reduction, power transitions, automation, and infrastructure safety. Her background includes managing drilling and production facilities, developing engineering standards, and directing regulatory compliance programs across national and international projects.
Elected Mayor of Thornton, Colorado, in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, Jan has served in public office since 2013. She previously held roles as Ward 4 Councilmember and Mayor Pro-Tem. Regionally, she serves on the executive committee of the Metro Mayors Caucus, is Vice Chair of the Mile High Flood District, is part of the leadership circle for the Adams County Regional Economic Partnership, and previously chaired the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council.
Jan holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Music Performance from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Colorado State University. She and her husband, Dave, have been married since 2002 and are proud parents of two teenagers.
Britney Strout
Director of Asset Mgmt
Summit Utilities, Inc.
Britney Strout is the Director of Pipeline Integrity at Summit Utilities, Inc., where she leads safety and reliability programs for natural gas distribution and transmission systems across six states (CO, MO, ME, AR, OK, TX). With more than 14 years of experience spanning design engineering, field operations, and integrity management, she oversees teams responsible for advanced leak detection, corrosion prevention, TIMP/DIMP programs, quality, and compliance with federal and state standards.
A recognized champion of Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS), Britney drives a culture of quality, continuous improvement, risk reduction, and safety excellence across the organization. She has served as a subject matter expert for pipeline integrity and corrosion control at major operators including Southwest Gas, Xcel Energy, Marathon (MarkWest/QEP/Tesoro), and DCP Midstream (Phillips 66/Enbridge), and has consulted with leading utilities nationwide such as PG&E and Southern Company.
Britney holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona along with certifications in project management and cathodic protection. She is passionate about advancing pipeline safety, operational excellence, and sustainability in the energy sector.
James Goosby
Executive in Residence-McCrary Institute
Southern Company
Sessions:
James currently serves as a Director Cyber Security at Southern Company. In this role he works closely with industry, academia, and federal partners, including national laboratories on electric grid cyber security strategies. James also served as a senior fellow at the McCrary Institute, a prestigious group of nationally renowned cyber and critical-infrastructure security experts.
With more than 28 years of service at Southern Company, James co-led an initiative to implement an enhanced Operations cyber and NERC-CIP program support model and has held various operational and engineering support leadership positions. Prior to joining Southern Company, James served in the U.S. Marines. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Auburn University.
Justin Buckman
Manager of Power Production
Kissimmee Utility Authority - Cane Island
I spent 20% of my life underwater. After serving 20 years in the U.S. Nuclear Submarine Navy- operating and maintaining nuclear reactors and associated steam equipment, I retired and had to find a real job. Transitioning to the wild west that is Pulp and Paper, I spent 4 years at a Mill, 2 years on shift supervising 3 distinct areas- the Wood Yard, Power House (Recovery boiler, power boilers, biomass boiler, along with turbines), and Kraft Mill (Continuous Digester), before being promoted to the Power House Supervisor. After the mill closed, I spent 3 years managing the Deerhaven site for Gainesville Regional Utilities- a 450 MW capacity site, with 1 coal/ natural gas (NG) steam unit, 1 oil/NG steam unit, a 7EA simple cycle combustion turbine (CT), and 2 frame 5 simple cycle dual fuel CT's, following which I moved to my current position as Manager of Power Production at Kissimmee Utility Authority. I hold a Bachelor's of Science in Nuclear Engineering Technologies from Excelsior University, a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, and have been the recipient of numerous commendations, awards, distinctions, and leadership programs. In my spare time, I still like going underwater- scuba diving.
Michael Craig
Energy Management Systems Manager
Great River Energy
Michael Craig, manager of energy and distribution management systems at Great River Energy, is a professional engineer in the state of Minnesota. Michael has worked at Great River Energy for 14 years and helps to ensure reliable operation of the supervisory control and data acquisition system as well as working with new technologies pertaining to system operations and the electric utility industry.
Aaron Larson
Executive Editor
POWER magazine
Aaron Larson joined the POWER team in September 2013 as an associate editor and was named executive editor in 2017. Aaron has a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering technology and a master's degree, specializing in finance. He spent 13 years in the U.S. Navy nuclear power program, advancing to Chief Petty Officer. He has worked at commercial nuclear, biomass, and coal-fired power plants, functioning in operations, maintenance, safety, financial, and management capacities. Aaron holds a Chief A Engineer boiler operator license in the state of Minnesota.
Tom Quinlan
Vice President / COO Products Business
Yokogawa Corporation of America
Sessions:
Tom Quinlan has 30 years of experience in the process industry, 16 of those years as the Executive leader of the Measurement Instrumentation business. He is currently leading a transformation project for Yokogawa's Newnan, GA facilities....expanding U.S. manufacturing and building a Customer Experience Center. Tom lives in Sharpsburg, GA, where he is active in fitness, travel and food and is a major sports fan. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, where both his sons will graduate with one following in his footsteps as a Chemical Engineer in the Process Industry.
Paul DeCotis
Senior Partner, Utilities
West Monroe
With 40 years' experience, Paul leads innovative grid modernization projects, helping North American utilities negotiate major contracts, digitize operations and use advanced analytics to drive enterprise and customer value. Paul supports private equity firms in commercial diligence for acquisitions offering energy technologies and related services.
Paul joined West Monroe from Long Island Power Authority, where he was vice president of power markets and managing director for utility service provider contract oversight. Paul oversaw human resources during the Power Authority's reorganization and restructuring. Paul negotiated over $10 billion in power purchase agreements, and over $400 million in union labor contracts. Paul has a bachelor's degree in international business management, a master's degree in economics, and an MBA in finance. Prior to joining the utility, Paul was deputy Energy Secretary and senior energy advisor to two governors.
Paul invests great energy in academic, industry and not-for-profit organizations. Paul has been active, serving on professional and community boards of directors for over 30 years. Paul served on the Board on Energy and Environmental System at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), and chaired and served on several NASEM committees. Paul also chaired several peer review advisory panels for the US Department of Energy and served as an advisor to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Paul is currently a board member with the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University, an editorial board member for Wiley's Climate and Energy Journal, and Springer's Energy Efficiency Journal. Paul is also Deputy Supervisor in the Town of Malta, New York, and advisory board member to the Critical Infrastructure Security Consortium.
Paul has published over 13 dozen professional articles and papers. Paul was named one of New York City & State's ""Responsible 100"" recognizing 100 of New York's most outstanding corporate citizens, executives, thought leaders, visionaries, and influencers in promoting core principles of social responsibility: charity, community engagement, customer service, diversity and inclusion, equity, ethics, transparency, sustainability, and volunteerism. Paul was also recognized as a notable leader in Accounting and Consulting by Crain's New York, and is a member of Montclair Publishing LLC. "Who's Who in North America."
Diane Fischer
Director, Generation Services
Kiewit
Delivering asset development, operational improvements and performance enhancement services, Diane Fischer, the Director of Generation Services at Kiewit, leverages her 30+ years of experience in the power industry to provide detailed engineering and design solutions. Throughout the project lifecycle, she partners with clients to address environmental issues, engineer components and systems and conduct facility evaluations and feasibility analyses.
A recognized subject matter expert in the power market, Diane has shared her insights on combustion turbine issues, fuel flexibility, hydrogen combustion and energy storage at 12 conferences over the last three years. Holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University, she is also a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri.
Eric DeCristofaro
Vice President
Sargent & Lundy
Eric DeCristofaro is a vice president in Sargent & Lundy's Consulting Group. He joined the firm in 2009 and is based at its Chicago headquarters. In the last decade Eric has led multi-disciplinary teams on over 300 power projects. Eric's support for clients covers a wide range of services including project development support, permitting, feasibility studies, owner's engineering, technical due diligence, wind and solar resource assessments, independent engineering, construction monitoring, condition assessment, technology evaluation, contract reviews and technical advisory services. Eric graduated from the University of Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in mechanical engineering. He also has a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from DePaul University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Illinois.
Darren McGuire
Commercial Product Manager
Siemens Energy
Darren manages global commercial and business development for the Siemens Energy Omnivise Performance team with special focus on the Omnivise Energy Management System. He has been with Siemens Energy for 17 years working in power generation and digital solutions. He also holds a masters degrees in both engineering and business administration from the University of Florida.
Giovanni Damato
President
CMBlu Energy
Giovanni Damato serves as President at CMBlu Energy, Inc. (CMBlu), commercializing Organic SolidFlow battery storage technology in the United States. Giovanni is responsible for all aspects of CMBlu's U.S. energy storage project and product development while also leading the expansion of CMBlu's manufacturing capacity into the USA. He has nearly two decades of professional experience leading the exploration of grid-connected energy storage. At the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Giovanni provided innovative grid storage and DER techno-economic analyses with strategic recommendations to energy industry stakeholders while managing the program's integrated modeling frameworks for EPRI's grid storage practice areas. In this capacity, he produced cutting-edge research and traveled around the world to present ERPI's work on energy storage.
Giovanni holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Chilukuri Maheshwar
Ex-Sr Training Superintendent - Engineering
ex-Anglo Eastern Maritime Academy
Chilukuri Maheshwar is a Marine Engineer (DMET-1980 pass out) recently retired as Faculty-Engineering at Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy belonging to Hong-Kong based Anglo-Eastern Univan group managing about 700 ships of various types. Chilukuri has an MBA, MEE (Masters in Ecology and Environment) and M Phil in Management. His first book titled CONTAINER REFRIGERATION was published in 2008 by Witherbys, UK and is used as reference material for US MARAD's Marine Engineers License Examinations.
His second book titled REFRIGERATION AND PERSONAL SAFETY was published by Bhandarakar Publications, Mumbai in 2023.
He is accessible at
in.linkedin.com/pub/maheshwar-chilukuri/1/60a/443/
Maher Damak Ph.D.
Co-Founder & CEO
Infinite Cooling
Maher is the Co-Founder and CEO of Infinite Cooling, an award-winning start-up disrupting the way cooling is done in industrial processes and commercial buildings. He has led the development and commercialization of water recycling technology and optimization software for cooling systems in multiple verticals including power generation, data centers, manufacturing, and commercial HVAC. Maher has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he developed a novel patented technology to efficiently capture water from fog and cooling tower plumes using electric fields. He received several awards for his work including Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy and the Edison Awards Gold Medal.
Dave Hopson
Founder and Managing Partner
Triumphus
As one of the founding partners of Triumphus, Dave brings 25 years of experience as a leader in the Information Technology field.
Prior to founding Triumphus, Dave held executive-level IT roles with Union Carbide Corp, BHP Billiton, and Devon Energy. As a Director with Devon Energy Inc., Dave aligned people, process, and technology to create an efficient and seamless technology group.
Dave retired from the US Marine Corps after serving as Team Leader for the USMC 3rd Force Recon, specializing in anti-terrorism, hostage rescue, special ops logistical planning, and training. He earned a BS in Political Science from Sam Houston State University, a MAIS from Claremont Graduate School, and a PhD from Claremont Graduate School in the Peter Drucker's School of Management. He lives in Clear Lake Shores, Texas, with his wife, Amy.
Matthew Fioretti
Senior Manager Market Development
Wartsila North America, Inc.
Matthew Fioretti is a Senior Manager for the Market Development department at Wärtsilä North America. In his role, Matt advises on wholesale electricity markets, sales opportunities, and resource capabilities that support decarbonization, while highlighting the critical role flexible gas generation plays in the evolution of the power grid. He has over 10 years of experience in the energy industry and previously held the title of Market Research & Development Manager at Mitsubishi Power Aero, where he worked on expanding market intelligence services to identify global sales opportunities and guide strategy decisions. Prior to that, Matt worked as a Market Monitor for ISO New England identifying market manipulation, opining on new wholesale electricity market designs, and conducting empirical analysis of market performance. He is a graduate of Springfield College and holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Finance.
Prof John "Yiannis" K Galiotos, Ph.D.
Dean of Workforce Development and Associate Professor of Chemistry
Southern University at Shreveport
John "Yiannis" Galiotos holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Northeastern Illinois University and both a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. While completing his undergraduate studies, he worked as a production specialist at Dynamic International Chemical Fertilizing Company in Chicago.
Currently, Dr. Galiotos serves as the Dean of Workforce Development and a tenured Associate Professor of Chemistry at Southern University A&M College in Shreveport. John serves as a Board Member of the Consumer Energy Education Foundation and a former President of the Houston Abu Dhabi Sister Cities Association.
In 2008, Dr. Galiotos established the first Power Engineering Technology program at the Energy Institute in Texas.
In 2022, he was asked to serve as Senior Executive Advisor to the CEO at PHOS Global Energy Solutions for his exceptional contributions to the global Energy and Infrastructure sector.
An active participant in the STEAM community of Northwest Louisiana, Dr. Galiotos serves on the Advisory Board for the NWLA STEAM Alliance. His previous positions include Senior Vice President for Workforce-STEM/CTE-Economic Development at Suffolk County Community College, NY; Academic Service Department Manager at ADNOC Technical Academy, Abu Dhabi; Dean of the Energy and Manufacturing Institute at Lone Star College, Houston; and Professor and Division Chair at Houston Community College-Northeast.
Dr. Galiotos is the founder of the Houston Community College Global Energy Institute and has developed several programs addressing STEAM education and industry needs, earning recognition from the State of Texas and nationally. With over 15 years of industry experience in the Chemical Fertilizers, Chemical, and Petrochemical sectors, he brings valuable expertise.
With more than 35 years in Workforce Education, Economic Development, and STEAM Education, Dr. Galiotos is a successful grant writer, published author, internationally recognized presenter, and acclaimed educator, leader, and trainer.
Alexandra Pony
Founder and Principal/PR Representative
PONY Communications
Alexandra Pony is the founder and principal of PONY Communications, an award-winning PR and social agency specializing in the energy sector. Known for delivering standout results for the world's most innovative energy companies, PONY helps clients dominate headlines and shape the energy narrative--from cleantech and grid-edge innovation to next-gen battery storage.
Recognized by Inc., NASA, and top industry awards--including a Stevie Award for Most Innovative Woman of the Year - Advertising, Marketing + Public Relations)--Alexandra transforms bold ideas into headline-grabbing stories that drive meaningful impact and propel disruptive brands into the media spotlight.
She helped launch Pivotal's (formerly Opener) electric flying vehicle--the world's first, backed by Larry Page--into mainstream recognition; amplified OhmConnect's success leading to its acquisition by Google; and supported energy pioneers like Renew Home, Recurve, and Climeworks, the world's largest direct air capture company. PONY has also amplified Glydways--backed by Bill Gates and Sam Altman--as it reimagines personal mass transit. Notably, Alexandra led one of the largest viral crowdsourcing campaigns in history for NASA.
Rick Lank
President
Resilient Power Works, LLC
Rick is leading a consortium of entities, including a manufacturer (Pillar Innovations) and a federal lab (National Energy Technology Laboratory), to bring to market the H2PWR Microgrid, a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) generation technology. For the past decade, he has guided the evolution of the tightly coupled hybrid system (while in development at the federal lab), assuring that it has the capacity to be a utility asset: dispatchable and with load-following capabilities.
Justin Lindemann
Senior Policy Analyst
NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Sessions:
Justin Lindemann is a Senior Policy Analyst at the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, where he contributes to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) and the DSIRE Insight report series. He monitors clean energy legislation and regulatory activity across parts of the Northeast and Southeast. Justin also leads the Center's nuclear energy policy research, tracking developments in all 50 states--including legislation, regulatory proceedings, studies, federal and state incentives, and broader market trends. In addition, he provides policy analysis for the U.S. Department of Energy's Southeast Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnership, supporting the deployment of onsite clean energy technologies. Justin holds a Master's degree in International Studies from NC State University, with a concentration in climate policy and global climate resilience.
Nicholas Meyer
Marketing Manager
Yokogawa Corporation of America
Nicholas Meyer is the Head of Industry and Product Marketing at Yokogawa Corporation of America. He joined Yokogawa in 2019 and has 23 years of experience in the process industry, with expertise in industrial automation, product strategy, and digital transformation.
Nick currently leads initiatives in the energy and sustainability sectors, with a particular emphasis on power generation. He is passionate about the evolving landscape of the energy transition and how digital transformation and industrial autonomy can enhance energy reliability, efficiency, and security--key themes shaping the future of power.
Nick lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, with his wife and three children, where they are active in local soccer and music programs. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Ray Rasmussen
Founder and Managing Principal
rGen Consulting
Ray is the co-founder and managing principal of rGen Consulting, a management consulting firm specializing in human-AI workforce transformation. Under his leadership, rGen Consulting has become an ideal partner for organizations seeking to modernize both their people and their business. rGen brings a unique approach to AI adoption that includes training, collaborative co-design and development, along with toolkits, recommended governance structures and support. The result for organizations: immediate problems solved with AI; and internal teams that know how to use and leverage AI effectively.
Ray began his journey in technology as an engineer at IBM at the dawn of the personal computer era. He worked for 10 years at Deloitte Consulting leading energy company merger integrations. He deepened his knowledge of leading-edge AI technologies as Microsoft's worldwide leader of business application strategies. With a career spanning over four decades in the technology and energy industries, Ray brings an extraordinary depth of knowledge, vast experience, and a track record of success.
Stewart Nicholson
President
Primex
Stewart Nicholson is President and founder of Primex Process Specialists, Inc., a professional services firm specializing in generation asset optimization services. Building on thirty years' experience in process optimization, Stewart's mission is to further develop and deploy Primex's suite of advanced forecasting, anomaly detection, and diagnostic services. Stewart is a seasoned executive, patent holder, Professional Engineer, ASME published author, and contributing author of Machine Learning and Data Science in the Power Generation Industry (ISBN 9780128197424).
Hal Corin
Head of Development
Viridi Parente
Hal is Head of Development at Viridi, where he focuses on market development, strategy, partnerships, leading Viridi's "Insights" software and connectivity division, and structuring of large programs.
Hal comes to Viridi from JPMorgan Chase where he was Vice President, Global Head of Energy and Sustainability for Global Real Estate. There he ran global energy management and was responsible for delivery on JPMorgan Chase's public sustainability commitments relating to operations (Scopes 1 and 2). Execution included managing energy procurement, all programs relating to decarbonization, efficiency, sustainability, water conservation, and renewable energy for the firm's operations spanning 7500 properties in over 70 countries. Additionally, he oversaw energy-related capital programs (solar, microgrids, EV, etc.) while crafting strategy and conducting the development, due diligence, underwriting, and implementation of all solutions.
Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Hal served as Energy Manager for Jeffco Public Schools, a 100,000 occupant portfolio, where in addition to running sustainability and energy management function he frequently taught energy and conservation topics to students. Prior to joining Jeffco, Hal worked as a consulting Mechanical Engineer where he designed HVAC, energy plants, and authored technical studies for complex environments for Dewberry and Affiliated Engineers Inc (AEI).
He served on the Corporate Advisory Board of the World Green Building Council. He twice served as Chairperson of the Colorado Association of School District Energy Managers (CASDEM).
Hal is a graduate of the P.C. Rossin School of Engineering and Applied Science with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and also holds a MBA from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business at Elon University. Hal holds the Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Certified Energy Procurement Professional (CEP) professional designations.
Matt Bosch,
Executive Vice President of Growth and Development
Sparkfund
Matt Bosch is a dynamic and results-driven executive with extensive experience leading transformative initiatives across the energy and utilities sectors. As the Executive Vice President of Programs and Growth at Sparkfund, Matt has been instrumental in shaping the company's revenue strategy and scaling its operations. Under his leadership, Sparkfund transitioned from a direct-to-customer model to a partner led go-to-market approach, securing multi-year partnerships with industry leaders in utilities, retail energy, and oil & gas. Matt also played a pivotal role in crafting Sparkfund's mission and vision, driving strategic corporate initiatives, and participating in board and investor relations. Prior to Sparkfund, Matt held senior roles at Opower (later acquired by Oracle), where he led client success teams managing utility partnerships. At Accenture, Matt served as a consultant in the Utilities Practice, with clients spanning RTO, Smart Grid, and Energy Trading. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Energy Focus) from the University of Michigan and is based in Denver, Colorado.
Beth Crouchet
Director Energy Markets & Resource Planning
Budderfly
With a decade of experience in the energy industry, Beth Crouchet leads Budderfly's efforts in energy markets and resource planning. She focuses on underserved markets, driving initiatives in energy efficiency, load flexibility, and net zero strategies. Beth has a strong background in climate change research and has spearheaded the launch of some of the first Virtual Power Plants in the country, continually expanding dynamic energy solutions across new sectors. At Budderfly, she oversees the integration of cutting-edge DERMS technology, enabling small and mid-sized commercial businesses to achieve significant cost savings and sustainability goals through innovative energy management.
Wayshalee Patel B.S.ChE, MBA, P.E.
Director of Environmental Technologies, Licensing and Permitting
Sargent & Lundy
Sessions:
Wayshalee Patel works for Sargent & Lundy, a comprehensive consulting, engineering and design firm providing solutions for the electric power industry. She is currently the Director of S&L's Environmental Technologies, Licensing and Permitting Group. Mrs. Patel is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Illinois and has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and Masters in Business Administration. She directs multiple project teams, each led by project managers and technical and engineering personnel. Her overall experience encompasses environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, and air pollution controls. She is well versed in existing and proposed environmental regulations, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). She has been involved with several air quality retrofit projects, new generation projects and transmission line projects where she assisted in project management, preliminary engineering and design, specification/procurement, and project implementation.
Pareez Golub
Vice President Digital Modernization
Sargent & Lundy
Passionate leader in digital I&C engineering and licensing for the nuclear industry. Over 25 years of experience in licensing, plant design and modification engineering, training, project management, and leadership. Specializes in successful first-of-kind projects and initiatives. Leads resolution of complex industry and regulatory issues for the operating fleet and new plants. Dedicated to the sustainability and growth of the nuclear industry in the US and worldwide.
Dawn Lima
VP - Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technologies
Foss & Company
As Vice President of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies, she manages all aspects of the transaction lifecycle for solar, RNG, and carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS) investments. Ms. Lima has over two decades of experience in full cycle of oil & gas energy development including: operations, business development and acquisitions & divestitures. A graduate from the Canadian Royal Military College of Canada, Ms. Lima holds a B.Eng. in Chemical & Materials Engineering and received her commission as an Officer in the Canadian Airforce.
Vihann Kong
Senior Executive Director
Ampion, PBC.
Ampion's Senior Executive Director of Enterprise Acquisition, Vihann Kong, is an authority on the sustainable energy efficiency and demand-side management market. For over 15 years, he has delivered customer-centric solutions that enable increased revenue and efficient operational standards. His clients trust him, as he listens and helps many customers across Fortune 1000, public sector, hospitals, and universities develop an overall energy strategy that fits their unique business needs.
With Ampion, he delivers renewable energy solutions to enterprise customers to help lower their energy costs and achieve ESG initiatives. He manages a robust end-to-end sales strategy with a cross-functional business development team, engineers, and project managers. Before Ampion, he led national sales at Metrus Energy. He successfully built the sales strategy and grew their direct and indirect sales channel. Before Metrus Energy, Vihann led demand-side management sales at Constellation, an Exelon company, where he pioneered new products and revenue models for over a decade. He is an engaging presenter and an actor who has appeared in many movies. Vihann is a National Board Member of the Screen Actors Guild's Asian Pacific American Media Committee (APAM).
Laura Rippentrop
Senior Director, Land
rPlus Energies, LLC
Laura Rippentrop, Senior Director, Land with rPlus Energies, brings 20 years of land management experience and expertise in the energy industry to the rPlus team. Laura joined rPlus in 2021 and has successfully utilized her skills and expertise in land management across all rPlus' solar, wind and pumped storage hydro projects. Most recently, Laura has been integral in helping to manage the land and title due diligence matters on some of rPlus' large scale solar projects, notably the Green River Energy Center project in Emery County, Utah, and Pleasant Valley Solar and Pleasant Valley Solar 2 projects in Ada County, Idaho.
Laura started her career in the oil and gas industry in 2004 working onshore projects across the U.S. Her experience includes managing several assets and teams responsible for acquisitions and divestitures, business development and operations on tribal, federal, and private lands. In addition to spending several years working for independent exploration companies, Laura spent ten years with QEP Resources managing multi-billion-dollar assets in Utah, Texas, and North Dakota.
Laura received a Bachelor of Art degree in English and Communications from Northern Arizona University, and a master's degree in Environmental & Natural Resource Law & Policy from the University of Denver College of Law.
Galen George
VP
Siemens Energy
Mr. George has worked in the North American Power industry for more than 35 years in the areas of Automation, Electrification and the Application of Digital Solutions for more than 35 years. In his career he has served as Design Engineering, Construction Engineer, Commissioning and Startup Management, Project Engineering, Project Management, Marketing, Sales, and Sales Management.
Kevin Dahm
Director of Engineering
Vital Tech Services
Kevin brings 37 years of expertise in commercial nuclear power and fossil generation engineering, a licensed Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) and Control Room Supervisor. He has design, construction, and start up experience in the Electrical and DCS (distributed control system) engineering areas for two $1B projects and a $500M project.
Kevin was the Superintendent of Maintenance at a nuclear power station.
College adjunct Professor for over 10 years teaching engineering classes and responsible for curriculum development.
Kevin is also a retired U.S. Navy veteran.
Kevin has spoken at multiple conferences on DCS, control room designs, power plant Simulators, and human factored engineering.
Worked on a research project with Penn State for digital transformation.
Published in Control Magazine for innovative Control Room designs.
Whitaker (Whit) Irvin, Jr.
CEO
Q Hydrogen
Whitaker Irvin, Jr. is President and Chief Executive Officer of Q Hydrogen, based in Park City, Utah. A seasoned entrepreneur, he has wide ranging experience in industries including finance, aerospace/defense, energy and green high-technology companies, including Raytheon, where he managed technology deployment for the northeast region.
Irvin's family has been actively engaged in the Western US oil and gas sector for five generations. In 2010, he left Raytheon to guide the development and commercialization of carbon-free hydrogen production technologies invented by his father, Whitaker B. Irvin Sr. He is responsible for crafting the company's commercialization strategies and is known for his relationships within the commercial and equity communities.
He graduated from Babson College in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Global Business Management. He is also a certified Project Management Professional ("PMP").
Siraj Taj
Founder / Principal
ST Power Services Consultants, LLC
Sessions:
Siraj Taj is a rare Power industry insider who has the experience to look across the entire value chain - from sourcing and generation to transmission and distribution - to optimize plant efficiencies and economics. Siraj and his team at ST Power Services are focused on creating Innovative and Pragmatic O & M strategies that empower plant owners to solve today's problems while laying the groundwork to profitably transform their organization for a carbon-free future.
A sought-after Power industry consultant and thought leader, Siraj Taj has leveraged more than 35 years experience into his latest pursuit: Helping power plant owners prepare for our clean energy future.
Jack Huggins P.E.
Manager
Winyah Generating Station
Sessions:
Jack Huggins, a registered Professional Engineer, joined Santee Cooper in 2009. In July of 2019, he was named Superintendent of Technical Services of Winyah Generating Station. Previously he served in various roles within the Distribution Division and the Grainger Generating Station. Huggins obtained his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina and his master's degree in business administration from Gardner Webb University.
Michael Caravaggio
Vice President of Fleet Reliability
EPRI Electric Power Research Institute
Michael Caravaggio is the Vice President, Energy Supply, Fleet Reliability at EPRI.
EPRIs Energy Supply Sector conducts research on all aspects of electricity generation for a global group of generating companies. The sector has collaborative R&D programs covering the Thermal, Renewable & Next-Generation Fleet, Fleet Management and Operations, Digitalization, Materials, Thermal Optimization and Emissions Controls, Air Quality & Health, and Water & Land Management.
Caravaggio has held many roles previously at EPRI including Director Thermal & Hydro Fleet, Senior Program Manager, Major Component Reliability, as well as leading the EPRI Steam and Water Cycle
Chemistry Research area.
Before rejoining EPRI in 2014, Caravaggio ran Integrated Chemistry Solutions Pte. Ltd., a Singapore based Business Development and Technical Consultancy company serving the Power and Water industries. Earlier in Caravaggio's career he held various roles including engineering, supervisory and management, with Ontario Power Generation, a Canadian based Utility Company.
Caravaggio received a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental (chemical) engineering from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and a Master of Business Administration (Strategy) from the Nanyang
Business School (Singapore).
Sonal Patel
Senior Editor
POWER magazine
Sessions:
A national award-winning multimedia journalist, Sonal Patel has covered a wide range of technology, business, and policy issues affecting the power industry worldwide for POWER and its sister publications since 2008. Along with keeping her eye on national and international matters for POWER magazine's monthly department Global Monitor, she contributes in-depth analysis and spot news pieces for POWER and POWERnews. She also surveys, crunches, and visualizes power generation data and trends from around the world for POWER's web and print infographics and other multimedia. She is a graduate of the University of Houston.
Michael Craig PE
Energy Management Systems Manager
Great River Energy
Sessions:
Michael Craig, manager of energy and distribution management systems at Great River Energy, is a professional engineer in the state of Minnesota. Michael has worked at Great River Energy for 14 years and helps to ensure reliable operation of the supervisory control and data acquisition system as well as working with new technologies pertaining to system operations and the electric utility industry.
Darrell Proctor
Executive Editor
POWER magazine
Darrell Proctor joined POWER in 2017. He has years of experience in the energy and publishing industries, including as a writer, editor and energy data analyst for Ponderosa Advisors and Bentek Energy (S&P Global/Platts). He has written numerous reports and white papers on power demand, particularly from industrial facilities, as well as natural gas and crude oil exploration and trading. He also has written about transportation of commodities, particularly coal, crude oil and natural gas, and the operation of crude oil refineries. He was an assistant business editor and assistant news editor as well as Technology Editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Colorado, and also was a senior editor at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. He is a graduate of Franklin College of Indiana.
Risto Paldanius
Vice President, Americas
Wartsila North America, Inc.
Sessions:
I'm a transformational energy executive with a history of delivering profitable growth, business turnarounds, and strategic innovation in the global energy sector. As the Vice President, Americas for Wärtsilä Energy, I am known for being bold and progressive in initiating business transformations, identifying market strategies across the Americas, and developing leaders and teams.
My passion for transforming and future-proofing organizations came while working for GE Energy, Pöyry, and Fortum. And since joining Wärtsilä, I've broadened my focus to turning opportunities into results - whether that's navigating M&A, integrating new technologies, entering markets like powering data centers, or leveraging AI and digital transformation initiatives to transform. But I believe transformation goes beyond spreadsheets and numbers; it's about empowering teams to thrive in a fast-changing world. Through psychological safety, trust, transparency, and accountability, teams can innovate and succeed.
Craighton Goeppele
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
TerraPower, Llc
Sessions:
As the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for TerraPower, Craighton Goeppele focuses on domestic and international agreements, corporate and financing matters, intellectual property, compliance, risk management and employment law. He has practiced law for over 30 years, including several years practicing in Japan and throughout Europe. He joined TerraPower in 2013 and previously served in senior inhouse legal roles at Starbucks, Nintendo, Intellectual Ventures, and ITOCHU, as well as international law firms.
Ty Remington
Vice President, Gas Power Sales
GE Vernova
Ty Remington leads the Gas Power New Units Sales team for North America, and is responsible for new unit gas turbine, steam turbine, and HRSG sales efforts for the region.
Ty started his career at General Electric in 2004 through the Junior Officer Leadership Program. He held several roles in GE's project development team as a Project Development Manager and Project Director, working on thermal, wind, and solar development projects. He returned to the Commercial Operations team as a Commercial Leader for Thermal Products in North America, and then served as the Product Manager for the 7HA.01 gas turbine responsible for gas turbine product strategy and product development. Ty has held various sales roles in the west region since 2013 and has been in his current role since 2023.
Ty graduated from the United States Military Academy and then entered the United States Army where he served for five years as an Engineer Officer in both Combat Engineer and Construction Engineer units. Ty lives in the Denver, CO area with his wife and 2 children.
Johnny Howze, III
SVP Supply Chain & Chief Procurement Officer
NiSource Corporation
Johnny Howze is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Chief Procurement Officer at NiSource. He has overall responsibility for NiSource's procurement process, including the sourcing of goods and services, contract negotiation, managing supplier relationships and fostering
economic inclusion for a diverse and inclusive supply chain.
Prior to joining NiSource, Howze had a 32-year career at Southern Company, holding roles in engineering, power plant operations and ultimately served as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain
Management. At Southern Company, he received numerous recognitions, notably leading the Robert W. Scherer powerplant to the 2017 Powder River Basin Coal Users Group plant of the year award. Howze's collaborative spirit and dedication to innovation has earned him a reputation as a thought leader in the energy sector. Howze is leveraging his operational background and past success to navigate complex challenges and deliver sustainable solutions at NiSource.
Throughout his career, Howze has been committed to fostering economic inclusion, working to create opportunities for underrepresented communities within the energy sector. At NiSource, Howze is committed to developing and optimizing new and existing initiatives that promote greater
economic inclusion.
Howze completed his Master of Business Administration at Kennesaw State University as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama. He is a 2019 Distinguished Engineering Fellow of the college of engineering, the college's top recognition for alumni. Additionally, he serves as a Board Member for the Paul Jones Museum of American Art, also at the University of Alabama, fueling his passion for African American Contemporary Art.
Eduardo De Luna Pena
Chief Product Officer
Transnational Electric Power LLC
Eduardo has an MBA in Finance and Business entrepreneurship. His company began in 1966 through family-owned business, focusing on engines and appliances, in 1972 it was expanded to industrial lighting solutions, in 1976 transformer refurbishment and servicing was expanded. In 2022 expanded distribution came about giving TNLEP a footprint in Mexico, USA, and Canada.
Kate Tillotson
Principal
The Beacon Group
Kate Tillotson is the founder and principal of The Beacon Group, a strategic communications firm advising C-suites across the energy and infrastructure sectors. A former television journalist, she brings more than 20 years of experience in media, executive coaching, and high-stakes communications. Previously, Tillotson served as Senior Manager of Media Relations at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, where she led national media strategy. She began her career in broadcast news, holding on-air roles at CBS and NBC affiliates in Michigan, Georgia, and Montana, and earned national recognition for investigative and feature reporting. She holds a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College in Boston.
Michael T. Steffes
President & CEO
ACES
Mike Steffes has served as ACES' President and Chief Executive Officer since May 2013. ACES is a cooperative-owned energy risk management service company that provides comprehensive commodity services for its Members and Customers. In his role, Mr. Steffes leads the development and execution of ACES' long-term strategy and ensures the company is able to fulfill its mission of helping its Members and Customers manage their energy risk.
Before assuming his current role as President and CEO, Mr. Steffes served as ACES' Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer beginning in 2001. During this time, he was responsible for all commercial activities of the company, including management of the company's Marketing, Origination, Trading, Structuring, Fuels, and Emissions departments.
Prior to joining ACES, Mr. Steffes was Vice President of Marketing and Trading for PP&L in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Steffes led the development of the utility's unregulated trading subsidiary into a profitable, full-service trading organization.
Mr. Steffes has also held other significant roles in the industry, including helping to pioneer state-of-the-art risk management systems at Valero Energy and leading natural gas marketing and trading businesses throughout the U.S.
Mike Steffes holds a Bachelor of Arts from Albion College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Detroit.
Bryan Hannegan
President & CEO
Holy Cross Energy
Bryan Hannegan is President and CEO of Holy Cross Energy, a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative utility providing electricity and energy products and services to more than 46,000 customers in Western Colorado. Headquartered in Glenwood Springs, Holy Cross Energy is leading the responsible transition to a clean energy future with its "Journey to 100%" plan aimed at obtaining 100% renewable and clean energy for its members by 2030. For its efforts, it was named 2020 Electric Cooperative of the Year by the Smart Electric Power Alliance. Prior to joining Holy Cross in July 2017, Bryan was an Associate Laboratory Director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he co-founded the US Department of Energy's Grid Modernization Initiative and started up the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), a unique "distribution grid in a box" enabling utilities, entrepreneurs and consumers to work together on clean, affordable and reliable energy systems. Earlier in his career, Bryan held senior leadership roles at the Electric Power Research Institute, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Bryan holds a Ph.D. in Earth Systems Science and a M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of California at Irvine, and a B.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. He currently serves on the Boards of the Smart Electric Power Alliance and RMI and is presently Vice Chair of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Science and Technology Advisory Council. Bryan has also served as an elected Director of the Coastside County Water District and was a former member of the California Council on Science and Technology.
Jan Ahlen
Vice President, Utility Research and Policy
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation
Jan Ahlen is Vice President of Utility Research & Policy at the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), where he leads the Federal Relations and Industry Research & Analysis teams. He previously spent more than a decade at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), serving as Director of Energy Solutions and Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager. In those roles, he guided initiatives on distributed energy resources (DER), oversaw research projects, advised cooperatives on strategic issues, and represented them before federal agencies on rate design, grid modernization, and emerging utility business models. Earlier in his career, he was the energy lobbyist for the National Farmers Union. A frequent industry speaker, Ahlen holds a B.A. and M.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.
Eric Stein
President
Viridi
Eric retired from J.P. Morgan in 2022 after a distinguished 33-year career, most recently serving as Global Chairman of Investment Banking. He joined Viridi in February 2023. Throughout his tenure at J.P. Morgan, Eric advised many of the firm's most important clients on critical strategic initiatives, including capital raising and mergers & acquisitions. He also held several senior leadership roles, leading Investment Banking in North America for nearly eight years, as well as the Global and EMEA Diversified Industries groups and the Global Natural Resources group.
Eric holds an M.B.A. in Finance and an M.S. in Accounting from New York University's Stern School of Business, and a B.A. in Economics from Hobart College. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and on the Advisory Board of Harlem Lacrosse.
Justin Williams
Account Director
Trevi Communications
Sessions:
Justin Williams is a Senior Account Executive at Trevi Communications, a marketing/public relations firm with a focus on energy clients. He has worked with energy accounts since joining Trevi in 2021 and is one of the firm's resident clean energy experts. He came to Trevi from corporate communications, having worked in media relations for the U.S. office of one of Europe's largest tech companies. Justin also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an M.A. in Russian and East European Studies, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.A. in International Studies and History.
Osman Sediqi
Chief Operating Officer
GS Power Partners
Osman Sediqi serves as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of GS Power Partners. He brings over 15 years of experience in the solar industry to his role at the company. As COO, Osman is responsible for leading the Asset Management team to manage GSPP's existing DG portfolio, while continuing to uphold the company's reputation for high-performance C+I and community solar assets.
At GS Power Partners, Osman has held a variety of positions, working across both asset and project management for the organization. Prior to joining the company, he served in leadership roles at Grasshopper Solar, directing a team of over 30 professionals. Osman was a managing partner of Koenig & Consultants from 2009 to 2014, offering energy-related management consulting services to global clients. He also co-founded Mining Energy Advisors, a platform aimed at supporting global mining companies in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Osman holds a degree from the Gelsenkirchen University of Applied Sciences in Germany, where he graduated with a double major in finance and international marketing management. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Thomas M. Poteet III, P.E.
Senior VP, Corporate Development
Mesa Solutions
Sessions:
Tom Poteet is the Sr. VP of Corporate Development for Mesa Natural Gas Solutions. Tom's purview in this role includes characterizing and casting the vision for the optimal use of natural gas-powered generation, monitoring the innovation stream for future sources of site power, and developing customized rate plans and progressive field applications to meet customers' needs and financial preferences. With over 40 years in engineering, Tom's career has given him experience in electric power, telecommunications, and oil field production. Tom graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
Matt Huber
Chief Technology Officer
Emtel Energy
Matt Huber is Chief Technology Officer at Emtel Energy USA, where he leads technology development for integrated storage and microgrid solutions serving industrial, utility, and mission-critical applications. With over 20 years of experience in advanced energy systems, Matt has delivered scalable infrastructure across hundreds of sites--including data centers, distributed assets, and grid-connected platforms. His work bridges cutting-edge technology with real-world application, focusing on modular architectures, solving integration challenges, and developing commercial models that accelerate deployment of resilient, flexible energy infrastructure.
Sarbari Basu
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) & General Manager (GM)
Prismecs
With over 20 years of experience in operational, functional, and business HR roles, Sarbari has worked across five countries and multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, distribution, and services. She brings a wealth of leadership expertise in both human resources and business operations to Prismecs, where she currently serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and General Manager (GM).
In her dual role, Sarbari oversees end-to-end business operations, workforce strategy, and organizational transformation. She plays a pivotal role in aligning business objectives with talent strategies, driving operational excellence, and optimizing workforce performance. Her responsibilities span financial and operational oversight, P&L management, HR governance, employee engagement, and leadership development.
Sarbari holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and an MBA from Calcutta University. She is a 2018 Global Fellow of Talent Management at The Wharton School, a certified Six Sigma Green Belt, and a certified Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) practitioner. Currently, she is further expanding her expertise in Organization Design and Change Management, strengthening her ability to lead large-scale workforce and operational transformations.
DeAnna C. Myers
Senior Manager, Learning & Development
Sargent & Lundy
DeAnna Myers is a Vice President and the Director of Learning and Organizational Change at Sargent Lundy, a prominent engineering consultant in the power generation industry. Ms. Myers orchestrates design solutions while helping her organization navigate change. The efforts of Ms. Myers' groups ensure that employees gain the skills and abilities needed for success in an ever changing marketplace.
Ms. Myers authored the organization's first knowledge transfer process and continues to cultivate the organization's learning culture through training, knowledge sharing and skill building.
Ms. Myers completed her Master's degree in Northwestern University's Learning and Organizational Change Program in June 2013. Her master's research is based on the transfer of knowledge across levels of expertise as a means of sustaining intellectual capital within the organization.
Her research is featured on Northwestern's Knowledge Lens website for exemplary Capstone efforts.
Matt McNeil
Head of Solution (Gas, Trading, Cloud Services)
Energy Exemplar Llc
Mr. McNeil is Head of Solutions for Energy Exemplar's Gas, Trading and Cloud Services, with focus on Natural Gas resource planning and market analysis. Matt has experience in portfolio optimization, Integrated Resource Planning, asset valuation, procurement, and fundamental market modeling. Matt leverages his experience in the energy industry, as well as energy network simulation software, to deploy best-practices and help energy and utility customers cut operating costs, increase revenue, improve reliability, assess policy and satisfy regulatory requirements. Matt has managed all aspects of the software development life-cycle and lead professional services initiatives for many of the energy industry's leading analytics, operations, and energy management solutions. Enterprise software applications in Matt's responsibility areas are deployed at hundreds of customer sites across the globe. Matt has a B.S. in Business Communications from Bentley University.
Mike Painter
Business Development Manager, Digital Solutions
Emerson
Mike Painter graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelors degrees in chemical engineering in 2013, joining Emerson's power and water solutions business shortly after graduation. Early in his career, Mike focused on the commissioning of advanced applications. He's since moved into business development helping Emerson's customers solve their challenges through the newly acquired portfolio of software from AspenTech.
Andrew Mahaffey P.E.
Director II Design Engineering
Fluor Corporation
Andrew is a professional engineer with 25 years of experience in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project execution and serves as the engineering director manager for Data Center projects within Fluor's Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences (ATLS) business line. His previous roles include 15 years of design, construction, and startup of Power Generation facilities, business line lead over Fluor's ATLS Multi-Projects Group®, focused on driving cost and schedule efficiency on small to medium sized projects through shared lean execution strategies, and department manager and technical director responsible for the instrumentation and controls (I&C) and electrical engineering departments within the central engineering group where he supported ATLS, Infrastructure & Power, Energy solutions, Mining & Metals, and Industrial Services.
Ann Runnalls
Senior Program Manager/Department Manager
WSP USA, Inc
Ms. Runnalls is a Program and Project Manager with a breadth of experience serving clients in the renewable fuels and manufacturing industries. With a background in Chemical Engineering, her experience balances EPC project delivery and environmental permitting services. Her recent experience includes program management for a suite of renewable hydrogen projects supporting front end engineering through construction documents. Her team has supported the design and permitting of hydrogen vehicle charging stations, as well as various colors of hydrogen production (blue, green and turquoise).
Matt Murdock
Founder and CEO
Raven SR
Matt Murdock is the Founder and CEO of Raven SR, a clean energy technology company developing modular, non-combustion systems that convert gaseous and solid waste into hydrogen and synthetic fuels. He began in 2015 and founded Raven in 2018, leading the company through technology development, intellectual property protection, project financing, and the permitting of first-of-kind facilities.
Matt grew up in Wyoming and earned degrees in economics and government from Georgetown University, with a year of study at the University of Edinburgh. From 1992 to 2011 he directed community development projects in Ghana, Togo, and Benin, then among the world's poorest nations. He worked across more than a dozen tribal groups who spoke primarily local languages, completing projects in schools, clinics, agriculture, microfinance, business development, and leadership training.
Returning to Wyoming in 2011, Matt founded Alert Plus, a patented continuous remote emission monitoring and detection technology, and entered public service. He has served as a Town Council member (2013), Mayor pro tem (2014-2018), and Mayor (2018-present). In 2025 he was elected President of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities
Matt and his wife, Sarah, are raising their three children in Pinedale, where his family homesteaded in the early 1900s.
Christian Mueller
Sr. Sales Manager
INNIO Jenbacher
Christian Mueller is the Head of Sales for INNIO Jenbacher North America, responsible for new unit sales of Jenbacher gas engines in the USA and Canada. He brings over 15 years of gas power generation experience to the company, having worked in sales and engineering roles at different gas engine OEMs. Christian holds a degree in industrial engineering from the Technical University in Berlin, Germany. Christian is based in Houston, TX.
Nicholas Torres P.E.
Sr. Project Manager
Sargent & Lundy
Sessions:
Mr. Torres has over 20 years of nuclear industry experience, specializing in engineering and management of large-scale digital upgrades for a variety of commercially operating nuclear plants. As an Instrumentation and Controls engineer, Nick has been on the forefront of modernizing our aging domestic nuclear fleet through various digital upgrades. Most recently, Nick has successfully managed projects including complete Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) Digital Controls Upgrade, Plant Process Computer Replacement, Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) Replacement, and Digital Modernization Implementation Plan (MIP) Strategy.
Mr. Torres is a licensed professional engineer in the States of California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Texas and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Kathleen Nelson Romans
Head of Commercial
Aalo Atomics
Sessions:
Kathleen is Head of Commercial Development for Aalo Atomics, focused on partnership development and building out Aalo's deployment pipeline. Prior to Aalo, she was with power management company Eaton focused on grid modernization, vehicle electrification, and EV charging infrastructure before spending several years leading business development for a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project developer.
Kathleen has a master's in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University.
Jon Baylor
Sr. Vice President, Development
Kindle Energy
Jon Baylor joined Kindle Energy in 2015 and leads the company's Development group as Senior Vice President, driving new project development and asset optimization for customers. At Kindle, he has spearheaded the development and contracting of more than $3 billion in new generation projects. Previously, Jon spent 11 years at NRG Energy in roles spanning Asset Management, Development, Investor Relations, and International Business Operations. As Vice President of Asset Management for NRG, he oversaw strategy and integration for the Midwest PJM portfolio and advanced repowering and renewable initiatives across New York, PJM, and New England. He also played key roles in due diligence, acquisition strategy, organic growth and portfolio optimization for domestic and international portfolios.
Cassandra Heller
Energy Consultant
Everllence
Cassandra Heller is an Energy Consultant with Everllence (formerly MAN Energy Solutions), serving in the Power Segment for the Americas. With two decades of experience in the global energy industry, she brings a rich and diverse background spanning thermal power, network distribution management, offshore oil & gas, energy storage, and renewables. Her expertise blends strong sales acumen with strategic analytics and technical insight. In her current role, Cassandra drives market development strategies and delivers analytics-based value propositions to customers. She plays a key role in originating business opportunities and strengthening internal collaboration across the organization. Throughout her career, Cassandra has led projects across a wide range of international markets, with a particular focus on Latin America and the United States. She is passionate about advancing energy systems to be more resilient, reliable, and responsive to the demands of today and tomorrow's evolving energy landscape. She holds a Corporate MBA from Florida International University and undergraduate degrees in International Business and Languages.
Tom Drake
National Sales Manager
Everllence
Tom has been in the distributed generation business for over 20 years. Working with OEM's, EPC's, and project financial companies to evaluate, develop, finance, and deploy complex generation solutions including CHP, demand response, baseload and waste heat energy systems. Since May of 2024 Tom has been leading Everllence's (formerly MAN Energy Solutions) business development activities in the data center market supporting our customers and developing behind the meter baseload solutions for sites in North America from 50MW to over 1GW.
Tom is a graduate of Grove City College in Grove City, PA
Tony White
Head of Vertical Market Chemical, Glass & Energy US Sales
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Tony is the Head of Vertical Market Chemical, Glass & Energy US Sales at Siemens Industry, Inc. Tony has 30+ Years in the manufacturing industry primarily working with large End Users on solution development. His keen approach to understanding customer's challenges and deploying solution-based applications has generated many successful outcomes for his clients.
Over the past 10 years Tony has been focusing on Digitalization and Sustainability in manufacturing as a personal passion looking at how to help companies embrace this transformation.
Tony resides in the Greater Detroit, MI area and enjoys many of the outdoor actives Michigan has to offer from offshore boat racing, downhill skiing, and snowmobiling.
Sarah Osborn PMP, FS Eng
Global Digital Transformation Lead
Siemens Industry Software, Inc.
Sarah E. Osborn, PMP
Global Digital Transformation Lead, Energy, Chemicals, and Infrastructure, Siemens Digital Industries Software (DISW)
Location: Houston, Texas
Sarah is the global Energy, Chemicals and Infrastructure digital transformation lead for Siemens DISW.
In this role, Sarah leads strategy execution and GTM messaging and supports customer digital transformation. Prior to moving to Siemens, Sarah was the Teamcenter program manager leading global deployments and support for one of Siemens' largest marquee customers. Sarah has a BS in Electronics Engineering Technology and has 25+ years in the oil & gas, aerospace, and software industries, including being a DPS/Nav trainer for the space shuttle program, programming offshore BOP control systems, leading systems engineering in R&D, managing business processes, and more at Honeywell, Rockwell Automation, Raytheon, and United Space Alliance.
Gary Griffith
Senior Account Executive for Energy
Applied CAx
Gary Griffith is a Senior Account Executive of Applied CAx, one of the most technically advanced Siemens Digital Industries Software partners in North America. With over three decades of experience in engineering, PLM strategy, and digital transformation, Gary has helped establish Applied CAx as a go-to partner for companies operating in highly regulated, high-performance industries such as nuclear energy, aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing. He is currently intimately involved with and strategically supporting 12 nuclear companies as well as directly managing commercial activities at 5 advanced nuclear and fusion customers.
Gary has played a key role winning new customers and advocating PLM strategy to the market, as Applied CAx has grown into a nationally recognized consultancy and software provider. In the energy space, Applied CAx has also become a trusted partner to many of the most promising and well-funded nuclear energy startups in the world. These organizations, often led by former aerospace engineers, operate with similar engineering rigor, regulatory constraints, and program-driven urgency. Leveraging deep experience in digital thread development, configuration control, and multidisciplinary simulation, Gary and the Applied CAx team help these companies accelerate reactor development while building compliant, scalable digital infrastructures.
Gary is a graduate of Auburn University with a B.S in Aerospace Engineering and began his career as an Structural Engineer at Lockheed supporting military programs, where he gained a keen understanding of the day-to-day challenges engineering teams face. This experience continues to fuel his hands-on, client-first approach to digital engineering strategy.
Today, Gary leads all activities in high-stakes customer engagements supporting both executives and domain leaders with their mission-critical programs and long-term transformation initiatives.
Bradley Morian
Senior Director, Digital Engineering
X Energy LLC
Brad Morian is a seasoned enterprise technology and transformation leader with over 20 years of experience driving digital transformation, systems integration, and innovation in engineering-intensive domains. He currently leads X-energy's Digital Engineering team, where his remit spans strategy and execution of digital ecosystems that power design, delivery, operations, and lifecycle support.
Previously he held senior leadership roles at Sierra Space, where he drove deployment of advanced enterprise information systems in aerospace and high-tech manufacturing.
Brad holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and is an active contributor to cross-industry forums on digital engineering, Industry 4.0, and the convergence of digital platforms with critical infrastructure development.
George Karayannis
Public Sector Segment Lead
Schneider Electric
George Karayannis currently serves as Public Sector Segment Lead at Schneider Electric. George has more than 30 years of leadership in sustainable energy solutions, complex systems, and emerging technologies. George most recently led Honeywell's North American Smart Cities team where his team helped public sector customers define, design, finance, and deploy transformational sustainability, decarbonization, fleet electrification and resilience solutions integrating energy, mobility, water, social equity, and the built environment. George has also led the smart city team at Panasonic, the Lockheed Martin smart grid team, and IoT teams at AT&T and leading-edge wireless startups.
George has served as an elected council member and as an ICBM Launch Crew member in the US Air Force, has authored a book on the ISO 37120 global standard for Smart City indicators, and restored a 100-year-old opera house. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton, a master's degree in business from Case Western Reserve, and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
Sarah Ruen
VP of Regulatory & Origination
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
Sarah Ruen is Vice President of Regulatory & Origination at Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier. Sarah joined Tri-State in April 2021. In her role she leads state regulatory strategy for Tri-State and oversees the teams that prepare filings to meet state regulatory compliance obligations, including for Tri-State's electric resource plan. She also provides advisement on matters related to public policy and rulemakings. In addition, she oversees negotiations with Tri-State counterparties on contractual agreements for power supply. She is involved in emerging energy markets in the west, representing Tri-State on the Markets+ Interim Governance Task Force and the SPP RTO Strategic Planning Committee (SPC).
Sarah has worked in the energy sector for 19 years. Before joining Tri-State, Sarah was employed in regulatory roles at Alliant Energy (2016-2021) and Xcel Energy (2013-2016) and in government consulting (2008-2013). She began her career supporting international energy policy for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2006. Sarah has a Master's Degree in Public Administration.
Sarah also volunteers in her community as a member of the City of Arvada's Park Advisory Committee.
Luke Martin
Partner
Scott Madden Inc.
Luke Martin is a Partner at ScottMadden's Raleigh office and a leader in their Energy practice. With over 19 years of management consulting experience, Luke specializes in designing and implementing Digital Transformation strategies for the energy, utility, and clean tech industries. His expertise spans digital, training, and cybersecurity domains, supporting power producers in Generation and grid operators in Transmission & Distribution.
Luke has led numerous initiatives to enhance cybersecurity and physical security, including establishing cybersecurity programs for large generation fleets and supporting IT-OT integration to improve cyber resilience. He has also managed NERC Compliance assessments and program recovery efforts to address gaps in cyber and physical security.
Luke holds an M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a B.S. in computer engineering and electrical engineering from North Carolina State University.
Jeffrey Fassett
President
IEM Energy Consultants
Sessions:
Mr. Fassett is President and founder of IEM Energy Consultants LLC, (now part of CEIS), and has more than 39 years of broad-based experience in the power and related industries. He founded IEM in 1998 as a boutique consulting practice to provide consulting services in all aspects of power plant operations, maintenance, and management to clients worldwide. Mr. Fassett has provided services in outage planning, management and oversite, long range O&M budgeting, reliability assessments, plant staffing analysis and long-term service agreement negotiations.
Prior to forming IEM, Mr. Fassett held roles of increasing responsibility with various utilities, both regulated and IPP's, as well as petrochemical process facilities. These roles included Plant Engineer, Maintenance Engineer, Start Up Manager, Maintenance Manager and Plant Superintendent. His experience includes coal, simple and combined cycle CT's, coal gasification and specialty chemical manufacturing. Mr. Fassett sits on the Board of Directors of the Plant Managers Institute, the Advisory Board of the Electric Power Conference, is a member of the ASME Power Committee. He has taught college classes in Energy & the Environment, Ethics in the Energy Industry, Electronics and Power Plant Operations. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University with an emphasis in Power Plant System Design
Robert Leake
Director of Marketing
DVL Group
Robert is a seasoned marketing leader with deep expertise in critical infrastructure for commercial industrial markets. At DVL Group, he helps bridge the gap between technical innovation and customer engagement, showcasing solutions that deliver reliable operations.
Over the past decade, Robert has been a frequent speaker and moderator at industry gatherings, including technology summits and employee ownership regional conferences. He is also the longtime host of the DVL Power Hour podcast, where for the past five years he's led conversations with engineers, manufacturers, and end users on the evolving challenges of mission-critical facilities. His passion lies in making complex technologies accessible while driving meaningful conversations that support customer success and industry growth.
Tyler Bain
Electrical Engineer
United Power
Tyler is the Director of Energy Solutions at United Power. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, is a licensed professional engineer in Colorado, and is currently serving as a member of the Colorado State Electrical Board.
Alexander D'Angelo
Power System Sales Engineer
DVL Group
Alexander D'Angeleo is a Power Systems Sales Engineer specializing in turnkey power installations and complex project management services. With a career spanning both engineering and manufacturing leadership, Alexander helps customers design and deploy robust "Bring Your Own Power" (BYOP) solutions--integrating equipment, design guidance, and critical systems to ensure operational continuity.
At DVL Group, he partners with end users to determine the right mix of power infrastructure, leveraging trusted manufacturers like Vertiv. His expertise extends across single- and three-phase power systems, creative distribution architectures, UPS applications, and custom control and switchgear projects, including refurbishments of legacy systems.
Andrew Nelson, Ph.D.
Section Head of Nuclear Fuel Development
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dr. Andrew T. Nelson is a distinguished staff scientist and section head of the Nuclear Fuel Development Section at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Nuclear Fuel Development Section is approximately 85 full time research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and visiting researchers focused on technology maturation of nuclear materials and understanding the role of irradiation conditions on evolution of material properties and performance. Dr. Nelson's research interests are focused on the development and assessment of ceramic nuclear fuel forms, with an emphasis on advanced fuel systems for light water reactors. He is also active in development of dispersion and particle fuel concepts for advanced reactor applications. Dr. Nelson has held leadership roles in multiple U.S. Department of Energy nuclear material development programs and has published over 150 peer reviewed publications.
Patrick Daou
Project Director
Sargent & Lundy
Patrick Daou is a project director at Sargent & Lundy and leads the emerging technologies team within Sargent & Lundy's consulting business unit. He has over 13 years of experience providing engineering services and leading teams supporting novel and first-of-a-kind projects. Patrick's teams provide technical advisory and owner's engineer services to their clients leveraging expertise in conventional thermal power generation, renewable power generation, and industrial processes. His clients include developers, technology providers, industrial manufacturers, utilities, lenders, and investors. Patrick's teams also provide independent engineer services in support of project financing having supported over $15 billion in project transactions. Patrick has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago (Liautaud Graduate School of Business). Patrick is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois.
Nicholas Papanastassiou
Director of Market Development
Energyhub
Nicholas Papanastassiou is Director of Market Development at EnergyHub, where he leads wholesale market strategy and regulatory affairs to accelerate the adoption of distributed energy resources and virtual power plants. Previously, Nick drove growth for Enel North America's demand response business, expanding market opportunities for clean energy technologies. Earlier in his career, he held roles in regulatory and policy affairs at Enel X and EnerNOC, where he shaped utility engagement strategies and supported the integration of DERs across U.S. markets. Nicholas received a BA in Economics and Environmental Policy from Colby College and an MBA from the University of Denver.
Jorge Vargas
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Aspen Power LLC
Jorge is a Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Aspen Power. With over 15 years of experience in development, operations and principal investments of renewable energy projects, Jorge has developed, acquired, financed, and constructed projects and structured joint ventures across all verticals of the solar industry, including: Utility, Residential, C&I and Community Solar domestically and internationally.
Most recently, Jorge served as a Board Member of PearlX Infrastructure, a smart grid infrastructure platform that was acquired by Antin Infrastructure. Prior to this role, he was an Operating Partner at Energy Impact Partners, a leading venture capital firm focused on the clean energy transition. Jorge also held senior roles at Spear Point Energy, PFMG Solar, and AMP Solar Group, where he spearheaded company and solar portfolio sales transactions to leading organizations like Constellation New Energies and Goldman Sachs Renewable Power. Prior to that, Jorge was the Co-Head of the Solar Desk at Morgan Stanley Commodities where he focused on origination and project financing of principal investments in solar projects. Jorge's early background in investment banking and solar project financing at Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and JP Morgan contributed to his comprehensive expertise in origination and financial strategies within the solar industry.
Thomas Graves
Business Line Director
1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell
Tom is the Director of Power & Fuels Advisory at 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell. In this capacity, Tom is responsible for generation development, operations and acquisitions advisory services. With 25 years of industry experience, Tom's background blends economic and technical experience where he has advised utilities and investors in the development of well over 125 Gigawatts of new generation and conducted diligence on more than 100 transaction opportunities..
Tom Cleaver
Vice President
Heimdall Power
Tom Cleaver serves as vice president of Heimdall Power's North American operations, bringing more than two decades of experience in utility grid innovation. He spent 18 years at Cooper Industries (now Eaton), where he led global initiatives across utility substation and grid technologies. After Eaton, Tom helped pioneer the commercial launch of key grid-enhancing technologies (GETs), including composite high-temperature low-sag (HTLS) conductors and CAT-1, the first commercially successful dynamic line rating (DLR) solution. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Seattle University.
Jennifer Atcheson
Senior Vice President Product
ION Clean Energy
Ms. Atcheson has over 15 years of experience in the CO2 Capture and chemicals industries, currently serving as SVP of Product at ION Clean Energy in Boulder, CO where she is responsible for global product ownership, project management, and strategic partnerships with EPCs and OEMs. She's been a key contributor to the development of the company's transformative solvent technology via several U.S. Department of Energy awards and is currently a vital part of the ION team working to deploy their technology at commercial scale. Jenn's prior work experience includes Global Marketing, Product Management and Operations Engineering roles at Kemira Chemicals and BASF. Jenn holds a BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Steve Kalland
Executive Director
NC Clean Energy Technology Center
Sessions:
Steve Kalland, Executive Director of the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center in the College of Engineering at NC State University, has over 30 years of experience in the clean energy field. Steve directs the strategic vision of the Center and its programs, including activities in renewable energy and clean power, energy efficiency and green buildings, and clean transportation. Programmatic work includes technical assistance, economic development, energy policy and workforce training.
Mr. Kalland currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) and the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC), the Advisory Boards of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) in Washington, DC and the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) as well as the Duke Energy (NC) State President's Advisory Council. He was a member of the North Carolina Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resource Strategies (NC TOWERS) created though Executive Order by former Governor Roy Cooper from 2022-2025 and he is a past board member of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), the US Combined Heat and Power Association (USCHPA), and NC GreenPower.
Earlier in his career, Steve was the Director for Government Relations and Grid-Tied Markets at Xantrex Technology, Inc., Executive Director of the Maryland-DC-Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association (MDV-SEIA), and Director of State Programs and Policy Analysis at the national SEIA. Steve graduated in 1991 from the College of William and Mary and in 1993 from the University of Rochester (NY). He lives in Cary, NC with his wife and three children.
Eleanor Zwart
Senior Business Development Analyst
Cloudbreak Energy
Eleanor has been a member of Cloudbreak Energy's Business Development team for two years, specializing in project offtake agreements, land origination and social impact investment. She pairs her background in community outreach and project management with a strong understanding of energy performance standards to help businesses and public organizations meet their ESG goals. Prior to joining Cloudbreak, Eleanor received a BA in Environmental Studies and Human-Centered Design from Dartmouth College.
John W. Northington
Director, National Carbon Capture Center
Southern Company Services
John Northington is director of the National Carbon Capture Center, a U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored research facility managed and
operated by Southern Company. He also serves as director of net-zero
technologies for Southern Company research and development.
Located in Wilsonville, Alabama, the National Carbon Capture Center is an
internationally known test facility working to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced and next-generation technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-based power plants, and to promote carbon conversion and direct air capture solutions. The center evaluates carbon management processes from third-party developers and hosts premier research organizations, universities, technology developers and engineering firms from around the world. As director of the center, Northington oversees a highly skilled team of research and design engineers, operations and maintenance employees, support staff and construction personnel.
In his capacity as director of net-zero technologies, Northington also has responsibility for Southern Company's current, emerging and future research programs in carbon storage, carbon conversion, point
source and direct air capture, steam methane reforming with carbon capture, and biomass energy production with carbon capture. He leads efforts to forge new industry alliances and partnerships to further
the scope of technology advancement in carbon management for the National Carbon Capture Center and its sponsors, as well as the broader Southern Company research portfolio.
Northington served since 2019 as chair of the Technical Subcommittee for the Carbon Utilization Research Council, an industry coalition focused on technology solutions for the responsible use of fossil energy resources in a balanced portfolio to support the nation's need for reliable, affordable energy. He was co-chair of the Carbon Capture Subgroup in development of "Meeting the Dual Challenge: A Roadmap to At Scale Deployment of Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage," a study by the National Petroleum Council.
Northington also oversees support of the International Test Center Network, a global coalition of facilities focused on research, development and deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies.
During his early career, Northington worked as a process engineer for ExxonMobil Corporation. In 2006, he accepted a position as a process engineer for the Power Systems Development Facility, a DOE-sponsored
advanced coal power generation research facility, which was the predecessor for the National Carbon Capture Center. He was appointed assistant director in 2013 and assumed his current role in 2017.
Northington holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Alabama. He has authored and presented a number of papers addressing progress in carbon capture and gasification.
A resident of Homewood, Alabama, he and his wife, Nita, have three children, Kate, Wesley and Evie.
Michael Anderson
Director Programs & Performance
GSE Solutions
Mike Anderson is the Director of GSE Solutions' Programs & Performance division, leading consulting services in federal code compliance, balance-of-plant engineering, and thermal performance. With over 20 years in nuclear consulting, he focuses on plant reliability, regulatory compliance, and innovative solutions that improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase power generation.
A Northwestern University graduate with a Master's in Engineering Management, Mike joined GSE (then True North Consulting) in 2012 and has since led several first-of-their-kind projects and software initiatives. He works closely with GSE's Design & Analysis and Systems & Simulation teams to deliver integrated solutions that enhance nuclear plant performance.
Darrell Proctor
Senior Editor
POWER magazine
Sessions:
- Industry Panel Session
- Fireside Chat with Ty Remington, Vice President, North America New Units Sales, Gas Power, GE Vernova
- End of Life Management of Solar PV Panels
- From Concept to Commissioning: Lessons from the Mountain Peak Power Plant Project
- Panel Discussion: Decentralized Power: Unlocking the Potential of Microgrids and Distributed Generation
- Closing Keynote: Blueprints for the Unknown: Testing Innovative Technology and Building First-of-a-Kind Projects
Darrell Proctor joined POWER in 2017. He has years of experience in the energy and publishing industries, including as a writer, editor and energy data analyst for Ponderosa Advisors and Bentek Energy (S&P Global/Platts). He has written numerous reports and white papers on power demand, particularly from industrial facilities, as well as natural gas and crude oil exploration and trading. He also has written about transportation of commodities, particularly coal, crude oil and natural gas, and the operation of crude oil refineries. He was an assistant business editor and assistant news editor as well as Technology Editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Colorado, and also was a senior editor at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. He is a graduate of Franklin College of Indiana.
Galen George
Director Digital Sales
Siemens Energy
Sessions:
- Optimizing Power Plant Cooling Tower Performance with Analytics: A Case Study
- Harnessing AI for Wind Energy: Enhancing Efficiency, Predictability, and Profit
- Bridging the Gaps: Co-Optimizing Energy Systems for a Resilient Future, Sponsored by Life Cycle Power
- Flexing for the Future: Enhancing Combined Cycle Plant Flexibility
Mr. George has worked in the North American Power industry for more than 35 years in the areas of Automation, Electrification and the Application of Digital Solutions for more than 35 years. In his career he has served as Design Engineering, Construction Engineer, Commissioning and Startup Management, Project Engineering, Project Management, Marketing, Sales, and Sales Management.
Sarbari Basu
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHROI) & General Manager (GM)
Prismecs
With over 20 years of experience in operational, functional, and business HR roles, Sarbari has worked across five countries and multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, distribution, and services. She brings a wealth of leadership expertise in both human resources and business operations to Prismecs, where she currently serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and General Manager (GM).
In her dual role, Sarbari oversees end-to-end business operations, workforce strategy, and organizational transformation. She plays a pivotal role in aligning business objectives with talent strategies, driving operational excellence, and optimizing workforce performance. Her responsibilities span financial and operational oversight, P&L management, HR governance, employee engagement, and leadership development.
Sarbari holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and an MBA from Calcutta University. She is a 2018 Global Fellow of Talent Management at The Wharton School, a certified Six Sigma Green Belt, and a certified Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) practitioner. Currently, she is further expanding her expertise in Organization Design and Change Management, strengthening her ability to lead large-scale workforce and operational transformations.