2026 Event Schedule

The first year under the new federal administration has brought sweeping changes to U.S. energy policy - reviving fossil fuel incentives, reassessing decarbonization targets, and fast-tracking permitting for large-scale industrial and data center developments. In the meantime, utilities are experiencing an unprecedented surge in electricity demand driven by AI-powered data centers, fleet electrification, advanced manufacturing, and reindustrialization movement. This rapid growth presents a dual challenge: expanding grid capacity while meeting customer reliability, affordability, resilience, and sustainability expectations.

This session brings together perspectives from the policy expert, utility, state regulator and technology provider to explore how shifting policy and market dynamics are impacting load forecasting, resource planning, and infrastructure investment. Panelists will examine how utilities and regulators are partnering to address resource adequacy, long interconnection queues, supply chain constraints, and reliability standards. The discussion will also highlight the role of advanced technologies in enabling more agile planning and effective risk mitigation. Attendees will gain insights into how collaborative innovation and policy alignment are transforming the grid’s ability to meet the demands of an ever-evolving energy landscape.