2026 Schedule

Thank you for attending the 2026 Tulane Future of Energy Forum!

 

Monday, September 28, 2026

Welcome: Michael A. Fitts, President of Tulane University
9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Nuclear Energy's Expanding Role in the Future Grid
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

  • Matt Crozat

    Executive Director, Strategy and Policy Development
    Nuclear Energy Institute

  • Jason Willis

    VP, Nuclear Projects and New Nuclear Development
    Entergy

  • Chris Wright

    Director, Energy Technology Proving Ground
    Idaho National Laboratory

Moderator:

Growing the Energy Innovation Ecosystem
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

Kimberly Gramm

Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer
Tulane Innovation Institute

Leading Through the Shift: Energy Leadership in a Time of Change
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

The Exchange - Sponsored by LS Power: Day One
10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. (CST)

Rosenberg Mezzanine

Opening Day Keynote
11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

What About The Venezuelan Oil?
1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

  • David Smilde

    Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations & Department Chair
    Tulane School of Liberal Arts, Department of Sociology

  • Eric Smith

    Associate Director-Tulane Energy Institute
    Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business

Moderator:

Financing the Future: Making Emerging Energy Technologies Bankable
1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

Randel Young

Executive Director
Tulane Energy Law & Policy Center

Water and Energy—It's a New Ballgame
1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

  • Haley Gentry

    Assistant Director
    Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy

  • Tyler Gray

    Director of Energy Innovation
    LSU Energy Institute

  • Patricia Kissinger, BSN, MPH, PhD

    Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs
    Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine - Tulane University

Moderator:

What Attracts Capital? Investing Across the Energy Landscape
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Shaping the Energy Narrative: Media, Messaging, and Policy
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

  • Anna Johnson

    Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs
    Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy

  • Rachael McNitt

    Chief of Staff
    Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President

Moderator:

Utility-Scale Solar: Challenges, Opportunities, and What's Next
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

Louisiana LNG: Powering the Next Phase of Growth
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

  • Ben Nolan

    Senior VP of Investor Relations
    Venture Global LNG

Moderator:

Eric Smith

Associate Director-Tulane Energy Institute
Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business

Building Energy Infrastructure: Navigating an Increasingly Complex Landscape
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

Pierre Conner

Professor of Practice, Executive Director
Tulane Energy Institute, Tulane University

Energy and Elections: How Midterms Shape Policy and Markets
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

AI-Driven Discovery: From the GENESIS Mission to the Future of Energy Innovation
4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

  • Dr. Daniel Straus

    Assistant Professor, Chemistry
    Tulane University School of Science and Engineering

  • Darryl Willis

    Corporate Vice President, Energy and Resources
    Microsoft

Moderator:

Robin Forman

Senior VP for Academic Affairs and Provost Professor of Mathematics, Tulane University

Grid-Scale Batteries: From Promise to System Backbone
4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

FUELing Louisiana: Building America’s Next Energy Innovation Hub
4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

  • Leroy Brown

    Louisiana Science Innovator Bridge Program Manager
    ACTIVATE

  • Mike Mazzola

    Executive Director and CEO
    NSF FUEL Engine in Louisiana

Moderator:

Kimberly Gramm

Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer
Tulane Innovation Institute

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Efficiency at Scale: The Fastest Way to Power the Future
9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Frederick Bell

Associate Director, State Climate Policy
Center for American Progress

North America's Energy Advantage: Strengthening the U.S.-Canada Energy Corridor
9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

Role of Independents of the Offshore Oil and Gas Ecosystem
9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

Pierre Conner

Professor of Practice, Executive Director
Tulane Energy Institute, Tulane University

Community-Engaged Energy Transitions
9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. (CST)

Stibbs Conference Room

Moderator:

Salem Habte

Director of Business Development and Innovation
Greater New Orleans, Inc.

Power Prices, Data Centers, and the Future of Grid Affordability
10:00 a.m - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Fariba Mamaghani, PhD

Assistant Professor, Management Science
Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business

Protecting Louisiana’s Water Resources to Secure Energy: AI, Water, and Infrastructure Resilience
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

A Conversation with Stephanie Hildebrandt
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

Marcilynn Burke

Dean and Mitchell Franklin Professor of Law
Tulane University Law School

The Exchange - Sponsored by LS Power: Day Two
10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. (CST)

Rosenberg Mezzanine

Oildom Offshore: A Conversation on the History and Future of Offshore Energy
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

Stibbs Conference Room

Moderator:

Day Two Keynote
11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Paulo B. Goes

Dean
A. B. Freeman School of Business - Tulane University

Reimagining Charity Hospital: Building the Future of Downtown New Orleans
1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Ian Morrison

VP for Public Affairs and Chief Communications Officer
Tulane University - Communications & Marketing

Offshore Wind at a Crossroads: Policy, Markets, and Louisiana’s Future
1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

Will Baldwin

Partner, Co-Leader of Maritime Industry Team and Co-Chair of Offshore Wind Initiative
Jones Walker LLP

Waste, Fuels, and the Circular Energy Economy
1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. (CST)

Stibbs Conference Room

  • Dr. Mark Zappi

    Executive Director EIL, Endowed Professor of Chemical Engineering
    Univeristy of Louisiana at Lafayette

Moderator:

Lawrence J. Kahn

Founding Director
Utility Vegetation Management Institute Center for Environmental Law - Tulane University Law School

Can Louisiana Build the Energy Infrastructure of the Future?
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

  • Jason Lanclos

    Director of State Energy Planning & Development
    Louisiana Economic Development

  • Gray Stream

    Executive Chairman; President
    Gulf Coast Sequestration; Stream Companies

Moderator:

Peter Ricchiuti

Founder & Director
Burkenroad Reports / Freeman School of Business - Tulane University

Geothermal’s Next Chapter: Scaling Energy from the Subsurface
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

David Rassin

VP, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer
SAExploration

Carbon Storage in Louisiana: Building the Foundation for the Next Energy Economy
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

The Future Energy Landscape: Innovation, Investment, and What Comes Next
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (CST)

Stibbs Conference Room

  • Kevin Book

    Co-Founder and Director of Research
    ClearView Energy Partners, LLC

  • Ben Byboth

    Head of Power Business
    Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Moderator:

Joan Michelson

Host, Electric Ladies Podcast & ESG Consultant
Electric Ladies Podcast, Green Connections Media

The Power Wall: AI, Industry, and the New Era of Energy Demand
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Lolita Jackson

Executive Director, Sustainable Cities
Sustainable Development Capital Limited

Decarbonizing the Global Energy Supply Chain: Competing in Europe and Asia
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

Eric Smith

Associate Director-Tulane Energy Institute
Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business

Distributed Energy Resources and Community Resilience
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

Energy Dispute Prevention and Mitigation at a Time of Uncertainty
3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (CST)

Stibbs Conference Room

Moderator:

Mark Appel

Conflict Management Consultant, Mediator, Arbitrator
ArbDB Chambers

Scaling the Grid: Building the Backbone of a Connected Energy System
4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Travis Cummings

Director of External Affairs and Marketing
Martin Energy Group

Investment Protection in an Era of Political Risk
4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. (CST)

Diboll Gallery

Moderator:

Imad Khan

Vice Chair, International Arbitration for the Americas
Winston Taylor, LLP

From Chips to Power Plants: The New Energy-Tech Alliance
4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

Matthew Escarra

Professor of Electrical Engineering
Tulane University School of Science and Engineering

The Changing Energy Investment Landscape in Venezuela
4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. (CST)

Stibbs Conference Room

Moderator:

Randel Young

Executive Director
Tulane Energy Law & Policy Center

Power Your Network: An Alumni, Student & Employer Mixer
5:00 p.m - 6:30 p.m. (CST)

Rosenberg Mezzanine in the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Energy in the Middle: Navigating Uncertainty, Disagreement, and the Future
9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Rare Earth and Other Critical Minerals Essential in the Supply Chain
9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

Hridesh Rajan

Dean
Tulane University School of Science and Engineering

The Future of Oil and Gas: Navigating Demand, Investment, and Policy
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

The Mississippi River Corridor and Gulf Coast Energy Backbone
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (CST)

Entergy Stage in the Qatar Ballroom

Moderator:

Louisiana's Energy Moment
11:00 a.m - 11:15 a.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Closing Keynote
11:15 a .m. - 12:00 p.m. (CST)

CenterPoint Energy Stage in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall

Moderator:

Randel Young

Executive Director
Tulane Energy Law & Policy Center