2026 Energy Forum Speakers

Smiling man with grey hair and beard, wearing a blue suit and red patterned tie. Bill Abler

Entergy

VP, System Planning and Operations

Smiling woman with dark hair, pink top, dark jacket, smiling outdoors. Newsha Ajami

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

Director

Leo John Arnett Leo John Arnett

City of New Orleans

Director of Policy & Research

Man in light blue shirt, arms crossed, looking at camera. Jeff Arnold

America First Energy Project Louisiana, Energy Right

Executive Director

A smiling man with short dark brown hair wears a dark suit jacket and a white dress shirt against a plain, off-white background. Taylor Ashy

Contigo Strategies

President

Smiling US Army officer in green uniform, American flag and red castle flag behind. Col. Scotty Autin

US Army Corps of Engineers

Commander & District Engineer

Professional portrait of a smiling man with short gray hair, wearing a navy pinstripe suit, white shirt, and blue tie. Francisco Balduzzi

Womble Bond Dickinson

Partner

A smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a black top and a black-and-white patterned scarf in a bright hallway. Chloe Baldwin

Tulane University

Senior Research Fellow

Smiling man with short brown hair in a light blue shirt. Kenneth Beer

Cantium

CEO

Smiling woman with long blonde hair, glasses, black blazer, and white top. Lauren Berry

Lapis Carbon Solutions

VP, External Affairs

Professional headshot of a smiling woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, wearing a gray blazer and delicate necklace against a softly blurred background. Clare Bienvenu

Liskow & Lewis APLC

Attorney

Man with gray hair and blue eyes in a navy suit and red tie. George Bilicic

Lazard

Vice-Chairman, Global Head, Power Energy & Infrastructure

Kevin Book Kevin Book

Clearview Energy Partners LLC

Co-Founder and Director of Research

Joe Brazauskas Joe Brazauskas

Bracewell LLP

Partner

A smiling man in a dark suit and patterned tie stands before a United States flag. Jonathan D. Brightbill

U.S. Department of Energy

General Counsel, U.S. Department of Energy

A professional headshot of a Black woman with a short, dark bob hairstyle and side-swept bangs smiling warmly, wearing a black blazer over a white top and a pearl necklace. Taiwan Brown

Entergy

VP, Talent

Ben Byboth Ben Byboth

Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Head of Power Business

Chris Calavitta Chris Calavitta

Oklo Inc.

Head of Project Finance

Matt Candler Matt Candler

Batteries Included Fund

GP

Jeff Cantin Jeff Cantin

Solar Alternatives

President

Smiling man with dark hair in a suit and blue tie. Julian Cardenas

University of Houston Law Center

Professor

A smiling man with brown hair, wearing a dark gray suit jacket over a blue button-down shirt. Andrew Chaveas

Brailsford & Dunlavey

Director

Professional man smiling in a blue suit and red tie. James W. Coleman

University of Minnesota, American Enterprise Institute

Professor of Law, Nonresident Senior Fellow

Carlin Conner Carlin Conner

IMTT

Chairman & CEO

Smiling man in glasses, light pink shirt, and brown jacket. David Cook

Gulf Coast Sequestration

CEO

Michael Cooper Michael Cooper

Fervo Energy

Senior Counsel - Finance

Professional headshot of a smiling man with brown hair wearing a navy suit, light blue shirt, patterned tie, and lapel pin against a dark gray background. Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan

Louisiana Public Service Commission, District II

Public Service Commissioner

Professional headshot of a smiling man in a dark suit, white shirt, and red tie. Matt Crozat

Nuclear Energy Institute

Executive Director, Strategy and Policy Development

Smiling man in a dark suit, white shirt, and purple patterned tie against a gray background. Dustin Davidson

Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy

Secretary

Jonathan de Lauréal Jonathan de Lauréal

Bernhard Capital Partners

Managing Director

Smiling man with shoulder-length light brown hair in a plaid shirt. Ibrahim Demir, PhD

Tulane University

Professor and Michael A. Fitts Presidential Chair in Environmental Informatics and Artificial Intelligence

Smiling man with grey hair and beard, wearing a dark jacket. J. Warren Doyle

Doyle Land Services, Inc.

President

Cynthia Ebenger Cynthia Ebinger

Tulane University School of Science and Engineering

Marshall Heape Professor

Professional headshot of a smiling man in a dark suit with a striped tie. H. Scott Fairley

Cambridge LLP

Partner/ Adjunct Associate Professor

Tommy Faucheux Tommy Faucheux

Louisiana Mid Continent Oil and Gas Association

President

Joe Fawell Joe Fawell

Air Liquide

VP, Government Affairs

A woman with long wavy brown hair wears a gray blazer and speaks at a podium with flags in the background. Julia Fisher-Cormier

Port of South Louisiana

Executive Director

President Michael A. Fitts Michael A. Fitts

Tulane University

President

Josh Fleig Josh Fleig

Louisiana Economic Development

Chief Innovation Officer

Haley Gentry Haley Gentry

Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy

Assistant Director

A man in a black tuxedo jacket, a white formal dress shirt, and a black bow tie, smiling gently against a plain white background. Matthew Goitia

Peaker Energy and Pelorus Terminals

President/CEO

Tyler Gray Tyler Gray

LSU Energy Institute

Director of Energy Innovation

Professional man smiling, wearing a dark suit and gold tie. Bill Hammarstrom

WJH Energy Solutions

Senior Advisor

Smiling woman in black blazer and green scarf. US flag and official emblem in background. Christine Harbin

Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK)

Director of External Affairs and Strategic Partnerships

Smiling man with dark hair and beard, wearing a plaid purple suit and light blue tie. Casey Herman

CenterPoint Energy and Energy Impact Partners

Independent Board Member and Senior Advisor

Professional headshot of a man with short dark hair and a trimmed salt-and-pepper beard, wearing a navy suit, white shirt, and dark tie against a light blue-gray background. Douglas Heye

Douglas Media

Founder

A man with short graying hair wears a light blue dress shirt indoors against a window. Joshua Hodge

MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research

Executive Director

Studio portrait of a smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a black top, gold necklace, and colorful drop earrings against a white background. Anna Johnson

Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy

Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs

N. Hunter Johnston N. Hunter Johnston

Steptoe LLP, Tulane Law School Senior Fellow

Partner

A smiling man with short brown hair and a beard, wearing a dark blue suit jacket over a patterned collared shirt, in front of a gray brick wall. Rick Kempinski

Innovation Labs

Senior Director

Smiling man with grey hair in a blue suit. Matt Kisber

Silicon Ranch Corporation

Co Founder and Chairman of the Board

Smiling woman with curly brown hair, wearing a vibrant patterned top, against a blue background. Patricia Kissinger, BSN, MPH, PhD

Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine - Tulane University

Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a patterned blue collared shirt, red tie, and dark suit jacket against a gray background. Jonathan Krautmann

Rubric Capital

Partner

Smiling bald man in navy suit and red tie, American flag in background. David LaCerte

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Commissioner

A smiling bald man wearing a blue blazer over a light purple button-down shirt. Jason Lanclos

Louisiana Economic Development

Director - State Energy Development and Planning

A smiling woman with long brown hair wears a dark blazer against a deep green wall with a small plant. Holly Lichtenfeld

Stepwise Electric

Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer

Smiling man with grey hair in a dark suit jacket, professional headshot. Charles Maglione

Guidehouse

Partner

Smiling man in a dark suit, tie, and glasses. August Martin, Jr

Apex Companies

Principal

Smiling woman in a navy blazer against a gray background. Blanca del Carmen Martínez Mendoza

Mendoza Vera Abogados

Partner

Mike Mazzola Mike Mazzola

NSF FUEL Engine in Louisiana

Executive Director and CEO

A smiling woman with long brown hair, wearing a dark blue suit jacket over a blue polka-dot blouse. Aimee McCarron

New Orleans City Council - District A

Councilmember

Smiling man with beard and curly hair in a blue checkered shirt, arms crossed. William McGehee

Smiling man in blue shirt and dark blazer. Kevin McMahon

Shell

VP Production Assets, Gulf of America

A smiling woman with brown hair stands on a sidewalk with her arms crossed, wearing an mustard yellow dress. Rachael McNitt

Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President

Chief of Staff

Girard Melcanon Girard Melancon, PhD

FUEL

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Smiling man with beard, patterned suit, and crossed arms. Black and white photograph. Hyma Moore

Cornerstone Government Affairs

Principal

A smiling man with glasses, a mustache, and a gray beard, wearing a dark blue suit jacket with a red tie, in front of the American and Louisiana state flags. JP Morrell

New Orleans City Council

Councilmember At-Large

Professional headshot of a smiling woman with long wavy blonde hair, wearing a navy blazer over a light blue collared shirt against a gray background. Claudia Morrow

Vistra Corp

Senior VP

Pierre D. Moses Pierre D. Moses

127 Energy

President

A smiling man with brown hair and light facial hair wearing a white collared shirt and dark jacket against a gray background. Bill Mundt

NextEra Energy Resources

VP of Origination

A smiling man with short black hair, wearing a gray blazer over a light-colored button-down shirt. Selva Nadarajah

University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Business Administration

Professor & Head of Information and Decision Sciences

A bald man in a dark suit jacket and light blue button-down shirt smiling with arms crossed. David Nanus

LS Power Equity Advisors

President

Smiling man with dark hair in a light blue shirt, blurry green-blue background. Drew Nelson

Project InnerSpace

VP: Policy, Programs, and Strategy

Evan Nicoll Evan Nicoll

1834 Ventures

Managing Partner

Ben Nolan Ben Nolan

Venture Global LNG

Senior VP of Investor Relations

Patrick Norton Patrick Norton

Tulane University

Senior VP, COO, and Treasurer

Darren Olagues Darren Olagues

Talen Energy

Chief Development Officer

A close-up, side-profile portrait of a middle-aged man with short, graying hair and tortoiseshell glasses, wearing a light blue dress shirt under a dark brown blazer. Geoffrey Parker

Dartmouth University

Professor

Studio portrait of a smiling man wearing a blue work jacket over a light shirt with a bolo tie, posed against a white background. Cameron Poole

Newlab

Director of Strategy

Smiling man in glasses and a blue collared shirt. Tyler Priest

University of Iowa

Associate Professor of History

Dr. Margaret Reams Dr. Margaret Reams

Louisiana State University (LSU)

Joseph D. Martinez Professor of Environmental Sciences (Professor)

Geoffrey Richardson Geoff Richardson

ExxonMobil

Senior VP, Commercial & Business Development

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a man with short dark hair wearing a light blue button-down shirt against a plain beige background. Chris Robb

Robb Commodities Consulting

Principal

A smiling man with short brown hair and round tortoiseshell glasses wears a dark suit, tie, and pocket square outdoors with a body of water in the background. Walker Rosenberg

Jupiter Power

VP - Finance and Capital Markets

A bald man with glasses, a mustache, and a gray goatee, wearing a dark suit jacket and a blue shirt. Arvind Sanger

Geosphere Capital

Managing Partner

Photograph of a smiling man in a dark suit, blue shirt, and blue tie. Rep. Paul Sawyer

Louisiana House of Representatives

State Representative - District 69

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a smiling adult man wearing a gray quarter-zip over a white shirt on a softly blurred, tree-lined street Allan Schurr

ERock

Chief Commercial Officer

Smiling man in grey plaid suit jacket, blurry city background. Sam Scofield

Black Bay Partners

Principal

Smiling man with glasses, beard, suit, and tie. Black and white photo. David Smilde

Tulane School of Liberal Arts, Department of Sociology

Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations & Department Chair

Close-up portrait of a smiling woman with blonde hair loosely pulled back, wearing small earrings against a dark background. Emily Smith

Hydrostor

Senior Director, External Affairs

Eric Smith Eric Smith

Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business

Associate Director-Tulane Energy Institute

Close-up headshot of a man, focusing on his facial features and expression, with a neutral background softly blurred behind her. Freddy Sourgens

Tulane Law School

James McCulloch Chair in Energy Law

Smiling blonde woman in black top with gold necklace, professional portrait. Lisa Stewart

Sheridan Production Partners

Chairman

Jeremy Stine Senator Jeremy Stine

Louisiana State Senate (District 27); Senate Majority Leader

Louisiana Senator

Smiling blonde woman in purple blazer and pearl necklace. Julie Stokes

Ellevate Louisiana

President & CEO

Ambassador James "Jimmy" Story Ambassador Jimmy Story

Global Frontier Advisors

Ambassador (ret)

Gray Stream Gray Stream

Gulf Coast Sequestration; Stream Companies

Executive Chairman; President

A man in a blue suit jacket sitting on the edge of a desk in an office with a computer and wall chart behind him. Jianwei Sun, PhD

Tulane University School of Science and Engineering

Professor

Stephen Swiber Stephen P. Swiber

Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy

Deputy Secretary

Smiling woman with long brown hair in a black blazer against a wooden wall. Cindy Taff

Sage Geosystems

CEO

2026 Energy Forum Moderators

A smiling woman with long brown hair. Andrea Apgar

ENGIE

Power Marketing Manager

Headshot of a man with a graying beard and mustache, wearing a suit jacket and striped shirt. Mark Appel

Tulane Law School

Senior Research Fellow

Frederick Bell Frederick Bell

Center for American Progress

Associate Director, State Climate Policy

Smiling woman with long blonde hair, wearing a navy suit jacket and striped shirt. Rebecca Brown

Bracewell

Principal

Close-up headshot of a man, focusing on his facial features and expression, with a neutral background softly blurred behind her. Pierre Conner

Tulane Energy Institute, Tulane University

Professor of Practice, Executive Director

Smiling man with beard, blue suit, orange pocket square. Professional portrait. Travis Cummings

Martin Energy Group

Director of External Affairs and Marketing

A man with dark curly hair and a beard, wearing a suit jacket, a white collared shirt, and a pink tie. Christopher Dalbom

Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy

Director

Smiling man in glasses, blue shirt, and navy blazer, against a teal background. Joe Dubbin

Cripps Leadership Advisors

CEO

Randall Ebner Randall M. Ebner

ExxonMobil Corporation

Retired VP and General Counsel

Monique Edwards Monique M. Edwards

LA Department of Conservation and Energy

Director of Water Administration

Matthew Escarra Matthew Escarra

Tulane University School of Science and Engineering

Professor of Electrical Engineering

President Michael A. Fitts Michael A. Fitts

Tulane University

President

Robin Forman Robin Forman

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

Paulo Goes Paulo B. Goes

A. B. Freeman School of Business - Tulane University

Dean

Smiling blonde woman's portrait, wearing a dark top with striped strap. Kimberly Gramm

Tulane Energy Institute

Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer

Salem Habte Salem Habte

Greater New Orleans, Inc.

Workforce and Entrepreneurship Manager

Elderly man with grey hair in a blue shirt and dark vest, looking left outdoors. Jay Hakes

Energy and Presidential Historian

Smiling man in dark suit and purple tie against a blue background. Drake Hernandez

Berkeley Research Group

Director

A black-and-white, waist-up studio portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with short, neatly combed light hair. He is wearing a dark suit jacket, a white collared dress shirt, a striped tie, and a folded pocket square, looking directly at the camera against a plain white background. Grady S. Hurley

Jones Walker LLP

Partner

Lolita Jackson Lolita Jackson

Sustainable Development Capital Limited

Executive Director, Sustainable Cities

Man in glasses with a goatee, wearing a dark suit and red patterned tie. Lawrence J. Kahn

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

Founding Director

Imad Khan Imad Khan

Winston Taylor, LLP

Vice Chair, International Arbitration for the Americas

Photograph of a smiling man in a blue suit and patterned tie. Ian Laird

Crowell & Moring LLP

Partner

Professional portrait of a smiling woman in a navy blazer. Fariba Mamaghani, PhD

Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business

Assistant Professor, Management Science

Dee Martin Dee Martin

Bracewell LLP

Partner

A woman with wavy blonde hair wears a green shirt and poses with her hand under her chin outdoors. Joan Michelson

Electric Ladies Podcast, Green Connections Media

Host, Electric Ladies Podcast & ESG Consultant

Ian Morrison Ian Morrison

Tulane University - Communications & Marketing

VP for Public Affairs and Chief Communications Officer

Smiling man in blue suit jacket stands outside ornate building with abstract sculpture. Michael Naguib, PhD

Tulane University School of Science and Engineering

Professor

Smiling man with a beard in a blue suit and red tie, leaning on a wooden table. David Rassin

SAExploration

VP, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer

A smiling man with wavy hair stands with crossed arms in a blue suit and patterned tie. Peter Ricciuti

Burkenroad Reports / Freeman School of Business - Tulane University

Founder & Director

Professional headshot of a smiling man with a red beard. Chris Richardson

Paul Hastings LLP

Partner

Man with light brown hair and beard in a blue jacket, looking directly at the viewer. John L. Sabo

Tulane University - Bywater Institute

Director

Hon. Sonya Savage Hon. Sonya Savage

Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG)

Sr. Counsel, BLG

Eric Smith Eric Smith

Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business

Associate Director-Tulane Energy Institute

Randel Young Randel Young

Tulane Center for Energy Law

Distinguished Research Fellow