Bridging the Gap:
Policies, Technologies, and Investments Needed for A New Energy Age
The rise of artificial intelligence is increasing demand for bigger data centers and transforming the world’s energy grids. Additionally, the rise of electric vehicles and heat pumps is putting upward pressure on residential electricity usage. The world – already grappling with decarbonization and climate risks – now faces growing electricity demand too.
How will we bridge the gap to ensure a resilient, efficient and sustainable future?
The Energy Conference will delve into cutting-edge technologies, forward-thinking policies, and smart investment opportunities that can help meet rising energy demands while advancing our goals for decarbonization and climate resilience.
The Theme:
Keynote Speakers
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Kate Ringness
Former Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the Department of Energy
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Dr. Seth Darling
Chief Science and Technology Officer at Argonne National Laboratory
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Jen Zhao
Chief Operating Officer – Investment Banking – at Marathon Capital
Panel 1: The Future of Clean Hydrogen
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Rodrigo Sanchez
U.S. Hydrogen Chief of Staff at Deloitte
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Akshay Thakur
Chief Executive Officer of Blackcurrant Inc.
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Fabrice Bonvoisin
Chief Executive Officer at H2 Power
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Dr. Julia Lane
Assistant Vice President For Science at the University of Chicago
Panel 2: Critical Materials & Supply Chains
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Dr. Braeton Smith
Principal Energy Economist at Argonne National Laboratory
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Batchimeg Ganbaatar
Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Nomadic Venture Partners
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Dr. Jennifer Dunn
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University
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Ian Wiese
Founder, President, & CTO at Metcovery
Panel 3: Nuclear Present & Future: Fission & Fusion
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Mark Nelson
Managing Director and Founder of Radiant Energy Group
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Dr. Sami Syed
Business Development Manager at Enercon Services
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Dr. Vivian Lee
Head of Department (In-Vessel Consumables) at Tokamak Energy
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Dr. Juan Collar
Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago and The Enrico Fermi Institute
Panel 4: Energy Transition in the Global South
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Hong Zhang Durandal
Head of Business Development at RioNadi Energy and Co-Founder of Energy Hunters
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Kaushik Deb
UChicago Energy Policy Institute India Executive Director
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Reine Rambert
Senior Manager of U.S Relations and Corporate Impact at Invenergy
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Amir Rajani
Harris MPP' 25 Candidate
Panel 5: Decarbonizing The Built Environment
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Steph O'Connor
City of Chicago Department of Housing Project Manager
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Sam Assefa
California Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation Director
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Michael Thuis
Midwest Regional Director at The Carbon League
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Dr. Ashish Sharma
Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead at the Discovery Partners Institute
Panel 6: Grid Reliability: Infrastracture & Policy
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Daniel J. Foley
Manager at Grid Reformation, Former Innovation Leader at Cordelio Power, Former CEO of Glidepath Power Solutions, & Former CEO of ACCIONA North America
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Ann McCabe
Illinois Commerce Commission Commissioner, PJM Board Member
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Jordan Berman-Cutler
Director of Government Affairs at Invenergy
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John Birge
Hobart W. Williams Distinguished Service Professor of Operations Management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Panel 7: Financing The Energy Transition
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Veronica Hume
Project M&A Senior Manager at RWE Clean Energy, WRISE Chicago President
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Drew Harwood
Director of Finance at Hectate Grid
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Lisa Wright
Director at Marathon Capital
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Jacqueline Kerns
Deputy Director of Alternative Investments at Illinois State Treasurer
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Sumedh Wargantiwar
Booth MBA’ 26 Candidate
Panel 8: Electric Vehicles: Decarbonizing Transportation
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Brian Tolliver
Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Banyon Power Co.
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John Katsoudas
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Influit Energy
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Jack Cruikshank
Electric Vehicle Policy Advisor at the Illinois EPA
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Chhavi Dhingra
Senior Manager at WSB