Top global energy leaders to headline Tulane’s flagship 2026 Future of Energy Forum

Tulane University will bring more than 150 global energy leaders, policymakers, investors, researchers and technology experts to New Orleans Sept. 28-30 for its flagship 2026 Future of Energy Forum, a premier gathering focused on how Louisiana and the nation can meet surging energy demand, fuel economic growth and advance a sustainable energy future.

The Forum will include keynote sessions featuring David LaCerte, commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Jason Wells, chair, president and CEO of CenterPoint Energy; and Jonathan Brightbill, general counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy.

"The decisions being made about energy today will shape economies, communities and global competitiveness for generations," said Tulane University President Michael A. Fitts. "Tulane's Future of Energy Forum brings the leaders driving those decisions together for conversations with enormous national and global implications. There is no better place for such dialogue than here in a region that has long helped power the nation and is now helping define what comes next."

The 2026 Future of Energy Forum, themed Connected Power: Connecting Leaders. Powering Progress, comes as unprecedented growth in electricity demand, major infrastructure investments, rapidly advancing technologies and shifting public policy are creating new opportunities and challenges across the energy landscape. It features a number of Tulane's own renowned faculty experts alongside leading energy voices from universities across the country, including Stanford, Dartmouth, the University of Houston, the University of Minnesota and Louisiana State University.

Other speakers include Geoffrey Richardson, senior vice president of commercial and business development at ExxonMobil; Kevin McMahon, vice president of production assets, Gulf of America, at Shell; Claudia Morrow, senior vice president of corporate development and strategy at Vistra Corp.; Dustin Davidson, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy; Jean-Paul Coussan, Louisiana public service commissioner; Gray Stream, executive chairman and president of Gulf Coast Sequestration; Julie Stokes, president and CEO of Ellevate Louisiana; Ian Walch, vice president of energy markets at ENFRA; Darryl Willis, corporate vice president for the energy and resources industry at Microsoft; and John Weiss, vice president of sustainability and environmental policy at Entergy.

The newly released schedule for the free, three-day event features more than 40 sessions covering a range of topics such as data center growth, battery advancements, nuclear energy, critical minerals, carbon capture, the shifting regulatory landscape for energy projects, sustainable energy, artificial intelligence and emerging energy innovations and technologies.

The 2026 lineup also includes William Mundt, vice president of origination at NextEra Energy Resources; Joan Michelson, host of the Electric Ladies Podcast and ESG consultant; Jeremy Stine, Louisiana Senate majority leader; Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems; Paul Sawyer, Louisiana state representative; Casey Herman, CenterPoint Energy director; Darren Olagues, chief development officer at Talen Energy; George Bilicic, global head of power, energy and infrastructure at Lazard; JP Morrell, New Orleans City Council president; Aimee McCarron, New Orleans City Council member; and Taiwan Brown, vice president of talent at Entergy Corp., among others.

Forum session highlights include:

• Power Prices, Data Centers and the Future of Grid Affordability, which will examine how rapid growth in data centers, industrial demand and grid expansion is reshaping electricity pricing and long-term system planning. Panelists will explore what is driving rising power costs and how regulators, utilities and policymakers can balance reliability and affordability while supporting economic growth.
• Protecting Louisiana's Water Resources to Secure Energy: AI, Water and Infrastructure Resilience, which will explore how Louisiana is building capacity to create water resilience and protect critical energy infrastructure, with a focus on the connection between water and regional economic security.
• The Future of Oil and Gas: Navigating Demand, Investment and Policy, which will examine the role of oil and gas amid rising global energy demand, geopolitical uncertainty and pressure to reduce emissions. The discussion will explore how companies are balancing long-term investment and production strategies with changing regulatory, political and market conditions.
  Additional sessions will explore liquefied natural gas, offshore exploration, utility-scale solar, infrastructure development, energy security, workforce development and the trends shaping public opinion on energy projects.

Tulane launched the Future of Energy Forum in 2024 to convene leaders from across Louisiana and around the world for high-level dialogue on the future of energy, connecting global expertise with the opportunities and challenges facing Louisiana and the Gulf South, one of the world's leading regions for energy production, infrastructure, innovation and investment.

Last year's forum attracted more than 1,700 participants and more than 125 speakers.

For the complete schedule, speaker lineup and registration information, visit energyforum.tulane.edu.