2026 Power Matters Conference | Navigating Load Growth in Energy

As energy demand continues to accelerate, the power industry is facing new challenges driven by large loads, data center expansion, and the infrastructure required to support them.

Join the Association of Women in Energy for our 2026 Power Matters Conference, a one-day event focused on how utilities, developers, policymakers, and technology leaders are responding to rapid load growth and a changing grid.

This conference will explore key topics including interconnection, permitting, policy shifts, financing structures, and workforce transformation. The day will feature expert-led panels followed by an industry networking happy hour.

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Location: Austin Central Library
Format: Panel discussions + networking happy hour

To register, click here.

Keynote Speaker

Kelly Tomblin
President & CEO, El Paso Electric
Kelly Tomblin brings decades of executive leadership in the electric utility sector, offering a strategic perspective on grid modernization, customer-focused transformation, and managing growth in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

Featured Speakers

Jody Allison
Vice President, Customer Experience Operations & Transformation, Xcel Energy

Brenda Barrett
Partner, Husch Blackwell

Chantelle Barretto
Power Origination Projects Manager, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)

Manon Chappat Alarcón
Director of Partnerships, Greentown Labs

Carrie Collier Brown
Partner, Husch Blackwell

Maria De La Cruz
Distribution Planning Supervisor, Austin Energy

Ann Delenela
Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer, Entergy

Trisha Elizondo
Chief Executive Officer, Energy Renewal Partners

Sandra Escobedo
Vice President, Customer Account Management, Austin Energy

Sean Fox
Vice President, Renewables Market Lead, WSP USA

Cameron Freberg
Manager, Electric Vehicles & Emerging Technologies, Austin Energy

Ning Lin, PhD
Chief Economist, Bureau of Economic Geology,
The University of Texas at Austin

Katherine Paton-Ilse
Team Lead, Power Markets, Enverus

Reagan Redd
Policy and Business Analyst, Goff Policy

Dilawar Syed
Faculty, LBJ School of Public Affairs & McCombs School of Business,
The University of Texas at Austin

Nathan Zink
Vice President, Renewables – Site Civil Engineering, WSP USA

Panel Topics

• The Data Center Surge
• Policy in Motion
• Utility Decision-Making
• Permitting Pathway
• Emerging Technologies & Workforce Transformation

To register, click here.