Speakers

Mark P. Mills
Executive Director & Senior Fellow | National Center for Energy Analytics

Mark P. Mills is a contributing editor at City Journal, executive director of the National Center for Energy Analytics, a faculty fellow at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering, and a co-founding partner in Montrose Lane, an energy-focused investment fund. He is also a former senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Mills is the author of The Cloud Revolution: How the Convergence of New Technologies Will Unleash the Next Economic Boom and a Roaring 2020s (Encounter Books, 2021) and hosts the podcast The Last Optimist. His other books include Digital Cathedrals (2020) and Work in the Age of Robots (2018). He also coauthored The Bottomless Well: The Twilight of Fuel, the Virtue of Waste, and Why We Will Never Run Out of Energy (Basic Books, 2005) with Peter Huber.

His writing has appeared in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, and RealClear. He has also made media appearances on CNN, Fox News, NBC, PBS, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In 2016, he was named “Energy Writer of the Year” by the American Energy Society. Earlier in his career, he worked as a technology advisor for Bank of America Securities and coauthored the Huber-Mills Digital Power Report, a technology investment newsletter.

Mills has testified before Congress multiple times and has briefed state public service commissions, legislators, and federal agencies on energy and technology policy. He previously served in the White House Office of Science and Technology under President Ronald Reagan and later advised private-sector firms, the Department of Energy, and U.S. national laboratories on science and technology policy.

He began his career as an experimental physicist and development engineer, working at Bell Northern Research and at RCA’s David Sarnoff Research Center on technologies including microprocessors, fiber optics, and missile guidance systems, where he earned several patents. He holds a degree in physics from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.

Anna J. Siefken is a clean energy and infrastructure executive with more than 25 years of experience guiding organizations through complex energy markets, capital-intensive assets, and regulatory environments. Her work focuses on strategy, market design, policy risk, and infrastructure deployment for utilities, large energy users, technology companies, and growth-stage platforms – always with the financial case in mind. 

Siefken currently serves as Director for Policy & Markets, North America for the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council, where she guides the Secretariat's strategy and policy efforts to develop markets for existing and emerging clean energy storage technologies. In this capacity, she represents the Council and its members in federal and state regulatory proceedings, ISO and RTO market processes, and stakeholder forums, working closely with utilities, regulators, system operators, hyperscalers, and private sector leaders to advance market frameworks that support grid reliability, capital investment, and commercial adoption of LDES technologies.

Previously, Siefken served as Principal Deputy Director of U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program, overseeing the decarbonization of 3B sq ft (350k buildings) with $137M in projected annual savings and $4.1B in private investment potential. Siefken has held executive leadership roles at Carnegie Mellon University’s Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, ICF, and The Home Depot. Siefken is an appointed U.S. Ambassador for Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E).

Vipul Agarwal
Market Intelligence Manager, Supply Chain Management | Chevron 

Vipul Agarwal is currently Market Intelligence Manager for Supply Chain Management at Chevron. He holds a BE in Electrical Engineering from India and an MBA in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University. He is a seasoned SCM practitioner with over 25 years of experience across supply chain- category management, sourcing, contracting, and project execution. He has worked 21 years with Chevron in roles across Corporate SCM, major capital projects, and global upstream assets. Before joining Chevron, he worked with ABB India, leading project execution and business development for new technologies. Throughout his career, Vipul has focused on building high-performing teams, implementing innovative operating models, and improving competitiveness in challenging markets. Vipul brings a practical, global perspective on supply chain management, stakeholder collaboration, and value delivery in the energy industry.

Denitza Arguirova
Director of Development and Strategy | Crusoe

Denitza Arguirova is Director of Development and Strategy at Crusoe, where she leads the organizational and workforce strategy of the data center and power development department. Previously, she led Provident's data center development platform and spent several years as a diplomat at UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning. Alongside her industry work, she chairs the Texas Chapter of Infrastructure Masons and was named to its IM100 Industry Leaders list in 2025. She holds a PhD in Institutions, Markets and Labor Economics from Université Paris-Est, and has supervised economics research and taught at Sciences Po and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Seth Blumsack
Professor of Energy Policy and Economics and International Affairs | Penn State University

Seth Blumsack is professor of energy policy and economics in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State University and a member of the External Faculty of the Santa Fe Institute. At Penn State, Dr. Blumsack directs the B.S. program in Energy Business and Finance and co-directs Penn State’s Center for Energy Law and Policy. Blumsack’s research centers on the electricity and natural gas industries; environmental management related to energy and infrastructure; resilience of energy infrastructure; regulation and deregulation in network industries; network science; risk analysis; and managing complex infrastructure systems. He has been studying the electric power industry through academic and consulting affiliations for three decades. He has authored or co-authored more than seventy-five scientific papers; book chapters; and articles in industry and popular press, with research funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, philanthropic foundations and private industry. He has consulted with the American Public Power Association, Bayer Materials, the Congressional Research Service, the Consortium for Risk Assessment and Stakeholder Participation, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Idaho National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and numerous electric utilities and State Public Utility Commissions.

Marzi Bolhassani
Manager of the Market Oversight Section | Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC)

Dr. Marzi Bolhassani is the Manager of the Market Oversight Section within the Oversight and Safety Division at the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC). Her regulatory oversight includes utility ratemaking, compliance, rulemaking, and infrastructure economic analysis for the state's natural gas distribution systems to ensure compliance with the Texas Utilities Code and safeguard uninterrupted gas supply for critical human-needs during extreme weather events. Prior to her current leadership role, Marzi served as the Lead Financial Analyst at the RRC and held senior analytical positions with Texas Health and Human Services and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. She also spent nearly a decade in academia as an Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin system. Marzi holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an M.S. in Applied Economics from Illinois State University.

Guido P. P. Bortoni
Chairman of the Board of Directors | CESI S.p.A

Guido P. P. Bortoni is Chairman of the Board of Directors of CESI S.p.A., a leading provider of specialized electrical testing and consulting services. He previously served as President of Italy’s energy regulatory authority (ARERA) from 2011 to 2018, Chief Executive of the Department of Energy at Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development, and Senior Advisor for Regulatory Affairs at the European Commission. His career spans energy policy, regulation, and electricity markets across Italy and Europe. He is President of the Italian Association of Energy Economists (AIEE) and holds a degree with honors in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pavia.

Anna Broughel
Lecturer in Sustainable Energy Transition Policy | School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Anna Broughel is a Lecturer in Sustainable Energy Transition Policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where she teaches graduate courses in energy policy, economics, digitalization, and systems analysis. She serves as President-Elect of the United States Association for Energy Economics, following previous service as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President of Communications, and Council Member. Anna’s career spans academia, government, and industry. She previously served as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she co-managed a behavioral research portfolio in the Solar Energy Technologies Office, and as an energy economist and principal consultant at Tetra Tech, advising public and private sector clients on energy and environmental policy. She also led the fellowship program at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute, building a national network of clean energy professionals. Her research focuses on the economics of the energy transition, including digitalization, artificial intelligence, behavioral economics, energy policy, and technology adoption. She has published in leading energy journals and contributes commentary to Forbes and The National Interest. A Fulbright Scholar, Anna earned her Ph.D. in Economics, Policy, and Human Dimensions from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in association with Syracuse University. She completed postdoctoral research at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and the University of Maryland, College Park.

Elaine Cha
Senior Economist | Google

Elaine Cha is a Senior Economist on the Chief Economist’s Team at Google. Leveraging advanced econometrics, statistical modeling, and large-scale data analysis, she analyzes the macroeconomic environment and quantifies the economic impact of Google's global business, investments, and infrastructure. She leads research for Google's Economic Impact Reports and energy economics initiatives, focusing on data center socio-economic impacts, large-load flexibility, and AI macroeconomic modeling. Prior to joining Google, Elaine was the Economic Research Lead at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she spearheaded research on the economic impact of cloud adoption and AWS data center infrastructure, and ratepayer effects of AWS data centers. Her extensive career also includes roles as Director of Quantitative Analytics and Data Science at Gartner, as well as positions at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and the Office of the President of the Republic of Korea.Elaine holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), as well as an M.A. and B.A. from Seoul National University. 

Joe DeCarolis
Professor and Head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy | Carnegie Mellon University

Joe DeCarolis is Professor and Head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. He earned his B.A. (2000) in physics and environmental science & policy from Clark University and his Ph.D. (2004) from Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. His research is focused on conducting rigorous and impartial energy systems analysis to inform sustainable energy system development. From 2022 to 2025, he served in a Senate-confirmed role as Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, one of the thirteen principal statistical agencies within the U.S. federal government. Under his leadership, EIA prioritized transparency and accessibility of its products and embarked on a bold new effort to revamp its long-term modeling program. From 2008 to 2025, he served as a professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NC State University.

Mitch DeRubis
Managing Director | FTI Consulting

Mr. DeRubis manages the Economic Consulting segment of FTI. He offers data-driven insights on U.S. power and natural gas markets that support strategic planning, M&A activity, and expert testimony for a diverse range of energy sector participants. He developed FTI’s U.S. power modeling infrastructure and leads market simulation engagements combining deep market knowledge with best-in-class methods and data. He has helped global conglomerates, major banks, technology companies, energy project developers, government agencies, and trade groups make critical decisions in the face of uncertain energy market and policy outcomes and supports expert testimony in disputes and regulatory filings spanning coal, biofuels, oil and natural gas, and electric power. He holds an M.S. in Mineral & Energy Economics from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.S. in Analytics from Georgia Tech, and a B.A. in Economics & Political Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He was previously a senior energy analyst at S&P Global Platts. 

Bob Fryklund
Chief Upstream Strategist | S&P Global Energy

Bob Fryklund is the Chief Upstream Strategist at S&P Global Energy. Bob has 46 years’ experience working for majors, independents, and consultancies, with more than half of that in executive leadership roles. He focuses on advising companies, boards and leadership teams on areas that lead to high impact value creation – portfolios, IPO’s, restructuring, M&A.

He is globally recognized expert on Upstream and won the AAPG Presidents award for his Thought Leadership. A frequent keynote speaker for both public and private events, he is also a well-known moderator and media source.

Bob gives back to the industry via mentoring women leaders, and he also sits on multiple industry boards- IPAA, ARPEL, AAPG CAB, AAPG Trustee Associate and Hamilton College. He holds an AB in Geology from Hamilton College and resides in Houston, Texas.

Daniel Forter
Technical Director | Aecon Group Inc.

Daniel Forter is Aecon’s Technical Director responsible for New Nuclear Development.  He is engaged with multiple clients actively planning new nuclear power projects. His role includes evaluating constructability of reactor technologies, advancing fabrication and modularization, innovating construction methods with robotics, and project development. Mr. Forter was formerly a Project Director on the Darlington New Nuclear Project (BWRX-300 SMR) and is currently supporting Cascade Nuclear Partners in the Design-Build program for the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility (Xe-100 SMR) in Richland, Washington.  He has been employed in the nuclear power industry for over 25 years.  Daniel has held senior management roles in engineering, operations support, capital projects, life extensions, and new nuclear plant construction.  He is a licensed Professional Engineer, a Certified Project Management Professional, and a former Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy Reserve.  Mr. Forter holds a B.S. in Marine Engineering Systems from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.   

Shanti Gamper-Rabindran 
Professor |University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Gamper-Rabindran is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh with appointments in the School of Public and International Affairs (primary) and the School of Law and Department of Economics (secondary). She undertakes interdisciplinary studies on the just energy transition, environmental protection, and sustainable economic development. She is the author of America’s Energy Gamble: People, Economy and Planet and contributing editor of the Shale Dilemma: A Global Perspective. She has published in peer reviewed journals including Journal of Environmental Economics & Management, Journal of Regulatory Economics, Energy Research and Social Sciences and in law journals. She serves as an editor for the journal Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy and the book editor for the Journal of Public Policy and Management. She serves on the Advisory Board of University of Pittsburgh Press, Solar United Neighbors Pennsylvania and Ohio River Valley Institute. She served on the study panel of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and as the August-Wilhelm Scheer Visiting Professor at the Technical University of Munich.  

Nathaniel Gilbraith
Manager – Energy Market Design | New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)

Nathaniel (Nate) Gilbraith, PhD is the Manager of Energy Market Design for the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which operates New York’s high-voltage transmission system, manages the state’s competitive wholesale electricity markets, and conducts comprehensive power system planning. Dr. Gilbraith joined the NYISO in 2015 and has held roles of increasing responsibility across the organization. These include roles within Market Mitigation & Analysis, Market Operations, and Market Structures. In his current role, Nate leads the evolution of energy and ancillary services market design to facilitate reliability through markets for a changing electric grid. Dr. Gilbraith earned a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, from Carnegie Mellon University as well as a Master’s of Science in Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University. Dr. Gilbraith has been featured in industry publications Utilities Policy and RTO Insider as well as the New York Times.

Patrick D. Henderson
Vice President, Government Affairs | Marcellus Shale Coalition

Patrick Henderson serves as Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications at the Marcellus Shale Coalition, where he helps members navigate public policy issues affecting the safe and responsible development of shale gas resources. He joined the Coalition in 2015 after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff and Energy Executive for Governor Tom Corbett, where he advised on energy policy and led the development of Pennsylvania’s first State Energy Plan, published in January 2014. Previously, Henderson spent 14 years in the state Senate, including serving as Executive Director of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, where he helped develop major energy and environmental legislation. He also served on the Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission and is a member of the Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee. Henderson holds a BA in Political Science from Bloomsburg University and resides in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, with his wife and two children.

Alec Hoppes
Vice President of Public Affairs | Orano USA

Alec Hoppes is Vice President of Public Affairs at Orano USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Orano, a global leader in nuclear fuel cycle technologies and services. For more than 16 years, he has led the company’s federal and state government affairs, public policy, and external engagement, serving as its principal liaison to Congress, federal agencies, regulators, and state and local officials. His work covers nuclear energy and fuel supply policy, regulatory modernization, trade and tariff matters, federal financing, and used fuel management. Alec also plays a central role in building federal and state support for Orano’s planned uranium enrichment facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which aims to restore domestic enrichment capacity and strengthen America’s nuclear fuel supply security. Before joining Orano, he spent eight years with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, serving as Director of Oversight & Operations from 2006 to 2009. He holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Public Policy from The George Washington University and a BA in Political Science from Emory University. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and their two teenage children.

Karr Ingham
Economist and President | Texas Alliance of Energy Producers

Karr Ingham is an Amarillo, Texas economist, and serves as Petroleum Economist and President of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. For over 25 years, he has worked as a metro/regional economist in Texas and elsewhere, and as an oil and gas/energy economist. He is a frequent commentator on the state’s oil and gas economy as well as markets and prices for crude oil and natural gas, and on state and national energy policy issues. He served as the Consulting Petroleum Economist for the Alliance from 2003-2024, and became the organization's Executive Vice President in 2019. Ingham was named President of the Alliance in July 2024. Mr. Ingham is a native of Stratford in the northern Texas Panhandle, and is a magna cum laude BBA Economics graduate of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas (and taught undergraduate economics there for a short time as well). He is a council member, vice president for conferences, presenter, and panel moderator for the US Association of Energy Economics. Ingham also co-chairs the Supply and Demand Committee of the Independent Petroleum Association of America. He is a member of the Texas Comptroller’s Economic Roundtable, a group of statewide and national economists convened to offer economic insight to the Comptroller in terms of the general condition of the Texas economy and the ongoing revenue outlook. He is the creator of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers Texas Petro Index, a tool for tracking growth rates and industry cycles in the Texas oil and gas exploration & production sector, as well as the Alliance Texas Permian Basin Petroleum Index.

Arun Iyengar
Chief Engineer and Technical Manager | KeyLogic Systems

Dr. Arun Iyengar has a Phd in Fluid Mechanics form the University of Minnesota and has over 25 years of experience in the energy sector. As a Chief Engineer at KeyLogic and Technical Lead supporting the NETL, he leads the Markets and Infrastructure capability under the DOE Strategic Analysis contract, overseeing multidisciplinary teams delivering system-level insights on energy markets, grid interactions, and infrastructure planning. In this role, he directs analyses evaluating how generation, transmission, and emerging technologies interact within regional energy systems, providing decision support for complex investment and policy decisions. His expertise spans computational fluid dynamics, techno-economic assessment, energy market analysis, and infrastructure constraint evaluation. Previously, Dr. Iyengar spent over a decade at Siemens Energy applying advanced modeling to optimize energy systems.

Daniel Knudson
Senior Manager of Economics and Energy Analytics | Chevron

Daniel Knudson is Senior Manager of Economics and Energy Analytics at Chevron, where he leads development of enterprise-level perspectives on the global energy system, macroeconomic outlooks, and market fundamentals. His career spans more than fifteen years across refining, petrochemicals, and energy demand analytics. His research and professional interests include oil and gas markets, energy demand forecasting, energy transition pathways, and corporate strategy, with a particular focus on supporting decision-making under conditions of long-term market uncertainty.

Eunjung Lim
Professor, Division of International Studies | Kongju National University

Eunjung Lim joins the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as visiting scholar from April 2026 to February 2027 from Kongju National University (KNU), where she serves as Professor in the Division of International Studies. She previously served as Vice President for International Affairs and as Dean of the Institute of Korean Education and Culture and the Institute of International Language Education at KNU (June 2021–May 2023).

Her research focuses on international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, comparative and global governance, and energy, nuclear, and climate change policies in East Asia. She previously served as a board member of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC) from May 2018 to July 2024 and as a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Just Transition of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth. She currently serves as a member of the Policy Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Unification and as a member of the governing board of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN).

Before joining KNU, Dr. Lim was an Assistant Professor at the College of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. She has also taught at several universities in the United States and Korea, including Johns Hopkins University, Yonsei University, and Korea University. In addition, she has been a researcher and visiting fellow at various academic institutions, including the Center for Contemporary Korean Studies at the University of Tokyo, the Institute of Japanese Studies at Seoul National University, the Institute of Japan Studies at Kookmin University, and the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ).

She received a BA from the University of Tokyo, an MIA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

Ning Lin
Chief Economist | Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Ning Lin is Chief Economist at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), The University of Texas at Austin, the State Geological Survey of Texas. She is Principal Investigator of COMPASS, a multidisciplinary research consortium that studies the power, water, siting, and community dimensions of large-load development in Texas. COMPASS does not advocate for or against specific projects or policies; it provides the same evidence base to developers, utilities, regulators, and communities. 

Dr. Lin is an applied energy economist who blends market analytics, techno-economics, and scenario modeling across gas, power, hydrogen, and industrial value chains. Before joining BEG in 2019, she spent nearly 15 years in commercial and market-analysis roles at Shell Trading, Koch Industries, and Tenaska. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics, with a specialization in industrial organization and game theory, from The University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Economics, summa cum laude, from Bryn Mawr  .

Michael C. Lynch
Distinguished Fellow | Energy Policy Research Foundation

Michael Lynch is a Distinguished Fellow with the Energy Policy Research Foundation in Washington, D.C. and president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. He has worked on energy economics and policy for over forty years, much of it at M.I.T., is published in seven languages, and is the author of 2016’s The Peak Oil Scare and the Coming Oil Flood. He serves on the editorial board of several publications and is a senior contributor for Forbes.

His work has primarily focused on the microeconomics of the oil market during normal and disrupted periods and has frequently been called a ‘heretic’ for disputing the consensus of ever-rising oil prices. His publications on forecasting petroleum prices and supply have highlighted errors in the commonly held expectations, including those of the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency. His work has appeared in six languages and tends to be quantitative, while blending political science and economics.

Brown Maxwell
Assistant Professor | Department of Economics and Business at the Colorado School of Mines

Dr. Maxwell Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Business at the Colorado School of Mines, a University Affiliate with the National Laboratory of the Rockies, and a Research Fellow with the Payne Institute for Public policy.

His research uses economic and computational models to simulate energy systems and critical material markets with a focus on the impacts of public policy and interactions with the broader economy. At Mines, he teaches computational economics, mathematical economics, as well as environmental and resource economics.

Ross McKitrick
Professor of Economics | Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, Department of Economics & Finance

Ross McKitrick joined the Department of Economics at the University of Guelph in 1996. He received a BA in economics from Queen's University and an MA (1990) and PhD (1996) from UBC. His main area of interest is environmental economics. He is currently working on projects relating to state-contingent environmental policy, econometric methods for measuring global warming, and evaluation of climate models.

Journals in which he has published include the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Geophysical Research Letters, Energy Journal, Empirical Economics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Canadian Journal of Economics.

Shruti K. Mishra
Energy Economist | Sandia National Laboratories

Dr. Shruti K. Mishra is an energy economist dedicated to advancing energy security and environmental sustainability. Dr. Mishra works at the nexus of energy, environment, and development across the United States at Sandia National Laboratories. Prior to Sandia, she worked on the domain for through other DOE National Laboratories, as a Fulbright Scholar, at U.S. Geological Survey, and the World Bank on projects for South Asia and Africa. Dr. Mishra’s research focuses on integrated assessment frameworks that combine process-based modeling with spatial economic analysis to inform energy-sector planning, technoeconomic feasibility, and investment decisions. She leads multiple interdisciplinary teams that evaluate the economic viability and broader impacts of emerging energy technologies and policy pathways. Her work emphasizes the translation of analytical findings into practical tools and decision-relevant insights to support stakeholders in navigating complex and dynamic energy landscape.

Pritesh Patel
Executive Director, Costs and Supply Chain | S&P Global Energy

Pritesh Patel is an executive director with the Costs and Supply Chain team at S&P Global Energy. Mr. Patel is an expert in onshore and offshore oil and gas development analysis, business strategy development, forecasting, and worldwide industry issues and trends. He has over 15 years of experience in domestic and international project management and strategic consulting.

Mr. Patel is responsible for analyzing global costs markets and monitoring emerging strategic trends for the S&P Global Upstream Costs Services. He also directs the delivery of services, facilitates discussion between S&P Global experts and client organizations, and helps clients identify strategic needs. Mr. Patel holds a master’s degree from Loughborough University, United Kingdom.

Michael Plante
Assistant Vice President | Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Michael Plante is an assistant vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He joined the Dallas Fed in 2010.

His academic research interests include macroeconomics, oil markets and the connections between energy prices and the macroeconomy. Recent research has focused on topics such as the economic impact of the U.S. shale oil boom, structural changes in oil price differentials and macroeconomic uncertainty. He has also been the project manager of the Dallas Fed Energy Survey since its inception in 2016. He received his PhD in economics from Indiana University in August 2009. Before coming to the Dallas Fed, Plante was an assistant professor at Ball State University for a year.

David Rodziewicz
Advanced Economics Specialist | Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

David Rodziewicz is an advanced economics specialist at the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. His research areas include energy and natural resource economics, regional economics, commodity markets, finance, and banking. Rodziewicz also serves as the secretary for the Denver Branch Board of Directors and is responsible for briefing the Kansas City Fed’s president – a member of the Federal Open Market Committee – on regional economic conditions and energy related issues. Prior to joining the Economic Research Department at the Bank in 2017, Rodziewicz was as an officer in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Commissioned Officer Corps, where he served as a deck watch officer in Alaska and database manager in Colorado. Earlier in his career, he worked in the financial services industry as a stock analyst, covering real estate investment trusts (REITs). Rodziewicz holds a M.S. in Mineral and Energy Economics from Colorado School of Mines and a B.S. degree in Finance and Economics from University of Illinois.

Jim Simpson
Founder and Chief Executive Officer | East Daley Analytics

As CEO and co-founder, Jim launched East Daley Analytics to disrupt a market by driving transparency in energy commodity and capital markets. On this mission, East Daley Analytics has become the go-to, trusted source for the most accurate and detailed North American energy expertise by connecting micro-level commodity data with macro-level capital market insights.

Jim commonly refers to this as “connecting the molecules to money.” As a 23-year veteran of the energy industry, Jim’s experience analyzing and managing energy information and commodity risk for the gas and power industries has enabled him to understand the complex market dynamics that create market events. As a former co-owner and executive at BENTEK Energy, Jim built and led the research group that pioneered the standard for today’s natural gas supply and demand analytics. Bentek Energy was sold to Platts/S&P Global in 2011. Earlier in his career, he spent extensive time at Enron modeling large structured transactions in both gas and power, as well as trading natural gas.

Jim was recognized as one of the top CEOs for the 2020 Titan 100 and one of the top 50 executives in the Denver Business Journal’s 2019 Who’s Who in Energy. He has spoken at numerous industry events including LDC Gas Forums, the BENTEK Natural Gas Conference, TPH’s Hotter ‘N Hell Energy Conference and the Energy Information Administration National Convention. He has also been quoted for his energy industry expertise in several publications such as Natural Gas Intelligence, Platts, The Denver Post and Hart Energy and has authored articles on the energy financial market in publications Oil & Gas Journal, Oil & Gas Financial Journal and Seeking Alpha. Jim also currently serves on the Board of Directors at Navarik Corp.

Amanda Harker Steele
Senior Energy Economist | Southwest Power Pool

Dr. Amanda Harker Steele is a Senior Energy Economist at Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) that manages the electric grid and wholesale power market for much of the central United States. At SPP, Dr. Harker Steele focuses on developing new and revising existing market design concepts. She and her team are tasked with ensuring such concepts are grounded in foundational economic principles to maintain the assurance of economically efficient and also reliable market outcomes for SPP and its members. Prior to joining SPP, Dr. Harker Steele worked as a Research Economist and site-support contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Her research portfolio focuses on understanding the economic efficiency and distributional equity implications of changes in the way energy is produced and consumed. Her work has been featured in Energy Policy, Energy Research and Social Science, and Energies. Additionally, Dr. Harker Steele serves as the President of the Three Rivers Chapter of USAEE.

Greg Upton
Associate Professor - Research | LSU Energy Institute

Dr. Greg Upton's research interests span energy and environmental economics. He has contributed to over 40 publications and presented research to more than 200 industry, government, and academic audiences, including testifying in committees of both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature and a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is regularly interviewed on live talk radio and other news outlets and has been quoted or cited over 250 times in local and national media including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, and NPR. Dr. Upton is the 2026 president of the United States Association for Energy Economics (USAEE), a member of the University Advisory Board to the Center for Legislative Energy & Environmental Research (CLEER) and an appointee to the National Petroleum Council (NPC). He is a legislatively appointed member of the Clean Hydrogen Task Force created by House Concurrent Resolution 64 of the 2024 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature as well as the Task Force on Local Impacts of Carbon Capture and Sequestration created by Senate Resolution 179 of the 2023 Regular Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature. He is part of the Baton Rouge Business Report Forty Under 40 class of 2024 and an LSU alumnus, receiving his Ph.D. in Economics from LSU in 2014.

David Weeks
Industry Practice Lead, Supply Chain Risk Management | Moody’s Analytics

David Weeks is Industry Practice Lead for Supply Chain Risk Management at Moody’s Analytics, bringing more than 20 years of experience in quality management, operational resilience, enterprise risk, and supply chain. David advises global enterprises and government organizations on third-party risk, predictive analytics, and early-warning intelligence across complex, highly regulated supply chains. A frequent speaker at industry conferences, David helps organizations translate geopolitical, cyber, operational, and financial risk signals into actionable strategies. His work focuses on helping companies anticipate disruption, strengthen resilience, and protect value through integrated, continuously monitored risk management programs. David is recognized for delivering practical, data-driven insights that drive measurable outcomes across industries worldwide.

Jarrad G. Wright
Senior Researcher | National Laboratory of the Rockies

Jarrad Wright is a senior researcher implementing and overseeing power systems research focused on transmission at the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Colorado, USA. He recently played a key role in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Transmission Planning Study, utilizing de- tailed nodal analysis to model large-scale transmission expansion across the three U.S. interconnects. Holding a Ph.D. from WITS University in South Africa, Jarrad brings over 15 years of international industry experience. Before relocating to the U.S., he served as a South African National Planning Commissioner and led extensive energy system planning and operations across 11 African countries.

Benjamin Zycher
Senior Fellow | American Enterprise Institute

Benjamin Zycher is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he works on energy and environmental policy. Before joining AEI, Dr. Zycher conducted a broad research program in his public policy research firm and was an intelligence community associate of the Office of Economic Analysis at the US Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He is a former senior economist at the RAND Corporation; a former adjunct professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University Channel Islands; and a former senior economist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. He served as a senior staff economist for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, with responsibility for energy and environmental policy issues. Dr. Zycher has a doctorate in economics from UCLA; an MPP from the University of California, Berkeley; and a B A in political science from UCLA.