Wednesday, October 7

San Jacinto Hall - Multipurpose Room (SJH 207), 309 E. 21st Street, Austin, TX 78705

8:15 a.m.  |  Registration
Coffee & Breakfast Provided

8:50 a.m.  |  Welcome Remarks
Brian Korgel, Director, Energy Institute, UT Austin

9:00 a.m.  |  Fireside Chat with Austin Energy
Andy Uhler, Energy Reporter in Residence, Energy Institute, UT Austin
Richard Génecé, Vice President, Customer Energy Solutions, Austin Energy 

9:30 a.m.  |  Crops and Energy, Without Compromise?
Guillaume Perben, Commercial Venture Builder, Voltiris

9:50 a.m.  |  3M in the Energy Market
John Morrow, Senior Business Development & Insights Leader, 3M

10:10 a.m.  |  Reliable Development and Expansion of the Texas Power Grid
Drew Kassel, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cockrell School of Engineering, UT Austin

10:40 a.m.  |  Beyond the Panels: Meeting Texas’ Energy Needs While Keeping Agricultural Land in Agriculture
Garrett Bader, Texas Smart Solar Specialist, American Farmland Trust

11:00 a.m.  |  Networking Break

11:15 a.m.  |  Panel: Agrovoltaics Technology Breakthroughs
Moderator: Andy Uhler, Energy Reporter in Residence, Energy Institute, UT Austin
Derek Adams, Managing Director, Permian Integrated Energy System (PEDL)
Garrett Bader, Texas Smart Solar Specialist, American Farmland Trust
John Morrow, Senior Business Development & Insights Leader, 3M
Guillaume Perben, Commercial Venture Builder, Voltiris

12:15 p.m.  |  Networking Lunch
Enjoy lunch and network with fellow attendees.

1:15 p.m.  |  Renewables and Storage in Oil and Gas
Ken Wang, Lead Renewable Power Engineer, Chevron Technology Ventures 

1:45 p.m.  |  Insights on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Paul Wyman, Business Development Manager, Battery Energy Storage Systems, Jelec USA

2:15 p.m.  |  Solar Power Resources to Meet the Requirements of an Expanding Power Grid
Atilla Akarsu, Head of Operations, Sabanci Renewables

2:45 p.m.  |  Networking Break

3:00 p.m.  |  Hot Rocks and Cool Tech: Geothermal for Data Center Power, Energy Storage, and Grid Support
Shuvajit Bhattacharya, Research Associate Professor & Principal Investigator, HotRock (Geothermal) Industrial Affiliates Program, Bureau of Economic Geology, UT Austin

3:30 p.m.  |  Grid Modeling and Expansion
Hao Zhu, Associate Professor, Chandra Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, UT Austin

4:00 p.m.  |  Fireside Chat: Solar-Derived Green Hydrogen in the Data Center Boom Era
Brandon Mulder, Energy Journalism Fellow, Energy Institute, UT Austin
Mike Sloan, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Synergetic & Texas Hydrogen (TXH2)

4:30 p.m.  |  Between Two Cacti With Edward Herring of Tailwater Capital
Brian Korgel, Director, Energy Institute, UT Austin
Edward Herring, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Tailwater Capital

Between Two Cacti is the Energy Institute’s signature conversational series, where Director Brian Korgel sits down, literally between two cacti, with leading voices in energy. Through candid conversations, guests share big ideas, industry insights, and the personal stories shaping the future of energy. Expect fresh perspectives, thoughtful dialogue, and a little Texas charm along the way. Now available as a podcast. 

5:00 p.m.  |  Closing Remarks
Brian Korgel, Director, Energy Institute, UT Austin

5:15 p.m.-6:45 p.m.  |  Networking Reception
Join us for food, drinks, and new connections.