Derek is the Managing Director of the Permian Integrated Energy System (PIES) at PEDL. He brings deep cross-sector experience in power generation, energy storage, renewable energy, oil and gas, and decarbonization technologies. Derek leads the development and execution of integrated energy projects at PEDL Lands, working across public, private, and research domains to advance innovation in the Permian Basin. His work focuses on translating complex energy challenges into actionable strategies by aligning technical design, stakeholder engagement, and commercial feasibility. Derek is committed to accelerating the deployment of next-generation technologies that will define the future of energy systems.

Garrett Bader has served as American Farmland Trust’s Smart Solar Specialist since 2023, leading efforts to integrate solar energy development with farmland conservation across Texas. He works with stakeholders to advance Smart Solar strategies that support solar development while maintaining productive agricultural landscapes. He provides technical guidance to farmers and landowners and developed a training curriculum that prepares agriculture and conservation professionals to support landowners interested in integrating agricultural production within solar installations. He became an American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) Certified Solar Grazier in May 2024. Garrett brings a lifelong connection to agriculture to his work. Raised in rural Texas, he spent more than a decade raising pigs and cattle and has been a beekeeper for over ten years. He combines this firsthand agricultural experience with five years of professional experience in the solar and energy storage industry prior to joining AFT. Garrett holds a BS in Sociology from Texas A&M University and a MA in Geography from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Dr. Shuvajit Bhattacharya is a Research Associate Professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin. Shuvajit leads the HotRock geothermal industry consortium and geothermal resource assessment in Texas and other regions in the US. Apart from geothermal energy, Shuvajit has spent more than a decade on oil and gas, and carbon and hydrogen storage research.

Brian A. Korgel is the Rashid Engineering Regents Chair Professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) and director of UT’s Energy Institute. He directs the Center for a Solar Powered Future (SPF2050)—an Industry/University Research Center (IUCRC) funded by the National Science Foundation—and the Clean Energies area in the UT|Portugal program. He works on nano & mesoscopic materials chemistry and complex fluids, tackling problems in energy storage, chemical transformations, energy harvesting and conversion, and medicine. He is also an artist exploring collaborative frameworks, language and human-artificial intelligence/robot cohabitation, with a courtesy appointment as Professor in Art & Art History. He has published more than 300 papers, co-founded two companies, Innovalight and Piñon Technologies, and received various honors including the Professional Progress Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and election into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). 

John Morrow is a Senior Business Development & Insights Lead in 3M Ventures and leads a program that is actively working to develop and scale solutions to address challenges related to light management in Commercial Greenhouses. Prior to this role, John held various positions at 3M, including roles in Health Care and Safety & Graphics. Before joining 3M, he worked for a boutique consulting firm. John holds an Economics degree from South Dakota State and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. 

Guillaume Perben is Commercial Venture Builder at Voltiris, a Swiss developer of spectral-filtering photovoltaic modules for agriculture. He leads the US development of the company's open-field agrivoltaic line, including its first pilot in West Texas. Voltiris has deployed more than twenty installations in Europe. He previously co-founded Composite Recycling, which industrialized glass-fibre recovery with partners including Veolia and Groupe Beneteau.

Andy Uhler has spent most of his adult life on public radio, first reporting for KUT, Austin’s NPR affiliate and later as a national sustainability correspondent at American Public Media’s Marketplace. In 2023, Andy assumed the role of Energy Journalism Fellow at UT’s Energy Institute. He's now the Energy Reporter-in-Residence and produces a podcast about the energy transition and expansion throughout the Lone Star State called Phases And Stages: The Texas Energy Story.

Andy has a Master’s degree in global policy studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He continues to report for KUT, NPR, BBC, among others.

Paul Wyman is Business Development Manager for Battery Energy Storage Systems at Jelec USA, where he leads the commercialization of Battery Energy Storage Solutions for AI data centers, industrial facilities, microgrids, defense, and oilfield applications. Paul brings more than 25 years of experience in energy, technology, and industrial operations. Prior to joining Jelec, he spent nearly 24 years with SLB, where his roles included Product Manager for Intelligent Power Management. In that role, he led the development and commercialization of integrated Battery Energy Storage, power management, automation, and control technologies for power optimization on drilling rigs. His current work focuses on the development and growth of Jelec’s Battery Energy Storage Systems business. Paul holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.S. in Oil & Gas Management.