Upcoming Event

Aurora Energy Transition Forum New York 2026

Oct 27, 2026
New York
Doors open at 8:00 AM

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Power Markets Under Pressure: Reliability, Affordability, and the AI Race

The Aurora Energy Transition Forum 2026 returns to New York at a critical time for the energy sector. Against a backdrop of rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty, and the race for AI dominance, the industry sits at the center of some of today’s most consequential policy and investment decisions.

This year’s Forum, Power Markets Under Pressure, explores how markets are responding to the dual challenge of affordability and reliability in an era of unprecedented load growth. Hear from senior leaders from across the industry as they consider:

State of the Market: How are investors, utilities, and system planners navigating (geo)politics, power constraints, and rising prices in the post-IRA era?
Speed to Power: Can infrastructure keep pace with the AI boom, and what regulatory, planning, and permitting reforms are needed to overcome structural bottlenecks?
Future of the ISO: What reform is needed for competitive markets to deliver fast, reliable, and affordable power in an era of rapid load growth?
Optimizing the Grid: Can system flexibility from on-site generation, demand response, VPPs, and grid optimization meaningfully mitigate the need for massive new infrastructure investment?

The Forum will provide an unparalleled platform for 250 senior leaders to challenge, debate, and define the future of the U.S power industry.

Speakers

Holly Adams

SVP of Energy, Beale Infrastructure

Stu Bresler

EVP Market Services and Strategy, PJM

Gary Durden

Managing Director, CRC-IB

Andrew Flanagan

CEO, RWE Clean Energy

Arushi Sharma Frank

Executive Advisor, Emerald AI

Dana Guernsey

CEO, Voltus

Travis Kavulla

Head of Policy, BASE Power

Sheldon Kimber

CEO, Intersect Power

Susan Nickey

EVP & Chief Client Officer, HASI

Andrew Novotny

President and CEO, Calpine | Senior EVP, Constellation Power Operations

Heather Reams

President & CEO, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES)

Pablo Vegas

President & CEO, ERCOT

Pat Wood III

Executive Chairman, Hunt Energy Network

Oliver Kerr

Managing Director, North America, Aurora

Julia Hoos

Head of USA East, Aurora

Agenda

The Aurora Energy Transition Forum New York 2026 agenda brings together senior leaders from across the energy sector for a full day of plenary sessions, keynote presentations, panel discussions, and strategic debate focused on the future of the energy transition in the U.S. The programme explores themes including energy security, infrastructure investment, power market evolution, AI driven demand growth, grid resilience, and scaling reliable clean energy in an increasingly complex geopolitical and economic landscape.

Agenda

8:00 am

Registration, Breakfast and Networking

8:00 am - 9:00 am

9:00 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:00 am - 9:30 am

9:30 am

Keynote Opening Address and Fireside Chat

9:30 am - 10:10 am

10:15 am

Plenary Session: State of the Market: Power and Politics in the AI Era

The U.S. power system is under sustained pressure from unprecedented load growth and rising costs, set against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty. As insatiable demand for compute forces a fundamental rethinking of system priorities, is “speed” becoming the new “clean” in the energy trilemma? This panel assesses the macro landscape in 2026, exploring how policymakers and industry leaders can navigate power bottlenecks and (geo)politics in the post-IRA era, whilst also protecting consumers from escalating costs.

10:15 am - 11:05 am

11:05 am

Coffee and Networking Break

11:05 am - 11:35 am

11:40 am

Panel Discussion: Speed to Power: Can Infrastructure Keep Pace with the AI Boom?

Getting electrons online quickly has become a defining metric for the industry. Powering the AI boom requires an acceleration of infrastructure deployment, including streamlined generation and load interconnection, innovative new business models, and targeted policy, planning, and permitting reform. This session explores what it will take to overcome structural bottlenecks needed for infrastructure to keep pace with the AI boom.

11:40 am - 12:30 pm

12:30 pm

Lunch Break

12:30 pm - 1:45 pm

1:50 pm

Panel Discussion: Future of the ISO: Can Markets Survive Gigawatt Scale Load Growth?

The convergence of rising costs, long lead times for new supply, and the race for compute has placed wholesale power markets under intense political pressure. Are capacity markets fit for purpose in an era of rapid load growth? Do political interventions to shield consumers from price volatility risk undermining market competition? Could hyperscalers bypassing the grid or the resurgent argument for vertical integration pose an existential threat to the ISO model? Join our panelists as they explore how markets are rising to meet the challenge.

1:50 pm - 2:40 pm

2:45 pm

Aurora Keynote

2:45 pm - 3:05 pm

3:05 pm

Coffee and Networking Break

3:05 pm - 3:35 pm

3:40 pm

Panel Discussion: Optimizing the Grid: Can Flexibility Solve the Infrastructure Bottleneck?

Can flexibility solve the infrastructure bottleneck? This session investigates the regulatory, commercial, and technical innovations needed to get more from the existing grid. From conditional-firm interconnection and “netting” rules to VPPs, load-shifting, and mandates for on-site generation, a range of solutions promise to unlock faster integration of large loads while also lowering costs for consumers. Crucially, however, can flexibility meaningfully mitigate the need for massive investment in new transmission and generation, or is it a temporary bridge in a supply-constrained era?

3:40 pm - 4:30 pm

4:30 pm