KEY TAKEAWAYS: Registration is open for Tulane’s free 2026 Future of Energy Forum, scheduled for Sept. 28-30 in New Orleans. The conference will feature more than 40 sessions on AI, energy infrastructure, LNG, nuclear power and sustainability. Industry, government and academic leaders, inclu ding executives from Shell, ExxonMobil and Bollinger Shipyards, are among the initial speakers. Last year’s forum attracted more than 1,700 attendees and featured more than 125 speakers.   Registration is now open for Tulane University’s third annual Future of Energy Forum, a three-day conference that will bring industry executives, policymakers, researchers and investors to New Orleans this fall to discuss the future of the global energy sector. The free public event will be held Sept. 28-30 on Tulane University’s uptown campus. Organizers said the 2026 conference will feature more than 40 sessions focused on the technological, economic and policy changes reshaping energy production and infrastructure. This year’s theme, “Connected Power: Connecting Leaders. Powering Progress.,” will center on collaboration across industries to address growing energy demand, grid reliability, affordability, innovation and sustainability. “Meeting the world’s growing energy needs will require stronger connections across industries, disciplines and communities,” Tulane President Michael A. Fitts said. “As a premier research university located in one of the world’s most important energy regions, Tulane is uniquely positioned to bring together leaders who can turn new ideas into practical solutions with both regional and global impact.” Tulane said the forum will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, technology demonstrations and networking events covering topics including artificial intelligence and energy, data center power demand, electric grid infrastructure, liquefied natural gas, nuclear energy, carbon capture, critical minerals, energy finance, workforce development and energy policy. The university has announced an initial slate of speakers representing government, industry and academia. Participants include Jonathan Brightbill, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy; David LaCerte, commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela James “Jimmy” Story; Shell executive Kevin McMahon; Oklo executive Chris Calavitta; Geoffrey Richardson of ExxonMobil; Bollinger Shipyards President and CEO Ben Bordelon; Louisiana Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Stine; Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan; and several other energy and policy leaders. Additional speakers and programming will be announced ahead of the conference, according to Tulane. The Future of Energy Forum launched in 2024 as a signature event highlighting the Gulf South‘s role in global energy production, infrastructure and investment. Tulane said last year’s conference attracted more than 1,700 attendees and featured more than 125 speakers, including Shell USA President Colette Hirstius and Entergy Chair and CEO Drew Marsh. Click here to register. ...read more read less