KEY TAKEAWAYS: Tulane’s Future of Energy Forum will bring more than 150 energy, government, investment and technology leaders to New Orleans. The free, three-day event runs Sept. 28-30 and includes more than 40 sessions. Topics include data center demand, nuclear power, LNG, carbon capture, AI, critical minerals and energy regulation. Last year’s forum attracted more than 1,700 participants and 125 speakers.   Tulane University will bring more than 150 energy executives, government officials, investors, researchers and technology experts to New Orleans this month for its 2026 Future of Energy Forum, with rising electricity demand and energy infrastructure investment among the major topics. The free, three-day event is scheduled for Sept. 28-30 and will feature more than 40 sessions covering data center growth, nuclear power, liquefied natural gas, carbon capture, critical minerals, battery technology, artificial intelligence and energy regulation. Keynote speakers include David LaCerte, commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Jason Wells, chair, president and CEO of CenterPoint Energy; and Jonathan Brightbill, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy. Tulane launched the annual forum in 2024 to bring together industry, government and academic leaders to discuss energy issues affecting Louisiana, the Gulf South and the broader U.S. market. Last year’s event drew more than 1,700 participants and 125 speakers. “The decisions being made about energy today will shape economies, communities and global competitiveness for generations,” Tulane President Michael A. Fitts said. “Tulane’s Future of Energy Forum brings the leaders driving those decisions together for conversations with enormous national and global implications. There is no better place for such dialogue than here in a region that has long helped power the nation and is now helping define what comes next.” This year’s forum, themed “Connected Power: Connecting Leaders. Powering Progress,” comes as utilities and regulators face growing electricity demand alongside major investments in power generation and transmission. Data centers will be among the topics receiving particular attention. One session will examine how expanding data center and industrial electricity demand could affect power prices, grid planning and affordability. Another panel will focus on Louisiana’s water resources and the relationship among artificial intelligence, energy infrastructure and water demand. Sessions also will examine the outlook for oil and natural gas, offshore exploration, utility-scale solar development, energy security and workforce needs. The speaker lineup includes representatives from several major energy and technology companies. Geoffrey Richardson, senior vice president of commercial and business development at ExxonMobil; Kevin McMahon, vice president of production assets for Shell’s Gulf of America operations; Darryl Willis, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for the energy and resources industry; and John Weiss, Entergy’s vice president of sustainability and environmental policy, are among those scheduled to participate. Other speakers include Claudia Morrow, senior vice president of corporate development and strategy at Vistra Corp.; William Mundt, vice president of origination at NextEra Energy Resources; Darren Olagues, chief development officer at Talen Energy; and George Bilicic, global head of power, energy and infrastructure at Lazard. Louisiana government and political leaders scheduled to participate include Dustin Davidson, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy; Public Service Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan; state Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Stine; state Rep. Paul Sawyer; New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell; and City Council member Aimee McCarron. Faculty members and researchers from Tulane, Stanford University, Dartmouth College, the University of Houston, the University of Minnesota and Louisiana State University also are scheduled to participate. Additional sessions will address energy infrastructure development, emerging technologies and changing public attitudes toward energy projects. Tulane said the forum is designed to connect national and international energy expertise with Louisiana and the Gulf South, a region that remains a major center for oil and natural gas production, LNG development, petrochemical manufacturing and emerging energy investments. ...read more read less