Mason Baker was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager for UAMPS in January 2023.  He joined UAMPS in September 2011 as the Chief Legal Officer and spent his first 12 years of employment involved in the operations of UAMPS’ 18 projects as well as overseeing all legal functions.  Mason holds a Juris Doctorate with a certificate in environment and natural resources law from the University of Utah and a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Colorado College. He is the past Chair of the Board of the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance. Mason enjoys spending time with his two young sons and rock climbing throughout the West with his wife and two dogs.
Day 2 - Plenary Panel - Utility Perspectives of Energy Planning for the Future

Tristan Bannon is Leidos’ Executive Director for Resilient Energy Infrastructure. Leidos is a Fortune 500 global engineering and technology firm with 48,000 employees and over $16.7B in annual revenues.  In this role Tristan is responsible for developing integrated technology projects to assist global public and private sector organizations including the US Federal Government, Utilities, Data Centers, and Commercial and Industrial entities in rapidly deploying clean and resilient energy infrastructure solutions securely and at scale.  These solutions include electrification, traditional and long duration energy storage, advanced nuclear power, reduced carbon intensity fuels, microgrids, thermal energy networks, and data.

Prior to this role, Tristan developed and executed Leidos’ corporate strategy to help Leidos’ clients mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.  His primary areas of responsibility were Leidos’ investments and projects in resilient energy infrastructure, Federal sustainability, and climate data analytics.  He was instrumental in leading Leidos’ activities to plan and develop infrastructure for mission-critical organizations’ transition to Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs), achieve grid independence, and successfully integrate renewables.

Tristan is a member of the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) National Consortium and served as the inaugural Chair of the Washington Executive Climate Change Council. Tristan regularly speaks at conferences, working groups, and trade associations on the intersection of national security, Federal investment, and energy and climate technologies.

Prior to joining Leidos, Tristan served at CACI International, a Fortune 500 National Security systems integrator, most recently as a Vice President in their Engineering Solutions and Services operating group where over five years he was instrumental in leading an organization to secure over $5B in new funded contracts.  Prior to that Tristan spent over ten years in leadership, management, growth, and engineering roles at other technology companies including Lockheed Martin.  His roles of increasing responsibility included contracts management, profit and loss management, research and development, software engineering, and all aspects of growth and corporate development.  Tristan is a graduate of the Lockheed Martin Engineering Leadership Development Program and the University of Virginia Darden School of Executive Development’s Leading Organizations program.

Tristan holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  He resides in Arlington, VA.

Jeffrey Barrett is Director of State Affairs at Apex Clean Energy, where he leads legislative and regulatory engagement across the western U.S. and supports utility-scale renewable project execution and commercialization. He previously served as Deputy Director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Energy Development and spent five years at PacifiCorp, focusing on multistate regulatory strategy and local government affairs. With over 15 years of experience, Jeffrey brings deep expertise in energy policy, regulation, and clean energy market development.

Mr. John R. Baza is retired from Utah State Government as of December 2023.  He was the former Director of the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, having been appointed to that position in May 2005.  He is a petroleum engineer by education and work experience, holding both Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in petroleum engineering from Stanford University.  Mr. Baza’s career spans 45 years working with the energy and mineral extractive industries, and his experience includes engineering positions with several major and independent petroleum companies He has been involved in petroleum exploration and development in Wyoming, North Dakota and Utah, and he has also worked on geothermal power projects in Utah, Nevada, and California.

In June 2024, Mr. Baza was appointed by Governor Spencer Cox as a member of Utah School and Institutional Trust lands Board of Trustees.

 

Dr. Lisa M. Berreau is Vice President for Research (VPR) and Professor of Chemistry at Utah State University (USU).  As VPR, Dr. Berreau works to advance USU as a Carnegie R1 research institution. She also maintains an active research program with current interests in the development of carbon monoxide delivery molecules for biological applications. Her research has been supported by multiple sources including the NSF and NIH. Dr. Berreau has published more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Berreau is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society.

James Campbell is the Director of Innovation and Sustainability Policy at Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp. James joined PacifiCorp in 2007 where he worked on crafting corporate environmental policy and strategy and designed and implemented the company’s GHG Cap and Trade program in California. He has successfully led major pieces of legislation enabling innovative technologies including most recently the creation of a $50 million EV infrastructure program in Utah, He has led projects on EVs and grid technologies that have been awarded over $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to joining Rocky Mountain Power, James was the staff lead for Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s Renewable Energy Initiative and Blue Ribbon Advisory Council for Climate Change. James earned a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, a Masters in Environmental Engineering, and a Masters in Business Administration all from the University of Utah.

Nate is an operations and marketing leader, with 15 years of experience in high-growth tech, the local services economy, and workforce enablement. He’s currently serving in an Executive Fellowship with FUSE, a national nonprofit, Salt Lake City, and the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest, focused on regional workforce development strategy.

Nate started his career in academics, before first moving into EdTech as a co-founder of a regional start-up. Prior to his current work, Nate also launched and led several marketing and operations teams at Thumbtack, a Silicon Valley-based services marketplace, as well as product strategy, marketing, and consulting teams as GM and VP for a leading EdTech services firm.

Andy Chrusciel is the Director, Construction for Kemmerer Unit 1, in charge of its Construction and Management of its prime engineering, procurement, and construction subcontractor. 

Andy has been involved in the delivery of large, complex, signature power plants for over 35 years including Design, Engineering/Management, Start-up/Commissioning, Construction Management, Project Management/Director, and Business Development.

Prior to joining the TerraPower team, he held leadership positions as an Engineering Manager, Chief Engineer, Project Manager and then later with Samsung Construction and Trading as a Project Director.  These actual, executed projects span many jobsites in the US and international with technologies including Nuclear, Combined Cycle, Coal, and Renewables (Wind, Solar, Biomass, and Energy Storage).

Andy holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, a MS in Engineering Management, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Wisconsin, Maryland, and Virginia.  He is looking forward to delivering the next generation of Nuclear Power to the grid in Kemmerer Wyoming.

Judd E. Cook is vice president and general manager of Enbridge Gas Utah Idaho Wyoming.

Cook leads the company’s western gas distribution operations, which serves over 1.2 million customers in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.

Cook assumed his current role in December 2022. In this role, he oversees all operations and engineering for the Western U.S., including emergency response, technical service, construction, system planning, system maintenance and project management.

Previously, Cook was head of the company’s sustainability initiatives where he promoted the use of and market development for hydrogen, renewable natural gas (RNG) and liquified natural gas.

As a lifelong resident of Utah, Cook is passionate about serving the community. He joined Enbridge Gas, formerly Questar Gas, in 1997 as a meter reader. He has held several positions throughout his career including working in the company’s data security group, the Corporate Audit group, and Business Development, as well as leadership and strategic planning positions.

Cook is a graduate of Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and Technology and a master’s degree in Business Administration. He is a graduate of the American Gas Association’s Executive Leadership Development program as well as the Western Energy lnstitute’s Business Acumen program. He is active in the AGA’s executive leadership committee.

Gov. Spencer J. Cox is a husband, father, farmer, recovering attorney, and Utah’s 18th governor. He also served as the 2023-2024 chairman of the National Governors Association. Gov. Cox has a long track record of public service, serving as a city councilmember, mayor, county commissioner and state legislator before being appointed as Utah’s lieutenant governor in 2013. He was sworn in as governor on Jan. 4, 2021. During his first term in office, Gov. Cox cut $1.1 billion in taxes, implemented landmark changes in water law, water conservation and infrastructure planning, locked in record funding for education and teachers, enacted universal school choice and secured funds for affordable housing. A long-time advocate for suicide prevention and mental health resources, he’s become a national voice on protecting youth from the harms of social media. He also signed early education and workforce program funding, launched the One Utah Health Collaborative, and expanded opportunities for women, diverse communities and those living in rural parts of the state. With a focus on solutions, Gov. Cox promotes respect in politics and innovation in government, works across party lines to find common ground and regularly participates in hands-on service projects. These elements were the foundation of his NGA Chair’s Initiative, “Disagree Better: Healthy Conflict for Better Policy.” A sixth-generation Utahn, Gov. Cox was born and raised in Fairview, a town of 1,200 in the center of the state. He met First Lady Abby Palmer Cox at age 16 and they married after he returned from serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. He attended Snow College, Utah State University and the Washington and Lee University School of Law, then clerked for U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart and worked at a Salt Lake City law firm. Several years later, Gov. Cox and First Lady Cox moved back to Fairview to raise their four children – Gavin, Kaleb, Adam, and Emma Kate – on the family farm. The governor, first lady and Emma Kate currently reside in the Kearns Mansion, also known as the Governor’s Mansion, in Salt Lake City.  

Jessica Dalton is a seasoned Customer Engagement Manager at Pacificorp, where she leads strategic initiatives to enhance customer experience, drive outreach, and foster positive interactions. With a strong foundation in marketing and customer engagement, Jessica brings a thoughtful, data-informed approach to building meaningful connections between organizations and the communities they serve. She is known for her ability to translate complex challenges into actionable strategies that elevate customer satisfaction.

She holds an MBA from Westminster University and a BA from the University of Utah and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Her career is marked by a passion for elevating customer-centric strategies and delivering measurable results across diverse teams and projects.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Jessica is a passionate storyteller and lifelong learner. She’s a mediocre quilter, phenomenal baker, green-run skier, voracious reader, aspiring long-distance cyclist, and a world-wide wanderer.

Lincoln Davies is an internationally recognized expert in energy law and policy. He has written extensively on laws that promote renewable energy, as well as on the clean energy transition. His most recent work focuses on the development and governance of electricity markets in the United States. His research has been sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the South Korean government, the Brookings Institution, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, among others. He is coauthor of one of the nation’s leading energy law textbooks. In 2012, he was named the McCloy Fellowship in Environmental Policy and, in 2024, the Elizabeth Evatt Distinguished Fellow at the University of Sydney Law School. He serves on the faculty at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he is Co-Director of the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources, and the Environment and Executive Director for Energy, Resource, and Environment Programs.

Tim Davis is the Executive Director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).  For the past fifteen plus years, Davis has led five different state natural resource agencies in Utah and Montana.  As Executive Director Davis leads DEQ as it works to protect and restore Utah’s air, land, and water while supporting the growth of the state.

Before serving as Executive Director, Davis served as Deputy Great Salt Lake Commission and the Director of the Utah Division of Drinking Water. Davis also oversaw the water rights, water resources, drinking water, and water quality programs for the State of Montana for over ten years.

Additionally, Davis has represented Utah and Montana on numerous regional and national boards and commissions including serving as the Yellowstone River Compact Commissioner for the State of Montana, the Chair of the Western States Water Council, and representing the Region 8 states of Utah, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota on the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators Board of Directors.

Davis grew up in Lander, Wyoming, and spends most of his free time outdoors with his family and their two dogs.

Day 1 - Session: Energy and Environmental Nexus

Gary Dirks is the senior director of the Global Futures Laboratory and director of LightWorks®, an Arizona State University (ASU) initiative focusing on solar energy and light-inspired research. From 2013 to 2019, he directed ASU's Wrigley Institute and holds the Julie Wrigley Chair of Sustainable Practices, serves as a professor of practice in the School of Sustainability, and is a distinguished sustainability scientist. Before joining ASU, Dirks was the president of BP Asia-Pacific and BP China, where he expanded BP's operations from fewer than 30 employees to over 1,300, with revenues reaching about $4 billion in 2008. He has received numerous honors, including China's "Friendship Award" in 2003, an honorary Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George from the UK in 2005, recognition as one of the most influential multinational company leaders in China by the People's Daily in 2008, and the CLAS Leaders Award from ASU in 1999 for his leadership skills. Dirks earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from ASU in 1980 and was the first doctoral student at the Center for the Study of Early Events in Photosynthesis, now the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis.

Milind Deo is the Peter D. and Catherine R. Meldrum Endowed Professor of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He is the former Chair of the University of Utah’s Department of Chemical Engineering and current Director of the Energy and Geoscience Institute (EGI). A renowned expert in a variety of energy-related research areas, including reservoir engineering, fractures and enhanced fluid recovery and hydrogen, Dr. Deo leads EGI’s impactful energy transition research programs.

Aubry DeReuil is the Head of Exploration at Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals, an AI-native geothermal energy developer based in Salt Lake City. Zanskar has discovered and is developing geothermal resources across the west and operates the Lightning Dock Geothermal power plant in Animas Valley, New Mexico. At Zanskar, Aubry manages the exploration portfolio and leads a team dedicated to bringing geothermal exploration and development to Utah and neighboring states in the western US. Her current role integrates advanced machine learning techniques with comprehensive resource characterization to drive innovation in geothermal. Aubry brings a background in oil and gas and geothermal exploration and development, structural geology, and scientific illustration. Prior to joining Zanskar, she worked as an Exploration Geologist at Chevron Corporation. She holds a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Utah and a B.Sc. in Quantitative Geoscience from Appalachian State University.

Meghan Dovick is Director of the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program at the University of Utah and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Geology & Geophysics. She brings over 15 years of experience in higher education with a focus on preparing graduate students for workforce-ready careers through interdisciplinary, applied learning.

Meghan also serves as President of the National Professional STEM Master’s Association (NPSMA) and helps lead Workforce Development efforts for the NSF Futures Engine of the Southwest, a National Science Foundation initiative. Her work centers on aligning graduate education with regional industry needs and building partnerships that strengthen the STEM talent pipeline.

Jennifer has a scientific background in climate and air quality science including policy-informing regional scale air pollution modeling in the Midwest (ozone) and in Utah (PM2.5), and an extensive background as a college educator of climate science, air pollution, geology, and applications of environmental science within the Salt Lake community. Her work at Utah Clean Energy includes regulatory, policy and implementation work with a focus on increasing uptake of distributed renewable energy resources throughout the state.

Tiffany Erickson is the managing director for public affairs for PacifiCorp, which includes Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power. She leads two external communications teams and is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive strategic communication plans around PacifiCorp initiatives, directing media relations and company positioning.

Prior to that, Erickson directed internal communications for the Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office under Mayor Ben McAdams, managed outreach Utah Valley University and served as a strategic planner at McCann Erickson.

She entered the communications and media relations field after nearly a decade as a print journalist, covering state legislative issues and public education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah State University and a master’s degree in public administration from Brigham Young University.

Erickson serves on the Utah Shakespeare Festival Board of Governors is an active member of the Utah Black Chamber and serves on Utah Women in Leadership’s Bolder Way Forward initiative. She lives in Lake City with her two children

Stephanie Frohman is the Associate Director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air at Utah State University. She brings two decades of state-level leadership, strategy and partner development experience to the role, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Strategy & Partnership at the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah). A Michigan native, Frohman earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing a Master of Natural Resources at Utah State University. Prior to EDCUtah, she worked in medical device engineering and software account management, and dedicated a year to AmeriCorps service. She is an avid skier, hiker and world traveler. In 2018, she took an extended leave of absence to backpack the world with her husband and two daughters. She resides in Draper, Utah and can often be found enjoying the South Mountain trails. Established in 2021, the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air connects researchers from Utah State University with problem solvers and decision-makers around Utah. The institute envisions a state with a high quality of life for our citizens that values and optimizes our state’s shared resources while managing continued growth. We value data-driven decision-making, shared partnerships, and a non-partisan perspective as we share the latest land, water, and air research. For more information on the Institute for Land, Water and Air, please visit: Institute of Land, Water, and Air | USU Day 1 - Session: Energy and Environmental Nexus

Melanie Frye, President and CEO of WECC, drives the organization's mission to mitigate risks to the reliability and security of the Western Interconnection’s Bulk Power System. She excels in engaging with members, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies, ensuring WECC's positive relationship with NERC and the ERO Enterprise.

Melanie is a transformational leader, crafting WECC’s Invented Future framework and fostering a dynamic internal culture aligned with WECC’s core mission. Her previous roles at WECC include Vice President of Reliability Planning and Performance Analysis, where she led technical and analytical functions, and Vice President of Shared Services, overseeing Human Resources, Finance, IT, Project Management, and Administrative Services. Joining WECC in 2007 as Director of Human Resources, Melanie has continually advanced within the organization.

Before WECC, Melanie was a Senior HR Consultant at PacifiCorp, advising leadership of multiple power generation facilities and supporting over 2,500 employees.

Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Weber State University and a Utility Executive Course Certificate from the University of Idaho.

Day 1 - Plenary Panel - Electric Transmission Resilience and Expansion

Appointed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox in June 2022, Joel Ferry serves as the executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), overseeing approximately 2,500 employees across nine divisions and two offices. These include Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Law Enforcement; Oil, Gas and Mining; State Parks; Outdoor Recreation; the Utah Geological Survey; Water Resources; Water Rights; Wildlife Resources; the Office of Energy Development; and the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office.

A fifth-generation farmer from Corinne, Ferry brings a deep passion for water policy, land conservation, and agriculture to his leadership at DNR. He continues to operate his family’s farm, ranch, feedlot, and hunting properties.

Ferry’s background includes experience in banking with Zions Bank and extensive public service. He has served as a state legislator, chairman of the Box Elder County Republican Party, and held roles with several conservation and agricultural organizations, including the Box Elder Farm Bureau, Delta Waterfowl, and the Friends of the Bear River Bird Refuge. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Utah State University.

Dr. JoAnn Gage – Geologist and ACES Cavern Engineer

JoAnn Gage has over a decade of experience with Chevron in Subsurface and Business & Commercial Roles. As an Subject Matter Expert in Chevron’s Technology Company and an Explorationist, she has supported over 15 Business Unit teams to solve complex subsurface problems. As a Decision Analyst supporting Chevron’s deepwater Gulf of Mexico asset Jack/St. Malo she became a skilled practitioner in cash flow modeling, investment strategy, and business planning.

For ACES, JoAnn is responsible for cavern construction, planning, subsurface regulatory/compliance, and brine management.

JoAnn has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Bryn Mawr College and an M.S. and PhD in Geology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She also has an MBA from the University of Houston with a concentration in Energy Economics and Investment Analysis.

Dick Garlish is the President of Rocky Mountain Power, an electric utility serving over 1.2 million customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. In his role, Dick is responsible for regional strategy and engagement, and leads customer and community affairs, government affairs and the legal department.

Before joining PacifiCorp in 2020, Garlish served as senior vice president and general counsel at Peak Reliability. Earlier in his career, he held several senior positions at Idaho Power Company, including senior counsel, director and general manager. Garlish also served as senior corporate counsel at NorthWestern Energy.

Garlish was raised and educated in the mining city of Butte, Montana, and received his bachelor’s degree from The Evergreen State College and his law degree from the University of Montana School of Law. Prior to entering the energy industry, he served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Sam E. Haddon of Montana.

Garlish lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Day 2 - Plenary Panel - Utility Perspectives of Energy Planning for the Future

Tom Georgis has 24 years of experience in both the conventional and renewable energy sectors, most recently as the CEO of SolarReserve, a global concentrated solar with thermal energy storage company, He has extensive climate technology expertise derived from working with numerous renewable and sustainable energy companies, technologies and projects; including early stage investment capital sourcing and structuring, regulatory and legislative policy advocacy, clean technology development and commercialization, and utility scale project development and financing. Tom is also an Adjunct Instructor with the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy in the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and an Adjunct Professor and Faculty Advisor at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA where he lectures on entrepreneurship, international business strategy, and sustainability. At Anderson, he is also on the board of the Price Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. As an entrepreneur, operator, advisor, and investor, he has been involved with over 20 startups. He holds a degree in Political Science from Northwestern University and an MBA from UCLA.

Steve Handy is a resident of Layton, Utah.

Professionally, Steve’s career has been in marketing communications, event management, advertising, and public relations. He was the marketing director for both the Standard-Examiner and the Deseret News.

He owns a public relations and marketing communications consulting business representing a number of clients including several involved in the expansion of new energy and conservation measures.

A graduate of the University of Utah, Steve has a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in Human Resources Management. He was an adjunct professor at the U. teaching marketing communications and served on the David Eccles School of Business Alumni Board as well as the U’s Alumni Board.

He served two terms on the Layton City Council and 12 years (2010-2022) in the Utah House of Representatives from District 16 representing Layton, Clearfield, West Weber, and Hill Air Force Base.

In the Legislature, he chaired a number of committees including, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology; Ethics; Political Subdivisions; and Economic Development and Workforce Services.

Dr. David Hatchett is Vice President of Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where he leads strategic efforts to advance research, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He has held key leadership roles at UNLV, including Associate Vice President of Research and Executive Director of Research Infrastructure, driving major expansions in the university’s research capacity.

UNLV is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) institution and a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), including HSI and AANAPISI designations. Under Dr. Hatchett’s leadership, UNLV has gained national recognition for inclusive and impactful research.

A faculty member since 1999, Dr. Hatchett is a professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry. His research bridges materials science and electrochemistry, focusing on sustainable methods to recover critical materials—such as lithium, uranium, and rare earth elements—from ionic liquids. This work supports clean energy, national security, and the circular economy.

He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, holds multiple patents, and has mentored more than 20 graduate students, significantly advancing radiochemistry education and workforce development. Dr. Hatchett earned his Ph.D. in Physical/Analytical Chemistry from the University of Utah and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech.

Chris Hayter is the President, Chief Operating Officer, and Co-Founder of Hi Tech Solutions. He oversees field and support operations, sales and business development, and the company’s portfolio of strategic partnerships. In collaboration with Co-Founder and CEO Dave Williams, he also helps lead Reactor Services Inc. and Nuclear Repair Services, aligning the three organizations around a common strategy that advances safety, reliability, and execution excellence across the nuclear energy sector.

Chris brings more than 18 years of experience in operations and sales, including 16 years focused on power-generation services. He is known for converting strategic relationships with major service providers and owner-operators into scalable programs that drive growth and improve client outcomes. His approach emphasizes clear scope, disciplined scheduling, and measurable quality, with a persistent focus on safety and cost control.

Brent joined Origin Ventures in January 2013, and leads the firm’s office in Salt Lake City.

Prior to joining Origin Ventures, Brent created and led the Central region sales organization for Twitter. Before Twitter, he led a sale organization for Google (Chicago). Brent joined Google after his previous company, FeedBurner, was acquired by Google in 2007.

Brent received a B.S. in Finance from Bradley University, where he was captain of the golf team. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he serves as a judge for the annual New Venture Challenge.

An avid runner and cyclist, Brent has completed 20 marathons – including three of the World Marathon Majors (Chicago, Boston, NY). He was a 2013 Team USA qualifier for the World Duathlon Championships.

Tyler Hogge is Venture Partner on the investment team at Pelion. He joined Pelion from Divvy, where he was SVP of Product for 4 years, leading Divvy's product and risk organizations through the $2.5b acquisition by BILL.

Prior to Divvy, Tyler led product teams at Wealthfront, spent time at Andreessen Horowitz, and led sales teams at Clearwater.

Tyler graduated with an MBA from Cornell University and a degree in Finance from Southern Utah University, where he was captain of the D1 baseball team. He is also a CFA Charterholder.

He lives with his wife and four children in Alpine, Utah, and is happiest while playing poker, chess, and spending time in the mountains.

Anna Holmstead is a Program Director at the Utah Office of Energy Development, where she has been leading critical energy initiatives since early 2024. She manages all federal and state grants for the office, overseeing the full grant lifecycle to ensure funding is maximized and aligned with Utah’s energy goals. Anna has helped secure nearly half a billion dollars in federal and matching funds to strengthen the state’s power grid, expand infrastructure, and support local communities. She works closely with state and national partners to develop practical, forward-thinking energy solutions that improve reliability and resilience. Anna is passionate about building programs that advance energy efficiency, grow the energy workforce, and deliver real, lasting impact for Utahns.

 

Rikki Hrenko-Browning is the President of the Utah Petroleum Association (UPA). UPA is a Utah based, statewide petroleum trade association representing companies involved in all aspects of Utah’s oil and gas industry focused on the responsible development of Utah’s natural resources and manufacture of fuels that drive Utah’s economy. Prior to leading UPA, Rikki lived in Estonia and came to Utah as the CEO of Enefit American Oil, the Estonian company’s oil shale project in Eastern Utah. Rikki has a Masters in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon and an undergraduate degree in botany and environmental science. She has been appointed by the Governor to the Utah Watersheds Council, the SITLA Nominating Committee, serves on DNR’s Endangered Species Mitigation Fund, the US Global Leadership Coalition, and other boards and advisory panels. Rikki was honored as a Utah Business 2020 Woman of the Year and in their 30 women to watch series in 2014.

Is the Director of Commercial Services for Williams (WMB). Joseph oversees Business Development, Day to Day Commercial Operations, Transportation, Storage, Park & Loan and scheduling efforts for three interstate natural gas pipelines in the Rocky Mountain region. Joseph has worked in the energy industry for over 15 years

Joseph graduated in May of 2008 with his MBA from the University of Utah. He also holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and Biology from the University of Utah. He enjoys spending time with family, running, mountain biking and loves chocolate chip cookies.

Dr. John H. Jackson is a Distinguished Staff Scientist/Engineer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  He currently is the National Technical Director for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s Microreactor Program which is focused on supporting development and deployment of rapidly evolving microreactor technology.  Before taking on his current role, he served as the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Technical Interface where he ensured that the nuclear industry had facilitated and appropriate access to DOE national laboratory capability.  Prior to this, John was the Industry Program Lead for the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) with a focus on characterization of irradiated fuels and materials.  In these capacities, John has worked closely with the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and the nuclear industry to ensure that DOE facilities are used effectively to maintain the current reactor fleet and to enable innovation.  John has over twenty years of experience in the areas of mechanical testing and fracture mechanics.  He also has over three years of experience in extreme environment materials characterization and drilling mechanics at the ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company in Houston, Texas.  John holds Ph.D. (2001) and MS (1998) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology (1995) from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA.   

John Jenks is an experienced energy policy and economic development professional currently serving as Director of Energy Market Development at the Wyoming Energy Authority. With a strong background in regulatory affairs, infrastructure development, and legislative engagement, John leads initiatives to expand Wyoming’s energy economy. He has held prior roles in government relations and public affairs, including positions at the Wyoming Business Council and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. John brings a wealth of experience navigating the intersection of policy, collaboration, and economic strategy.

Professor Jennejohn is a member of the National Security Analysis Division of Johns Hopkins University APL and is the Marion and Rulon Earl Professor of Law at BYU Law School (on leave). He specializes in economic competition issues, with an emphasis on combining newly developed network analysis and machine learning methods with standard approaches to market analysis in support for a number of U.S. Government agencies. Prior to his involvement at APL, he focused his academic research on the global capital markets, practiced at Shearman & Sterling in New York, and clerked for Chancellor Strine of the Delaware Court of Chancery. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School, the London School of Economics, and Brigham Young University and grew up in Dousman, Wisconsin. 

Hal Johnson, AICP CTP, PTP, is the Director of Innovative Mobility Solutions with the Utah Transit Authority.  He has more than 25 years of project management experience, in both project development and direct management of procurements and construction. Hal is leading UTA’s efforts for bus electrification, innovative mobility, and innovative project development.  He holds a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the State University of New York at Albany, Masters of Arts in Geography from the State University of New York at Albany and a Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Utah.

Colleen Jones is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate at Utah State University and Director of the Environmental Analytical Lab at the Bingham Research Center in Vernal, Utah. An environmental scientist, she leads research at the intersection of air quality, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem health, using drone and remote sensing technologies to address complex environmental challenges.

Her work focuses on monitoring pollutant emissions—particularly volatile organic compounds from oil and gas operations—and assessing their impacts on air quality and public health. She also studies selenium and mercury cycling in wetland and atmospheric systems to inform restoration and management strategies.

Dr. Jones applies drone-based imaging to evaluate post-wildfire recovery and invasive species control, working closely with land management agencies. With over two decades at USU, she has built a research program that connects field science with policy-relevant applications while mentoring students in applied environmental research.

Paul Kjellander served as President of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC), having been appointed to four six-year terms beginning in 1999.  He was the longest serving President of the IPUC.  He retired from state service and now works as a consultant/senior advisor in the utility sector.  His current work includes advanced nuclear energy resource development and capacity building.  Kjellander also serves as a senior advisor with Public Utilities Fortnightly and he consults with a variety of utility related clients.  He recently joined and chairs the Development Corporation Board for The Western Transmission Consortium.

As a commissioner, Kjellander was a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) board of directors and executive committee.  Kjellander was elected to serve as President of the association in 2020.  As NARUC president he established a multiyear conference theme for the association and worked with commissioners at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to create the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission.  His work on the NARUC executive committee set a course to align the association’s finances more closely with member services.

During his tenure at NARUC, Kjellander served on the association’s Consumer Affairs Committee, the Electricity Committee, and he was appointed as Chair of the Committee on Telecommunications.  Additionally, he was as a member of the Subcommittee on Regulatory and Industry Diversity and the Subcommittee on Education and Research.

Kjellander was selected as President of the National Council on Electricity Policy, which is funded by the US Department of Energy and managed by NARUC. He was a board member of the Financial Research Institute and continues to serve on New Mexico State University’s Current Issues Advisory Board.  Past service included membership on the Federal Communications Commission’s 706 Joint Board, the North American Numbering Council, the Advisory Council of the Electric Power Research Institute, and he was named chairman of the FCC’s Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations.  Kjellander also held a leadership role as Vice Chairman of the Northern Tier Transmission Group.

Kjellander’s regulatory service was briefly interrupted in 2007 when Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter tasked him with creating Idaho’s Office of Energy Resources (OER).  This cabinet level position played a significant role in establishing the state’s energy policy direction.

During his time at OER, which is now known as the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, Kjellander created an aggressive energy efficiency program funded through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Kjellander established the Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance (ISEA) and remained a member of that group until his retirement from state service.  He also served on the board of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO).  Kjellander currently chairs the ISEA task force that was organized to create an advanced nuclear strategic framework for Idaho.

Before joining the commission in 1999, Kjellander was elected to three terms in the Idaho House of Representatives from 1994-1999.  As a legislator, Kjellander was assigned to multiple committees, including House State Affairs, Judiciary and Rules, Ways and Means, Local Government, and Transportation. During his final term in office, Kjellander was elected to leadership as Chairman of the House Majority Caucus.

Prior to his legislative service, Kjellander was director of Boise State University’s College of Applied Technology Distance Learning, where he earned tenured faculty status.  Kjellander also held various positions at Boise State’s Radio Network including station manager, director of the Special Projects Unit, and director of News and Public Affairs.  As a broadcast journalist, Kjellander received over 30 professional awards for his reporting.  He also contributed reports to multiple regional and nationally distributed programs.

Kjellander is also a painter whose work has appeared on magazine and book covers.  Most recently he illustrated a book titled “Heroes of the Storms”.  His paintings also hang in private collections and several pieces from his series “The Legislature at Work” can be found in the Idaho State House.

Kjellander earned undergraduate degrees in communications, psychology, and art from Muskingum University in Ohio, and earned a master’s degree in telecommunications from Ohio University.

Kjellander and his wife Radelle have three children…a daughter Allison who practices law in Boise and twin sons Skyler and Justus who completed their MBAs and work in Salt Lake City.

Tim Kowalchik serves as the Research Director at the Utah Office of Energy Development, where he leads efforts to integrate data-driven analysis, strategic policy, and innovative energy technologies. His work spans initiatives like advanced nuclear energy, projecting future demand, and Operation Gigawatt. Tim focuses on bridging science and policy to ensure Utah’s energy strategy remains resilient, forward-looking, and grounded in technical rigor.

A Utah native and University of Utah alumni, he holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, with doctoral research focused on multiphysics modeling and advanced energy storage technologies.

Mary Kurasch has worked at Westinghouse for over 20 years and currently holds the role of AP300™ Program Lead where she is responsible for the AP300 SMR technology development and deployment programs. Among Mary’s roles during her time at Westinghouse, Mary was in project and product management leading projects for operating plants, she also worked in AP1000 equipment delivery and was the supplier quality lead supporting vendor qualification.

Emy Lesofski is the director of the Utah Office of Energy Development (OED)—the state’s primary office for energy and critical mineral development—and energy advisor to Gov. Cox. She was appointed to these roles in October 2024, bringing a wealth of experience in federal appropriations and natural resources policy. As director of OED, Lesofski also oversees the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab (USREL), as well as serving on several boards and committees. She is focused on developing innovative solutions to ensure Utahns have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy through sound policy, research, education and community outreach.

Prior to her role at OED, Lefoski worked in Washington, D.C. for 24 years as a senior staffer in both houses of Congress and was the Republican staff director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

Lesofski studied political science at BYU and is happy to be back in Utah with her extended family.

Mr. Letendre is an experienced executive with proven international operations, product development, and revenue generating experience in Fortune 500 and entrepreneurial company settings. Shingo Prize and PACE award winning expertise in the management of research, development, and engineering organizations, ranging from lifesaving airbag products to high power wireless charging systems for the transportation industry provides the needed broad technical expertise.  Recently Mr. Letendre led 47G’s efforts to grow the CM Ecosystem through an EDA Tech Hub Strategy Development Grant.

Mr. Letendre has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University and an MBA from Utah State University.

Gilbert Lee is the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Torus Inc., a Utah-based company building America’s next generation of power infrastructure. Torus manufactures inertial-based distributed power plants—advanced hybrid flywheel battery systems that deliver the same grid-balancing benefits as traditional generation, but without combustion or chemicals. Torus technology helps utilities, commercial facilities, and industrial customers strengthen the grid, integrate renewables, and meet rising energy demands. TIME magazine recognized the company’s flagship system, the Torus Spin, as one of the Best Inventions of 2024.
Born in the Philippines and raised in the United States, Gil brings more than two decades of experience in design, product development, and strategy to the energy sector. He previously held leadership roles at Pluralsight, Domo, O.C. Tanner, Northrop Grumman, Utah.gov, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where his work centered on creating technology that is intuitive and people-focused.
At Torus, Gil has helped guide the company’s growth from a garage prototype in 2022 to a full-scale U.S. manufacturing operation producing 400 MW of grid stabilization capacity annually. He leads Torus’s brand, marketing, and product design efforts, working to make complex energy solutions simple, accessible, and impactful for communities.

John Lin is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the Scientific Director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy.  He has over 20 years of experience researching the emissions and transport of greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollutants, publishing over 100 peer-reviewed journal papers to date.  He was selected as a Earth Leadership Fellow in 2022 and participates regularly in national and international research efforts such as with the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union.  John's research group (http://lair.utah.edu/) is carrying out greenhouse gas and air quality observations in the Salt Lake area, as well as in the Uinta Basin.  John also works regularly with satellite observations from NASA to determine carbon emissions from cities around the world.  He has recently served on the Great Salt Lake Strike Team to synthesize scientific knowledge and inform policy decisions surrounding the Great Salt Lake.  John received his AB, AM, and PhD degrees from Harvard University.

Phoebe Lind is a Government Affairs Associate at Radiant, the company pioneering the world’s first mass-produced portable nuclear microreactor.

Joel Link serves as President of Tenaska Development, where he oversees all aspects of conventional and renewable energy project commercialization. His leadership spans development, engineering, procurement, construction, and origination across a diverse portfolio that includes natural gas-fueled generation, carbon capture and sequestration, wind, solar, and battery energy storage.  Joel is a member of Tenaska’s Executive Leadership Board, Joel directs a team of over 75 professionals and manages a U.S. development pipeline of more than 150 projects totaling over 40 GW of potential capacity.  With more than 25 years in the energy industry, Joel has led the development and execution of financeable energy projects exceeding 10,000 MW in capacity, $9 billion in capital investment, and $25 billion in long-term electricity sales contracts. His experience spans domestic and international markets, with a strong track record in commercial deal-making and project execution.  Joel began his career at Black & Veatch, where he performed detailed design engineering and later led technical and financial due diligence reviews for lenders and financial institutions.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and is an active member of the Nebraska Children’s Hospital Board of Directors and the American Society of Chemical Engineers.

Chris Lowe is the Chief Executive Officer of Nusano, a privately held physics company working to stabilize supply chains, advance American national security by reducing dependency on foreign supply, and enable once-in-a-generation innovations in fields ranging from healthcare to nuclear energy. The company is commercializing platform technologies for radioisotope production, stable isotope enrichment, and advanced separation techniques. Together, these proprietary systems and methods are poised to supply the fight against cancer, fuel the nuclear renaissance, and deliver critical minerals for the modern world.

Mr. Lowe’s more than 30 years of business and financial experience includes executive-level roles at pharmaceutical and medical device companies. There, he led and oversaw clinical trials, pricing and reimbursement strategies, mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, and initial public offerings.

As Nusano’s CEO, Mr. Lowe is responsible for the strategic direction and operations of the company, including the construction of its state-of-the-art production facility in West Valley City, Utah. Opening in 2025, the site expands Nusano’s presence in the state and marks the first significant radioisotope production advancement in decades – a platform that is smaller, safer and more efficient than existing methods. The more than 40 isotopes Nusano can produce have applications in several key markets of national interest, including life sciences, aerospace, defense, and energy solutions.

Mr. Lowe majored in Business at California Polytechnic State University and holds an MBA in Finance from St. Mary’s University.

Seth directs Utah State University’s Bingham Research Center, located in Vernal, and is a Research Professor in USU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He has a doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Health from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his expertise is in atmospheric measurements, instrumentation, and analysis.  Seth's research focuses on the environmental outcomes of energy production.  He and his colleagues at the Center have carried out projects to quantify emissions of organic compounds from various oil and gas sources, understand the conditions that lead to wintertime ozone production in the Rocky Mountain region, and develop computer models of atmospheric emissions and air quality. Seth currently serves on the board of directors for Healthy Communities of Northeastern Utah and the Utah Air Quality Board.

Torrey Lyons is a researcher focusing on how transportation and energy decisions affect people, the environment, and economies. He works as a research scientist in the Advanced Transportation Department at the Idaho National Laboratory. In his time at INL, he has contributed to research projects related to transportation, energy storage, and supply chains as an analyst and PI. Dr. Lyons has published articles on transportation outcomes associated with compact development, improvements to travel demand modeling, and the economic effects of transit service, among other topics. He has taught research methods for urban planners, land use and transportation planning, program and policy evaluation, and urban economics in the US and abroad. Prior to joining the Idaho National Laboratory, Dr. Lyons worked in consulting and academia.

Kent Madsen is a Managing Partner at EPIC Ventures and has been investing in early-stage technology companies for almost 25 yrs. Kent has directly worked on dozens of IPO's and acquisitions.  Previously, Kent served as President, and CEO of MACC Private Equities (NASDAQ: MACC) that provided sub-debt and equity financing to private companies. Prior to that, Kent worked for Ford in the Advanced Technology Group where he developed mathematical and computational models for optimizing vehicles’ aerodynamic and thermodynamic properties and systems. He has also built computational models optimizing power plants, geothermal ponds, and phase- change energy production. Kent has a B.S. in Engineering from U of Pennsylvania, an M.S.E. from U of Michigan, an M.A. in International Studies also from Penn and an M.B.A. from Wharton.

Maren Mahoney is an experienced attorney passionate about building an equitable, resilient future for all Arizonans. Trained in systems-level analysis, her expertise is in energy regulation, law, and policy development, analysis, and advocacy. Prior to joining the Hobbs Administration, she advocated for state-level energy efficiency and decarbonization policies around the country, served as a Policy Advisor at the Arizona Corporation Commission, and managed an energy policy think tank at Arizona State University. She holds a J.D. from New York Law School, where she was a John Marshall Harlan Scholar and earned a Certificate for Public Service. Maren earned her M.A. in Sustainability from ASU, where she is a Senior Sustainability Scholar. Maren lives in Phoenix with her husband, two children, and their dog, Mr. Bunny.

Michael is the Chief Commercial Officer at ASPIRE and interim Director of the State of Utah Intelligent Electrified Transportation planning program. Prior to his roles at ASPIRE, Michael served as CEO and CTO at WAVE, where he led the team that developed today’s market-leading wireless charging solutions for commercial electric vehicles. In leadership roles at Motorola, Michael architected a mobile sensing platform to serve the enterprise, consumer, and government markets. He holds a B.S.E.E. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.S.E.E. from Arizona State University and holds patents in wireless power transfer, power electronics and microelectronics. He is chair of the Wireless Charging Standards for the American Trucking Association and also serves as co-chair of the SAE J2954 Heavy Duty standards committee on wireless charging of electric vehicles.

Kirt Marlow has been in the nuclear industry for 30 years supporting federal and commercial customers domestically and overseas.  He has worked on large DOE and DoD projects, commercial energy, and nuclear capital projects from inception through commissioning and operations.  He has supported uranium fuel cycle, commercial reactors, and large-scale energy projects for most of his career.

Mr. Marlow is the Senior Vice President - Energy Deployment at Hi Tech Solutions (HTS).  His organization is providing turnkey development of electrical generation, advanced reactors and fuel cycle services.  Their expertise includes: financing, siting, site-specific design,  licensing, construction support, and ultimately acting as license holder and operator for HTS projects.

Sean Marshall (he/him) has roughly 20 years of project and corporate development experience in the energy industry and is a Business Development Manager for Renewables & Energy Efficiency at slb. He was formerly one of the co-founders and CFO of Criterion Energy Partners, a geothermal development company. Prior to that, he was a Vice President within the Energy and Infrastructure group at Credit Suisse’s Investment Bank where he coordinated and created extensive technical and economic analysis of oil and gas assets. Throughout his career he has worked on numerous transactions exceeding $80 billion dollars in value. Mr. Marshall holds an MBA from Rice University, and a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from The University of Houston.

Dr. Travis McLing is indeed a Business Manager Directorate Fellow at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). With over 30 years of experience, he has been instrumental in developing and leading multi-institutional, interdisciplinary research in water-related fields. In addition to his role as the Chief Geologist at INL, Dr. McLing supports various research areas, including geothermal energy, critical minerals, geologic hydrogen, and carbon management. His contributions have been pivotal in fostering research collaborations between INL and other regional research organizations. Furthermore, Dr. McLing serves as INL's Relationship Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies and Fossil Energy programs and leads INL's Critical Minerals Research team.

Will McNamara is the Principal Investigator for the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) National Consortium, representing Sandia National Laboratories as the lead lab for this effort. The LDES National Consortium is a DOE-funded initiative through which stakeholders across the LDES ecosystem can convene to identify barriers, determine potential synergies, and collaboratively develop and implement strategies necessary to achieve LDES technology commercialization within the next decade.
Will serves as Grid Energy Storage Policy Analyst for Sandia National Laboratories with a focus on energy storage policy development at the federal and state levels. Will has spent his entire 30-year career in the energy and utilities industry with a concentration on regulatory and legislative policy. He has served as a lobbyist in California and has represented major utilities across the U.S. in numerous jurisdictions in proceedings pertaining to integrated resource planning, procurement, cost recovery, rate design, and the development of policymaking best practices. Will's areas of subject matter expertise, in addition to LDES policy, include distributed energy resources, AMI/smart grid, renewables, and competitive retail markets.

Logan is a climate and air quality scientist who has researched everything from greenhouse gases in Antarctic ice cores to evaluating emissions and monitoring urban air quality with TRAX trains, to studying Utah’s history of air quality. With over 35+ peer-reviewed publications, he has a deep scientific knowledge of air quality, climate and energy systems in Utah and globally. He is passionate about solutions to our air and climate challenges that will improve our quality of life and be essential for our economic future. In addition to climate communication, he will help represent Utah Clean Energy in regulatory dockets and proceedings before the Utah Public Service Commission. He received a BS and PhD from Oregon State University and is Affiliated Faculty at the University of Utah.

Dr. Memmott is an associate professor in the chemical engineering department at Brigham Young University. He received a B.S. in chemical engineering from BYU in 2005, and a M.S. and PhD in Nuclear Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007 and 2009, respectively. His research focuses on advanced nuclear reactor design, nuclear safety, and system modeling.

Dr. Memmott currently teaches courses in fluid mechanics and introductory nuclear engineering.

Dr. Memmott's graduate work focused on the development of innovative fuel configurations for sodium fast reactors. These fuel configurations (internally and externally cooled annular fuel rods and "bottle-shaped" fuel rods) emphasized enhanced safety, reduced costs, and improved thermal margin for both metal and oxide fast reactor fuel rods.

Following his graduation from MIT, Dr. Memmott worked as a senior engineer in the advanced reactor group at Westinghouse Electric Company. Housed within the research and technology group, he worked with others to design fast reactor concepts, fuel cycle innovations, and AP1000 plant innovations. He served for 2 years as a lead designer for the Westinghouse SMR concept.

 

Dr. Memmott's research at BYU focuses on enhancing the passive safety of both current and advanced nuclear reactor technology while improving the economics, fuel utilization, and grid adaptability of current plants. Several new system or component concepts are being developed, and each innovation is then evaluated in safety space to ensure that no inadvertent detrimental influences on overall nuclear safety will be introduced into the reactor system by the implementation of the new technology. His most recent focus is on molten salt micro-reactor technology, with an emphasis on fission product and transuranic bearing molten salts.

Dusty Monks is the Director of Nuclear Programs at the Utah Office of Energy Development, where he leads the state’s nuclear energy strategy and policy development. He plays a central role in establishing the Utah Nuclear Consortium. He works closely with state legislators to craft forward-thinking legislation that prioritizes consumer needs. 
 
With a strong background in macro-strategy, Dusty brings a uniquely consumer-focused lens to national and regional energy forums. Contributing to conversations about how local, regional, and federal policies intersect to shape energy markets and how communities on the ground feel those impacts. Working to ensure Utah remains at the forefront of the evolving energy landscape. 

Dr. Moore is Managing PI The Utah FORGE project which is an international field laboratory that is managed by EGI at the University of Utah and sponsored by the Department of Energy. Dr. Moore has participated in DOE projects since the mid-1970s. He has published more than 150 reports and articles on his investigations.

Laura Nelson serves as Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) Regional Engagement lead in Utah.  Nelson provides leadership, collaboration and engagement to advance INL’s vision through partnerships that deliver results in response to regional, industry, and community energy and economic objectives.  Nelson has a deep understanding of energy landscapes in Utah and the Western region, having served as the energy advisor to two Utah governors — Jon Huntsman Jr. and Gary Herbert — and through her work on regulatory, public policy and stakeholder engagements.

Nelson is a recognized energy leader and economist with 20-plus years of experience in energy and natural resources, driving clean energy and sustainable solutions.  Before joining INL, she served as the vice president of Sustainability and External Affairs for Southwest Gas, a natural gas distribution and energy service company providing service to over 2.3 million customers across three states.  As the sustainability officer, she led the Southwest Gas’ sustainable business practices, customer engagement and public policy initiatives.

In her career, Nelson has been driven by creating a sustainable energy future for everyone and served in roles and boards that allowed her to engage on key energy initiatives. She served as the vice president of consulting services at Strategen, the chair of the Western State Energy Board, vice-chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials, and was a member of the INL Energy, Environment, Science and Technology Strategic Advisory Committee. She has also served as a policy advisor to public utility commissions and other senior level corporate and board positions throughout her career.

Nelson holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Utah and resides in Holladay, Utah, with her husband.

Megan Nelson is the Policy & External Affairs Director for the Utah Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. She has worked on Western natural resource, environmental, energy, and public land issues for almost 20 years as an attorney, environmental planner, and consultant. In her current role with TNC, she fosters partnerships with government entities, conservation organizations, and private entities and develops state and national policy and public funding. TNC is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Before joining TNC, she developed federal land management plans, facilitated environmental planning efforts, authored federal legislation, managed NEPA for federal agencies and in-house for energy providers, and advocated for conservation. Throughout her career, she has most enjoyed working with diverse groups to find common ground. She is a seventh generation Utahn and holds a Juris Doctor and Natural Resources Law and Policy Certificate from the University of Colorado Law School.

Erik Nygaard is the director of Product Development for BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC, a subsidiary of BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), which is the sole manufacturer of nuclear reactors for the U.S. Navy. Mr. Nygaard is responsible for the development of new products for Advanced Technologies, LLC, which includes commercial microreactors, data science technologies, and advanced manufacturing techniques. The products being developed by Mr. Nygaard’s organization include the company’s 50 MWth commercial microreactor- BANR.

Previously, he served as the director of Research and Engineering leading the organization’s design and technology development efforts for customers like NASA and the Department of Defense. Additionally, he previously served as the Director of Isotope Research and Development, overseeing the development of the company’s groundbreaking medical isotope technology. Mr. Nygaard has also served BWXT as the product line manager responsible for the development of isotope technology, a nuclear engineer in the company’s Advance Reactors and Engineering group and a safety analysis engineer and test engineer for mPower™, BWXT’s Generation III++ small modular reactor project. He holds three U.S. patents and two pending for propriety technologies associated with the medical isotope production. Mr. Nygaard holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he was licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a student operator.

Mike Orton has held a variety of positions with Questar Gas Company, Dominion Energy, and Enbridge Gas Utah over the past 25 years. He has been Manager of the Company’s energy efficiency department since 2013. He and his team successfully planned and launched the Company’s voluntary sustainability programs, GreenTherm and CarbonRight, in 2020 and 2021. Mike has also served on the board of the Southwestern Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) since 2013 and the board of Utilization Technology Development (UTD) since 2019. Mike holds both a Master of Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Science degree (finance) from the University of Utah.

Wells represents mining and energy companies in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures. His work includes the purchase and sale of public and private mining and energy companies and related projects, as well as earn-in and joint venture transactions, capital raising projects, finance, royalty and mineral streaming transactions, mineral and surface leasing, wind and solar leasing, and land transactions.

Wells represents energy developers negotiate, secure and review land leases, easements, crossing agreements and other related real property rights required in the development and operation of a solar, wind, energy storage and conventional energy projects. He works with developers in preparing and reviewing project development plans, surveys and title insurance commitments, and in performing title curative work in connection with financing and sale transactions. Wells has significant experience in the development of solar, wind and energy storage projects on public lands and in obtaining real property easements, leases and related real property interests on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and various state land management agencies.

Wells is nationally recognized by Chambers, a prestigious legal industry ranking service, with the highest ranking (Band 1) for Global USA in Energy, Mining & Metals (Transactional). Wells serves on Dorsey’s Management Committee as a Business Group Head covering Dorsey’s Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental practices.

Tim Poydenis serves as the co-head of Holland & Knight's Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice. Mr. Poydenis is based in the firm's Century City office as a corporate attorney. His practice focuses on representing emerging growth companies, venture capital investors, private equity funds and other strategic investors. Above and beyond the legal guidance that Mr. Poydenis provides to clients, he also serves as a strategic business adviser to all of them.

Mr. Poydenis advises companies throughout all stages of their corporate life cycle, from formation to exit, as well as venture capital firms and strategic investors in connection with their investments in these companies. He has significant experience working with startups and growth-stage companies, and advises them on all aspects of formation, fundraisings, acquisitions, exits and corporate governance.

Industry sources and clients often praise Mr. Poydenis on his work, saying:

"He is an impact maker and integral part of our organization, and we are frequently amazed at his creative ability to think outside the box or connect business dots that we missed."

"Tim's blend of empathy, integrity and emotional intelligence are force multipliers in his ability to assist growing companies, and their executives navigate the turbulent and exciting chaos of forming great ideas into strong and thriving businesses."

"Tim is in the upper echelon in terms of his client service leadership, advocacy for our commercial interests and consistent creativity in developing innovative solutions."

In addition, Mr. Poydenis represents clients in the technology market across a variety of industries, including real estate (PropTech), digital health and wellness, clean technology, sports and entertainment, advertising, music, Web3, artificial intelligence (AI), marketing, defense technology, food and beverages, lending and financial services, insurance, and many others. Mr. Poydenis also represents his clients in buy-side and sell-side merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, which allows him to have a true life-cycle practice for all clients.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Poydenis was a corporate attorney who co-founded a technology companies practice group for a global law firm in its Santa Monica, California, office. In addition, Mr. Poydenis previously was a sports agent for a leading sports agency that focused on the representation of professional baseball players.

Masood Parvania is the Roger P. Webb Endowed Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Director of Utah Smart Energy Laboratory and the Utah Energy and Power Innovation Center (U-EPIC) at the University of Utah. Dr. Parvania is also the Principal Investigator and Director of the U.S.-Canada Center on Climate-Resilient Western Interconnected Grid (NSF WIRED Global Center) that is co-funded by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), to develop solutions to safeguarding the Western Interconnection against natural disasters such as wildfire, heatwave and droughts. More info at: http://wiredcenter.org

Day 1 - Plenary Panel - Electric Transmission Resilience and Expansion

Dr. Jeremy Pearson serves as the Director of the Utah Office of Energy Development’s Utah Advanced Nuclear and Energy Institute where he works with Utah universities, Idaho National Lab and industry to research and commercialize groundbreaking energy technologies including nuclear, fossil, hydrogen, battery, water and other technologies. Dr. Pearson received an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering in 2002 from Brigham Young University and worked in manufacturing and process development at Amgen prior to returning to school to pursue a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. During his graduate work, Dr. Pearson studied the backend of the nuclear fuel cycle and used nuclear fuel recycling. In 2015 Dr. Pearson worked in Senator Hatch’s office as a AAAS Congressional Science and Engineering fellow advising the office on science and energy policy and briefly as an Energy Security Fellow for SAFE (Securing America’s Future Energy). Following his time in D.C. Dr. Pearson moved to Utah to work as a Development Scientist at Red Leaf in the fossil fuel industry pursuing economical solutions to synthetic fuels development, and served for three years as director of the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab. Dr. Pearson is from Los Angeles California and has enjoyed the mountains and outdoors in both California and Utah.

Dr. Phongikaroon is nationally recognized for his academic leadership, innovative research, and dedication to students. He became Director of the Nuclear Engineering Program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2018, serving first as Associate Professor.  He was awarded the Qimonda Professorship from 2019 to 2020, and has held the title of Engineering Foundation Professor since 2021.  Under his leadership, VCU’s Nuclear Engineering Program rose to No. 18 in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report national rankings.

A visionary academic and skilled collaborator, Dr. Phongikaroon has cultivated strong partnerships with national laboratories and industry, expanded online learning opportunities, and shaped a curriculum that emphasizes career preparation and real-world relevance for over 400 students. Through his direction, VCU established itself as a leader in nuclear energy and technology, with a strong focus on pedagogy, advanced reactor design, fusion, corrosion, radioisotope production, and non-proliferation.

Kody Powell is an energy systems researcher. He studies complex, integrated systems of multiple energy components and uses the tools of systems engineering, such as simulation, optimization, advanced control, and process design to develop and operate systems where the components are synergistic. Because energy supply and demand fluctuate, these systems need advanced computational tools to aid in simulation or to ensure that the system operates efficiently and reliably. My primary research interests are: hybrid energy systems, energy storage, solar thermal power, combined heat and power, building energy management, and the smart grid.

Sarah Ridel is Assistant Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Pattern Energy. Prior to joining Pattern, she worked at Skadden and BayWa r.e. Americas. In these roles, she has worked on a broad range of transactions related to the development, construction, and financing of renewable energy and transmission projects, including the SunZia Wind and Transmission Project, the largest clean energy infrastructure project in U.S. history. Sarah also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Kingdom of Tonga and holds a B.A. from the University of Texas – Austin and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Day 1 - Plenary Panel - Electric Transmission Resilience and Expansion

 

James B. Robb assumed the role of NERC’s president and chief executive officer in April 2018. Robb oversees NERC’s mission of assuring the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system. As president and CEO, Robb leads the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) responsible for key programs affecting approximately 1,400 bulk power system users, owners, and operators, including those programs focused on development of mandatory NERC Reliability Standards, the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program, situational awareness, event and risk analysis, reliability assessments and forecasting, and cyber and physical security. He is also responsible for the performance of the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and key government partnerships.

As CEO, he is the chair of the ERO Enterprise Executive Committee, which oversees the operations of the six Regional Entities that support the reliability mission across North America. Robb joined the ERO Enterprise in 2013 when he was appointed the president and CEO of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), the Regional Entity serving the Western Interconnection. Robb is a member of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) and serves on the United States Energy Association Board as well as a NERC trustee. In 2020 he was appointed Chair of the Group of Experts on Cleaner Energy Systems for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Robb has more than 35 years of experience in the energy sector as an engineer, a consultant, and a senior executive. He has been a frequent speaker at industry events on the evolution of the electric power system, cyber security, integration of variable generation, and the increasing interdependency of electric and natural gas reliability.

Professor Roesler’s scholarship focuses on issues of environmental justice, environmental governance, climate change litigation, energy law and policy, and land use. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in edited volumes and law journals such as the Georgetown Law Journal, the Florida Law Review, and the U.C. Davis Law Review. She also currently serves on the board of the Environmental Law Collaborative.

Prior to joining the faculty at Iowa Law in 2021, Professor Roesler was the Robert S. Kerr, Jr. Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Law at Oklahoma City University School of Law where she received the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2019. After law school, she clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and worked as a staff attorney and teaching fellow in the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic at the Georgetown University Law Center. She was also a visiting faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Law.

Professor Roesler’s scholarship focuses on issues of environmental justice, environmental governance, climate change litigation, energy law and policy, and land use. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in edited volumes and law journals such as the Georgetown Law Journal, the Florida Law Review, and the U.C. Davis Law Review. She also currently serves on the board of the Environmental Law Collaborative.

Prior to joining the faculty at Iowa Law in 2021, Professor Roesler was the Robert S. Kerr, Jr. Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Law at Oklahoma City University School of Law where she received the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2019. After law school, she clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and worked as a staff attorney and teaching fellow in the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic at the Georgetown University Law Center. She was also a visiting faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Law.

Dr. Erin Rothwell currently serves as the Vice President for Research, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the School of Medicine. As vice president for research, Dr. Rothwell oversees 18 research administrative units that support research compliance, regulation policies, grant development pipeline, and safety procedures across campus. Dr. Rothwell received her B.S. degree in Recreation Therapy and M.S. degree in Park & Recreation Management from the University of South Alabama. In 2004, Dr. Rothwell moved to Salt Lake City to pursue her PhD in Recreation Therapy at the University of Utah. She served her Postdoctoral Training in the College of Nursing at the U while studying clinical trials and public health. In 2010, Dr. Rothwell received a competitive fellowship opportunity in the Medical College of Wisconsin where she studied Bioethics. Dr. Rothwell’s research focus is on ethical, social, and legal implications of genetic and technological advancements on individuals and families specifically within newborn screening, prenatal testing, and biobanking.

Timothy Rosenzweig is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in the renewable energy sector. Currently serving as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PivotGen since 2019, Tim has successfully built a team of over 45 professionals focused on acquiring and repowering older wind farms. Under his leadership, PivotGen has raised over $200 million in capital and repowered 128 MW of wind projects, significantly improving their operations and extending their asset life.

Prior to PivotGen, Tim co-founded and led Seventus as Chief Executive Officer from 2016 to 2019. He raised start-up capital from Suzlon and secured $40 million in non-recourse debt from the Export Import Bank of India, enabling the development of over 500 MW of wind projects.

Tim's career also includes his role as Chief Financial Officer at SolarReserve from 2013 to 2016, where he led the finance and accounting functions for a private equity-backed CSP development company. He was instrumental in raising tax equity for the Crescent Dunes project and implementing global anti-corruption policies.

From 2010 to 2013, Tim was the Chief Executive Officer of Goldwind USA, where he developed and implemented the company's American market entry strategy. He built a team of 50 employees and executed turbine sales contracts for 320 MWs within the first three years.

Earlier in his career, Tim co-founded First Wind/UPC Wind and served as CFO and Senior Vice President, Finance, from 2002 to 2009. He raised over $2.2 billion in financings to support the company's growth and managed the finance team's expansion.

Tim holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, where he graduated with honors and was elected to the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. He also earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where he was an NCAA Academic All American wrestler.

Tim is married with three children and in his spare time Tim enjoys cooking, golf, sporting clays and scuba diving.

John Ruple is a Research Professor of Law and Stegner Center Fellow at the Wallace Stegner Center for Land Resources and the Environment where he directs the Stegner Center's Law and Policy Program. He served as Senior Counsel in the While House Council on Environmental Quality during the Biden Administration. John's research focuses on management of federal public lands, improving the efficacy of environmental permitting and review processes, and on energy and critical mineral development. Before joining the University of Utah in 2008, John worked as policy analyst in Governor Jon Huntsman Jr's Public Lands Office, as an environmental attorney in private practice, and as a NEPA contractor specializing in permitting for projects on National Forest System lands. His work has published widely, including in nine book chapters, and articles in the Harvard Environmental Law Review, the Columbia Environmental Law Journal, U.C. Berkeley’s Ecology Law Quarterly, the Georgetown Environmental Law Review, and Environmental Law. He was lead or contributing author on more than a dozen government reports and fifteen environmental impact statements and environmental assessments. of Law and Stegner Center Fellow at the Wallace Stegner Center for Land Resources and the Environment where he directs the Stegner Center's Law and Policy Program. He served as Senior Counsel in the While House Council on Environmental Quality during the Biden Administration. John's research focuses on management of federal public lands, improving the efficacy of environmental permitting and review processes, and on energy and critical mineral development. Before joining the University of Utah in 2008, John worked as policy analyst in Governor Jon Huntsman Jr's Public Lands Office, as an environmental attorney in private practice, and as a NEPA contractor specializing in permitting for projects on National Forest System lands. His work has published widely, including in nine book chapters, and articles in the Harvard Environmental Law Review, the Columbia Environmental Law Journal, U.C. Berkeley’s Ecology Law Quarterly, the Georgetown Environmental Law Review, and Environmental Law. He was lead or contributing author on more than a dozen government reports and fifteen environmental impact statements and environmental assessments.

Fritz Roegge became President of Holtec Government Services in 2021 following a 30+ year Navy career. He also serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of the corporate parent, Holtec International – a billion-dollar technology and manufacturing innovation company supporting the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and clean energy industries that has been “A Generation Ahead by Design” since 1986.

A career submarine officer, Fritz led organizations of progressively increasing size, budget, and complexity ranging from command of a single nuclear-powered submarine to command of the entire US Pacific Submarine Force – an enterprise of 40 submarines, 12,000 people, $160B capital assets, and $560M budget distributed across six states/territories, partner nations, and twelve time zones. His military career culminated as a three-star Admiral as President of the National Defense University in Washington, DC.

Dr. Erin Searcy is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Idaho National Laboratory (INL)’s Nuclear Science and Technology directorate. In this role, Erin leads a variety of strategic and technology deployment activities as well as engagements across INL, with the Department of Energy, industry, and with universities. In 2024, Erin took a leave from her CTO role to act as INL’s acting Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology and Chief Research Officer. Prior to the CTO role she served as the Director of Strategic Planning and Transformation for the Nuclear Science and Technology directorate. From 2018- 2021, Erin was the Director of Institutional Planning and Programs where she led INL’s $37M Lab Directed Research and Development program, led the compilation of INL’s Lab Plan and lab agenda, and oversaw research excellence activities. Prior to that role, Erin was the bioenergy technologies department manager, where she led a team of more than 30 researchers and scientists to address barriers to the efficient supply of quality, sustainable biomass feedstocks. She spent almost three years supporting the Bioenergy Technologies Office at Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C., as a technical advisor employed by INL. Prior to joining INL, she acted as a sessional instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta and was a consultant. She holds bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in engineering.

 

Josh T. Smith is the Energy Policy Lead at the Abundance Institute. His work is focused on creating energy abundance through energy innovation; he wants to create a future that moves swiftly up, rather than swiftly down. Josh is a visiting fellow at the Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions (C3) and the author of Powering Spaceship Earth. You can follow him on Twitter, now X, and Substack: @smithtjosh.

Brian Somers joined the Utah Mining Association as its president in 2019. Mr. Somers has over 20 years of extensive experience in legislative affairs, strategic communications, and executive leadership. Prior to UMA, he led the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) as its managing director. He also served as the deputy director of the Utah Department of Heritage & Arts, on the communications staff of Governor Gary R. Herbert, and in various strategic communications roles in the private sector.

Brian Steed currently serves as the Executive Director of Utah State University’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air and as the Inaugural Great Salt Lake Commissioner appointed by Governor Spencer J. Cox. His role focuses on linking USU researchers and programs with government and public partners to address natural resource concerns.

Previously, Brian was the Executive Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. His background includes serving as Deputy Director for Policy and Programs at the U.S Bureau of Land Management and as Chief of Staff to Utah Congressman Chris Stewart. He also served as Deputy County Attorney for Iron County and taught Political Science and Economics at USU.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Political Science from USU, a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a focus on Environmental Policy from Indiana University Bloomington, and a J.D. from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, specializing in Natural Resources and Environmental Law.

Day 1 - Session: Energy and Environmental Nexus

Day 2 - Morning Keynote

Mick Thomas is the Oil, Gas, and Mining Division Director within the Utah Department of Natural Resources. In this role Director Thomas leads a highly skilled and dedicated team in enabling regulatory compliance for the state's $30 Billion dollar Oil, Gas, and Mining Industries. In addition to compliance, the Division is a leading organization for the development of critical mineral supply for our national defense, and takes an "all of the above" approach to energy development in the state.

Director Thomas spent his childhood in Southwest Missouri, and has lived and worked in a number of states before settling in Utah to serve in the role of Director.

Michael Vanden Berg grew up in southwest Michigan and received a B.S. in geology from Calvin College in Grand Rapids before heading west to play with “real” rocks in Utah. After completing his M.S. degree in geology at the University of Utah, Mike joined the Utah Geological Survey and has been there ever since, going on 23 years. Mike has been a licensed professional geologist in the State of Utah since 2008 and is currently the UGS Energy and Minerals Program Manager. Mike leads a diverse team of geoscientists that research all aspects of Utah’s natural resource development including metals (with a current emphasis on critical minerals), industrial minerals, oil and gas, coal, geothermal, and investigations into carbon sequestration and utilization opportunities.

Mike is also the author of several energy-related reports (e.g., Utah’s Energy Landscape, Energy Chapter for the Economic Report to the Governor) and serves as an energy expert on several state committees

Dr. John C. Wagner is the director of Idaho National Laboratory and president of Battelle Energy Alliance LLC. He is responsible for management and integration of a large, multipurpose laboratory that has a mission focused on nuclear energy, national and homeland security, and energy and environment science and technology. He manages this U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory of more than 6,300 scientists, engineers and support staff members in multiple nuclear and nonnuclear experimental facilities, with an annual budget of more than $2 billion.

Wagner began serving as INL director in 2020. Wagner initially joined INL as chief scientist at the Materials and Fuels Complex in 2016

and served as associate laboratory director for Nuclear Science and Technology beginning in 2017. Prior to joining INL, he worked nearly 17 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he held several research and leadership roles in reactor and fuel cycle technologies.

Wagner is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and recipient of the 2013 E.O. Lawrence Award. He has authored or co-authored more than 170 refereed journal and conference articles, technical reports, and conference summaries. He earned a bachelor’s in nuclear engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 1992, and master’s and doctorate degrees from the Pennsylvania State University in 1994 and 1997, respectively.

Arlo Richard Walje is the CEO of RAW-Energy, Inc. an energy and utility consultancy. He currently is a member of the University of Utah’s Energy Futures Research Engine. Additionally, he is the on the Board of CDI’s renewable natural gas project in Wellington, Utah and Blue Sky Energy’s Board.

He started in the industry as an IBEW journeyman lineman and has held several senior management and executive positions during his utility career. Those positions included CIO of ScottishPower and President and CEO of Rocky Mountain Power. After leaving PacifiCorp Rich was the CEO of Magnum CAES, LLC, responsible for the development of a salt dome based Compressed Air Energy Storage project and Senior Vice President of Business Development for the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems’ small modular reactor Carbon Free Power Project.

Rich has a BS degree in Electrical Engineering, with honors and an MBA, both from the University of Utah, and a Certificate of Completion from the University of Michigan’s electric utility executive program. He was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Utah’s Electrical and Computer Engineering college and by the Utah Association of Energy Users for his long service and contribution to the electric utility industry.

He was chairman of the Strategic Advisory Committee for the Idaho National Lab’s Homeland Security directorate. He has served on numerous business, non-profit and philanthropic boards including, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, the Wyoming Business Council, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, the United Way of Salt Lake and the Salt Lake Chamber.

Dr. Hailei Wang is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at Utah State University. He leads the Energy Technology Research & Innovation (eTRI) Lab. His research is focused on sustainable energy systems and associated thermal transport phenomena, which spans from nuclear and renewable energy to carbon-free hydrogen and ammonia. His work is striving to bridge the gap between fundamental sciences and engineering systems. Specifically, his work is focused on novel thermal transport phenomena, process modeling, simulation and optimization, along with associated component technologies that can fundamentally improve energy efficiency and/or reduce energy costs. His ongoing research interests include integrated nuclear-renewable energy systems, green hydrogen and ammonia, energy-water nexus, industrial decarbonization, as well as applying AI and Digital Twin. He is currently supervising six PhD students and has published over 60 journal and conference papers, along with three granted patents and two patent applications. His works have been funded by the US Department of Energy, Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and various corporations.

Russ is President of CleanTech Strategies LLC (CTS), based in Seattle, Washington. We are a team of four subject matter experts drawing on many decades of industry experience, and JD, PE, and EE professional training. We’re experts in energy storage, power electronics & controls, microgrids, renewables, and advanced materials. Our customers and partners are headquartered in the U.S. and Europe, and  include energy storage system developers, U.S. national labs, non-governmental organizations, conference companies, and national consulting firms.

Russ Weed is a business and project developer, market expert, legal manager, and company advisor. He has diverse experience in start-ups, mid-market companies, conglomerates, and law firms. This includes 23 years of work in business and legal positions with private and public companies, and 10 years as an attorney, working widely in North America, Europe, and Asia. In 2018, Russ established CleanTech Strategies LLC, with four business and technical experts on energy storage, power electronics & controls, microgrids, renewables, and advanced materials.

In 2022, Russ proposed the creation of the Flow Battery Industry Group (FBIG), and collaborated with flow battery developers and other stakeholders to establish FBIG in 2023 as a part of Battery Council International (BCI) trade association, based in Washington, DC and in its second century of work now supporting multiple electrochemical battery technologies including flow batteries.

Russ is also active in the development of companies, products, and projects providing mechanical and thermal energy storage. He is an early and strong advocate of the utility of segmenting the stationary energy storage market into short, medium, long, and seasonal capabilities, use cases, and technologies.

David Weinstein is the founder and CEO of Freshwater Advisors, a venture catalyst firm and corporate innovation consultancy that connects corporations to startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems through structured scouting programs and targeted advisory services. His clients have included: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Exelon, Caterpillar, Northwestern Mutual, AbbVie, Allstate, ADM, Hyatt Corporation, Energize Ventures, Evergreen Climate Innovations (formerly Clean Energy Trust), GenCell, Current (Chicago's Water Innovation Hub), Cummins, Microsoft, CME Group, and Constellation.

From 2003 through 2010 David served as the founding CEO of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC), which now operates 1871, one of the country’s leading incubators. During his tenure, the CEC provided advisory services to upwards of 1,000 entrepreneurs. David helped companies secure contracts in excess of $160 million and obtain seed and early stage financing valued at $120 million.

David was also a co-founder of the Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund (I2A), a $10 million seed-stage venture capital fund. He led the fund’s formation and fundraising activities alongside I2A founding chairman and investor J.B. Pritzker. I2A portfolio companies include: Base (acquired by Zendesk), YCharts (acquired by LLR partners), SitterCity, DialogTech, SoCore Energy (acquired by Edison International), and Signal.

Prior to the CEC, David served as CEO of BlueMeteor, a technology company that provided enterprise software applications and infrastructure to Fortune 1000 businesses. David grew BlueMeteor to 110 employees and led the company in raising $31 million in venture capital. He executed strategic alliances with technology industry leaders Oracle Corporation, TIBCO Software, Sun Microsystems, and EMC Corporation.

From 1996 to 2000, David worked as chief technology advisor to the mayor of the City of Chicago, Richard M. Daley. In this role, he managed the City’s Technology Development Initiative which provided $70 million in financial incentives to build technology infrastructure and development projects in Chicago. Those projects included the financing of leading tech centers in Chicago including the Lakeside Technology Center and 600 W. Chicago (former Montgomery Wards HQ). He also spearheaded the creation of the Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors (MCTA).

David has served on numerous company and civic boards throughout his career. He served as a founding Advisory Board member at Cleversafe (acquired by IBM). Currently, he serves as a board member at Pando (Park City’s entrepreneurial community) and is a member of World Business Chicago’s ChicagoNEXT. In 2014, he was named to the Crain’s Tech 50. David previously served as one of the youngest members of the Chicago Plan Commission from 2007-2011. He currently serves as an advisory board member at Uptake Technologies, GenCell, Tacit, and Mobility Impact Partners (MIP).

David graduated cum laude from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management

Amy Wildermuth teaches and writes about administrative law, civil procedure, environmental law, and U.S. Supreme Court practice. Her work has been published in a variety of prestigious legal journals, including the Northwestern Law Review, the Emory Law Journal, and the Minnesota Law Review. Her most recent piece co-authored with Kristin Hickman will appear in the New York University Law Review. She is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and the Chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.

I am married to Jay, and together we have five children and one very large yellow lab. For the last 7.5 years,I worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where I served as both a staff attorney and the Deputy Solicitor for Land Resources. I also had the privilege of serving as Counselor to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director.

From 2014 to 2017, I served as Legal Counsel to Governor Otter, and from 2012 to 2014, I was legal counsel in the Office of Species Conservation. I hold a law degree from the University of Idaho College of Law (2012) and a bachelor's degree from Northwest Nazarene University (2009).

I currently serve as the Administrator for the the Governor's Office of Energy and Mineral Resources (OEMR). This office coordinates energy and mineral planning, permitting processes, and policy development in the state of Idaho. OEMR works to ensure that Idaho’s energy and mineral resources are developed and utilized in an efficient, effective, and responsible manner that sustains the quality of life for its residents and enhances the economy. OEMR serves as the clearinghouse and first point of contact for the state on and energy and mineral matters. It oversees the Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance (ISEA), serves as a resource for policymakers, and coordinates efforts with federal and state agencies and local governments.