January 20-22, 2026 | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center 
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Center Stage

Attend high-level, elevated conversations featuring executives and thought leaders about prominent issues affecting the power generation sector. Center Stage is located inside the POWERGEN exhibit hall, capturing the added buzz of the show floor.

2025 SESSION SCHEDULE

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10:15 AM
  1. How to Power your Data Center Within 24 Months
    Exhibit Hall Booth 3030
    60 mins
    Data centers face an urgent challenge: securing clean, reliable power within a 24-month timeframe. This session presents a innovative solution that combines natural gas and advanced nuclear power to m …
    Speakers
    Brian Gitt
    Brian Gitt, Head Of Business Development - OKLO
    Peter Smith
    Peter Smith, SVP Development - RPower
01:00 PM
  1. How to Build an Investable Carbon Capture Value Chain
    Exhibit Hall Booth 3030
    60 mins
    With several projects around the world reaching final investment decisions, momentum is building for the carbon capture industry. In this session, a panel of experts from across the value chain will e …
    Speakers
    Aidan Blount
    Aidan Blount, CCS Commercial Manager - Shell Low Carbon Solutions
    Julie Cranga
    Julie Cranga, VP Market Decarbonisation Solutions - Technip Energies
    Spencer Schecht
    Spencer Schecht, Senior Business Development Lead - Americas - Global CCS Institute
02:00 PM
  1. Learnings From a Decade of Operations at SaskPower
    Exhibit Hall Booth 3030
    60 mins
    The Canadian power generator SaskPower has operated a 1 Mt/y post-combustion carbon capture facility for over 10 years, using Shell’s CANSOLV CO₂ Capture System with ongoing support from Shell Catalys …
    Speakers
    Zuri Epp
    Zuri Epp, Sr Engineer, Sustainment Capital Programs, Generation Asset Management & Planning - SaskPower
    Laurent Thomas
    Laurent Thomas, Licensing Technology Manager CO2 Capture Technologies - Shell Catalysts & Technologies
10:15 AM
  1. Weatherization and the Future Resilience of Power Generation in Texas
    Exhibit Hall Booth 3030
    60 mins
    In response to the catastrophic Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 3, mandating weatherization requirements for power generation, natural gas, and transmission …
    Speakers
    Raihan Khondker
    Raihan Khondker, Manager, Weatherization and Inspection - ERCOT
    Garry Waggoner
    Garry Waggoner, Vice President, Generation Services - Fossil and Renewables Generation - Vistra
    Richard Sake
    Richard Sake, Operations Manager, Fleet Support - Constellation
11:30 AM
  1. Revitalizing Nuclear: The Roadmap for Palisades and Beyond
    Exhibit Hall Booth 3030
    60 mins
    In a groundbreaking move, Holtec International has embarked on the journey to bring Michigan's Palisades Nuclear Plant back online after its shutdown in 2022. This panel will examine the technical, re …
    Speakers
    Cory Stansbury
    Cory Stansbury, Fellow Engineer, Beyond Electricity - Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC
    Patrick O’Brien
    Patrick O’Brien, Director, Government Affairs and Communications - Holtec International
    Chris Ferraro
    Chris Ferraro, Vice President, Nuclear Sales for North America - SIEMENS Energy, Inc.
01:00 PM
  1. Powering Data Centers with Large Reciprocating Engines
    Exhibit Hall Booth 3030
    60 mins
    Wärtsilä presents Powering Data Centers with Large Reciprocating Engines, a panel discussion offering an educational overview of RICE technology including its benefits, a detailed technology compariso …
    Speakers
    Kees de Grijs
    Kees de Grijs, General Manager Business Development - Wartsila North America Inc.
    Andrew Phillips
    Andrew Phillips, Business Development Manager, Region North - Wartsila
    Sean Hughes
    Sean Hughes, Business Development Manager, Data Centers - Wärtsilä Energy North America
    Scott Angelmaier
    Scott Angelmaier, Business Development Manager Agreements North America - Wärtsilä Energy North America
    Tom Mergen
    Tom Mergen, VP & Central/East US Business Development Leader - Stanley Consultants
02:15 PM
  1. Workforce Trends, Challenges and Opportunities in Power Generation
    Exhibit Hall Booth 3030
    60 mins
    As the power generation sector expands to meet rising energy demands, the industry faces a growing need for skilled labor in the midst of an aging workforce and evolving employee expectations. This pa …
    Speakers
    Cesar Reyes
    Cesar Reyes, Director, HR-Labor Relations - Entergy
    Tahnee Roubidoux
    Tahnee Roubidoux, Vice President of Workforce Planning and Staffing - Zachry Group
    Jerry Grissom
    Jerry Grissom, Vice President of Labor Relations and Workforce Development - Alabama Power
"This is my first year at POWERGEN and so far I can just say, wow, this event is huge. I never thought I would have access to so many different vendors and so many different experts in the energy industry by coming to an event like this."
Caitlyn Watkins
Cleco
"It's my first time at POWERGEN. I'm having a great time walking around and seeing all of the booths in the exhibit hall and everything that everybody's trying to sell me, as well as a lot of very useful technical presentations. My particular favorite has been the carbon capture track, but they've all been good that I've attended so far."
Janelle Dana
Entergy
"Hi, I’m Chad Lemoine with Entergy... here as a corrective actions program specialist. It’s my first time at POWERGEN, so it’s been great for networking. I’ve met personnel at our plants I’d only talked to on the phone, so that face-to-face interaction has been really good. I’ve enjoyed meeting new people, learning about what they do, and how it interacts with my work... Overall, it's been a really good time." 
Chad Lemoine
Entergy
"I think my favorite part of the conference has been essentially the Smarter Power Plant Track. There's been a lot of good [takeaways] for us because our plans are quite old, so there's a lot of manual readings and things, but me being the IT generation, I think it could be done better. So having a lot of these [takeaways] from companies who have [accomplished what] we are wanting to do is great. It's been really eye opening networking with all of the exhibitors [as well]. It's my first time here, but I don’t think it's going to be my last."
Jonathan Hellborg
Svensk Kraftreserv
“Nel’s chosen to sponsor and be part of POWERGEN because it's one of the more important shows in the hydrogen market, also the power generation market in general. Over the years, we've seen a shift in POWERGEN from more traditional power generation to a greater presence with renewables, and now with hydrogen, as an energy source, moving into the future.” 
Chris Van Name
Nel Hydrogen
“We're here today at the conference because I believe this is the largest power generation conference there is in the country. One, it's a way to get our name out and that's why we're sponsoring it. But two, it's also a great way to connect with other groups, other organizations and, you know, meet the people who are actually important for our own progression as a company.” 
James Walker
Nano Nuclear Energy, Inc
“We come to POWERGEN every year because it's a great show you can make great contacts in the renewable space, great contacts in the data center space, great contacts in the commercial industrial space. So that's why we're here every year. You should be here too.”
David D’Escoto
Maddox Industrial Transformer