No. 14 · Cover Austin · May 3–6, 2027 Tickets ↗ p. 001
02
02
Energy Thought Summit No. 14 · ETS27 · the Free Your Mind issueNo. 14 · ETS27 · Free Your Mind Austin, Texas · May 3–6, 2027 · Tickets on sale ↗
Published by Zpryme, Austin · fifty-six pages · one ink on newsprint · the contributors and the programme are sample data2 Cover price $299 government & utility, $849 industry, four days · p. 040 · tickets on sale ↗

May 3–6, 2027in Austin, Texas — venue to follow1

Read ↓the issue in order: the leader on p. 004, seventy-seven contributors on p. 012, four days of programme from p. 020, the subscription card on p. 040.
02

for instance

An issue, not a site. Sessions are articles, speakers are contributors, the ticket is a subscription card, and the mind writes in the margin: whatever you write on line 02 becomes a numbered page, filed where it belongs and listed in the contents.

Write

I have written one page already: who is speaking on Tuesday, p. 031, 28 names read off the Tuesday pages. Write the next question on line 02 and I will file it after the page it answers; the line follows you down the issue. — the mind

  1. 1Austin, Texas is confirmed; the venue, hotel block and travel notes are not yet announced. See p. 044.
  2. 2Contributors, sessions and plates are ETS26 stand-ins from the snapshot of 2026-10-13; nobody in this issue is confirmed for ETS27. The dates, city, theme and prices are real.
Cover p. 001
Leader · the themeNo. 14 · Energy Thought Summit · Austin

FreeYourMind

The fourteenth Energy Thought Summit returns to Austin, Texas, for four days in May. Its theme is three words long and comes with a sentence: the future doesn’t belong to those who move the fastest, it belongs to those who create the space to think differently.3

ETS has never been a trade show. It is the industry’s ideas summit: utility and grid leaders, founders, regulators and people from outside the industry, in one room, with music and conversation around the programme. This issue is set the way such a thing deserves to be read: in order, with footnotes, with a margin.

Everything a visitor needs is on the cover. Everything they might ask is a line away.

  1. 3From the ETS27 announcement, energythoughtsummit.com, read 2026-10-13. The tagline on the same page is “Free Your Mind. Shape the Future.”
Leader p. 004
ContributorsSeventy-seven, alphabetical · the folio is where they appear2
77
contributors in this issue
59 photographed · 147 spoke last year
Portrait of Paul Lau
Plate 1 · Paul Lau, CEO & GM, SMUD. ETS26, sample.4
Portrait of Talvis Love
Plate 2 · Talvis Love, Group Chief Information and Digital Officer, National Grid. ETS26, sample.4
  1. Adelman, Jeremy — Tucson Electric Power039
  2. Allison, Jody — Xcel Energy022
  3. Anguay, Lora — SMUD036
  4. Atchley, Amy — Austin Energy027
  5. Autin, Erin — EA Collective026
  6. Ayala, Carlos — Mentora LLC034
  7. Balakrishnan, Abhishek — ANB Systems, DNV032
  8. Ball, Elaina — CPS Energy038
  9. Banks, Jeffrey — CenterPoint Energy034
  10. Bayatli, Sabah — OCI Energy038
  11. Britton, Kimberly — Britton Strategies023
  12. Brown, Greg — New Braunfels Utilities022
  13. Bseirani, Bashir — Avertra022
  14. Bui-Thompson, Nancy — SMUD024
  15. Canders, Zac — DataCapable032
  16. Carvallo, Andres — CMG Consulting038
  17. Chang, Sam — CenterPoint Energy027
  18. Chijioke, Chimaobi — Georgia Power022
  19. Delgado, Gerardo — Nicor Gas021
  20. Deuley, Joyce — Team b. Strategy +027
  21. Edmonds, Vanessa — Utility 2030022
  22. Fabode, Seyi — Asha Labs038
  23. Feder, Kj — CPS Energy039
  24. Flaherty, Bob — DataCapable032
  25. Forrest, Hugh — SXSW020
  26. Garg, Deepak — SEW025
  27. Garza, Rudy — CPS Energy020
  28. Gonzalez, Janie — Webhead, CPS Energy022
  29. Guttman-McCabe, Chris — Anterix021
  30. Harding, Damali — Amendment Nine Strategic Consulting027
  31. Horton, Chad — AES Clean Energy030
  32. Jerome, Jeff — BGE/Exelon033
  33. Keeling, Josh — UtilityAPI037
  34. Klein, Rebecca — Klein Energy LLC021
  35. Kumar Prasannam, Navin — SAP036
  36. Kupcinski, John — PSEG Long Island033
  37. Lau, Paul — SMUD025
  38. Lee, Joon — Navion Energy038
  39. Love, Talvis — National Grid024
  40. McCarter, Tasha — RWE039
  41. Miles, Christine — Paymentus039
  42. Miri, John — Bedrock Strategy Group022
  43. Monagle, Kevin — Bridgewater Consulting Group029
  44. Moorthy, Karthik — Bidgely033
  45. Murray, Ricky — Doer/Maker027
  46. Norris, DeeAnne — Renville-Sibley Cooperative Power Association025
  47. O'Mahoney, Evan — CPS Energy029
  48. Oliver, Christina — LCRA038
  49. Omotoso, Tolu — SECO Energy028
  50. ONeil, Cody — Holy Cross Energy023
  51. Ostaszewski, Angie — SEEL, LLC027
  52. Owusu, Denise — Motive Power, NPUC021
  53. Padalino, John — Bandera Electric Cooperative034
  54. Parker, Quinn — Encolor035
  55. Petrecca, Danny — Itron039
  56. Pianta, Tim — Base Power Company021
  57. Pollock, Zach — Xcel Energy023
  58. Potter, Bill — DataCapable032
  59. Ramirez, Richard A — National Grid026
  60. Rappard, Mitch — Palo Alto Networks022
  61. Rehberg, Janet — EPB029
  62. Rettagliata, Matt — Google Cloud034
  63. Ringenbach, Teresa — Bloom Advisory Partners034
  64. Rodriguez, Jason — Zpryme and Froliq021
  65. Ryan, Jason — CenterPoint Energy021
  66. Samra, Mandip — Burbank Water & Power036
  67. Schnitzer, Dan — Honeywell029
  68. Smith, Brad — Gridsight023
  69. Smith, Raiford — Google030
  70. Spieler, Marc — NVIDIA025
  71. Szaro, Jen — AESP025
  72. Thomas, Carlos — Oracle025
  73. Tijerina, Jonathan — CPS Energy021
  74. Tirupati, Venkat — ERCOT038
  75. Vedapuri, Anand — CPS Energy025
  76. Wiedman, Todd — Landis+Gyr022
  77. Zhu, Julia — Alectra029
  1. 4Plates are ETS26 portraits from the organiser’s archive, cropped to head and shoulders, screened at 45° at one ruling for every plate and printed in the text ink; the originals are in colour. No portrait is generated.
Contributors p. 012–019
The programme · MondayMay 3, 2027 · 08:15–21:00 · thirteen entries5
3
Monday
May 3, 2027
  1. 08:15
    17:00    Registration OpensRegistration020
  2. 09:15
    09:25    ETS Opening & Special Video Remarks w/ Rudy GarzaRudy GarzaOpening / closing · 10 min020
  3. 09:25
    09:35    How to Hack Your Experience at ETS27Hugh ForrestKeynote · 10 min020
  4. 09:35
    09:45    Premier: MLK Community Center Microgrid StoryShort documentary · 10 min · People, workforce and community020
  5. 10:30
    11:15    The Policy Singularity: When Innovation Outpaces RegulationJason Ryan, Rebecca Klein, Chris Guttman-McCabe, Jason RodriguezPanel · 45 min · Policy, markets and planning021
  6. 11:15
    12:00    Megawatt Reckoning: Hacking the Data Center Load CurveJonathan Tijerina, Tim Pianta, Gerardo Delgado · moderated by Denise OwusuPanel · 45 min · Load growth, storage and capacity021
  7. 12:00
    13:00    Networking LunchMeal021
  8. 13:00
    13:15    The Engagement Hack: Making Grid Optimization a Customer GameChimaobi ChijiokeKeynote · 15 min · Customer and affordability022
  9. 13:45
    14:15    The CXth Sense: JodyBot, the Digital Twin for Customer OperationsBashir Bseirani, Jody Allison, Vanessa EdmondsFireside chat · 30 min · Customer and affordability022
  10. 14:15
    15:00    Beyond the Firewall: Securing a Million New Grid Edge Entry PointsTodd Wiedman, Mitch Rappard, John Miri, Janie Gonzalez, Greg BrownPanel · 45 min · Resilience and security022
  11. 15:00
    15:30    Networking BreakNetworking break023
  12. 15:30
    16:15    The New Energy Trilemma: Customer Affordability, Wildfires, and the AI Power SurgeGerardo Delgado, Zach Pollock, Cody ONeil, Brad Smith · moderated by Kimberly BrittonTown hall · 45 min · Customer and affordability023
  13. 19:00
    21:00    ETS27 Opening Networking ReceptionEvening reception023
  1. 5The programme is the ETS26 programme (San Antonio, 27–30 April 2026) with its dates moved forward 371 days and its venues removed; it is sample data until Zpryme publishes ETS27’s. Session folios are this issue’s own.
Monday p. 020–023
The programme · TuesdayMay 4, 2027 · 08:15–20:00 · fifteen entries5
4
Tuesday
May 4, 2027
  1. 08:15
    09:00    Networking BreakfastNetworking break024
  2. 09:00
    09:15    Leadership Perspective: Service, Innovation, and Customer Affordability in the New Energy EraNancy Bui-Thompson · moderated by Jason RodriguezFireside chat · 15 min · Customer and affordability024
  3. 10:00
    10:15    The Efficient Frontier: Where AI Meets Customer-Centric AffordabilityTalvis LoveKeynote · 15 min · AI, data and digital024
  4. 10:30
    11:15    The Edge is the New Core: Why the Grid's Future is DistributedDeeAnne Norris, Jen Szaro, Deepak Garg, Paul Lau, Marc SpielerPanel · 45 min · Grid edge and distributed energy025
  5. 11:50
    12:20    AI Won’t Fix Your Data Problem — But Your Data Problem Will Kill Your AI StrategyCarlos Thomas, Anand VedapuriFireside chat · 30 min · AI, data and digital025
  6. 12:20
    13:30    Networking LunchMeal026
  7. 13:30
    14:15    Breakout A: From Firewalls to Frequency: Operationalizing Security at the Grid EdgeGreg Brown, Richard A Ramirez · moderated by Erin AutinBreakout · 45 min · Resilience and security026
  8. 13:30
    14:15    Breakout B: Rate Design Reimagined: Hacking Economics for Grid InvestmentSam Chang, Bashir Bseirani, Damali Harding · moderated by Joyce DeuleyBreakout · 45 min · Customer and affordability027
  9. 14:15
    15:00    Breakout F: Emotion Meets Electron: Designing Energy Experiences That StickAmy Atchley, Angie Ostaszewski · moderated by Ricky MurrayBreakout · 45 min · Customer and affordability027
  10. 15:00
    15:30    Networking BreakNetworking break028
  11. 15:30
    15:45    How AI is Rewiring the Utility MindsetTolu OmotosoETS Talk · 15 min · AI, data and digital028
  12. 15:45
    16:00    Innovation, Workforce, and Quantum Grid ApplicationsJanet RehbergETS Talk · 15 min · People, workforce and community029
  13. 16:00
    16:45    AI, Meet AMI: The Real-Time Brain for the Modern GridJulia Zhu, Dan Schnitzer, Kevin Monagle, Evan O'Mahoney, Joyce DeuleyPanel · 45 min · AI, data and digital029
  14. 16:45
    17:15    Power Play: How Google and AES are Disrupting the Energy and Intelligence Status QuoRaiford Smith · moderated by Jason Rodriguez, Chad HortonFireside chat · 30 min · AI, data and digital030
  15. 18:30
    20:00    Day 2 Networking ReceptionEvening reception030
    Tuesday p. 024–030
    01Who’s speaking TuesdayComposed by the mind · 2026-10-14 06:12 CDT · inserted after p. 030

    Twenty-eight contributors take the Tuesday pages: a board director opens at nine, National Grid’s digital chief keynotes at ten, five on the grid-edge panel, three breakouts after lunch, a five-person AMI panel, and Google at 16:45. In the order they speak.

    1. 09:00Nancy Bui-ThompsonBoard Director, SMUDspeaks · Leadership Perspective: Service, Innovation, and Customer Affordability in the New Energy Era024
    2. 09:00Jason RodriguezCEO and Co-Founder, Zpryme and Froliqmoderates · Leadership Perspective: Service, Innovation, and Customer Affordability in the New Energy Era024
    3. 10:00Talvis LoveGroup Chief Information and Digital Officer, National Gridspeaks · The Efficient Frontier: Where AI Meets Customer-Centric Affordability024
    4. 10:30DeeAnne NorrisCEO, Renville-Sibley Cooperative Power Associationspeaks · The Edge is the New Core: Why the Grid's Future is Distributed025
    5. 10:30Jen SzaroPresident & CEO, AESPspeaks · The Edge is the New Core: Why the Grid's Future is Distributed025
    6. 10:30Deepak GargFounder and Co-CEO, SEWspeaks · The Edge is the New Core: Why the Grid's Future is Distributed025
    7. 10:30Paul LauCEO & GM, SMUDspeaks · The Edge is the New Core: Why the Grid's Future is Distributed025
    8. 10:30Marc SpielerSenior Managing Director for the Global Energy Industry, NVIDIAspeaks · The Edge is the New Core: Why the Grid's Future is Distributed025
    9. 11:50Carlos ThomasVP, Global Strategic Accounts, Oraclespeaks · AI Won’t Fix Your Data Problem — But Your Data Problem Will Kill Your AI Strategy025
    10. 11:50Anand VedapuriVP, Infrastructure & Operations and Enterprise Architecture, CPS Energyspeaks · AI Won’t Fix Your Data Problem — But Your Data Problem Will Kill Your AI Strategy025
    11. 13:30Greg BrownChief Technology and Security Officer, New Braunfels Utilitiesspeaks · Breakout A: From Firewalls to Frequency: Operationalizing Security at the Grid Edge026
    12. 13:30Richard A RamirezHead of US Critical National Infrastructure & Network, National Gridspeaks · Breakout A: From Firewalls to Frequency: Operationalizing Security at the Grid Edge026
    13. 13:30Erin AutinPrincipal, EA Collectivemoderates · Breakout A: From Firewalls to Frequency: Operationalizing Security at the Grid Edge026
    14. 13:30Sam ChangDirector and Associate General Counsel, CenterPoint Energyspeaks · Breakout B: Rate Design Reimagined: Hacking Economics for Grid Investment027
    15. 13:30Bashir BseiraniCEO, Avertraspeaks · Breakout B: Rate Design Reimagined: Hacking Economics for Grid Investment027
    16. 13:30Damali HardingManaging Director, Amendment Nine Strategic Consultingspeaks · Breakout B: Rate Design Reimagined: Hacking Economics for Grid Investment027
    17. 13:30Joyce DeuleyStrategic Operations & Development Manager, Team b. Strategy +moderates · Breakout B: Rate Design Reimagined: Hacking Economics for Grid Investment027
    18. 14:15Amy AtchleyEV Equity Development Manager, Austin Energyspeaks · Breakout F: Emotion Meets Electron: Designing Energy Experiences That Stick027
    19. 14:15Angie OstaszewskiDirector, Strategy & Innovation, SEEL, LLCspeaks · Breakout F: Emotion Meets Electron: Designing Energy Experiences That Stick027
    20. 14:15Ricky MurraySenior Director of Social Strategy, Doer/Makermoderates · Breakout F: Emotion Meets Electron: Designing Energy Experiences That Stick027
    21. 15:30Tolu OmotosoVP, Corporate Strategy, Innovation & Technology, SECO Energyspeaks · How AI is Rewiring the Utility Mindset028
    22. 15:45Janet RehbergPresident & CEO-elect, EPBspeaks · Innovation, Workforce, and Quantum Grid Applications029
    23. 16:00Julia ZhuEVP and Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, Alectraspeaks · AI, Meet AMI: The Real-Time Brain for the Modern Grid029
    24. 16:00Dan SchnitzerSr. Director, Utility Software Business, Honeywellspeaks · AI, Meet AMI: The Real-Time Brain for the Modern Grid029
    25. 16:00Kevin MonagleChief Enterprise Architect, Bridgewater Consulting Groupspeaks · AI, Meet AMI: The Real-Time Brain for the Modern Grid029
    26. 16:00Evan O'MahoneyChief Information Officer, CPS Energyspeaks · AI, Meet AMI: The Real-Time Brain for the Modern Grid029
    27. 16:45Raiford SmithGlobal Director, Power and Energy, Googlespeaks · Power Play: How Google and AES are Disrupting the Energy and Intelligence Status Quo030
    28. 16:45Chad HortonVice President, Development, Central, AES Clean Energymoderates · Power Play: How Google and AES are Disrupting the Energy and Intelligence Status Quo030

    Source: agenda entries dated Tuesday 4 May with a speaker or moderator attached, 11 sessions, 28 distinct contributor records; snapshot 2026-10-13, ETS26 stand-ins, sample data.6 Folios refer to this issue.

    1. 6The mind reads only the snapshot named in the colophon. It cannot confirm anyone for ETS27; it can only say who is on these pages.
    Inserted p. 031
    The programme · WednesdayMay 5, 2027 · 08:15–20:00 · thirteen entries5
    5
    Wednesday
    May 5, 2027
    1. 08:15
      08:55      Networking BreakfastNetworking break032
    2. 08:55
      09:10      Hack the Outage: Grid Down. Customer First. How the Energy Industry is Rewriting the Rules of Outage IntelligenceJason Ryan, Zac Canders, Bill Potter, Bob FlahertyPanel · 15 min · Resilience and security032
    3. 09:15
      09:30      Hacking the Bottleneck: How AI Returns Attention to the Experts Who MatterAbhishek BalakrishnanKeynote · 15 min · AI, data and digital032
    4. 09:30
      09:45      Power Hungry: A Day in the AI Powered world of 2040Jeff JeromeKeynote · 15 min · AI, data and digital033
    5. 10:00
      10:30      Trusted AI for Your RealityKarthik Moorthy, John KupcinskiPanel · 30 min · AI, data and digital033
    6. 11:00
      11:30      Hacking the Distribution UtilityJohn Padalino, Carlos Ayala, Teresa RingenbachFireside chat · 30 min · Grid edge and distributed energy034
    7. 11:30
      12:00      Who Wins the Race: AI Speed or Grid Stability?Jeffrey Banks, Matt Rettagliata, Vanessa EdmondsFireside chat · 30 min · AI, data and digital034
    8. 12:30
      13:30      Networking LunchMeal035
    9. 13:30
      14:15      Breakout G: The Next Era of DSM: From Short-Term Savings to Long-Term ChangeQuinn ParkerWorkshop · 45 min · Customer and affordability035
    10. 15:00
      15:25      Networking BreakNetworking break036
    11. 15:35
      16:20      Conducting the Grand Symphony: Sustainability, Reliability, and AffordabilityLora Anguay, Mandip Samra, Navin Kumar Prasannam · moderated by Erin AutinPanel · 45 min · Policy, markets and planning036
    12. 16:20
      17:05      Grid Games: How AI is Both the Defender and the InvaderJohn Kupcinski, Jeffrey Banks, Josh Keeling, John Miri · moderated by Joyce DeuleyFireside chat · 45 min · AI, data and digital037
    13. 18:30
      20:00      Closing Day 3 Networking ReceptionEvening reception037
      Wednesday p. 032–037
      The programme · ThursdayMay 6, 2027 · 08:30–12:30 · nine entries5
      6
      Thursday
      May 6, 2027
      1. 08:30
        09:30        Breakfast & NetworkingMeal038
      2. 09:15
        09:30        Supergrid Rising: Can Energy Storage Save the Planet?Joon LeeKeynote · 15 min · Load growth, storage and capacity038
      3. 09:30
        09:45        The Trust Hack: You Can Pilot Without It, But You Can’t Scale Without ItEvan O'Mahoney, Janie GonzalezKeynote · 15 min · AI, data and digital038
      4. 09:45
        10:00        The Software-Defined Power GridAndres CarvalloKeynote · 15 min · AI, data and digital038
      5. 10:00
        10:45        Unlocking Capacity in an Age of ExtremesElaina Ball, Christina Oliver, Venkat Tirupati, Sabah Bayatli · moderated by Seyi FabodePanel · 45 min · Load growth, storage and capacity038
      6. 10:45
        11:30        Future Forward: Re-Examining Sustainable Resilience in the Era of AIDanny Petrecca, Tasha McCarter, Jeremy Adelman · moderated by Jason RodriguezFireside chat · 45 min · Resilience and security039
      7. 11:30
        12:15        Hack the Customer: Real Stories and Real Impact from Utilities at the Forefront of Addressing the Affordability ChallengeCarlos Ayala, KJ Feder · moderated by Christine MilesTown hall · 45 min · Customer and affordability039
      8. 12:15
        12:25        Closing Session: ETS27 Ultimate HacksOpening / closing · 10 min039
      9. 12:25
        12:30        Event CloseOpening / closing · 5 min039
        Thursday p. 038–039
        Subscription card · ticketsOn sale now at Eventbrite · phase 1 until 19 November 20267
        Please enter my subscription · from
        $299

        per person for four days, Monday 3 to Thursday 6 May 2027, Austin. Government and utility rate, phase 1. The industry rate is $849. Eventbrite’s fee is added at checkout; no refunds; what a pass includes has not been published yet.7

        1. Industry, phase 1, until 19 Nov 2026$849 + $58.78 fee
        2. Government & Utility, phase 1, until 19 Nov 2026$299 + $21.89 fee
        3. Industry, phase 2, after 19 Nov 2026$1,149 + $78.91 fee
        4. Government & Utility, phase 2, after 19 Nov 2026$349 + $25.25 fee
        Name
        Organisation
        Email
        Post toeventbrite.com/e/ets27-tickets ↗tear here · fold · stamp not required
        1. 7Prices read from the Eventbrite listing on 2026-10-13, base price with the fee shown separately: $320.89, $907.78, $374.25 and $1,227.91 all in. Sales end 7 May 2027. Verify before quoting.
        Subscription card p. 040
        PlaceAustin, Texas · venue announced soon1

        Austin

        Texas. The summit comes home after two years in San Antonio, where ETS25 and ETS26 were held at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.8 The ETS27 venue is to be announced; the hotel block and travel notes will follow it.

        Zpryme asks attendees to use Cap Metro, rideshare, e-bikes, e-scooters or their feet where the distance allows.

        30.2672° N97.7431° WCentral time, UTC−5 in MayDoors 08:00–17:30
        1. 8Editions: ETS23 Austin (Hotel ZaZa), ETS24 Austin, ETS25 San Antonio, ETS26 San Antonio, 27–30 April 2026. ETS27 is the fourteenth.
        Place p. 044
        Colophon and stateEnergy Thought Summit · No. 14 · ETS27

        Energy Thought Summit, No. 14, is published by Zpryme, Austin, Texas. Set in Literata (TypeTogether) at optical sizes 72 for the datelines and 9 for the reading, and Martian Mono (Evil Martians) for folios, footnotes and sources. Cover on cover stock; text pages on newsprint; one ink throughout. Plates screened at 45° at one ruling and printed in the text ink.

        The margin is written by the mind. It reads one snapshot, files each answer as a numbered page after the page it concerns, and signs its notes. It cannot confirm anyone for ETS27 and says so. Nothing on these pages moves after the marks are drawn, except the folio in the running head, the day numeral that keeps its place while its programme passes, and the caret on line 02, which blinks a while and then waits. Nothing loops.

        energythoughtsummit.comlineupagendaticketsets@zpryme.com+1 888-908-2522

        snapshot 2026-10-13 · 77 speakers · 50 sessions · 4 days · sample data · concept the-issue · set 2026-10-14, reset 2026-10-15

        1. 9ETS27 · Free Your Mind · Austin, Texas · May 3–6, 2027 · tickets at eventbrite.com/e/ets27-tickets.
        Colophon p. 056