Speaker: 

Doreen M. Harris (President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) 

Leads NYSERDA's efforts to advance policy frameworks, clean energy technologies, and solutions driving statewide economic development while creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying clean-energy jobs. Under her direction, NYSERDA is advancing infrastructure and innovation,
including advanced nuclear and energy storage. 

Demand from AI, defense, and reshoring is rising fast. This session sets the context for the return of nuclear energy to the energy conversation. It focuses on zero-carbon, 24/7 power that supports reliability, affordability, and competitiveness alongside renewables, and outlines what success could look like over the next 5–10 years.

Moderator:

Jeffrey Merrifield  (Global Energy Section Leader and Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Former NRC Commissioner)

Panelists:

Dave Turk (Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy; Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy) 

New reactor designs and modular, factory-built components are reshaping how nuclear gets built. This session explains how standardization and repeatable modules shorten schedules and reduce risk, and what must surround the design to make it real, including qualified suppliers with strong quality checks, trained crews, smart construction sequencing, and reliable supplies of fuel and key components.

It also covers early works and clear contract choices that can cut months and shows how developers, manufacturers, builders, and utilities align so the first project is deliverable and each one after moves faster, costs less, and repeats reliably

Moderator: 

Alexander Kaufman (Field Notes newsletter)

Panelists:

John Battaglini (Vice President - New Market Development & Sales - Americas, Westinghouse)

Jeff Olsen (Vice President, Business Development & Finance, Kairos Power) 

Patrick O'Brien (Director, Government Affairs and Communications at Holtec International, Holtec International)

Florent Heidet, Ph.D. (CTO and Head of Reactor Development, Nano Nuclear)  

This fireside chat provides a visionary perspective on the role of nuclear energy in a sustainable, prosperous world. It will challenge conventional thinking about energy systems and highlight the transformative potential of nuclear.

Moderator: 

Madison Hilly

Panelists: 

Isabelle Boemeke

AI is driving massive new electricity demand and reshaping how we plan and run energy systems to support industrial growth. This session looks at how utilities, developers, and grid operators can work with data centers and industrial offtakers to add clean, always-available capacity, and where AI can help, including better grid forecasting, faster site selection and permitting, and lower construction and operating costs. We focus on
practical tools teams can use today to improve reliability and economics without compromising cybersecurity or privacy. 

Moderator: 

Mark Nelson (Managing Director, Radiant Energy Group)

Panelists:

Ashley Finan, Ph.D. (Global Fellow, Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy)  

Zackary Rad (Chief Regulatory Officer, LucidCatalyst)

Philipp Leutiger (Partner, Roland Berger)

Samuel Gibson (Founder & CEO, Hadron Energy)  

Financing new nuclear is challenging but solvable with the right sharing of risk. This session explains how new financing models and capital stacks fit together: financial architecture, federal and state tools, long-term purchase agreements, price-stability tools, and utility partnerships that enable construction and long-term financing. Speakers will map risk allocation, define what makes a project bankable, and outline practical steps
each party can take now.

Moderator:

Charlie Penner (Co-Founder and Head of Engagement, Ananym Capital Management) 

Panelists:

Simon Irish (CEO, Terrestrial Energy)  

Guido Núñez-Mujica (Director of Data Science and Senior Policy Analyst, Anthropocene Institute) 

Brianna Lazerwitz (Nuclear Finance Specialist, International Atomic Energy Agency)

Jay Yu (Founder and Chairman, Nano Nuclear Energy)  

Financially successful, scalable nuclear projects need a large, highly trained workforce across blue- and whitecollar roles, sustained over decades. This session explains how to build and sustain that talent and how to develop local suppliers for a long-term build program. We focus on how nuclear energy can anchor good jobs, expand regional supply chains, and deliver durable benefits to host communities.

Moderator: 

Philip Hult (Development Manager, Generation Atomic)

Panelists:

Philip Church (County Administrator, Oswego County)  

John Murphy (International Representative, United Association of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry)  

Carolyn Amon (Manager, Energy, Resources & Industrials, Deloitte)