ATX Agenda & speakers

8:00 am – Breakfast and Networking

9:00 am – Welcome Remarks

• Stephanie Badr, Chief Executive Officer, Electric Power Engineers

9:15 am – The Large Load Era: Planning for The Future of the Texas Grid

Our opening keynote will set the theme for GridNEXT ATX 2026 by discussing how the PUC, ERCOT, and companies can work together to meet today’s challenges to continue delivering reliable, resilient, affordable, and flexible power to Texas' communities and industries.

Speaker to be announced soon.

9:45 am – Reliability in the Era of Exponential Load Growth

Electric demand growth is accelerating at a pace the industry has not experienced in decades. AI-driven data centers, industrial reshoring, transportation electrification, and extreme weather resilience investments are placing unprecedented stress on generation, transmission, and distribution systems. This panel will focus on how utilities, grid operators, and large energy users are adapting to a rapidly changing demand environment driven by AI data centers, electrification, advanced manufacturing, and population growth.

• Rob Gramlich (Moderator), President, Grid Strategies

More speakers to be announced soon.

10:40 am – Break

10:55 am – Designing for a More Dynamic Grid: Resilience Beyond Infrastructure

Grid resiliency is no longer defined solely by poles, wires, and substations. As utilities navigate increasingly dynamic operating conditions — from extreme weather and cyber threats to distributed generation growth, AI-enabled operations, and rapidly shifting load patterns — resilience must be designed into the entire energy ecosystem. This panel will explore how utilities and industry partners are redefining resilience beyond traditional infrastructure hardening. 

• Hala Ballouz (Moderator), Founder, Board Chair & Chief Vision Officer, Electric Power Engineers

More speakers to be announced soon.

11:50 am – Lunch

More details to be announced soon.

12:50 pm – The Affordability Imperative: Balancing Reliability, Growth, and Customer Cost

In this keynote, Paula Glover, President of the Alliance to Save Energy, will explore the growing tension between reliability, resiliency, sustainability, and affordability in the modern energy landscape. She will present on how utilities, policymakers, regulators, and large energy users can work together to ensure the transition to a more electrified and digitally connected economy does not leave customers behind. 

• Paula Glover, President, Alliance to Save Energy

1:20 pm – Powering the AI Economy: Designing Data Centers for a Reliable, Resilient, Affordable, and Flexible Future

As AI adoption accelerates, data centers are becoming one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand. This panel will shift the conversation "behind the fence" to examine how AI infrastructure itself must evolve to become a better grid citizen. Panelists will explore compute-side hardware innovations, the need for differentiated uptime requirements, and how flexible compute loads, advanced energy management, and intelligent infrastructure can transform data centers from passive energy consumers into active grid assets.

Speakers to be announced soon.

2:15 pm – Break

2:30 pm – From Static Infrastructure to Adaptive Systems: Building the Flexible Grid

Our closing panel will explore how utilities, technology providers, grid operators, and large energy users are transitioning from traditional infrastructure models to intelligent, adaptive energy systems capable of responding in real time to changing conditions. Panelists will examine how flexibility is becoming essential to maintaining reliability, accelerating interconnections, managing costs, and enabling the next generation of grid modernization.

Speakers to be announced soon.

3:25 pm – Closing Remarks

• Stephanie Badr, Chief Executive Officer, Electric Power Engineers

3:30 pm

Thank you for being part of GridNEXT ATX 2026. We look forward to continuing the conversation and welcoming you back next year.