Nation’s top energy leaders and policy experts to highlight Tulane’s Future of Energy Forum

Tulane University will convene a powerhouse lineup of leading energy executives, researchers, policy experts and innovators for its second annual Future of Energy Forum, Sept. 10–12, a free three-day event exploring the biggest challenges and opportunities shaping the energy sector in Louisiana and across the globe.

The Forum announced an initial lineup of programming centered on the theme "Powering the Future: Innovation, Competition and Collaboration." Topics include how emerging technologies, rapidly evolving regulations and strategic partnerships are reshaping the energy landscape — from critical minerals and AI data centers to nuclear energy and next-generation grid infrastructure.

“Meeting today’s energy moment requires more than just vision. It requires action,” said Tulane University President Michael A. Fitts. “As a leading research university in the heart of a global energy hub, Tulane is uniquely positioned to bring together the brightest minds across science, policy and industry to drive practical, forward-looking strategies for a secure, sustainable and competitive energy future. Louisiana and the Gulf South are at the epicenter of this transformation, and the future depends on bold collaboration across sectors and borders.”

The 2025 Forum will feature over 30 sessions across three stages, with more than 100 speakers and panelists including Clara Andreoletti (CEO, Eni Next), Kevin Book (Managing Director, ClearView Energy Partners), Dan Brouillette (former U.S. Secretary of Energy), Jim Burke (CEO, Vistra Corp.), Jay Hakes (presidential and energy historian), Rob Guthrie (CEO, ENFRA), Roger Jenkins (former CEO, Murphy Oil), Walter Isaacson (bestselling author and Tulane professor), Colette Hirstius (President, Shell USA), Drew Marsh (Chair and CEO, Entergy), Christina Sistrunk (former CEO, Aera Energy), Jimmy Story (U.S. Ambassador, Ret.) and Bobby Tudor (CEO, Artemis Energy Partners).

Panels will include moderated discussions with Tulane faculty, policymakers, renewable energy innovators, and leading voices from Aligned Climate Capital, Aera Energy, Artemis Energy Partners, Bernhard Capital Partners, Boston Consulting Group, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), ClearPath, ClearView Energy Partners, Colusa Indian Energy, Delta Utilities, Encore CO2, ENFRA, Eni Next, Entergy, ExxonMobil, Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL), Government of Alberta, KPMG, Louisiana Economic Development (LED), Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association (LMOGA), Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), Murphy Institute, Newlab, Palmetto Solar, PwC, Shell USA, Solar Alternatives, Stepwise Electric, Storegga, The Cool Down, Vistra Corp., and Winston & Strawn LLP.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held on Tulane’s uptown campus in New Orleans. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis by registering online here. Additional speakers and special guests will be announced leading up to the event.

Three Forum Stages will feature panels following thematic tracks: innovation, competition and collaboration. A new interactive space, The Exchange, will spotlight research and emerging technologies inside Tulane’s A. B. Freeman School of Business. Networking events and a sponsor lounge will offer opportunities for connection and career exploration across the energy sector.

Session highlights include:

• Forging the Future Grid exploring how resilience, flexibility and AI are transforming the power grid. Tulane’s Walter Isaacson will moderate a dynamic conversation with Entergy New Orleans CEO Deanna Rodriguez, Luminary Strategies CEO Arushi Sharma Frank and Tom Kuhn, president and CEO, Global Energy Advisors and former president/CEO of Edison Electric Institute.
• The Innovation Arc will examine how public-private partnerships are driving energy innovation in Louisiana, including how a former NSA site in New Orleans' Bywater is being transformed into global energy tech hub Newlab. Moderated by Newlab’s Cameron Poole, the panel features Josh Fleig, chief innovation officer at Louisiana Economic Development; Stephen Loy of FUEL; and Sahil Jain of Newlab.
•  Power and Energy Storage on the Edge looks at how battery storage, thermal energy and distributed technologies are enabling homes, businesses and industrial sites to actively support grid resilience, flexibility and decarbonization. Speakers include Cole Ashman, founder and CEO of Pila Energy; Jeff Cantin, president and CEO of Solar Alternatives; Jane Chen, co-founder and CEO of Stepwise Electric; and Tulane engineering physics professor Matthew Escarra.
• Rethinking Energy Infrastructure Through Energy-as-a-Service: ENFRA CEO Rob Guthrie discusses how energy-as-a-service is helping mission-driven institutions reduce emissions, manage risk and modernize infrastructure without diverting capital from core priorities.

Panels will also cover the future of fusion technology, carbon capture, LNG growth, tariff policy impacts, the geopolitics of energy — from U.S.–China relations to carbon border adjustments — as well as workforce development and the cross-border collaborations driving energy innovation and security.

For more information about the Tulane Future of Energy Forum, including the full list of speakers and schedule of events, visit https://energyforum.tulane.edu.