2026 Speakers

Peter C. Balash, Ph.D., is Associate Director for Systems Analysis (SA) at the United States Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has followed energy markets, energy security, and technology issues for DOE/NETL since 2002, focusing on market and technology interactions across the entire energy value chain. Recent activities include studying reliability and resilience of the electricity system. Current duties include managing the SA directorate, an enterprise of 100 professionals forming interdisciplinary teams of engineers, economists, and scientists that produce economic, systems, optimization, regulatory, environmental life cycle, and infrastructure reliability analyses, all to inform strategic planning. In the recent past he has directed studies of the economic impacts of energy and climate change mitigation policy and assessed energy security options in a carbon-constrained world, inclusive of fossil-energy based solutions. From 2018-2022 he served in the leadership of the DOE Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium. From 2017-2023, Mr. Balash served in the leadership of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics, including as President in 2022. Prior to working at the DOE, Mr. Balash worked for the Internal Revenue Service in Houston, TX, and engaged in multinational corporate audits and transfer pricing issues.

Kimberly M. Barrow was nominated to serve as Public Utility Commissioner by Gov. Josh Shapiro on April 14, 2023, and subsequently confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate on August 30, 2023. Her term will expire on April 1, 2028. She was elected vice chair by her fellow commissioners on August 31, 2023. Barrow has been involved in the utility regulation industry for more than two decades.  Barrow serves on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Board of Directors and she is a member of the NARUC Committee on Electricity. Barrow has served as a member of the NARUC Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission as well as the FERC-NARUC Current Issues Collaborative, and in 2026 she joined the Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, and has served as a member of the Pennsylvania Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. Prior to her appointment as Commissioner, Barrow worked as Chief of Staff for Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille. As part of her service in the Chairman’s Office, she provided advice regarding the legal and policy implications of electric, gas, water and transportation matters pending before the Commission; evaluated the impact of state and federal legislation on ratepayers, utility operations, and Commission functions; and communicated with consumers, utility executives and government officials regarding the Commission’s role and initiatives. From 2008 to 2013, Barrow served as Chief of Staff in the Office of Commissioner Wayne E. Gardner.   Vice Chair Barrow started as a staff attorney at the Commission in 2001. Vice Chair Barrow is an alumna of the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish. She received her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Lindsey Baxter Griffith believes in turning bold clean energy ideas into real change by bringing people and leaders together. Before founding Clean Tomorrow, Lindsey served as Executive Director at Clean Air Task Force (CATF) Action and built deep federal experience in the U.S. Senate as climate policy advisor to Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Chief of Staff for Energy Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Lindsey knows how to get things done with curiosity, determination, and accountability. 

A professional with two decades of experience at PJM, Burdis works with PJM states on the interaction between wholesale and retail electric policies. As director of state policy solutions, Burdis manages a team of professionals who endeavor to harmonize emerging state electricity policies with wholesale market design and transmission system planning policies. His organization specifically focuses on offshore wind development; clean energy development; resource adequacy evolution; grid modernization; and, grid security maintenance. He is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and holds a Master of Science in Engineering from West Virginia University.

Evan Chapman is a climate, clean energy, and environmental policy expert with experience spanning four presidential administrations. He has dedicated his career to advancing federal clean energy action through roles in Congress, advocacy, and policy research. On Capitol Hill, Evan served for nearly a decade, including as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-4), working at the intersection of clean energy, climate, and environmental justice. His legislative work—developing proposals to reduce pollution, advance equity, and accelerate clean energy deployment and innovation—contributed to provisions enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act. He also served as an aide to Congressman Bobby Scott and held roles at the Pew Charitable Trusts, the American Association of Port Authorities, and Clean Air Task Force. Evan holds a bachelor's degree in political communications from Emerson College and a master's degree in public policy from George Mason University. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, son, and senior labradoodle.

Lara Croushore is Head of Climate at SecondMuse, an impact and innovation company that works with communities to build economies at the intersection of climate, equity, and tech. She has nearly 20 years of experience developing innovative policies and programs to advance climate solutions that benefit people and protect the planet. Prior to joining SecondMuse, Croushore developed climate policy for the City of New York as Chief Strategy Officer in the Mayor’s Office; led climate innovation programs to grow NYC’s green economy, as Vice President at the New York City Economic Development Corporation; and served as founding Managing Director at Urban Ocean Lab, an ocean-climate policy think tank for coastal cities. A Philadelphia native, Croushore supports several community-based organizations in the region. She is Director of Climate at the Cape May Point Science Center, an environmental non-profit in Cape May Point, NJ. Croushore also serves on the board of Equality Cape May, an LGBTQIA+ civic action and social justice organization in Cape May County, NJ. Croushore has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University, and a BA in Environmental Science from Boston University.

Dr. Elizabeth Cook is the Vice President of the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC) and Program Director for AEIC’s Center for Operational Excellence. She is a national leader in grid modernization, data strategy, and operational transformation, helping utilities advance integrated system planning, analytics, and workforce capability. As host of AEIC’s Grid Mod Pod podcast, she drives conversations that connect innovation, leadership, and the evolving electric grid with utility leaders.

In addition to her technical work, Dr. Cook serves in an executive advisory capacity through her leadership and mindset coaching practice, supporting individuals and organizations in aligning purpose, performance, and well-being. She is also the founder of Integrated Being LLC, a platform dedicated to mind-body-spirit connection and intentional living, where she writes, teaches, and hosts the Integrated Being podcast.

A Pittsburgh native and mother of six, Dr. Cook brings authenticity, systems thinking, and heart to every endeavor, bridging the worlds of engineering, leadership, and human development.

Joe DeCarolis is a Professor and Head of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. His research is focused on conducting rigorous and impartial energy systems analysis to inform sustainable energy system development. From 2022 to 2025, he served in a Senate-confirmed role as Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, one of the thirteen principal statistical agencies within the U.S. federal government. Under his leadership, EIA prioritized transparency and accessibility of its products and embarked on a bold new effort to revamp its long-term modeling program. From 2008 to 2025, he served as a professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NC State University.

Benjamin Della Rocca leads a range of national security work at Anthropic, including on domestic energy challenges involved with AI scaling. Previously, Della Rocca worked at the White House, where he served on the National Security Council as Director for Technology & National Security and on the National Economic Council. He has also worked at the Council on Foreign Relations and Bridgewater Associates. Della Rocca's writing has appeared in outlets including Foreign Affairs, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, as well as scholarly journals. He holds a J.D. and B.A. from Yale University.

Don Dimitrievich is a Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager for Energy Infrastructure Credit at Nuveen. He joined Nuveen in November 2022 to establish a multi-billion credit and structured equity investment business to ensure secure energy supply and provide sustainable energy solutions to decarbonize energy consumption. Prior to joining Nuveen, Dimitrievich was Head of Energy & Power and a Partner at HPS Investment Partners from 2012 where he founded the energy and power investment vertical. Previously, Dimitrievich was a Managing Director of Citi Credit Opportunities, a credit-focused principal investment group. At Citi Credit Opportunities, Dimitrievich oversaw the power, renewables and energy portfolio and invested in mezzanine, special situation and equity co-investments, and secondary market opportunities. Prior to joining Citi, Dimitrievich worked at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP from 1998 to 2004 focusing on energy and power M&A and corporate finance. Dimitrievich has a law degree with Great Distinction from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, a chemical engineering degree with Great Honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree (earned concurrently) from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada.

Mieke Eoyang is a Visiting Professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Strategy & Technology. She previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. She also served on the Professional Staff of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and on the House Armed Services Committee. She served as the Defense Policy Advisor to Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts during the Iraq War. 

Eric Fins is the vice president of Grove Climate Group, LLC, joining the team in February 2023. Fins works directly with clients to understand the full scope of their work and develop strategies to achieve their climate goals, including political and policy advice, strategic guidance, background research and analysis, memos and reports, and connecting relevant parties to build relationships and coalitions. Previously, Fins spent nearly 15 years in the U.S. House of Representatives in a variety of capacities, including as deputy staff Director of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and legislative director/counsel for Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III. Fins holds a JD from American University and is a member of the DC Bar.

Dr. Jane Flegal is a Senior Fellow at the Searchlight Institutes and The States Forum. Previously, Flegal was the inaugural Executive Director of the Blue Horizons Foundation, a new philanthropic entity focused on climate change and clean energy. Before launching Blue Horizons, Flegal was the Market Development and Policy Lead at Stripe Climate and Frontier, a more than $1 billion advance market commitment to purchase permanent carbon dioxide removal. In 2023, Flegal was named one of Vox’s Future Perfect 50, which recognizes 50 thought leaders working to make the world a better place.

Prior to joining Stripe, Flegal was the Senior Director for Industrial Emissions at the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, where she was responsible for developing and advancing policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote technological advancement, and support job creation in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. She directed the US Climate Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as well as the Environment Program at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust. 

Flegal holds a doctorate in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California at Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and politics from Mount Holyoke College.

Deborah (Deb) Gracio is the Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). She leads PNNL in unifying fundamental research for national impact while advancing innovations to address the world’s most pressing challenges in science, energy, and national security. Gracio provides the vision, strategic direction, and oversight for PNNL’s $1.6 billion R&D budget and 6,400 staff. An internationally recognized leader, Gracio is a fellow of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and an active board member for numerous academic, business, and community organizations. DOE has honored her with a Certificate of Accomplishment for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program and an Outstanding Woman in Engineering award. Gracio received her M.S. and B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University.

Matt Harbaugh founded and serves as Managing Director at Mountain State Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm with a portfolio of high-growth companies in sectors ranging from software to life sciences. In addition, he also founded the U.S. Research Impact Alliance, a nonprofit working to advance the commercialization of deep-tech innovations throughout the United States. Harbaugh’s previous roles include serving as the CEO of a Carnegie Mellon University spinout that was acquired by Facebook/Meta, and serving as the Chief Investment Officer at Innovation Works, Inc., one of the most active seed-stage investors in the United States. He also previously led the innovation and entrepreneurship activities of West Virginia University. Harbaugh received J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from George Washington University and his undergraduate degree from Duke University. 

Rachel Hienz currently serves as the Assistant Training Director for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union #5, at the Pittsburgh Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center (JATC). Her responsibilities include recruitment and training of union apprentices and journeypersons within the 22-county jurisdiction of Local #5. She served a five-year apprenticeship with the IBEW Local Union #5, becoming a journeyperson in 2001. Additionally, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications (1990), and a master’s degree in Adult Learning and Training (2021) both from Point Park University. 

Elisabeth Iszauk is an investor at Montauk Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm building and backing companies powering the electron economy. Prior to Montauk, she spent two years investing with Extantia Capital in Berlin, where she focused on seed and Series A investments across geothermal, grid-enhancing technologies, energy management, and industrial biotech as means to build a better, faster, cheaper, and greener world.

Before Extantia, Iszauk pursued her passion for climate mitigation as a strategy consultant at Accenture, addressing utilities' and energy retailers' grid decarbonization challenges. Iszauk studied biology and biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, where she researched neurological connectivity, oxygenator optimization, and virtual reality applications for addiction treatment.

Paulina Jaramillo is a Professor of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). She holds courtesy appointments in Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) and CMU-Africa. She also co-directs the Open Energy Outlook Initiative and is a fellow of the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at CMU. Jaramillo’s research includes life cycle assessment of energy systems, focusing on climate change impacts and mitigation. She explores the social, economic, and environmental implications of global energy transitions to meet Sustainable Development Goals and climate targets. Her most recent research and educational focus on understanding climate impacts on human systems, including energy, agricultural, and urban systems. This work aims to inform climate adaptation efforts to mitigate the worst effects of unavoidable climate change. Finally, as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Congressional Fellow (2024-2025), Jaramillo worked on legislative projects related to energy system planning governance, which inspired her to explore research on the subject to develop frameworks to improve electricity system planning to meet 21st-century challenges. Jaramillo holds a Ph.D. (2007) and M.S. (2004) in civil and environmental engineering (CEE) from CMU and a B.S. in CEE (2003) from Florida International University.

Steph Joven is an Energy Research Analyst at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), where she supports various federal projects that help rural electric utilities mitigate wildfire and empower them to integrate advanced technologies (such as battery energy storage) within their generation systems.

Krysia Kubiak is Managing Director of External Affairs and Regulatory Legal at Duquesne Light Company. A former Solicitor for the City of Pittsburgh, she brings over a decade of experience in energy policy, grid reliability, and resource adequacy. She serves as Chair of the Board of the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

Colleen Lueken has more than a decade of experience at the intersection of electricity markets, emerging grid technologies, and policy. At Lightshift, she leads the analytics team, which provides quantitative support for strategic direction, project development, commercialization, and operations.

Previously, Lueken served as Director of Market Development at AES Next, where she advanced the use of storage and grid enhancing technologies to unlock grid capacity. She spent nearly a decade at Fluence (formerly AES Energy Storage), where she held leadership roles in strategy, data science, and market analytics. She holds a PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

As Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse, Lou Martinez Sancho leads global research and development and advances product and services technology strategy. Martinez Sancho brings more than 20 years of experience – holding senior positions in energy, biotech, automotive and architecture, engineering and construction. Martinez Sancho holds Master of Science degrees in Physiology and Biomechanics and Human Factors and a doctoral degree in Public Health, Environment and Sustainability.

Guru Nadkarni has over 25 years of experience generating customer and shareholder value through the creation and execution of strategic and financial plans. His expertise spans business and financial planning, complex cross-organizational initiatives, comprehensive stakeholder engagement, and corporate governance at Consolidated Edison and Duke Energy. A former consultant with McKinsey & Company, Nadkarni has led industry-leading efforts in clean energy transition, climate resilience, and risk management. He currently serves on the governance board of the Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure (RETI) Consortium—a Type-1 NSF Regional Innovation Engine focused on advancing U.S. energy security and industrial innovation—and is a member of the Dean’s Council of the Carnegie Mellon University Mellon College of Science.

Destenie Nock is a leader in energy justice, systems modeling, and sustainable energy transition trade-off analyses. In her role as an Assistant Professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE), and Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) she creates optimization and decision analysis tools which evaluate the sustainability, affordability, and reliability of power systems in the US. In another project she is creating a new measure of energy poverty to help utility companies identify energy limiting behavior in households, a hidden form of energy poverty. Dr. Nock is also the CEO of Peoples Energy Analytics, a data driven company which uses energy analytics to identify energy poverty in vulnerable households. Nock received her PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Erienne Olesh is passionate about turning ideas into impact through technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Currently, Olesh serves as Executive Director of Innovation and Commercialization at West Virginia University and CEO of the Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure (RETI) Consortium, a Type-1 NSF Regional Innovation Engine focused on advancing U.S. energy security and industrial innovation.

Since 2021, Olesh has helped secure more than $175 million in public and private funding to strengthen West Virginia’s innovation ecosystem—supporting research commercialization, startup growth, workforce development, and industry partnerships. Her work spans intellectual property strategy, licensing, NSF I-Corps, SBIR/STTR coaching, and entrepreneurship programming that connects founders, investors, and industry.

Previously, Olesh helped launch Vantage Ventures, where she focused on scaling high-growth startups and driving statewide economic development. With a background that bridges science and business, a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and an MBA from WVU, she is driven to build programs that create lasting impact for people, communities, and industries.

Fang Z. Peng received a BS degree from Wuhan University, China in 1983 and MS and PhD degrees from Nagaoka University of Technology (Nagaoka Tech), Japan in 1987 and 1990. Dr. Peng is a scholar, inventor and engineer in high-voltage high-power (mega-watt or MW) power electronics. His research career consists of three periods: 1984-1994 at Nagaoka Tech, Toyo Electric Manufacturing Co., and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) in Japan; 1994-2000 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) USA; and since 2000 with academia: at Michigan State University (MSU), Florida State University (FSU) and now the University of Pittsburgh. His current research interest includes power electronics technology for fault-tolerant, fire-free, self-healing and resilient power grids and systems in propulsion, industrial motor drives, and electrical utilities.  He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a Fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and a Member of the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

J. Arnold Quinn is Senior Vice President of Regulatory Policy at Vistra Corp., where he supervises Vistra’s regulatory policy advocacy, including wholesale and retail market policy advocacy and environmental regulation advocacy. Arnie also supervises Vistra’s fundamental analysis team. Vistra is an integrated competitive generation and retail supply company. It operates in six of the seven competitive wholesale markets in the U.S. powered by a diverse portfolio including coal, natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. Vistra serves residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas in 20 states and the District of Columbia.    

Prior to joining Vistra in 2018, Arnie was on FERC staff for over 14 years in a variety of roles in the Office of Enforcement and Office of Energy Policy and Innovation. Arnie joined OEPI when it was formed in May 2009.  He was the Office Director from December 2015 through June 2018.  Prior to joining FERC staff, Arnie was an economist at The Brattle Group and Laurits R. Christensen Associates. Arnie has a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Minnesota.

Karma Sawyer is Director of the Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), leading strategy to address critical challenges in energy efficiency, clean energy, and electricity infrastructure. The Division includes over 400 staff with expertise spanning engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and policy, delivering innovative solutions for the Department of Energy and Department of Defense. Previously, Dr. Sawyer managed the Emerging Technologies Program at DOE’s Building Technologies Office, where efforts are projected to avoid 315 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions and save $94 billion in building energy costs by 2035. She also served as Assistant Program Director and Fellow at ARPA-E. Dr. Sawyer earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley and a B.S. from Syracuse University. She is a member of the 2024–2026 New Voices cohort at the National Academies and was named a Distinguished Gilbreth Speaker by the National Academy of Engineering in 2023. Based in Washington, D.C., she is a proud advocate for disability rights.

Dan Schnitzer was CEO of SparkMeter, a leading provider of smart metering systems and utility analytics that was acquired by Honeywell in 2025. He has served as a consultant to the United Nations Office for Project Services in Haiti, for the World Bank, and was the Chair of the United Nations SE4All Practitioner Network Microgrid Working Group. He was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 for energy list in 2012. Dan received his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in the Department of Engineering & Public Policy in October 2014, where his research focused on energy access in developing countries. Schnitzer was formerly employed by KEMA, Inc. (now DNV GL) as an energy analyst, where he worked on utility energy efficiency programs and renewable energy policy analysis and engineering in the US electricity sector. Schnitzer received his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago in 2007, where he triple-majored in Physics, Economics and Environmental Studies.

Chris Telmer is an associate professor of financial economics at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. His research interests include the effect of government subsidies on the financing of renewable energy assets, consumption behavior, exchange rate behavior, the effects of labor-market risk on financial markets, and intergenerational mobility. 

Christine Waller is the vice president of communications and corporate responsibility at Duquesne Light Company (DLC). In this role, Waller is responsible for enhancing the company’s service to customers through a focus on sustainability; corporate giving; and community engagement. She also oversees the company’s brand and communications team, which is responsible for building DLC’s reputation as a trusted partner through media relations, internal communications and thought leadership.  

Before joining DLC, Waller was the head of corporate social responsibility (CSR) at Viatris, a multi-billion-dollar, Pittsburgh-area pharmaceutical company. While there, she launched the organization’s CSR strategy, which focused on strengthening Viatris’ positive social impact through reporting transparency; ESG goal setting; and stakeholder engagement. 

Prior to that, Waller led the global communications team at Mylan and oversaw the transformation of its internal and external communication strategy to align with the company’s long-term financial and operational objectives. A Pittsburgh native, Waller has a bachelor’s degree in English and communications and a master’s in public and international affairs, both from the University of Pittsburgh. She is also fluent in Spanish and spent several years as a national news correspondent for a leading broadcast network in Mexico.