Speakers Include
Connect Nuclear Expertise with Utility Decision-Making
Explore how operating experience, procurement requirements, transmission readiness and power-market economics influence nuclear investment—and discuss what must happen next for deployment ambitions to become viable projects.
Nuclear Strategy, Operations & Investment Sessions
Nuclear Strategy, Operations & Investment Sessions
Keynote Discussion: Nuclear for America’s Next Demand Wave: From Deployment Ambition to Utility Investment
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Defining nuclear’s role in future power portfolios: where can existing nuclear, SMRs and microreactors meet the needs of utilities, industrial customers and data centres?
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Moving from interest to an investable project: what must be demonstrated on cost, licensing, delivery schedules and customer commitments before utilities commit?
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Preparing the grid and the market: aligning nuclear development with transmission capacity, connection requirements, reliability needs and appropriate market arrangements.
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Allocating risk while protecting affordability: how should developers, utilities and large-load customers share construction, schedule and demand uncertainty?
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Matching deployment timelines to demand: what can nuclear realistically contribute, and how should utilities plan for the capacity needed before projects enter service?
Panellist Perspectives
Nuclear development strategy, SMRs, deployment readiness and regulatory engagement.
Christopher Nolan, Senior Advisor | PowerN
Former Vice President, New Nuclear Generation Strategy & Regulatory Engagement | Duke Energy
Governing nuclear reliability: oversight, risk and operational excellence in an era of Rising power demand
John Austin, Director, Governance and Oversight | STP Nuclear Operating Company
Utility procurement, resource adequacy and the requirements nuclear must meet to earn a place in a power-supply portfolio
Gary Stephenson, Senior Vice President, Power | Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
Grid integration, transmission policy and interconnection requirements
Vandan Divatia, Vice President, Transmission Policy, Interconnections & Compliance | Eversource Energy
Power-market economics, computational demand and how flexible loads affect the value and utilisation of firm generation
Hakan Balci, Director, Power Fundamentals – CAISO & MISO | Vistra Corp.
Session: Governing Nuclear Reliability: Oversight, Risk and Operational Excellence in an Era of Rising Power Demand
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Strengthening nuclear governance, operational oversight and risk-management frameworks to maintain safe, reliable and consistent plant performance amid growing electricity demand.
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Integrating regulatory compliance, performance monitoring and risk-informed decision-making to support nuclear asset reliability, operational excellence and long-term generation resilience.
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Advancing organizational accountability, continuous improvement and cross-functional coordination to strengthen safety culture, operational readiness and the long-term performance of existing nuclear generation assets
Confirmed Speaker: John Austin, Director, Governance and Oversight | STP Nuclear Operating Company
Session: Microreactors & SMRs: Accelerating Deployment for Grid Flexibility and Resilience
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Supporting remote grids and critical infrastructure through compact, flexible nuclear technology.
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Deployment case studies and pre-licensing pathways across federal and commercial energy sites.
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Enabling policies and NRC advancements that streamline design certification and site selection.
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The role of SMRs and microreactors in delivering clean, dispatchable baseload energy for the evolving grid.
Inv. Speaker: Christopher Nolan, Senior Advisor | PowerN
Former Vice President, New Nuclear Generation Strategy & Regulatory Engagement | Duke Energy
Related USA Power Summit Sessions: Demand, Procurement & Grid Readiness
Nuclear investment depends on the wider power system. These sessions examine the demand outlook, procurement priorities, market conditions and infrastructure decisions that shape opportunities for reliable generation.
Session: Developing the Future Utility: Grid Modernization, Infrastructure Investment, and Reliable Power for a Growing Energy Economy
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Meeting increasing electricity demand driven by population growth, electrification, advanced manufacturing, AI and data centres
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Investing in resilient transmission and distribution infrastructure while modernising grid operations to strengthen reliability, affordability and operational performance
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Utilising digital technologies, automation and long-term infrastructure planning to build a resilient, sustainable and future-ready energy system.
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Which investments move first when capital, affordability and delivery capacity conflict?
Confirmed Keynote Speaker: Kelly Tomblin, President & Chief Executive Officer | El Paso Electric
Session: Building a Resilient Generation Portfolio: Preparing Power Supply for the Next Decade
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Strengthening generation planning and resource adequacy to ensure sufficient capacity as electricity demand and system requirements continue to evolve.
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Building a resilient and diversified generation portfolio capable of maintaining operational reliability through changing market conditions, extreme weather and emerging system risks.
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Prioritising long-term investment decisions across generation, power procurement and new energy resources to support reliability, affordability and future customer needs.
Confirmed Speaker: Gary Stephenson, Senior Vice President, Power | Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
Session: Enabling Large-Scale Computational Load Growth Through Flexibility and Higher Utilization of Existing Generation and Grid Resources
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Addressing rapid electricity-demand growth from data centres, AI and other large computational loads while maintaining system reliability and resource adequacy.
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Unlocking greater flexibility and utilization from existing generation and grid resources to accommodate new loads without relying solely on major infrastructure expansion.
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Aligning generation, market signals and flexible demand solutions to integrate large computational loads while supporting reliability, affordability and efficient use of existing power-system assets
Confirmed Speaker: Hakan Balci, Director, Power Fundamentals – CAISO & MISO | Vistra Corp.
Session: Building the Grid of the Future: Reliability, Market Evolution, and Infrastructure Investment in America's Fastest-Growing Power System
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Managing unprecedented electricity demand driven by AI, hyperscale data centres, electrification, advanced manufacturing and continued population and economic growth
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Maintaining grid reliability while enabling renewable generation, battery storage and major transmission infrastructure investment across a rapidly evolving power system
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Advancing market frameworks, regulatory policy and system planning to support reliability, resilience, affordability and long-term resource adequacy
Confirmed Keynote Speaker: Chad V. Seely, Senior Vice President | ERCOT
Session: The AI-Powered Utility: Turning Technology and Innovation into Reliability, Productivity and Grid Intelligence
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Scaling AI, advanced analytics and automation across utility operations to strengthen grid and asset-management decisions, improve workforce productivity and deliver measurable operational value.
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Modernizing enterprise technology, cloud and data architecture while strengthening cybersecurity and resilience to create a secure, trusted foundation for increasingly digital utility operations.
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Connecting technology investment with reliability, customer outcomes and business performance while developing the governance, workforce and organizational capabilities required for sustainable digital transformation
Confirmed Speaker: Richard Donaldson, SVP & Chief Information Officer | Duke Energy
"The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump’s administration. As global energy demand continues to grow, America must lead the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy."
Chris Wright, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
