where to be
CERAWeek 2026 to bring energy leaders to Houston to discuss tech and geopolitics
CERAWeek returns this month, March 23-27, and will once again bring leading energy executives and government officials to Houston.
The 44th annual event will again host U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
Wright will participate in a plenary session focused on energy policy with Daniel Yergin, conference chair and vice chairman of S&P Global, on March 23. The following day, he will be featured in the Celebrating 10 Years of U.S. LNG reception with Jack Fusso, president and CEO, of Cheniere Energy. Both events are part of the Executive Conference track.
Burgum will participate in a leadership dialogue plenary session with Yergin on March 25. It is also part of the Executive Conference track. Burgum is also chairman of the National Energy Dominance Council, established by President Trump in 2025.
Top energy executives, many of whom are based in Houston, will also be featured prominently at the week-long event. Other speakers include:
- Bill Blevins, director of grid coordination for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
- Trevor Best, CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics
- Marie Contour Carrere, executive director of the Rice Sustainability Institute
- Ryan DuChanois, co-founder and CEO of Solidec
- Reginald DesRoches, president of Rice University
- Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs
- Jim Fitterling, chair and CEO of Dow Inc.
- Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental Petroleum Corp.
- Renu Katon, chancellor and president of the University of Houston
- Ryan Lance, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips
- Olivier Le Peuch, CEO of SLB
- Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies SE
- Adrian Tromel, chief innovation officer and interim VP for Innovation at Rice University
- Bobby Tudor, founder and CEO of Artemis Energy Partners and chairman of HETI
- Wael Sawan, CEO of Shell plc
- Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes Co.
- Mike Wirth, chairman and CEO of Chevron Corp.
- Jeremy Pitts, managing director of Activate Houston
- And many others
This year, CERAWeek will center around the theme of Convergence and Competition: Energy, Technology and Geopolitics.
"Change is inescapable," Yergin said in a news release. "The global energy landscape—and to a large extent the entire global economy—is being fundamentally reshaped by the dual forces of convergence and competition. The race for AI is fusing the energy and technology industries like never before, bringing into sharp relief the need to align energy expansion with sustainable economic growth."
"Yet, the potential for collaboration and innovation is increasingly matched by the risk for collision and conflict in a world marked by geopolitical rivalry, tariffs and fragmented supply chains," he continued. "Reconciling an increasingly complex world with the growing demand for energy that is stable, secure and affordable is a complex reality that CERAWeek 2026 will tackle when global energy leaders meet in Houston."
Key topics of discussion will include:
- Politics, Economics, Trade and Supply Chains
- Policy, Regulations and Stakeholders
- Oil Value Chain
- Power, Renewables, Generation and Grid
- AI and Digital
- Minerals and Mining
- Electrification Technologies
- Investment and Financing
- Chemicals and Materials
- Business Strategies
- The Innovation Ecosystem
- Managing Emissions
- Low-Carbon Fuels and Mobility
- Climate and Sustainability
- Workforce Strategy
The CERAWeek Innovation Agora track, which is the program's deeper dive into technology and innovation, will feature thought leadership on "AI, decarbonization, low carbon fuels, cybersecurity, hydrogen, nuclear, mining and minerals, mobility, automation and more," according to the release.
Agora Hubs will return this year and be divided into three zones: new energies, carbon and climate, and AI. The hubs will feature amphitheater-style sessions and panels. Agora Pods will allow energy startups to showcase their ideas in 20- to 30-minute presentations.
Additionally, CERAWeek will introduce a new program this year on Friday, March 27. Known as Look Forward, it will focus on economics, politics and technology.
See the full agenda for the week here. Find more information and register for the event here.