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Houston cleantech co. secures Canadian recognition as a top investible startup

made the cut

Kanin Energy has been named a top investible startup. Photo via kaninenergy.com

A Canadian organization has called out the top 50 most investible energy transition companies in the country, and one Canada-founded, Houston-based startup made the cut.

The 2023 Foresight 50, Foresight Canada's 50 Most Investible Cleantech Ventures, sought to highlight the top companies moving the needle toward Net Zero. Kanin Energy — founded by CEO Janice Tran in Calgary in 2020 but relocated to Houston by way of Greentown Labs — developed a waste-heat-to-power concept for generating clean energy.

“The ventures included in this year’s Foresight 50 are nothing short of awe-inspiring. These game-changing innovators are scaling the critical climate solutions we need to solve the world’s most urgent climate challenges and accelerate the transition to net zero. Congratulations and thank you for all you are doing for Canadian cleantech," says Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight Canada, in a news release.

According to the organization, 41 cleantech investors evaluated detailed profiles the companies submitted. They looked at investibility, potential environmental and employment impact, leadership and team, and probability of success, according to Foresight Canada.

"Canada has no shortage of inspiring innovators with the potential to solve global climate challenges. But these companies struggle to attract the long-term capital and recognition needed to make their businesses competitive on a global scale," Kanin Energy's team writes in its news release.

A year ago, the Kanin team visited Houston to see if the city could be a fit for an office. In July of 2022, Tran opened Kanin Energy offices in Greentown Labs.

“We’re hiring and building our team office out of Greentown. It’s been really great for us,” she previously told EnergyCapital.

Earlier this month, Kanin Energy was named a finalist in the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards.

The six finalists for the sustainability category for the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards weigh in on their challenges overcome. Photos courtesy

4 biggest challenges of Houston-based sustainability startups

Houston innovation awards

Six Houston-area sustainability startups have been named finalists in the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards, but they didn't achieve this recognition — as well as see success for their businesses — without any obstacles.

The finalists were asked what their biggest challenges have been. From funding to market adoption, the sustainability companies have had to overcome major obstacles to continue to develop their businesses.

The awards program — hosted by EnergyCapital's sister site, InnovationMap, and Houston Exponential — will name its winners on November 8 at the Houston Innovation Awards. The program was established to honor the best and brightest companies and individuals from the city's innovation community. Eighteen energy startups were named as finalists across all categories, but the following responses come from the finalists in the sustainability category specifically.

    Click here to secure your tickets to see who wins.

    1. Securing a commercial pilot

    "As an early-stage clean energy developer, we struggled to convince key suppliers to work on our commercial pilot project. Suppliers were skeptical of our unproven technology and, given limited inventory from COVID, preferred to prioritize larger clients. We overcame this challenge by bringing on our top suppliers as strategic investors. With a long-term equity stake in Fervo, leading oilfield services companies were willing to provide Fervo with needed drilling rigs, frack crews, pumps, and other equipment." — Tim Latimer, founder and CEO of Fervo Energy

    2. Finding funding

    "Securing funding in Houston as a solo cleantech startup founder and an immigrant with no network. Overcome that by adopting a milestone-based fundraising approach and establishing credibility through accelerator/incubator programs." — Anas Al Kassas, CEO and founder of INOVUES

    "The biggest challenge has been finding funding. Most investors are looking towards software development companies as the capital costs are low in case of a risk. Geothermal costs are high, but it is physical technology that needs to be implemented to safety transition the energy grid to reliable, green power." — Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems

    3. Market adoption

    "Market adoption by convincing partners and government about WHP as a solution, which is resource-intensive. Making strides by finding the correct contacts to educate." — Janice Tran, CEO and co-founder of Kanin Energy

    "We are creating a brand new financial instrument at the intersection of carbon markets and power markets, both of which are complicated and esoteric. Our biggest challenge has been the cold-start problem associated with launching a new product that has effectively no adoption. We tackled this problem by leading the Energy Storage Solutions Consortium (a group of corporates and battery developers looking for sustainability solutions in the power space), which has opened up access to customers on both sides of our marketplace. We have also leveraged our deep networks within corporate power procurement and energy storage development to talk to key decision-makers at innovative companies with aggressive climate goals to become early adopters of our products and services." — Emma Konet, CTO and co-founder of Tierra Climate

    4. Long scale timelines

    "Scaling and commercializing industrial technologies takes time. We realized this early on and designed the eXERO technology to be scalable from the onset. We developed the technology at the nexus of traditional electrolysis and conventional gas processing, taking the best of both worlds while avoiding their main pitfalls." — Claus Nussgruber, CEO of Utility Global

    Kanin Energy set up shop in Greentown Labs last year to grow its impact on the energy transition. Photo via Getty Images

    This energy transition startup taps Houston to grow, build its waste-heat-to-power tech

    eyes on hou

    Waste heat is everywhere, but in Houston, the Energy Capital of the World, it is becoming a hot commodity. What is it? Janice Tran, CEO of Kanin Energy, uses the example of turning ore into steel.

    “There’s a lot of heat involved in that chemical process,” she says. “It’s a waste of energy.”

    But Kanin Energy can do something about that. Its waste-heat-to-power, or WHP, concept uses a technology called organic rankine cycle. Tran explains that heat drives a turbine that generates electricity.

    “It’s a very similar concept to a steam engine,” she says. Tran adds that the best term for what Kanin Energy does is “waste heat recovery.”

    Emission-free power should be its own virtuous goal, but for companies creating waste heat, it can be an expensive endeavor both in terms of capital and human resources to work on energy transition solutions. But Kanin Energy helps companies to decarbonize with no cost to them.

    “We can pay for the projects, then we pay the customers for that heat. We turn a waste product into a revenue stream for our customer,” Tran explains. Kanin Energy then sells the clean power back to the facility or to the grid, hence decarbonizing the facility gratis. Financing, construction, and operations are all part of the package.

    Kanin Energy began at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the spring of 2020.

    “We started like a lotus. A lotus grows in mud — you start in the worst conditions and everything is better and easier from there,” says Tran.

    That tough birth has helped provide the team with a discipline and thoughtfulness that’s been key to the company’s culture. Remote work has forced the team to get procedures clearly in place and react efficiently.

    Back in May of 2020, its inception took place in Calgary. But the team, which also includes CDO Dan Fipke and CTO Jake Bainbridge, began to notice that many of their customers were either based in Houston or had Houston ties.

    A year ago, the Kanin team visited Houston to see if the city could be a fit for an office. In July of 2022, Tran opened Kanin Energy offices in Greentown Labs.

    “We’re hiring and building our team office out of Greentown. It’s been really great for us,” she says.

    With the company now in its commercialization stage, Tran says that becoming part of the Houston energy ecosystem has been invaluable for Kanin.

    The investments being made in climate tech and in energy transition make Space City the right place for the company. For Canadian-born Kanin Energy, Houston is now home. Investors across the nation, including Texas, are now helping Kanin to blossom, much like the lotus.

    Janice Tran is the CEO and co-founder of Kanin Energy. Photo via LinkedIn

    ------

    This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

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    30+ CERAWeek events featuring Houston energy leaders

    where to be

    CERAWeek returns to Houston March 23-27, bringing more than 1,000 speakers, executives and energy innovators to Houston.

    Under this year's theme, "Convergence and Competition: Energy, Technology and Geopolitics,” panels will tackle topics ranging from policy and global relations to the growing role of AI in the energy sector. Most of the innovation-themed events are organized under the Agora track and will feature many Houston-area startups, universities, companies and scientists. Panels will feature leaders from Fortune 500 companies and top U.S. government officials, scientists and founders pushing towards a more carbon-neutral future.

    Here are some of the many events featuring Houston leaders on the Agora track you can't miss if you want to learn more about Houston energy innovation.

    Monday, March 23rd


    Scaling Innovation: Building the ecosystem for the next energy breakthroughs

    Featuring: Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs

    This event is at 10:30 a.m. Find more info here

    Vaulted Deep | The Subsurface as Waste and Carbon Infrastructure

    Featuring: Julia Reichelstein, co-founder and CEO of Vaulted Deep

    This event is at 11:30 a.m. Find more info here

    Collaboration Spotlight | Collision Course: How Houston's Ion District turns proximity into innovation

    Featuring: Adrian Tromel, chief innovation officer at Rice University; Rawand Rasheed, co-founder and CEO of Helix Earth Technologies; Marc Davidson, senior technical advisor at Veriten

    This event is at 1:30 p.m. Find more info here.

    Methane Reduction in Practice: Field learnings

    Featuring: Matt Kolesar, chief environmental scientist at ExxonMobil

    This event is at 2 p.m. Find more info here.

    Time-to-AI: Shrinking the data-center clock

    Featuring: Robert Ott, vice president of wholesale origination at NRG Energy; Andrew Johnston, business line director, data centers at SLB

    This event is at 2:30 p.m. Find more info here.

    Scaling CCUS: Which industries, regions and funding sources?

    Featuring: Gino Thielens, vice president of renewables and energy efficiency at SLB; Ian McIntyre, senior vice president, 1PointFive

    This event is at 3 p.m. Find more info here.

    Democratization of AI: Redefining where work gets done

    Featuring: Rob Crane, technology scouting and venturing manager at SLB

    This event is at 3:30 p.m. Find more info here.

    Tuesday, March 24th


    Syzygy Plasmonics | Affordable, Globally Compliant SAF Using Abundant Biogas Feedstock

    Featuring: Trevor Best, CEO and founder of Syzygy Plasmonics

    This event is at noon. Find more info here.

    Accelerating Idea to Impact: Carving new ways to innovation

    Featuring: David Sholl, executive vice president for research at Rice University

    This event is at 1 p.m. Find more info here.

    NRG | From the Front Lines: A deep dive into grid reliability

    Featuring: Matthew Pistner, senior vice president of generation at NRG Energy; Robert Patrick, vice president of development engineering and construction at NRG Energy

    This event is at 1:30 p.m. Find more info here.

    Energy Efficiency: The industrial advantage

    Featuring: Jason Urso, CTO of Honeywell Industrial Automation

    This event is at 1:30 p.m. Find more info here.

    The CEO Blueprint | Strategy

    Featuring: Lorenzo Simonelli, CEO and chairman of Baker Hughes

    This event is at 2:55 p.m. Find more info here.

    Occidental | Beyond the Technology: Turning direct air capture into CDR credits

    Featuring: William Barrett, vice president of product development at 1PointFive

    This event is at 3:30 p.m. Find more info here.

    Wednesday, March 25th


    Innovations in Sustainable Steel

    Featuring: Laureen Meroueh, founder and CEO of Heartha Metals Inc.

    This event is at 9 a.m. Find more info here.

    Rice University | The Science of Geologic Carbon Storage

    Featuring: Sahar Bakhshian, assistant professor, earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University

    This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

    Sparking Innovation: The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration

    Featuring: Marie Contou Carrere, executive director of the Rice Sustainability Institute; Sandy Guitar, executive director of TEX-E

    This event is at 10 a.m. Find more info here.

    Models of Innovation, Models of Capital

    Featuring: Bobby Tudor, chair of Houston Energy Transition Initiative and chairman of the board for Greentown Labs

    This event is at 10:30 a.m. Find more info here.

    Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition

    This event is at noon. Find more info here. Learn more about the competing teams here.

    Baker Hughes | Meeting Industrial and AI-Driven Energy Demand with Flexible, Reliable and Sustainable Power Solutions

    Featuring: Daniele Marcucci, industrial power generation product director at Baker Hughes; Florent Rousset, geothermal leader, new energies at Baker Hughes

    This event is at noon. Find more info here.

    Thursday, March 26th


    Mission-driven Minds: How space exploration inspires the next generation of energy innovators

    Featuring: Trina Sadberry, head of brand & engagement in the United States at Equinor; Laura Dandridge, corporate affairs advisor at Chevron; Jack Fischer, chief integration officer at Intuitive Machines; Ginger Kerrick Davis, chief strategy officer at Barrios Technology

    This event is at 9 a.m. Find more info here.

    Rice University | Nature-based Solutions: A focus on biochar and enhanced rock weathering

    Featuring: Carrie Masiello, director of the sustainability institute at Rice University; Mark Torres, associate professor, earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University

    This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

    Growing Direct Air Capture

    Featuring: Anthony Cottone, resident and general manager at 1PointFive

    This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

    Occidental | Advancement and Growth Opportunities for Enhanced Oil Recovery

    Featuring: Vishal Gupta, president and general manager of EOR Ventures at Occidental

    This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

    Geothermal: Charting progress on technological advancements

    Featuring: Jonathan Ajo-Franklin, trustee professor, earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University; Florent Rousset, geothermal leader, new energies at Baker Hughes

    This event is at 10 a.m. Find more info here.

    Newfound Materials | Bridging the Synthesis Gap in AI-Driven Materials Innovation

    Featuring: Matt McDermott, founder and CEO of Newfound Materials

    This event is at 10 a.m. Find more info here.

    Hertha Metals | The Future of Steel Production: Going beyond the blast furnace

    Featuring: Laureen Meroueh, founder and CEO of Heartha Metals Inc.

    This event is at 11 a.m. Find more info here.

    Advanced Materials with Low-Carbon Intensity

    Featuring: Matteo Pasquali, director of the Rice Carbon Hub

    This event is at 11:30 a.m. Find more info here.

    Lessons from the Lab: Common pitfalls of hard tech startups

    Featuring: Jeremy Pitts, managing director of Activate Houston

    This event is at 11:30 a.m. Find more info here.

    TotalEnergies | Accelerating Direct Air Capture

    Featuring: Isabelle Betremieux, head of R&T CO2 capture department at TotalEnergies

    This event is at 1 p.m. Find more info here.

    Spotlight: "NextGen" energy leaders of the future

    Featuring: Renu Khator, chancellor and president of the University of Houston

    This event is at 3 p.m. Find more info here.

    Solidec | On-site, On-demand Production of Essential Chemicals

    Featuring: Ryan DuChanois, co-founder and CEO of Solidec

    This event is at 3:30 p.m. Find more info here.

    Fervo secures $421M in financing for Cape Station construction

    fresh funding

    Houston geothermal unicorn Fervo Energy has closed $421 million in non-recourse debt financing for the first phase of its flagship Cape Station project in Beaver County, Utah.

    Fervo believes Cape Station can meet the needs of surging power demand from data centers, domestic manufacturing and an energy market aiming to use clean and reliable power. According to the company, Cape Station will begin delivering its first power to the grid this year and is expected to reach approximately 100 megwatts of operating capacity by early 2027. Fervo added that it plans to scale to 500 megawatts.

    The $421 million financing package includes a $309 million construction-to-term loan, a $61 million tax credit bridge loan, and a $51 million letter of credit facility. The facilities will fund the remaining construction costs for the first phase of Cape Station, and will also support the project’s counterparty credit support requirements.

    Coordinating lead arrangers include Barclays, BBVA, HSBC, MUFG, RBC and Société Générale, with additional participation from Bank of America, J.P. Morgan and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, New York Branch.

    “As demand for firm, clean, affordable power accelerates, EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) is set to become a core energy asset class for infrastructure lenders,” Sean Pollock, managing director, project Finance at RBC Capital Markets, said in a news release. “Fervo is pioneering this step change with Cape Station, a vital contribution to American energy security that RBC is proud to support.”

    The oversubscribed financing marks Cape Station’s shift from early-stage and bridge funding to a long-term, non-recourse capital structure, according to the news release.

    “Non-recourse financing has historically been considered out of reach for first-of-a-kind projects,” David Ulrey, CFO of Fervo Energy, said in a news release. “Cape Station disrupts that narrative. With proven oil and gas technology paired with AI-enabled drilling and exploration, robust commercial offtake, operational consistency, and an unrelenting focus on health and safety, we have shown that EGS is a highly bankable asset class.”

    Fervo continues to be one of the top-funded startups in the Houston area. The company has raised about $1.5 billion prior to the latest $421 million. It also closed a $462 million Series E in December.

    According to Axios Pro, Fervo filed for an IPO that would value the company between $2 billion and $3 billion in January.

    HETI members to take the stage at CERAWeek 2026 in Houston

    The View from HETI

    CERAWeek returns to Houston March 23–27, convening global industry leaders to explore the trends shaping the future of energy.

    The Greater Houston Partnership’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) members will play a key role in this year’s program, contributing to discussions spanning digital innovation, power systems, decarbonization and workforce. Below are the sessions featuring HETI members throughout the week:

    AI in Energy: Managing the Transformation
    Monday, March 23 | 9:30-10:00 a.m.
    Speakers: Hector Rocha, Accenture; Rebecca Hofmann, Blockchain For Energy; Paul Markwell, S&P Global

    Scaling Innovation: Building the Ecosystem for the Next Energy Breakthroughs
    Monday, March 23 | 10:30-11:10 a.m.
    Speakers: Graham Gordon, Accenture; Carolyn Seto, S&P Global; Bernie Bulkin, Global Energy Infrastructure Plc; Georgina Campbell Flatter, Greentown Labs
    Examines how partnerships across capital, policy and infrastructure can accelerate commercialization and scaling of breakthrough energy technologies.

    Oil Strategies for a World in Transition
    Monday, March 23 | 11:15-11:55 a.m.
    Speakers: Olivier Le Peuch, SLB; Anders Opedal, Equinor; Vicki Hollub, Occidental; Atul Arya, S&P Global
    Discusses how producers are adapting portfolio strategies to balance resilience, demand outlooks and transition pressures.

    Gas: Growing Markets and New Players
    Monday, March 23 | 12:00-12:40 p.m.
    Speakers: Liz Westcott, Woodside Energy; Toby Rice, EQT Corporation; Shankari Srinivasan, S&P Global; Ryosuke Tsugaru, JERA CO., INC.

    Advances in Exploration Technologies for Oil & Gas and Mining
    Monday, March 23 | 1:30-2:10 p.m.
    Speakers: Amy Callahan, Accenture; Hussein Shel, Amazon Web Services; Oscar Abbink, S&P Global
    Highlights sensing, imaging and AI tools improving discovery efficiency and sustainability in exploration.

    AI in Action: From Pilot to Profit
    Monday, March 23 | 1:30-2:00 p.m.
    Speakers: Shridevi Bale, Accenture; Paul Gruenwald, S&P Global
    Shares lessons from scaling AI deployments beyond pilots into measurable operational value.

    Power Networks: Collaborating to Meet Demand
    Monday, March 23 | 2:15-2:55 p.m.
    Speakers: Lawrence Coben, NRG Energy; Jim Murphy, Invenergy; Eduard Sala de Vedruna, S&P Global
    Examines grid readiness and collaboration models needed to manage surging electricity demand.

    New Phase of Gas: From Regional Security to Global Market Integration
    Monday, March 23 | 3:00-3:40 p.m.
    Speakers: Cederic Cremers, Shell; Balaji Krishnamurthy, Chevron; Kevin Gallagher, Santos; Mansoor Al Hamed, Mubadala Energy; Dave Ernsberger, S&P Global
    Discusses LNG’s evolving role in global integration, energy security and future pricing structures.

    Transforming Upstream: Pathways to Scaling New Technologies
    Monday, March 23 | 7:00-8:30 p.m.
    Speakers: Rami El Debs, Accenture; Trey Lowe, Devon Energy; Bader Al-Attar, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
    Explores adoption of advanced digital and automation technologies in upstream operations.

    Leadership Dialogue
    Tuesday, March 24 | 9:00-9:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Wael Sawan, Shell; Daniel Yergin, S&P Global

    One Grid, One ASEAN: Building a Shared Clean Energy Future
    Tuesday, March 24 | 10:30-11:10 a.m.
    Speakers: Akihiro Ondo, Mitsubishi Power; Gauri Jauhar, S&P Global

    Harmonizing Carbon Accounting: Charting a Path Forward
    Tuesday, March 24 | 10:40-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Edward Stones, Dow; Sasha Mackler, ExxonMobil; Musaab Al-Mulla, Saudi Aramco; Kevin Birn, S&P Global
    Examines efforts to standardize emissions accounting to improve comparability and market transparency.

    Global Exploration Revival: Lessons and New Strategies
    Tuesday, March 24 | 11:30-12:10 p.m.
    Speakers: John Ardill, ExxonMobil; Dan Pratt, S&P Global; Guido Brusco, Eni

    How Will AI Change the Game for Energy Profitability?
    Tuesday, March 24 | 12:20-1:00 p.m.
    Speakers: Rakesh Jaggi, SLB; Jim Masso, Honeywell; Atul Arya, S&P Global; Darryl Willis, Microsoft; Renata Baruzzi, Petrobras
    Examines how AI and cloud technologies could reshape cost structures and performance across energy systems.

    Balancing Act: Price, Reliability and the Global Call on U.S. Energy
    Tuesday, March 24 | 2:35-3:15 p.m.
    Speakers: Stéphane Michel, TotalEnergies; Eleonor Kramarz, S&P Global; Matt Schatzman, NextDecade; Brian Falik, Mercuria Energy America
    Explores tensions between domestic supply reliability and global export opportunities.

    The Future of Upstream: Matching Capital Discipline with Opportunity
    Tuesday, March 24 | 2:35-3:15 p.m.
    Speakers: Richard Jackson, Occidental; Philippe Mathieu, Equinor; Niloufar Molavi, PwC; Bob Fryklund, S&P Global

    Transforming the Energy Industry: How Will Technology Change Business Models?
    Tuesday, March 24 | 2:35- 3:15 p.m.
    Speakers: Ryder Booth, Chevron; Peter Terwiesch, ABB; Atul Arya, S&P Global
    Examines digital transformation and new partnership models reshaping energy value chains.

    Sustainable Solutions: Partnership, Technology and Innovative Paths
    Tuesday, March 24 | 3:25-4:05 p.m.
    Speakers: Barry Engle, ExxonMobil; Luis Cabra, Repsol; Leanne Todd, S&P Global; Roeland Baan, Topsoe
    Highlights collaborative approaches to deploying scalable decarbonization solutions.

    The Future of Refining: Resilience, Innovation and Low-Carbon Pathways
    Tuesday, March 24 | 3:25-4:05 p.m.
    Speakers: Amber Russell, bp; Kurt Barrow, S&P Global; Martijn van Koten, OMV; Atsuhiko Hirano, Idemitsu; Magnus Heimburg, VAROPreem
    Explores how refining and supply chains are adapting to policy, demand and emissions pressures.

    Reinventing Business Strategies: Thriving in the New Energy Economy
    Tuesday, March 24 | 4:15-4:55 p.m.
    Speakers: Muqsit Ashraf, Accenture; Philippe Frangules, S&P Global; Sushil Purohit, Gentari Sdn Bhd
    Discusses evolving strategies integrating new technologies and markets.

    Creating AI-Ready Organizations
    Tuesday, March 24 | 4:20-5:05 p.m.
    Speakers: David Rabley, Accenture; Gwenaelle Avice-Huet, Schneider Electric; Dave Ernsberger, S&P Global; Rob Schapiro, Microsoft; Geoffrey Parker, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth
    Focuses on workforce, leadership and infrastructure required for effective AI adoption.

    Meeting Power Demand for Data Centers
    Wednesday, March 25 | 10:30-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Karim Amin, Siemens Energy; Ed Baine, Dominion Energy; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global; Ingmar Ritzenhofen, RWE Supply & Trading and RWE Clean Energy; Amanda Peterson Corio, Google; Jim Shield, Invenergy
    Discusses strategies for aligning infrastructure, policy and markets to meet data-center load growth.

    Where Agentic AI Is Now and What Comes Next
    Wednesday, March 25 | 10:30-11:00 a.m.
    Speakers: Tathagata Basu, Honeywell; Ben Wilson, Amazon Web Services, Bhavesh Dayalji, S&P Global

    People Power: Strategic Human Capital in a New Energy Era
    Wednesday, March 25 | 10:40-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Jessica Van Singel, Accenture
    Examines workforce strategy alignment with innovation and competitiveness goals.

    Global Energy Pathways in the Age of Abundance
    Wednesday, March 25 | 11:45-12:35 p.m.
    Speakers: Gareth Ramsay, bp; Atul Arya, S&P Global; Olu Verheijen, Office of the President of the Federal Public of Nigeria

    Agentic AI: Embracing Autonomy
    Thursday, March 26 | 10:00-10:30 a.m.
    Speakers: Trygve Randen, SLB; Uwa Airhiavbere, Microsoft; Eric Hanselman, S&P Global
    Examines governance and reliability considerations as autonomous AI systems expand in energy.

    The Changing Mix of U.S. Power Generation: Gas, Renewables, Coal, Nuclear and Beyond
    Thursday, March 26 | 10:30-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Bill Newsom, Mitsubishi Power; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global; John-Paul Jones, Urenco Enrichment Company; Leslie Duke, Burns & McDonnell; Mike DeBock, NextEra Energy Resources
    Explores how policy and technology shifts are reshaping generation portfolios.

    Large Load Growth: Reshaping the Future of Power
    Thursday, March 26 | 11:10-11:50 a.m.
    Speakers: Robert Gaudette, NRG Energy; Petter Skantze, NextEra Energy Resources; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global; Peter Lake, National Energy Dominance Council
    Discusses planning and market responses to large-scale electricity demand.

    Interconnecting America: The Grid’s Last Mile
    Thursday, March 26 | 12:00-12:40 p.m.
    Speakers: Tim Holt, Siemens Energy; Philippe Frangules, S&P Global; David Brast, TC Energy; David Rosner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

    AI: Driving Performance in the Power Sector
    Thursday, March 26 | 3:05-3:45 p.m.
    Speakers: Dak Liyanearachchi, NRG Energy; Hanna Grene, Microsoft; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global
    Explores AI use cases improving grid management and forecasting.

    Digital Twins: The AI Enabler for Multiple Sectors
    Thursday, March 26 | 4:30-5:10 p.m.
    Speakers: Sacha Abinader, Accenture; Oscar Abbink, S&P Global
    Examines digital twins enabling predictive maintenance and AI training environments.

    View the full CERAWeek agenda.

    ———

    This article originally appeared on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

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