Speakers

Speaker Biographies 2026 Annual Meeting

Keynote Speakers

Judy Chang

Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Washington, D.C.

Judy Chang joined the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a Commissioner in July 2024.

Heather Rosentrater

President & CEO, Avista Corporation

Spokane, WA

Heather Rosentrater is the president and chief executive officer at Avista Corp. In this capacity she oversees all aspects of the company’s business.

Travis Kavulla

Administrator, Bonneville Power Administration

Portland, OR

Travis Kavulla is the Seventeenth Administrator of Bonneville Power Administration, sworn in to office on June 29, 2026.

Panel 1

GPUs and You: Generative Load Growth

Stefan Bird

President, BrightNight Power

West Palm Beach, FL

Stefan leads BrightNight’s commercial functions in the U.S., including origination, market analytics, marketing, and communications.

Julien Dumoulin-Smith leads US equity research coverage of Power, Utilities, Midstream, & Clean Energy Research in addition to specialized coverage of engineering procurement & construction (EPC), GE Vernova, and a diverse range of related companies.

Roger Kline

General Manager & CEO, Northern Wasco County PUD

The Dalles, OR

Roger Kline has served as General Manager and CEO of Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District since January 2016, bringing over three decades of diverse experience in the energy sector.

Emily Watt

Director of Energy Markets for the Western US, Microsoft

Bellevue, WA

Emily Watt is Director of Energy Markets at Microsoft.

Moderator:

Robert Cromwell

Principal, Robert Cromwell Consulting

Bainbridge Island, WA

Robert Cromwell acts as a consultant to a variety of energy industry companies who are navigating the intersection of large load growth, power supply, and transmission.

Panel 2

The Day After Day-Aheads: Emerging Regional Initiatives

Michael Wilding

VP, Energy Supply Management, PacifiCorp

Portland, OR

Michael Wilding serves as VP of Energy Supply Management for PacifiCorp.

Caitlin Liotiris

Principal, Energy Strategies

Salt Lake City, UT

Caitlin Liotiris is a Principal at Energy Strategies and a leading voice in shaping Western wholesale electricity markets and regional policy

Elaine Hart

Co-founder and Managing Principal, Sylvan Energy Analytics

Portland, OR

Elaine Hart is a co-founder and Managing Principal at Sylvan Energy Analytics, where she leads the company’s consulting practice and strategic direction.

Moderator:

Letha Tawney

Chair, Oregon Public Utility Commission

Salem, OR

Letha Tawney was appointed to the Oregon Public Utility Commission by Governor Kate Brown in June 2018 and appointed Chair in June 2025 by Governor Tina Kotek.

Panel 3

Lost in Transmission: Finding a Way

Mike Miller

Senior Vice President of Transmission Services, Bonneville Power Administration

Portland, OR

Mike Miller was named senior vice president of Transmission Services in October 2025. In this role, he is responsible for BPA’s high-voltage transmission grid, including 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage line spanning a service area of 300,000 square miles.

Heather Moline

Senior Energy Policy Specialist, Washington Department of Commerce

Olympia, WA

Heather Moline serves as a senior energy policy specialist in the field of electric transmission and distribution for the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Michael Skelly

CEO and Co-founder, Grid United

Houston, TX

Michael Skelly is a pioneer in the U.S. renewable energy industry and is the founder and CEO of Grid United, an early stage transmission development company.

Moderator:

Brian Rybarik

Chair, Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission

Olympia, WA

Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed Brian Rybarik chair of the Utilities and Transportation Commission in January 2025.

Panel 4

Time Matters: Good Ways to Go Faster

Kurt Beckett

Chair, Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC)

Seattle, WA

Kurt Beckett was appointed as EFSEC Chair in January 2025. He brings nearly two decades of experience in management, environmental review, project operations and organizational strategy to the position.

Ajay Pappu

Vice President, Interconnections & Grid Analysis, Invenergy

Chicago, IL

Ajay Pappu is Vice President, Interconnections & Grid Analysis at Invenergy, North America’s largest privately held sustainable energy company.

Irion Sanger

Principal, Sanger Greene

Portland, OR

Irion Sanger’s legal and consulting practice focuses on energy, administrative, and public utility law.

Moderator:

Craig Gannett

Senior Counsel, Davis Wright Tremaine

Seattle, WA

Craig Gannett focuses his practice on efforts to decarbonize the production of electricity and then to use that clean electricity for as many purposes as possible.

Speakers

Speaker Biographies 2026 Annual Meeting

Keynote Speakers

Judy Chang

Heather Rosentrater

Travis Kavulla

Panel 1

GPUs and You: Generative Load Growth

Stefan Bird

Julien Dumoulin-Smith

Roger Kline

Emily Watt

Moderator:

Robert Cromwell

Panel 2

The Day After Day-Aheads: Emerging Regional Initiatives

Michael Wilding

Caitlin Liotiris

Elaine Hart

Moderator:

Letha Tawney

Panel 3

Lost in Transmission: Finding a Way

Mike Miller

Heather Moline

Michael Skelly

Moderator:

Brian Rybarik

Panel 4

Time Matters: Good Ways to Go Faster

Kurt Beckett

Ajay Pappu

Irion Sanger

Moderator:

Craig Gannett

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