2026 Duke University Energy Conference:
Delivering on Expectations
November 11, 2026
The Fuqua School of Business
Registration is now live.
Conference Format
The 18th annual Duke University Energy Conference will leverage Duke’s reputation as an academic institution at the center of the global energy conversation to address the energy transition.
Keynote Conversations
Speaker Panels
Networking Receptions
Today’s energy system faces growing and often competing demands: affordability, reliability, security, and sustainability. This year’s conference will bring together leaders and experts to explore how these tensions are shaping decisions across the energy landscape.
From rising costs and infrastructure investment to system reliability, market design, and risk allocation, discussions will examine who pays for and who benefits from America’s energy future. We will also look ahead to how capital and policy are guiding the pace and direction of the energy transition.
At its core, the conference will confront a key challenge: not all expectations may be met at once. Understanding how these tradeoffs are made is essential to building a resilient, future-ready energy system.
2026 Company Expo
Headline sponsor:
Other sponsors:
Represented Companies:
2026 Conference Schedule
8:00 – 9:00 am: Check-in, Coffee, and Breakfast
8:30 – 8:50 am: Industry Boot Camp: optional breakfast session (Kirby Reading Room)
8:50 – 9:05 am: Breakfast wraps up and transition time to Geneen Auditorium
9:05 – 9:15 am: Opening Remarks
9:15 – 10:00 am: Keynote Speaker: Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, EVP & CEO Duke Energy Carolinas & Natural Gas Business
10:05 – 10:45 am: Hot Takes Debate: Nuclear Edition
10:45 – 11:05 am: Break, coffee and snacks available
11:05 – 11:45 am: Panel: Inside the Energy C-Suite
11:45 am – 1:15 pm: Lunch and Company Expo
1:15 – 1:25 pm: Afternoon Opening Remarks
1:30 – 2:15 pm: Keynote Speaker: Mark Florian, GIP Partner & Head of GIP Mid-Market Fund, BlackRock
2:20 – 3:00 pm: Panel: Onshoring Critical Minerals for the Future
3:00 – 3:15 pm: Break: coffee and snacks available
3:15 – 3:55 pm: Panel: Navigating Energy Security in an Era of Geopolitical Fragmentation
3:55 – 4:00 pm: Closing Remarks
4:00 – 5:00 pm: Networking and Happy Hour
Keynote Speakers
Mark Florian
Partner, Head of BlackRock Global Infrastructure Funds
Mark Florian is a Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) Partner and Head of the GIP Mid-Market Fund (GMF), a part of BlackRock. Florian launched GMF in 2009 to invest in infrastructure businesses across the energy, transport, digital, and waste sectors. Since inception, he has overseen the fund’s strategy, portfolio construction, investment activity, and management of US$19 billion in capital commitments, with a particular focus on essential energy infrastructure. Mr. Florian also chairs the fund’s Investment Committee and serves on GIP’s Executive Committee. Earlier in his career, he was a Partner at Goldman Sachs, where he led the firm’s global Infrastructure Investment Banking business and served on the Investment Committee for Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Partners. A Duke alumnus, Mr. Florian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Economics, magna cum laude, from Duke University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Serena Agaba Rwejuna
Keynote moderator
Serena Agaba Rwejuna is a business and legal strategist with 15+ years of experience in energy, infrastructure, and regulated industries. She has advised on more than $50B in transactions. Previously Partner and Head of Energy Markets & Regulatory at White & Case LLP, she advised Fortune 500 boards and executives on business strategy, corporate governance, and enterprise risk. Serena serves on the Duke Nicholas Institute’s Board of Advisors and lectures at Duke Law. Her honors include Chambers recognition, Euromoney’s 2023 energy lawyer award, and recognition among 2024’s Influential Women in Energy. She holds degrees in law, management, and psychology and a graduate certificate in politics and public policy. Based in Washington, DC, she speaks globally on energy, finance, leadership, and talent development.
Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe
EVP and CEO, Duke Energy Carolinas and Natural Gas Business at Duke Energy Corporation
Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe is EVP and CEO for Duke Energy Carolinas and the natural gas business. He oversees regulatory and legislative affairs, strategic direction, growth, and financial performance for Duke Energy’s regulated electric utilities in North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as its natural gas business, including Piedmont Natural Gas.
Since joining Duke Energy in 2002, Ghartey-Tagoe has held numerous leadership roles, including executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary; president of Duke Energy’s South Carolina electric utility operations; and several senior legal and regulatory positions. Before joining Duke Energy, he was a partner at McGuireWoods LLP.
His honors include recognition as one of Savoy Magazine’s 2024 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America, the Charlotte Business Journal’s Diversity Champion Award, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Award of Excellence.
Ghartey-Tagoe earned a J.D. from Duke University and a B.A. in economics and finance from McGill University.
Jack Corey
Keynote moderator
Jack Corey is an M.B.A. candidate at the Fuqua School of Business studying energy finance and how the energy transition is reshaping investment, operations, and the role of traditional energy companies. While at Fuqua, he organized an Energy Conference panel on grid resiliency, bringing together industry experts to discuss reliability, system constraints, and the challenges of integrating new generation. Prior to Duke, Corey spent six years working on industrial and commercial energy efficiency projects and is a Certified Energy Manager. This summer, he will join ExxonMobil on the energy products – fuels value chain team.
Programming and Panel Discussions
More information to come!
Critical Minerals Panel
Clara Park
Senior Research Scientist of Political Science at Duke University
Read Clara Park's Bio
Clara Park is a Senior Research Scientist of Political Science at Duke University and a member of the Duke Critical Minerals Hub, where she co-leads the Unconventional Resources Task Force. Her research focuses on business and politics in international trade, finance, and supply chains. She is the author of Making Financial Globalization: How Firms Shape International Regulatory Cooperation (Oxford University Press, 2024) and the forthcoming book, The Geopolitics of the Critical Minerals Supply Chain (Cambridge University Press).
Evan Leon
Senior Manager in the Resources Recycling Strategic Business Unit at Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.
Read Evan Leon's Bio
John Maslin
Chief Executive Officer at Vulcan Elements
Read John Maslin's Bio
John Maslin is Vulcan Elements’ Chief Executive Officer. Before founding Vulcan Elements, he spent several years as the financial manager for the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program (Naval Reactors), executing a $2B annual budget to finance and procure sensitive materials and components for nuclear reactors on the Navy’s newest aircraft carriers and submarines. A former Navy Supply Officer, John received his MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master of Accounting from the University of Cambridge, and a BS from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Geopolitical Effects On Energy Panel
Yousif Alqatari
Investment Banking Senior Associate at Goldman Sachs‘ Global Natural Resources Group
Read Yousif Alqatari's Bio
Yousif Alqatari is an Investment Banking Senior Associate in Goldman Sachs‘ Global Natural Resources group in New York. He advises clients spanning the power and utilities, renewables, chemicals, metals and mining, and infrastructure sectors. He has executed transactions across M&A, LBOs, debt and equity financing, project finance, IPOs, and activism defense.
Previously, Yousif worked in various engineering capacities in the oil and gas sector, specializing in unconventional reservoirs. He is also a startup founder with venture capital experience focused on fintech.
Yousif earned his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where he received the Certificate of Academic Excellence in Finance. At Duke, he served on the Duke Energy Conference Committee and held roles as a Corporate Finance teaching assistant to Professor John Graham, an Investment Banking Fellow, and an Admissions Fellow. He holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering and Economics from the University of Wyoming.
David H. Mann
Policy Advisor at Holland & Knight
Read David H. Mann's Bio
As an American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Certified Association Executive, Mr. Mann also brings specific knowledge and experience in association advocacy and governance, making him a trusted advisor to member-driven organizations.
Mr. Mann’s background includes leadership roles in industry and advocacy: vice president of external affairs for a renewable fuels and chemicals company, senior director for building and construction at a major trade association and founder of a fire safety for construction materials association, treasury department at a global renewable energy developer, and policy positions with hydrogen and energy efficiency nonprofits.
Anna Mosby
Head of Global Climate Policy at S&P Global Energy
Read Anna Mosby's Bio
Anna Mosby is the Head of Global Climate Policy within the Energy Transition Narratives group at S&P Global Energy. She leads analysis of climate, energy, and broader policy developments, helping clients navigate an increasingly complex policy, regulatory, andgeopolitical landscape. Her expertise spans U.S. federal energy and climate policy, greenhouse gas emissions pathways, energy transition policy, and the physical impacts of climate change on energy systems and infrastructure. She also leads analysis of global climate policy developments, including major elections, international climate negotiations, and evolving regulatory frameworks across key energy markets.
Before joining S&P Global, Ms. Mosby worked at Energetics Incorporated, supporting international clean energy cooperation and climate resilience initiatives at a variety of offices within the U.S. Department of Energy.
Ms. Mosby holds a B.S. in Biology from Duke University and an M.S. in Biological Oceanography from the College of William & Mary.
Inside the C-Suite Panel
Monica Trauzzi
Chief Communications Officer at the Smart Electric Power Alliance
Read Monica Trauzzi's Bio
Monica Trauzzi is Chief Communications Officer at the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), where she leads the organization’s enterprise communications, brand, and marketing strategy and oversees Public Utilities Fortnightly magazine. A member of SEPA’s Executive Leadership Team, she guides the organization’s voice and positioning at a pivotal moment for the energy sector, helping shape industry dialogue.
Prior to joining SEPA, Trauzzi served as Senior Director at Invariant, advising Fortune 100 companies, utilities, and emerging startups on energy and sustainability strategy. She also served as Senior Director of External Communications and Climate Finance Strategy at the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Trauzzi began her career at E&E News (now POLITICO). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Paul Tivnan
Chief Financial Officer at Deriva Energy LLC
Read Paul Tivnan's Bio
Prior to Deriva, Mr. Tivnan served as CFO of Brookfield Renewable Ireland and Ardmore Shipping Corporation. Earlier, he worked at Ernst & Young in Financial Services Advisory and has served as a director of Element 1 Corp.
Mr. Tivnan is a Certified International Director through INSEAD, holds degrees in Accounting, Finance, and Business Studies from Dublin City University, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland.
Andrew Meyers
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Satoshi Energy
Read Andrew Meyers' Bio
Andrew Meyers is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Satoshi Energy, where he leads the company’s strategy and development activities at the intersection of energy and high-performance computing. Before founding Satoshi Energy, Andrew led the development of software and data science products as a consultant to Fortune 500 energy and financial services companies. He holds a Master of Environmental Management with a concentration in Energy and a Master of Engineering Management from Duke University, as well as a Bachelor of Engineering in Multidisciplinary Engineering with concentrations in Energy and Acoustics from Purdue University.
Hot Topics Debate: Advanced Nuclear Panel
Raivat Singhania
Senior Associate, Research and Due Diligence at Third Derivative, a program of RMI
Read Raivat Singhania's Bio
Raivat is a senior associate with RMI’s Third Derivative team, leading the research and startup due diligence efforts for various industry decarbonization verticals. He plays a key role in sourcing leading startups in this space based on rigorous research to determine the best technologies from the scientific, engineering, and economic viability perspectives.
Raivat has studied materials science & engineering with research in novel photo-electrochemical hydrogen generation technologies and ultra-thin film electronic materials. He is a passionate rock climber, skier, and mountaineer. Originally from Singapore, Raivat moved to the United States to attend Lehigh University for undergraduate and UC San Diego for graduate school before securing a position at RMI.
Kati Austgen
Director, Public Engagement & New Nuclear at the Nuclear Energy Institute
Read Kati Austgen's Bio
Andrew Eckert
Manager on the Commercial Development team at TerraPower
Read Andrew Eckert's Bio
Andrew Eckert is Director of Commercial Strategy at TerraPower, an advanced nuclear company. He specializes in driving cost reduction, building supplier partnerships, and assessing Blue Ocean growth opportunities. Before TerraPower, he worked for Blue Origin and Ingersoll Rand, leading corporate strategy, end-to-end supply chain management, and manufacturing excellence. Andrew holds an MBA from Indiana University and a BS in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Getting Around Durham
Hotels
JB Duke Hotel (4.6 stars)
0.2 miles from Fuqua (6 min walk)
Bar and restaurant
Washington Duke Inn & Hotel (4.7 stars)
0.4 miles from Fuqua (9 min walk)
Pub, restaurant, and golf course
AC Hotel by Marriott Durham (4.2 stars)
1.1 miles from Fuqua (3 min drive)
Bar and restaurant
Hilton Durham Near Duke (4.0 stars)
2.5 miles from Fuqua (8 min drive)
Restaurant
Food and Drinks
Vin Rouge | $$$ French Cuisine
Juju Durham | $$$ Asian Fusion
M Sushi | $$$ Sushi Bar
Local 22 Kitchen & Bar | $$ American
Lime & Lemon | $$ Indian Cuisine
Burger Bach | $$ Burger Restaurant
Pizzeria Toro | $$ Brick-Oven pizza
West End Wine Bar | $$ Wine Bar
Ponysaurus Brewing | $$ Brewery
Motorco | $$ Live Music and Bar
Velvet Hippo| $$ Rooftop Bar
The Duke University Energy Conference is part of:
Questions?
Interested in becoming a 2026 Energy Conference Sponsor? Have other questions?
Contact us:
energyweek@duke.edu