Sargent & Lundy Chairman, President, and CEO Victor Suchodolski will open the POWERGEN 2026 conference as a keynote panelist with global energy, engineering, and technology leaders shaping solutions to confront increasing energy demands.
The three-day conference, which begins Jan. 20 in San Antonio, will focus on how to deliver the massive power loads needed to fuel data centers, silicon chip manufacturing, and the high-performance artificial intelligence computers at the heart of the digital economy. Suchodolski and a delegation of Sargent & Lundy professionals will lead discussions and share insights on first-of-a-kind projects, grid reliability, permitting, financial due diligence, and protecting assets from harsh weather conditions.
In his keynote session, Suchodolski will appear alongside Marc Spieler, senior managing director of energy for NVIDIA, a leading AI chip manufacturer, and Raiford Smith, global market lead for power and energy for Google Cloud, one of the world’s largest power consumers. The panel also includes Kurt Goldbronn, senior director of data, digital and artificial intelligence for Westinghouse Electric Company; Mike Carvaggio, vice president of energy supply and fleet reliability for EPRI; and Rudy Garza, president and CEO of San Antonio-based CPS Energy. The group will examine how utilities, engineering firms, and technology providers are responding to increasing power loads, shifting investment needs, and evolving regulatory expectations. Panelists will also discuss how data-driven approaches are shaping construction strategies and long-term asset performance.
Sargent & Lundy’s delegation will also deliver and participate in the following presentations and panel sessions.
- “Scaling Carbon Capture: Lessons From the World’s Largest Membrane Pilot” Jan. 20 at 2:15 p.m. Dana Pierik, a former NASA flight controller with more than 20 years of engineering experience, will discuss her work leading the world’s largest membrane carbon capture project at the Sargent & Lundy-designed Wyoming Integrated Test Center.
- “Air Permitting Considerations for New Data Center Power Generation” Jan. 20 at 2:15 p.m. David Helm, a senior environmental consultant with more than 25 years of engineering, permitting and compliance experience, will outline related challenges and regulatory issues.
- Keeping the Lights On: Tackling the Grid Reliability Challenge” panel Jan. 21 at 3:15 p.m. Matthew Thibodeau, a project director leading utility planning, decarbonization, grid modernization, technical advisory, and other services, will share insights for making the grid more reliable.
- “Cracking the Code to CCS Financing: From Technical Risk to Investor Confidence” panel Jan. 21 at 3:15 p.m. Danielle Flagg, a project director supporting Sargent & Lundy’s carbon capture and carbon management projects and the committee chair for the conference’s Carbon Capture and Emission Controls track, will moderate the panel. Patrick Daou will participate in the panel and discuss the financing needed to implement carbon capture projects. Daou leads the firm’s emerging technologies team and has supported major project transactions through independent engineering services for developers, technology providers, industrial manufacturers, utilities, lenders, and equity investors.
- “Cold-Proofing the Fleet: Weatherization Strategies for Critical Generation” Jan. 22 at 11:30 a.m. Paula Guletsky, a project director with more than 45 years of power industry experience in plant services, new generation, and environmental controls, will cover measures that can be taken to protect vital generating assets.
POWERGEN is one of the largest power and energy conferences, drawing thousands of utility, manufacturing, and engineering professionals to discuss industry challenges and the trends and innovations shaping its future. Learn more about the conference here.