The United States Energy Association (USEA) hosted two pivotal panels focused on the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the energy sector at the AI+ Expo, hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project. In addition, USEA President & CEO Mark Menezes provided an update on the work of the Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy, which he serves on.

“We are strategically aligning public and private sectors – government, academia, and industry – to rapidly deploy fusion energy for domestic power generation,” Menezes said. “The last decade has seen remarkable progress in fusion R&D, with public funding leading to ignition breakthroughs and accelerated by innovations in superconductors, materials, and AI. Together, we’re committed to winning the fusion race alongside Co-Chairs Senator Cantwell, Senator Risch, and SCSP's Ylli Bajraktari.”

The two panels, under the overarching theme "AI For Energy Dominance," delved into how AI and related technologies were revolutionizing energy procurement and addressing unprecedented demands on digital infrastructure.

The first panel, titled "Powering Artificial Intelligence," explored the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure driven by advancements in AI and data-intensive technologies. This session brought together leading experts to discuss how energy providers were rising to meet the monumental challenges posed by surging electricity demand. Panelists included:

• Mark W. Menezes, President & CEO, United States Energy Association (Moderator)
• Jeffrey Miller, Vice President of Business Development, TerraPower
• Mary Dhillon, Strategy Lead, Fervo
• Skylar Drennen, Senior Manager for Growth, Orsted

The second panel, "Powering Informed Energy Procurement," highlighted how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) were revolutionizing the energy procurement landscape. This dynamic discussion, moderated by Clean Energy Buyers Association President & CEO Rich Powell, uncovered how cutting-edge technologies empowered energy buyers to make more informed decisions, moving beyond traditional approaches to leverage vast datasets and predictive analytics. The distinguished speakers for this session were:

• Rich Powell, CEO, Clean Energy Buyers Association (Moderator)
• Brian George, Global Energy Market Development & Policy, US Federal Lead, Google
• Todd Snitchler, President & CEO, Electric Power Supply Association
• Shannon Kellogg, Vice President of Public Policy, Amazon

Both panels underscored the critical intersection of AI and energy, aiming to foster discussions that will shape the future of the energy sector.

Lunch for the event was sponsored by the Clean Energy Buyers Association, a member of USEA.

USEA President & CEO Mark Menezes (second from left) speaking on a panel updating AI+ Expo attendees on the work of the Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy.

(l to r) Clean Energy Buyers Association President & CEO Rich Powell, Google US Federal Lead for Global Energy Market Development & Policy Brian George, Electric Power Supply Association President & CEO Todd Snitchler, and Amazon Vice President of Public Policy Shannon Kellog.

(l to r) USEA President & CEO Mark Menezes, Fervo Strategy Lead Mary Dhillon, Orsted Senior Manager for Growth Skylar Drennen, and TerraPower Vice President of Business Development Jeffrey Miller.