Energy Tech Market
Energy Tech Market 2026 is a keystone ETN event that brings together founders, stakeholders, investors, and corporates at the intersection of energy innovation and technology.
In Partnership with Node Climate and Latham & Watkins
Agenda:
12:30 - 1:00 - Networking
1:00 - 2:00 - Startup Pitches from our Accelerator Program Presented by Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)
Companies Pitching
2:00 - 3:00 - PANEL: Powering the Future: Meeting Surging Global Energy Demand in an Age of AI
As AI data centers, EVs, and domestic manufacturing drive U.S. load growth toward 3% annually for the first time in decades, the energy industry faces a defining challenge: how to scale reliable, affordable energy infrastructure at unprecedented speed. This panel explores capital deployment opportunities across the full energy value chain, from generation and storage to grid infrastructure and emerging technologies, and how global energy leaders are positioning for a demand supercycle.
Andy Roehr, MD Baker Tilly - Speaker
Scott Craig, Latham & Watkins - Speaker
Christopher Spears, Energy Innovation Capital - Speaker
Liang Downey, Microsoft - Speaker
Dev Motiram, The Dragonfly Ventures - Moderator
3:00 - 4:00 - Panel 2: FOAK Manufacturing
Reshoring America's clean energy supply chain depends on getting first-of-a-kind manufacturing facilities across the finish line — but rebuilding our manufacturing capabilities is anything but straightforward. This panel cuts through the complexity of managing workforce, financing new facilities, and navigating pre-purchase orders and offtake structures to ask: what will next gen manufacturing look like and what needs to improve to revitalize manufacturing in the US?
Presented in collaboration with Node Climate
Laureen Meroueh, Hertha Metals - Speaker
Deanna Zhang, Node Climate- Moderator
The event will also mark the conclusion of the COPILOT Program: The COPILOT program is a partnership with Browning the Green Space and supported by the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR). It is an eight-month accelerator that provides participating startups mentorship from industry leaders, culminating in a showcase of pilot projects around the Gulf Coast.
About the Speakers
Scott Craig, Partner, Latham & Watkins
Scott Craig is an emerging companies partner in Latham & Watkins' Austin and Houston offices. He provides legal and business guidance to venture and private capital-backed energy technology companies, helping bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and investors and reducing transactional friction in the energy tech space.
Latham & Watkins' unique combination of market-leading Emerging Companies & Growth and Energy & Infrastructure practices positions the firm as an ideal legal platform for high-growth energy tech companies. The firm supports clients through every stage of development, from securing initial capital and commercializing products and services to facilitating strategic acquisitions and overseeing project development and funding. Scott and his colleagues ensure a seamless transition through to exit, whether by acquisition or initial public offering.
Liang Downey, Global Industry Blackbelt, Microsoft
Liang Downey is a Global Industry Blackbelt in Microsoft’s Energy & Resources Industry, bringing over 20+ years of technology leadership to the forefront of digital transformation. She spearheads AI- driven innovation for power and utility companies, advancing capabilities across planning, operations, and renewable energy integration—all with the goal of lowering customer energy costs and enhancing grid reliability. Liang is a passionate practitioner of Design Thinking, leveraging inspiration, divergent and convergent thinking, and end-user empowerment. Her expertise spans demand forecasting, renewable energy forecasting, and decision optimization through machine learning, artificial intelligence, and intelligent agents. She has led several high-impact initiatives, including: Advising the front-end data strategy for a major Independent System Operator to support future transmission growth. Advising a leading power plant operator on a real-time IoT initiative to reduce generation downtime. Orchestrating a multi-year customer transformation program for a major energy provider. Advancing microgrid solutions to strengthen community resilience.
Liang is a Senior Member of IEEE, WIE Regional subcommittee chair, a former advisor to the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society, and an active member of both the IEEE Energy Policy Committee and the Power & Energy Society. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Microsoft Champion Award and 1st Place in the Microsoft Energy Industry Customer Pitch Contest (2021). She has also received multi-year recognition for her leadership of the Global Power Utility Community. Liang holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in Finance, blending deep technical expertise with strategic business acumen.
Laureen Meroueh, Founder & CEO, Hertha Metals
Dr. Laureen Meroueh is the Founder and CEO of Hertha Metals. She's the first woman inventor in steelmaking history to build a company around her breakthrough: the world's first single-step, coal-free steelmaking process. Hertha’s furnace uses electric power and natural gas to slash emissions while reducing production costs: proving the world’s most essential material can be both radically cleaner and more cost competitive.
Dr. Meroueh holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from MIT with a graduate minor in Entrepreneurship and Business, plus dual bachelor's degrees in civil and mechanical engineering. She is widely recognized for her leadership and technical innovation, having received honors such as Forbes 30 Under 30, MIT Energy Initiative Fellow sponsored by ExxonMobil, Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellow, and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.
Reach out if you would like to pitch or speak at the event.