Powering Texas with Reliable Integrated High‑Demand Energy
With Texas poised to become the world's largest data center market by 2030, along with 4 million new residents, the Texas grid is experiencing explosive load growth with power demand projected to exceed 200 GW. Investment in power infrastructure across transmission and distribution, solar, wind, battery storage and natural gas is expected to exceed $100 billion. How are we addressing challenges and opportunities to ensure stable integrated energy capacity and grid reliability in Texas?
Joining us in conversation:
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Rudy D. Garza is the President & CEO of CPS Energy,Rudy D. Garza is the President and CEO of CPS Energy, the nation’s largest electric and natural gas public utility, overseeing an energy portfolio of over 10,000 megawatts, over $15 billion in assets, close to $4 billion in annual revenue, and a workforce of over 3,600 employees. CPS Energy is the fourth-largest energy provider in Texas and the fifth-largest in the nation for solar capacity.
Rudy is responsible for CPS Energy’s diverse energy portfolio, which includes nuclear, solar, wind, battery storage, natural gas, and coal, powering over 1.4 million homes and businesses in South Texas. Rudy's leadership team has led innovative initiatives, including grid modernization, customer experience enhancements, and community resiliency.
Rudy has 30 years of experience in the utility industry, serving in both the public and private sectors. He has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Texas.
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Chad V. Seely is Senior Vice President, Regulatory Policy, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary for ERCOT and has been serving as General Counsel since January 1, 2016.
Mr. Seely oversees state and federal policy and manages the overall litigation strategy of ERCOT. In addition, Mr. Seely is responsible for the leadership of the Compliance, Information Governance, Public Affairs, Corporate Communications, and Client Services departments. The Chief Audit Executive who manages the Internal Audit department administratively reports to Mr. Seely. Mr. Seely also oversees the ERCOT Reliability Monitor function which assesses ERCOT and ERCOT Market Participant compliance with Texas electric reliability laws under the direction of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Mr. Seely has been with ERCOT since May 2005.
He received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and French from Texas Tech University and graduated from South Texas College of Law with awards in South Texas’ esteemed advocacy program.
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David Maher is the Senior Vice President, U.S. for H&MV Engineering, spearheading the company’s expansion and market leadership across the United States. A seasoned executive with deep roots in high-voltage infrastructure, David has held multiple senior leadership roles within the organization, consistently driving performance, scale, and strategic growth. David leads with a growth mandate, expanding market presence, elevating execution standards, and positioning H&MV Engineering as a premier partner for mission-critical power infrastructure. He is recognized for decisive leadership, commercial rigor, and the ability to translate technical excellence into sustained enterprise value.
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Jennifer Schmitt is the Head of Operations at Rhythm Energy. She has led teams in portfolio management, pricing, marketing, regulatory, operations, and customer care for retail energy across the U.S. in her 14-years in the industry. She was one of the first employees at Rhythm when they launched in 2020 and has built the organization from the ground up. Rhythm is an award-winning, rapidly growing Houston-based independent Retail Electricity Provider (REP) focused on 100% renewable energy plans. Jennifer is particularly well-versed in Texas grid infrastructure for renewable energy and will bring insight into grid reliability, power pricing and growth opportunities for integrated renewables and battery storage. Jennifer holds an MS in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University, and her experience spans across small, mid and large-size retail electricity suppliers.