ERCOT Power NEXT 2027
About the Event
ERCOT Power NEXT is a three-day executive power and energy conference organized by Infocast, taking place January 25–27, 2027, at the Hilton Austin in Austin, Texas. Expanding on Infocast's long-running ERCOT Market Summit, the event convenes more than 800 participants and over 115 speakers across 29 sessions. Attendees include wholesale power generators, electric utilities, ERCOT officials, state legislators, project lenders, and large-load energy customers spanning data centers, industrial operations, and oil and gas producers.
The program addresses structural shifts in the Texas power grid driven by the rapid expansion of AI data centers, large flexible loads, and industrial electrification. Key discussions examine legislative reforms from Texas's 89th and 90th Legislative Sessions (including Senate Bill 6), ERCOT's Batch Zero large-load interconnection process, the proposed 765-kV transmission expansion, and new cost-allocation methodologies replacing traditional 4CP frameworks.
Programming Focus
- Legislative and regulatory outlook: assessing the impacts of SB 6, large-load interconnection rules, and permitting mandates in the 90th Legislative Session
- ERCOT Batch Zero and interconnection reform: examining system-wide large-load grid studies, project qualification rules, and queue management for AI data centers
- Long-term load forecasting: evaluating peak demand projections, large flexible load (LFL) profiles, and Permian Basin oil and gas electrification requirements
- Power delivery and transmission expansion: assessing the economic case, landowner routing, and cost allocation for ERCOT's multi-billion-dollar 765-kV transmission backbone
- Alternative power supply models: "bring your own generation" (BYOG) structures, hybrid gas-and-storage energy campuses, behind-the-meter colocation, and speed-to-power strategies
- Beyond 4CP transmission cost allocation: PUCT evaluation of 12CP methodologies and cost impacts for large-scale energy consumers
- Siting, community engagement, and resource constraints: resolving local permitting pushback, water resource access, and gas pipeline connectivity for large compute campuses
- Wholesale market asset optimization: revenue stacking across ancillary services, merchant risk underwriting, battery storage integration, and dispatchable generation
Featured Speakers
Regulators, Legislators, and Grid Operators:
- Keith Collins, Vice President of Commercial Operations, ERCOT
- Gordon Drake, Director of Market Design and Analysis, ERCOT
- State Representative Giovanni Capriglione, President, Digital Infrastructure Network
- Mark Henry, Chief Engineer and Director of Reliability Outreach, Texas Reliability Entity
Utilities and Generation Operators:
- Randa Stephenson, Chief Operating Officer, Wholesale Power, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)
- Ned Bonskowski, Vice President, Texas Regulatory Policy, Vistra Corp.
- Arnie Quinn, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Policy, Vistra Corp.
- Chris Smith, Senior Manager, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Constellation
- Vitaly Lee, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Hanwha Renewables
- Andres Maynez, Director of Grid Integration, Cypress Creek Renewables
- Adam Renz, Director of Project Development, Pattern Energy
- Caitlin Smith, Senior Vice President of Federal and Regulatory Affairs, Jupiter Power
- Casey Keller, Managing Partner, Juvo Energy
Data Center, Energy Policy, and Industrial Stakeholders:
- Cameron Poursoltan, Director, Energy Policy – Texas, Data Center Coalition
- Pol Lezcano, Director of Market Intelligence, CBRE Energy
- Bryn Baker, Senior Director, Organized Markets Policy, Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA)
- Katie Coleman, Counsel, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers (TIEC)
- Spencer Marr, President, Sangha Renewables
- Judd Messer, Vice President, Advanced Power Alliance
- Clayton Greer, Vice President, Energy Division, Cholla Energy
- Chris Lane, Senior Director, Origination, Origis Energy
- Madeline Gould Laughlin, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Grid United
- Barb Jacobs, Senior Director of Government Relations, Lightsource bp
- Anna Richey, Public Engagement Director, Apex Clean Energy
Finance, Capital Markets, and Advisory:
- Carl Cho, Director, Clean Energy Finance, Citigroup Global Markets
- Joel Spenadel, Executive Director, Energy Investments, J.P. Morgan
- Brandon Wax, Partner, Arroyo Investors
- Shawn Cumberland, Managing Partner, EnCap Energy Transition
- Michelle Musson, Vice President, Orennia
- Beth Garza, Senior Fellow, Energy, R Street Institute
Who Should Attend
- Data center developers, operators, and hyperscale site selection leads evaluating Texas grid interconnections
- Independent power producers (IPPs), utility-scale solar, wind, gas, and battery storage project developers
- Electric transmission developers, engineering procurement contractors (EPCs), and substation equipment manufacturers
- Electric utility executives, ERCOT market participants, and energy trading desks
- Private equity sponsors, project finance lenders, and tax equity investors
- Industrial large-load end users, crypto mining facility operators, and energy procurement directors
- Energy attorneys, regulatory consultants, and power market analysts
Logistics
The summit takes place at the Hilton Austin, located at 500 East 4th Street in downtown Austin, Texas. The three-day schedule includes shared plenary sessions on January 25 and January 27, with dual concurrent tracks focusing on ERCOT Market Reforms and Investment & Asset Optimization on January 26. Daily registration and networking breakfast open at 7:30 AM CST.