CERAWeek 2026

Panel Title: How to Measure Climate Progress
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 10:00am - 10:30am (CST)
Speakers: Antonia Bullard (S&P Global), David Victor (University of California, San Diego), Maria João Duarte (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries EMEA), Elsa Pernot (Gunvor)

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Global temperature alone is an incomplete indicator of climate action. We highlight the need for a comprehensive set of tools, metrics and strategies needed to track global and local efforts against climate change.

What metrics beyond global temperature best capture true climate progress across mitigation and adaptation? How can transparency and standardized reporting improve accountability for governments, businesses and international organizations? What role does innovation, technology and data play in accelerating measurable climate action?

Panel Title: CCS Projects in Action: Lessons learned
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 12:00pm - 12:30pm (CST)
Speakers: Katherine Rojas (SLB), George Yoshida (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)

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With the global project pipeline surging, CCS has reached a critical deployment turning point. Global scaling of projects and real-world operational data is now essential for validating where CCS can be most economic and impactful for impact for achieving climate targets. The key challenge is converting the pipeline into operational assets by overcoming hurdles in commercial complexities, financing and policy certainty. What are the critical lessons from recent large-scale CCS projects? How can we accelerate the conversion of projects pipeline to final investment decision?

Panel Title: COP30: What it delivered, what’s still missing
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 11:30am - 12:00pm (CST)
Speakers: Samantha Gross (Brookings Institution), Kendall Stephenson (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America), Anna Mosby (S&P Global)

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Analysis of progress made at COP30 on climate finance, adaptation measures and technology innovation, while critically assessing the challenges that must still be addressed to meet the Paris climate goals. Which COP30 outcomes represent genuine progress toward climate mitigation and adaptation? How can climate finance and support for vulnerable countries be scaled effectively to meet commitments? How can we effectively follow-up on COP30 pledges?

Panel Title: One Grid, One ASEAN: Building a shared clean energy future
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 1:30pm - 2:10pm (CST)
Speakers: Akihiro Ondo (Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.), Gauri Jauhar (S&P Global), Yukari Niwa Yamashita (Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ))

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Regional collaboration is key to scaling clean power and building a resilient, interconnected ASEAN energy market. This session explores how cross-border partnerships can unlock investment, technology and market integration to accelerate the transition. How can ASEAN regulators align policies to fast-track clean energy deployment? How can public and private actors collaborate to attract clean energy investment? What role can regional grid interconnections play in driving growth?

Panel Title: ACES Delta and the Future of Long-duration Energy Storage
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 9:30am - 10:00am (CST)

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The ACES Delta project in Utah is set to become the world’s largest green hydrogen hub, converting 220 MW of renewable energy into 100 metric tons of hydrogen daily. Massive salt caverns provide seasonal, long-duration storage to strengthen grid reliability and reduce renewable curtailment. Through a joint venture between Mitsubishi Power Americas and Chevron, hydrogen will supply the Intermountain Power Agency’s IPP Renewed plant, supporting its transition from coal to an 840 MW combined-cycle facility. Beginning with a 30% hydrogen blend in 2025 and aiming for 100% by 2045, ACES Delta demonstrates a scalable blueprint for deep decarbonization. How did the partnership come together? What supports from industry or governments played a role?

Panel Title: Leadership in Times of Disruption: Strategies for organizational resilience
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 11:00am - 11:30am (CST)
Speakers: Rob Schapiro (Microsoft), Patti Johnson (Mitsubishi Power Americas)

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Agile command is vital to guide energy organizations through technological, geopolitical and market disruptions. Leaders must cultivate an adaptable and resilient organizational culture while executing decisive human capital strategies to turn continuous change into a competitive advantage. Effective governance frameworks are essential for managing high-velocity risks, such as cybersecurity threats and supply chain volatility, while ensuring organizational stability and performance.

How can leaders foster a culture of psychological safety and continuous learning that empowers employees to embrace adaptation? What strategies will help retain critical human capital during industry-wide transformation?

Panel Title: Gas and CCS: A competitive solution to meet power generation growth?
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 4:00pm - 4:30pm (CST)
Speakers: Julio Friedmann (Carbon Direct), Tatsuto Nagayasu (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)

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The combination of gas with CCS offers a potentially cost-competitive, low-carbon solution to meet power demand growth associated with AI and electrification in the short to medium term. It is therefore of interest to stakeholders in the growth of data centers as well as CCS and power infrastructure. This session will examine its potential. How competitive is a combination of gas-fired power and CCS compared to other new power generation options, including the use of renewables? How does the availability of gas with CCS impact the choice of data center locations? Which CCS technologies are most suited for use with gas-fired power?

Panel Title: The Changing Mix of US Power Generation: Gas, renewables, coal, nuclear and beyond
Program Type: Executive Conference
Time: 10:30am - 11:20am (CST)
Speakers: Bill Newsom (Mitsubishi Power Americas), Douglas Giuffre (S&P Global), John-Paul Jones (Urenco Enrichment Company), Leslie M. Duke (Burns & McDonnell), Mike DeBock (NextEra Energy Resources)

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The interplay between policy signals, market forces and technological innovation is rapidly reshaping the generation mix of the US power sector. Navigating the transition from coal and gas to advanced nuclear and emerging technologies is critical for ensuring grid reliability, affordability and long-term energy security. Industry leaders face tough choices: Balancing the economic realities of fossil fuels with the promise of new solutions, all within a dynamic regulatory environment. How will shifts in energy policy and financing trends accelerate or hinder the adoption of an “all-of-the-above” approach? What strategies will best secure a resilient and affordable power market for the next decade? Will the future US grid deliver on the promise of reliability and affordability amid unprecedented change? Which generation sources will emerge as the backbone of tomorrow’s power markets?

Panel Title: Sustainable Data Centers: Myth or reality?
Program Type: Innovation Agora
Time: 2:30pm - 3:00pm (CST)
Speakers: David Sandalow (Columbia University), Jay Rambukpota (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Ltd)

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With data center electricity use projected to soar, radical advances in efficiency are critical for sustainable growth. This discussion explores next-generation data center sustainability solutions such as liquid cooling and water management, chip-level innovations and AI-driven thermal management. The key challenge is justifying the capital investment for these cutting-edge technologies. What are the most promising innovations in data center sustainability solutions? How can AI-driven control systems unlock new levels of operational and energy efficiency? What is the business case for investing in next-generation sustainable infrastructure?