ttf16: Full Schedule

8:30am CDT

Energy Prices and the Economy

Supported by NRG Energy

Moderators

Russell Gold (mod.)

Senior Energy Reporter at The Wall Street Journal

Gold has been a reporter in Texas for The Wall Street Journal since 2000. He covers fracking and the U.S. energy industry and is the author of the book The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World. Gold has previously worked for the San Antonio... Read More →

Speakers

Tom Currah

Chief Revenue Estimator for the Texas Comptroller

Currah has worked at the Texas Comptroller’s office since 1999, most recently serving as senior adviser and data analysis director. As the chief revenue estimator, Currah is responsible for producing the biennial revenue estimate, which informs how much money is available to be... Read More →

Drew Darby

State Representative

Darby, R-San Angelo, has represented House District 72 since 2007. He serves as chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee and is a member of the Ways and Means Committee. Darby is also the owner of Surety Title, a title and escrow services company, and is of counsel to the... Read More →

Chris Paddie

State Representative

Paddie, R-Marshall, has represented House District 9 since 2013. He serves as vice chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee and sits on the Administration and Transportation committees. Paddie previously served on the Marshall City Commission and as mayor of Marshall.

Ryan Sitton

Texas Railroad Commissioner

Sitton was elected to his first term on the Railroad Commission in 2014. He is the co-founder of Pinnacle Advanced Reliability Technologies, an engineering and technology company focused on programs for the oil, gas and petrochemical industry. Sitton has also served on the boards... Read More →

Mine Yücel

Senior Vice President and Director of Research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Yücel has worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas since 1989. She is an adviser to the bank’s president on regional and energy issues. Yücel serves on the board of the National Association for Business Economics and the Global Interdependence Center. Previously, Yücel served... Read More →

Saturday September 24, 2016 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100

Energy & the Environment

9:50am CDT

What We've Learned About Renewables

Moderators

Michael Webber (mod.)

Deputy Director of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin

Webber is the Josey Centennial Fellow in Energy Resources and an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also the co-director of the Clean Energy Incubator at the Austin Technology Incubator. Webber’s research focuses on policy and... Read More →

Speakers

Paula Gold-Williams

President and CEO of CPS Energy

Gold-Williams was named president and CEO of CPS Energy in July. Since 2008, she has served various administrative roles at CPS including group executive vice president of financial and administrative services and CFO. Gold-Williams joined CPS in 2004 after holding various positions... Read More →

Cheryl Mele

Chief Operations Officer of ERCOT

Mele became ERCOT’s senior vice president and chief operating officer in January. She also serves as board member and chairwoman of the Austin Science Education Foundation. Prior to joining ERCOT, she served as deputy general manager and COO for Austin Energy. Before joining Austin... Read More →

Greg Wortham

Founder and Executive Director of the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse

Wortham is the founder and executive director of the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse, a wind energy recruitment and education organization. Additionally, he serves as president of New Amsterdam Global Solutions, a consulting firm for evaluation and development of renewable energy... Read More →

Maura Yates

Vice President of Sustainable Solutions at MP2 Energy

Yates works for MP2 Energy, a full-service power company serving Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Before joining MP2, she served as director of government affairs at SunEdison, a solar technology manufacturer. Previously, Yates was a member of the Department of Energy’s Solar... Read More →

Saturday September 24, 2016 9:50am - 10:50am CDT
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100

Energy & the Environment

11:10am CDT

One on One with Boone Pickens

Supported by Oncor

Moderators

Joe Nocera

Columnist for The New York Times

Nocera is a sports business columnist for The Times, which he joined in 2005. He has written the “Talking Business” column and, until recently, an Op-Ed column. He also writes on business topics for the New York Times Magazine. Nocera’s latest book is Indentured: The Inside... Read More →

Speakers

T. Boone Pickens

Chairman and CEO of BP Capital Management

Pickens founded BP Capital Management, an energy investment firm, in 1997, and currently serves as its chairman and CEO. Previously, he led Mesa Petroleum and in 2008, he launched the Pickens Plan, a grassroots campaign aimed to reduce the United States’ dependence on OPEC oil... Read More →

Saturday September 24, 2016 11:10am - 12:10pm CDT
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100

Energy & the Environment

1:45pm CDT

The Future of the Grid

Supported by CPS Energy

Moderators

Jim Malewitz (mod.)

Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Malewitz primarily covers the intersection of energy and the environment for the Tribune. Previously, he spent two years covering energy and environmental issues for Stateline, a nonprofit news service in Washington, D.C. A native of Michigan, he has an undergraduate degree from Grinnell... Read More →

Speakers

Joel Austin

Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Oncor Electric Delivery

Austin is a leader at Oncor Electric Delivery, a regulated electric transmission and distribution service provider that serves 10 million customers across Texas. He has more than 30 years experience in the energy, finance and software industries, at Informix, Enserch, Deloitte & Touche... Read More →

Bob Hall

State Senator

Hall, R-Edgewood, has represented Senate District 2 since 2015. He is a member of the Senate Transportation, Natural Resources & Development, Veteran Affairs & Military Installations and Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs committees. Additionally, he serves as vice chairman of the... Read More →

Elizabeth Lippincott

Executive Director of the Texas Clean Energy Coalition

Lippincott is a leader at Texas Clean Energy Coalition, which supports Texas’ clean energy economy by promoting affordable and reliable clean technology. She also serves as a vice president of Vianovo, an advisory firm. Previously, Lippincott served as chief of staff for former... Read More →

Brandy Marty Marquez

Public Utility Commissioner

Marquez was appointed a public utility commissioner in 2013 by then-Gov. Rick Perry. Previously, she held several positions in the governor’s office during Perry’s tenure, including chief of staff, director of the Budget, Planning and Policy Division, and deputy legislative director... Read More →

Saturday September 24, 2016 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100

Energy & the Environment

3:05pm CDT

One on One with Katharine Hayhoe

Moderators

Neena Satija (mod.)

Investigative Reporter and Producer for The Texas Tribune and Reveal

Satija works for the Tribune and Reveal, a public radio program from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Previously, she was the environment reporter for the Tribune. Satija has also worked for a number of East Coast news outlets, including the New Haven Independent, the Connecticut... Read More →

Speakers

Katharine Hayhoe

Director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University

Hayhoe is an associate professor at Texas Tech University, where she is also the director of the Climate Science Center. She is a lead author for the National Climate Assessment and her research focuses on understanding what climate change means for people and the places where we... Read More →

Saturday September 24, 2016 3:05pm - 4:05pm CDT
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100

Energy & the Environment

4:25pm CDT

What's Next on Water?

Supported by the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

Moderators

Kiah Collier (mod.)

Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Collier reports on public education for the Tribune. Previously, she reported on government and politics for the Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle. Collier began her career in West Texas reporting for Reuters America Service and the San Angelo Standard-Times, where... Read More →

Speakers

Bech Bruun

Chairman of the Texas Water Development Board

Bruun has served on the board since 2013 and was named chairman in 2015 by Gov. Greg Abbott. He also serves as the board’s designated appointee to the Texas Environmental Flows Advisory Group. Previously, Bruun served as the director of governmental appointments in then-Gov. Rick... Read More →

Laura Huffman

Texas State Director of the Nature Conservancy

As director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Huffman heads a team of conservation experts whose work protects the integrity of Texas’ natural resources and some of its most iconic landscapes. She also heads the Conservancy’s North American Urban Conservation program. Before... Read More →

Jason Isaac

State Representative

Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, has represented House District 45 since 2011. He is a member of the House Environmental Regulation, Local & Consent Calendars and Economic & Small Business Development committees. He also serves as chairman of the Economic & Small Business Development Subcommittee... Read More →

Sid Miller

Texas Agriculture Commissioner

Miller was elected to his current post in 2014. Previously, he served six terms in the Texas House. During his tenure, Miller chaired the Agriculture & Livestock Committee and Homeland Security & Public Safety committees and authored the abortion sonogram bill in the 82nd legislative... Read More →

Charles Perry

State Senator

Perry, R-Lubbock, has represented Senate District 28 since 2014. He serves as chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs Committee and sits on the Criminal Justice, Health & Human Services and Higher Education committees. Previously, Perry served in the Texas House... Read More →

Saturday September 24, 2016 4:25pm - 5:25pm CDT
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100

Energy & the Environment