EVENT
By Kim M. Braud | September 11, 2026
Free three-day forum will bring energy leaders, policymakers and researchers together for discussions on data centers, electricity affordability, water, infrastructure and the future of energy.
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane University will host its third annual Future of Energy Forum September 28–30, 2026, bringing entrepreneurs, researchers, executives, policymakers and industry leaders to New Orleans for three days of conversations about the changing energy landscape.
The forum is free and open to the public, giving residents an opportunity to hear directly from people involved in decisions and research surrounding energy production, electricity demand, infrastructure, affordability, economic development and emerging technologies.
This year’s theme, “Connected Power: Connecting Leaders. Powering Progress,” will frame more than 40 sessions examining energy issues affecting Louisiana, the Gulf South and the nation.
For New Orleans residents, several discussions on the schedule have particular local relevance.
One of the most timely is “Power Prices, Data Centers, and the Future of Grid Affordability,” scheduled for Tuesday, September 29. The panel will examine growing electricity demand from data centers and what that demand could mean for the power grid and consumers.
Scheduled participants include Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan, Joshua Hodge of the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research and Greg Upton, executive director of the Energy Institute at LSU.
The discussion comes as New Orleans continues its own public debate over the development of data centers and the infrastructure, land-use and energy questions associated with them.
Water will also be part of the conversation.
The session “Protecting Louisiana’s Water Resources to Secure Energy: AI, Water, and Infrastructure Resilience” will examine the relationship between artificial intelligence, energy development, water demand and infrastructure resilience.
Scheduled participants include Newsha Ajami of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Tulane professor Ibrahim Demir and Braeden Smith, chief resilience officer in Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration.
New Orleans City Councilmember Aimee McCarron is scheduled to participate in “Community-Engaged Energy Transitions,” a discussion focused on the role communities play as energy systems and infrastructure change.
Another session will turn attention toward one of downtown New Orleans’ most recognizable vacant properties.
“Reimagining Charity Hospital: Building the Future of Downtown New Orleans” will examine the future of the former Charity Hospital building. Scheduled speakers include Andrew Chaveas of Brailsford & Dunlavey and Patrick Norton, Tulane University’s senior vice president, chief operating officer and treasurer.
The broader forum schedule includes conversations about nuclear energy, offshore oil and gas, offshore wind, LNG, utility-scale solar, grid-scale batteries, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy infrastructure and financing emerging energy technologies.
The forum will also feature The Exchange, a space dedicated to networking, career exploration and presentations of research, technology and emerging ideas from academia and industry.
Tulane says the event is designed to connect people across sectors while examining how energy systems are changing and what those changes could mean for communities, businesses and consumers.
While the event brings national and international energy conversations to Tulane’s campus, several of this year’s sessions address questions already playing out locally — from the growth of data centers and pressure on the electrical grid to water resources, infrastructure investment and the future of downtown New Orleans.
EVENT DETAILS
Tulane Future of Energy Forum
September 28–30, 2026
Tulane University6823 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
Admission: Free and open to the public; registration required.
Attendees must check in and receive forum credentials. Seating for individual sessions is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The schedule remains subject to change as additional speakers and program details are finalized.
Registration and full schedule:https://energyforum.tulane.edu/
Kim M. Braud is the Founder & Editor of Evans Cutchmore Press, an independent newsroom covering Louisiana and the Gulf South. Her reporting focuses on government accountability, infrastructure, business, culture, and the public policies that shape communities.
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