EMPOWER ARKANSAS CONFERENCE & EXPO

“Generating Solutions to Meet Demand”

Monday, October 12 - Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Central Arkansas Library System - Main Branch, Little Rock

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Speakers
“As energy demand continues to grow and important policy decisions approach in advance of the 2027 legislative session, it is critical that policymakers, energy developers, utilities, economic developers, workforce leaders, and community stakeholders have meaningful opportunities to engage with one another. Arkansas Advanced Energy is uniquely positioned to convene these conversations, foster productive dialogue, and help identify practical solutions that support energy reliability, affordability, economic growth, and long-term energy security for our state.”
— Lauren Waldrip, Executive Director of Arkansas Advanced Energy
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Speakers

  • April Ambrose

    Director of Workforce Development

    Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation

  • Roby Brock

    CEO, Natural State Media

    Host, Executive Producer of Talk Business & Politics

  • Christopher Crane

    Senior Leader, Film Commissioner

    Arkansas Economic Development Commission

  • Kenneth Dubin, MBA

    Senior Electricity Analyst/Economist

    U.S. Energy Information Administration

  • David Giesige

    Executive Director

    Northwest Arkansas Council

  • Joel Gordon

    Manager Client Services, CI & Technology

    Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions

  • Danni Hoefer

    Chief of Staff

    Arkansas Public Service Commission

  • Meredith Jennings, PhD, CC-P

    Director of Local Government & Community Initiatives

    Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC)

  • Simon Mahan

    Executive Director

    Southern Renewable Energy Association

  • Chad Martin

    Vice President of US Operations

    Standard Lithium

  • Judge John Alan Nelson

    Mississippi County Judge

  • Mollie Palmer

    Vice President of Communication and Engagement

    Heart of Arkansas United Way

  • Rachel Wilson

    Energy Market Development

    Google

Schedule

All events will take place at Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Branch: 100 S Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201

Monday, October 12

  • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. - emPOWER Conference Check-In & Opening Reception (CALS Rooftop)

Tuesday, October 13

  • 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. - emPOWER Expo- free, open to public. (CALS 5th floor lobby area)

  • 9:15 a.m. - emPOWER Conference Check-In Open (CALS 5th floor lobby area)

  • 9:45 a.m. - Energy Outlook (Darragh Center). Identifying and projecting the forces driving unprecedented growth in electricity demand and the implications for generation, transmission, and reliability.

  • 10:45 a.m. - Collaborating to Meet the Energy Demand (Darragh Center). Preparing Arkansas's grid for unprecedented growth through generation, transmission, reliability, and smarter energy solutions. 

  • 11:30 a.m. - Break, expo exploration (CALS 5th floor lobby area)

  • 12 p.m. - Keynote Luncheon: The Political Forecast (Darragh Center). A look at the opportunities, challenges, and policy debates that could define the 2027 legislative session and beyond.

  • 1:45 p.m. - Powering Prosperity (Darragh Center). Roundtable discussions about building public trust, protecting property rights, and creating the conditions for responsible energy development and long-term economic growth.

  • 2:45 p.m. - The Affordability Equation (Darragh Center). Energy affordability is shaped by policy, technology, markets, and consumer choice. This fast-paced session features organizations from across Arkansas sharing programs and initiatives that are making energy more affordable while strengthening reliability and economic competitiveness.

  • 3:30 p.m. - Wrap Up: From Conversation to Action (Darragh Center). Together, we'll reflect on the conference's biggest ideas, identify common priorities, and define the next steps for Arkansas's energy future.

  • 4 p.m. - end of conference

Google is sending five Arkansans to emPOWER Arkansas Conference

Want to be part of the conversation about Arkansas’s energy future? Google is sending five Arkansans to emPOWER Arkansas for free.

As Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 emPOWER Arkansas Conference & Expo, Google is helping to expand the conversation beyond the energy industry and encouraging more Arkansans to engage in the decisions and opportunities shaping our state’s energy future. That’s why Google is sending five Arkansans to this year’s conference.

emPOWER Arkansas is hosted by Arkansas Advanced Energy to rally business, community, energy and policy leaders for conversations about rising energy demand, affordability, reliability, economic development and how Arkansas can prepare for what comes next.

Enter by October 4 for your chance to join us.

No purchase necessary. The sweepstakes will begin Friday, September 18, 2026, and end Sunday, October 4, 2026. Five winners will be chosen at random and notified via email on Monday, October 5, 2026. Winners must respond within 24 hours or a new winner will be selected. You must be a current Arkansas resident and age 21 or older to enter. The registration ($350 value) cannot be transferred, exchanged, refunded, or redeemed for items or services of equal value. Google and Arkansas Advanced Energy Association employees and family members of employees are not eligible to win. Arkansas Advanced Energy Association member employees are not eligible to win. By entering the sweepstakes, you give permission for your first name and hometown to be used for marketing purposes if you are chosen.