Energy Insights 2026

Resources for the Future (RFF) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will host the third quadrennial Energy Insights conference on December 3 and 4, 2026, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. The event will bring together an interdisciplinary community of researchers and stakeholders for a series of engaging conversations about some of today’s most important questions in energy economics, policy, and technology, with a focus on the intersection of research and decision-making.

In-person attendance is by invitation only. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Thursday, December 3, 2026

8:30–9:30 AM | Registration and Breakfast

9:30–9:45 AM | Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to Energy Insights 2026! Our hosts will open the conference with an overview of the conference goals, introduce key themes, and highlight key programming details, including information about the Sloan Foundation’s Ideas to Action Open Call for Proposals for conference participants.

Kristin Hayes, Senior Director, Resources for the Future; Evan Michelson, Program Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

9:45–10:45 AM | Opening Session: A New Era in Research for Decisionmaking

The past four years have seen significant shifts in both the energy research and policy landscapes in the US. This timely conversation will bring together a range of stakeholder perspectives to explore how researchers can most effectively collaborate with decisionmakers and other stakeholders to answer real-world questions in 2027 and beyond.

Moderator: Kristin Hayes, Senior Director, Resources for the Future
Panelists: Stacie Bloom, President and CEO, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Billy Pizer, President and CEO, Resources for the Future; Rick Stockburger, CEO, Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation.

10:45–11:00 AM | Coffee Break

11:00 AM–12:15 PM | Topical Breakout Sessions

Join one of four topical breakout sessions to discuss cutting-edge energy systems research. Each session will include a series of initial lightning talks, reflections from practitioners in industry or government, and a moderated discussion with all participants, focused on illuminating new developments, best practices, and lessons learned in decision-relevant research.

Please note that the same set of topical discussions will be held on Friday, with new speakers. You may attend a different track than you chose on Thursday or delve deeper within the same topic.

• Energy Supply Chains
• Energy Workforce Transitions
• Industrial Decarbonization
• Energy System Resilience

12:15–1:15 PM | Lunch

1:15–2:30 PM | Meet Your Fellow Energy Researchers: Facilitated Networking

Connecting researchers and practitioners is at the heart of the Energy Insights 2026 intended experience. Join fellow attendees in a range of facilitated networking sessions, focused on four cross-cutting themes:

• Accessing Data: Finding, Building, and Sharing Datasets
• Blending Quantitative and Qualitative Research Strategies
• Engaging New Audiences in Energy Research
• Building Communities of Practice

2:30–2:45 PM | Coffee Break

2:45–3:45 PM | Consumer Preferences in a Shifting Energy Landscape: What Do We Know?

As energy costs and policies have shifted in recent years, how have consumer preferences responded? This panel brings together social and behavior science researchers who are examining stakeholder views and perspectives on electricity rate design, energy efficiency, vehicle purchase decisions, and energy policy choices.

Moderator: Josh Linn, Associate Professor, University of Maryland and Senior Fellow, RFF
Panelists: Anissa Rodriguez Dickerman, CEO, Pecan Street, Inc.; Brian Kennedy, Senior Researcher, Pew Research Center; Arik Levinson, Vice Chair and Professor & Director of the Georgetown Center for Economic Research, Georgetown University.

3:45–4:00 PM | Coffee Break

4:00–5:00 PM | Clean Tech Pulse Check

Momentum behind the development and broader adoption of a variety of clean energy technologies is growing. This panel brings together a range of experts as they explore the latest updates in research and deployment of nuclear energy, geothermal technologies, carbon capture and carbon dioxide removal interventions, how the United States is faring globally on clean energy innovation, and more.

5:00–6:30 PM | Reception in the National Academies Great Hall

Friday, December 4, 2026

8:00–9:00 AM | Breakfast Salons

Choose your own adventure! New for Energy Insights 2026, we welcome you to join a small, informal breakfast salon to discuss various energy system research and practice topics nominated directly by you, the participants. Topics include:

• Data centers and electric power load growth (leader: Laura Taylor, Georgia Tech)
• Clean energy finance (leader: David Widawsky, World Resources Institute)
• Community engagement in energy development (renewables, nuclear, etc.) (leader: Robert Orttung, George Washington University)
• Market/rate design for retail electricity customers (leader: Xiangqi Zhu, Oregon State)
• Materials innovation and the energy transition (TBC)
• Building decarbonization, with a focus on low-income households (TBC)
• Transportation, with a focus on commercial and fleet decarbonization (TBC)

9:00–9:45 AM | Fireside Chat

Day 2 of the Energy Insights 2026 conference begins with a fireside chat with FERC Commissioner David Rosner, moderated by RFF Fellow Jenya Kahn-Lang.

9:45–10:00 AM | Coffee Break

10:00–11:15 AM | Topical Breakout Sessions

Join one of four topical breakout sessions to discuss cutting-edge energy systems research. Each session will include a series of initial lightning talks, reflections from practitioners in industry or government, and a moderated discussion with all participants, focused on illuminating new developments, best practices, and lessons learned in decision-relevant research. You may attend a different track than you chose on Thursday or delve deeper within the same topic.

• Energy Supply Chains
• Energy Workforce Transitions
• Industrial Decarbonization
• Energy System Resilience

11:15–11:30 AM | Coffee Break

11:30 AM–12:30 PM | Closing Session: Funders’ Panel

How are research-oriented funders looking at the landscape ahead for energy system issues? In this panel, representatives from a range of philanthropies and other funders will share their thoughts on emerging research needs and opportunities for impact moving forward.

Moderator: Evan Michelson, Program Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Panelists: Nicholas Bianco, Program Director, Sequoia Climate Fund; Anna Goldstein, Chief Program Officer, Prime Coalition; Elizabeth Turnbull Henry, Executive Director, Blue Horizons Foundation; David Turk, Program Director, Hewlett Foundation.

12:30–1:30 PM | Networking Lunch (optional)