PURC Annual Conference
Feb. 18 – 19, 2026 | Hilton University of Florida | Registration opens Oct. 2025
53rd Annual PURC Conference
Future-Ready Florida: Utilities in a Digital Era
For more than 50 years, the annual conference has served as a neutral forum for engaging dialogue about issues facing utility service providers, policymakers and regulatory agencies.
The conference is held every February in Gainesville, and brings government officials, utility executives, industry leaders and academia together, primarily from Florida and the Southeast.
Florida’s energy and water sectors are facing an era of rapid transformation—driven by data center growth, infrastructure demands, new generation technologies, and evolving workforce needs. What are the realities about demand growth and supply costs? What does it mean for Florida if supply is delayed or costly relative to other states? What are the risks and who is bearing them? Please join us for our annual conference where top experts and decision-makers explore how Florida can prepare for a future shaped by digital technology and demographic growth, examining the economic, operational, and regulatory strategies needed to make Florida’s infrastructure future-ready. Key areas of discussion will include:
- What’s driving electricity and water demand in Florida?
- How do data centers manage their water use and grid demand?
- What financial and operational pressures are driving water sector changes?
- What energy generation options are most realistic for Florida’s future and in what time frames?
- What will it take to build the infrastructure Florida needs?
- How will we build the talent pipeline for utilities and their regulators?
- What do regulators, utilities, and stakeholders need to align on now?
Agenda
Registration opens at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and the conference begins at 1:30 p.m.
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm – Registration
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm – Keynote
- Century A Ballroom
- The U.S. is in a period of rapid change, driven by advancing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and our growing reliance on power. People are creating new tools to reshape how energy is generated, managed, and optimized, raising questions about the future of energy. What might this future look like? What strategies for businesses and regulators are effective when innovations continually create new possibilities and new risks?
- Carlos Gomez, Vice President, Global Partners and Strategic Software Alliances – Baker Hughes
- Mark Jamison, Director and Gerald L. Gunter Professor – UF Public Utility Research Center (PURC)
2:30 pm to 2:40 pm – Break
2:40 pm to 3:50 pm – Panel: What’s driving demand in Florida?
- Century A Ballroom
- AI is expanding rapidly across Florida, creating both new opportunities and significant uncertainty. AI models require substantial computational power, placing new pressures on local grids. Water demand is also rising because large volumes are needed to cool the servers. These pressures run alongside Florida’s already strong population expansion, tourism, and economic development. Or will they? Panelists will examine AI’s demand uncertainties and AI-based answers.
- Ben Amaba, Strategic Advisory Board Member – Florida Institute for National Security
- Will Rinehart, Senior Fellow – American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Center for Technology, Science and Energy
- Hector H. Sandoval, Research Assistant Professor and Economic Analysis Program Director – UF Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR)
- Session moderator:
- Ted Kury, Director of Energy Studies – UF Public Utility Research Center (PURC)
3:50 pm to 4:00 pm – Break
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm – Panel: Supplying the infrastructure that Florida needs
- Century A Ballroom
- Growth in demand necessitates growth in supply. But growth in supply is constrained by infrastructure, which is constrained by capital. How is infrastructure developing to serve Florida’s needs? What types of projects are being financed? And how can we ensure that consumers can afford to fund this development?
- Dan Aschenbach, Principal Consulting Partner – AGVP Advisory
- Hala Ballouz, Founder, Board Chair and Chief Vision Officer – Electric Power Engineers
- Tom Birmingham, Water Team Lead – Meta
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- Session moderator:
- Rajnish Barua, Senior Fellow – UF Public Utility Research Center (PURC)
5:30 pm to 6:45 pm – Reception
7:30 am to 8:30 am – Registration/Continental Breakfast
8:30 am to 8:50 am – Keynote Address
- The Honorable Gabriella Passidomo Smith, Chairman – Florida Public Service Commission
8:50 am to 10:20 am – Panel: Supplying the power that Florida needs
- Century A Ballroom
- Growing Florida’s resources will require a mixture of old and new technologies. But each technology comes with its own set of challenges. What are Florida’s opportunities in these new technologies? How soon can we expect them to be available? How well do they complement the system we have now while introducing their own innovations?
- M. Christopher Nolan, Vice President, New Nuclear Generation Strategy and Regulatory
Engagement – Duke Energy - Monte Patrick, Director – TECO Peoples Gas
- Bradley Williams, Senior Policy Advisory and Lead for Energy Policy and Strategic Analysis –
Idaho National Laboratory
- M. Christopher Nolan, Vice President, New Nuclear Generation Strategy and Regulatory
- Session moderator:
- Dean Foreman, Chief Economist – Texas Oil & Gas Association
10:20 am to 10:30 am – Break
10:30 am to 12:00 pm – Panel: Building the talent that Florida needs
- Century A Ballroom
- Businesses and governments need to tool up for an AI-driven economy. Technical knowledge will be important in such fields as data management, data analytics, and machine learning. But organizational skills also rise in importance, including AI and data governance. Business leaders are saying that human skills rise in importance in an AI environment, with emphasis on critical thinking, adaptability, communication, and collaboration. Panelists will explain their experiences and visions in shaping organizations for the technical, leadership, and legal challenges in an AI-enabled future.
- Mahogany Campbell, Sr. Director of Talent – NextEra Energy, Inc.
- Carlos Gomez, Vice President, Global Partners and Strategic Software Alliances – Baker
Hughes - Adria Harper, General Counsel – Florida Public Service Commission and Chapter President,
Southern Chapter of the Energy Bar Association
- Session moderator:
- Hans van Oostrom, Interim Director – UF AI2 Center
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm – Conference Luncheon & Award Presentation
- Century B/C Ballroom
- Gerald L. Gunter Distinguished Service Award Presentation
- PURC Distinguished Service Award Presentation
1:30 pm to 2:00 pm – Moving from Information Assurance to Functional Assurance with Engineered Controls
- Century A Ballroom
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Securing the Electrical Grid for a Resilient Future in the Age of AI
- Century A Ballroom
- Stay for an additional session organized by UF’s Office of Research and a cross-section of UF Faculty collaborating to promote research on grid security.
- Megan Culler, Technical Director for Critical Energy Security – Idaho National Lab
- Domenic Forte, Director for Critical Energy Security – Idaho National Lab
- Kyle Hartig, Associate Professor – UF Nuclear Engineering
- Alina Zare, Director – Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research Institute
- Session moderator:
- Ravi Srinivasan, Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives – UF College of Design, Construction and Planning
Conference registration
Registration and conference fees:
- Early registration: $250 (January 26, 2026 deadline)
- Standard registration: $300
- PURC members and sponsors should use discount code PURC26 (registration fees for sponsors are collected at time of renewal).
- Complimentary registration is available for UF faculty, students and staff using discount code UFCOMP26.
Registration includes:
- Reception (hors d’oeuvres, beer & wine) – Wednesday evening
- Breakfast – Thursday
- Conference Luncheon – Thursday
- Continuous beverage service and snack breaks
Conference location
The conference is hosted at the Hilton University of Florida – 1714 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, Florida. A conference rate, $154 plus tax per night, is available. Reserve your room online or by calling reservations at (352) 371-3600. Reservations must be made by Jan. 21, 2026 to secure the discounted rate.
Continuing education credits
PURC is registered with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation as a provider of continuing professional educations programs. Each year, we apply for technical business CPE credit for conference sessions, as well as to the Florida Bar for general CLER credit for Florida law practitioners.
Awards
Each year at the PURC Annual Conference, PURC honors an individual who has contributed to the understanding of regulatory economics and finance. The PURC Distinguished Service Award recognizes the cumulative impact of an individual’s research and policy analyses on both the academic community and regulatory policymakers.
The Gerald L. Gunter Distinguished Service Award is presented jointly by PURC and the Florida Public Service Commission. It recognizes a Public Service Commission employee who has made a significant contribution to the development of regulatory policy.
The award is named after former FPSC Commissioner Gerald L. Gunter, who was supportive of the relationship between the university and FPSC. After his death in June 1991, the Gerald L. Gunter Memorial was established by his friends and colleagues. In addition to the Gunter Award, financial gifts enabled the establishment of the Gunter Professorship in the Warrington College of Business. Mark Jamison serves as the Gerald L. Gunter Professor of research in regulatory policy.
Questions?
The conference manager can help you with registration, hotel or agenda questions.
Contact information
Rebecca Beachy
Public Utility Research Center
Warrington College of Business
P.O. Box 117142
Gainesville, Florida 32611-7142
Email Rebecca
352-392-3655