DoW Energy & Power Summit
- July 8-9, 2026
- National Housing Center, Washington D.C.
EVENT OVERVIEW
Defense Strategies Institute’s 8th Annual DoW Energy and Power Summit will provide a forum for members of the DoW, Military Services, Federal Government, Industry, and Academia, and other leading stakeholders to enhance energy efficiency, resiliency, affordability, and security across the Department of War and federal government. This “town-hall” style summit will allow attendees to hear first-hand from decision makers and engage in meaningful conversations and discussions surrounding various energy & power initiatives that are aimed at unleashing American Energy Dominance.
2026 Early CONFIRMED SPEAKERS INCLUDED
Agenda Coming Soon!
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Michael McGhee, SES (R)
Former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Energy Resilience & Optimization Event Moderator -
Brandon C. Cockrell, SES
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Energy and Sustainability -
Nancy J. Balkus, SES
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment -
Jim Hartle
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Safety and Occupational Health -
Ruthanne Darling
Director, Operational Energy - Innovation, (OECIF and OEPF), ASW Energy, Installation, & Environment -
JT Craft
Director – Nuclear Energy Office/Janus, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Installations, Energy and Environment -
VADM (R) Yancy Lindsey, USN
Former Commander, Navy Installations Command; Board Member, EPRI -
David Schurr
PM, Project Pele, Strategic Capabilities Office, DoW
About the 2026 DOW ENERGY & POWER SUMMIT
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
- The Energy-Defense Nexus: Powering American Dominance in the Age of AI
- Empowering Warfigther Operations Through Robust and Resilient Installations
- Accelerating SMR and Microreactor Deployment for Mission Assurance
- Reducing Operational Energy Dependence in Contested Environments
- Accelerating Deployment of Resilient Microgrids in DoW Installations
- Powering the Fleet and Advancing Naval Energy Resilience for the Modern Fight
- Unleashing Next-Generation Geothermal Energy for DoW Mission Assurance
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THIS SUMMIT
The current administration’s focus is on “unleashing” American energy and supporting domestic energy production including oil, gas, and nuclear power. They have stressed that American Energy Dominance Is a Strategic Imperative. At the Department of War, the different military services are facing an increasing need for power and energy solutions to fuel facilities, installations, platforms, weapons, equipment, and operations at home and abroad. As military technology develops over time, the power needs of these systems also increase. Next generation planes, ships, tanks, and other platforms will require vast amounts of power and energy to be delivered to the point of need, even in remote, austere environments where traditional fuel supply chains could be a target of attack. The explosive growth of artificial intelligence and its staggering electricity demands has also introduced an entirely new dimension of urgency to the DoW’s energy resilience mission. This year’s DoW Energy & Power Summit will allow attendees to hear first-hand from and converse with key stakeholders across military, government, academia, and industry on how they are addressing various threats while still advancing US energy and power initiatives.
The current administration’s focus is on “unleashing” American energy and supporting domestic energy production including oil, gas, and nuclear power. They have stressed that American Energy Dominance Is a Strategic Imperative. At the Department of War, the different military services are facing an increasing need for power and energy solutions to fuel facilities, installations, platforms, weapons, equipment, and operations at home and abroad. As military technology develops over time, the power needs of these systems also increase. Next generation planes, ships, tanks, and other platforms will require vast amounts of power and energy to be delivered to the point of need, even in remote, austere environments where traditional fuel supply chains could be a target of attack. The explosive growth of artificial intelligence and its staggering electricity demands has also introduced an entirely new dimension of urgency to the DoW’s energy resilience mission. This year’s DoW Energy & Power Summit will allow attendees to hear first-hand from and converse with key stakeholders across military, government, academia, and industry on how they are addressing various threats while still advancing US energy and power initiatives.
The DoW faces a great deal of challenges to achieve these objectives in an ever-changing threat landscape of advanced adversaries, natural disasters, aging infrastructure, and cyber-attacks. It remains the single largest energy consumer in the United States and consumes approximately 76% of federal energy consumption. This stems from the deployment of highly advanced technological systems that require reliable and secure power to maintain mission readiness. There remains the critical need to fuel facilities, installations, platforms, weapon systems, equipment, and operations abroad and domestically. This year’s summit will bring together energy and power leaders from across the DoW, military services and federal government to address how they are adapting to these challenges, promoting energy dominance, and securing the power that American warfighters need to fight and win in any environment. Attendees will hear different senior level perspectives on topics ranging from innovative breakthroughs in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Geothermal Energy for DoW Mission Assurance, Operational Energy in Contested Environments, and other crucial topics in the energy space.
The 2026 DoW Energy and Power Summit promises to foster an open and honest dialogue centered around energy resilience, security, and efficiency for defense applications. DSI’s team specializes in the extensive research and development of our Summits’ content and focus areas, and we assemble the most respected minds in energy and power across military, academia, and industry. Our non-partisan approach allows us to reach across all services and organizations to bring together a holistic group of decision makers and solution providers.
At our Summit You Have the Ability to
Gain Education & Insight: Walk away with knowledge gained from our senior level speakers on some of the complex challenges facing the Energy & Power communities.
Build Partnerships: The agenda is designed to allow for ample networking opportunities and the ability to engage in constructive dialogue among all in attendance.
Influence: Help foster ideas. Share your own insight and knowledge during our interactive sessions. All attendees are encouraged to address our speaker faculty and each other with their questions, comments or ideas.
Operating Guidance for Government Attendees
DSI’s Summit directly supports DoW and Government priorities by providing a conduit for officials to efficiently reach audiences outside of their respective offices that directly impact their department’s mission success, at no charge to the government, and in an efficient expenditure of time.
DSI’s Summit will provide a forum to address and improve internal and external initiatives, meet with and hear from partner organizations, disseminate vital capability requirements to industry, increase visibility within the larger community, and generally support their mission.
The Summit is open and complimentary to all DoW and Federal employees and is considered an educational and training forum.
(Industry and academia members are charged a fee for admission)
Summit is CLOSED TO PRESS / NO RECORDINGS
SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS
The 8th Annual DoW Energy & Power Summit provides opportunities including exhibit space, round table discussions, product demonstrations, and networking receptions. Download the Sponsorship and Exhibiting Prospectus Here.
BECOME A SPONSOR or ExhibitorMedia & Association Partners
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