AGENDA

8:00am

Registration opens

8:30am

Networking Breakfast

Hounds Square

8:30am - 4:00pm

Exhibit Booths Open

Hounds Square

9:00am - 9:30am

Welcoming Remarks

 GWL Theater

Emcee Laurie Reilly

Mohamad Attalla, Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning, Construction and Management, City University of New York

Daniel Montante, President, New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA)

9:30am - 10:30am

Affordable, Reliable, Renewable: Charting a Path Forward in New York

 GWL Theater

As New York City seeks to ensure that the local grid remains affordable and reliable, solar and energy storage are two of our most powerful tools. Overcoming barriers to deployment and integrating these clean, flexible resources at scale will require focused collaboration and leadership. Join this morning conversation with energy leaders from the City and State to learn how New York is charting a path forward for affordable, reliable, renewable energy in America’s largest City.

Doreen Harris, President, NYSERDA

Matt Ketschke, President, Con Edison

Moderator

Tria Case, Esq., University Executive Director, Office of Sustainability and Energy Conservation, Facilities Planning, Construction and Management, The City University of New York

10:30am - 11:00am

Networking Break

11:00am - 12:00pm

Community-Scale Energy Storage: From Development to Implementation

 GWL Theater

In 2025, community-scale energy storage development in NYC reached a new level, with more than half a gigawatt of new retail energy storage projects achieving interconnection maturity milestones and reserving NYSERDA incentives. If 2025 was the year of development, 2026 will be the year of deployment. Join this conversation with leaders from government and industry to learn about the implementation challenges facing community-scale BESS, and what steps companies are taking to get their BESS projects over the finish line.  

Claudia Villar-Leeman, Sr. Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, NY-BEST

Linda Tatlow, Director, NineDot Labs, NineDot Energy

Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud, Director, Distribution Planning, Con Edison

Michael Bowes, Senior Project Engineer, ESRG

 Moderator

Shyam Mehta, Director, Integrated Energy Solutions, NYSERDA

11:00am - 12:00pm

Public Sector Solar + Storage Deployment in NYC

 L63

NYC public agencies are scaling solar and storage deployment across municipal buildings, higher education, and affordable housing. Join this session to learn about public sector solar + storage projects completed to date, lessons learned, and what projects are on deck. The discussion will address deployment pathways, procurement models, policy impacts, and the next wave of opportunities for public sector solar and energy storage adoption.  

Dylan Rolleri, Deputy Director, Clean  Energy, DCAS

Ben Cuozzo, Director, DER Advisory Services, NYPA 

Katy Burgio, Deputy Director, Sustainability Programs, NYCHA 

Thomas Maguire, Business Representative, Local Union No. 3, IBEW, AFL-CIO 

Steve Foley, Senior Account Executive, Johnson Controls

 Moderator

Emily Sweeney, NABCEP PVIP®, NYC Solar Ombudsman, Sustainable CUNY  

11:00am-12:00pm

Local Law 97: A Driver for Solar+Storage

 L61

Distributed energy resources have emerged as a promising compliance tool for NYC building owners seeking to avoid hefty fines under Local Law 97. Conversely, LL97 has emerged as a significant driver of solar and energy storage deployment in the City. The DOB has issued rules defining how onsite and offsite solar and energy storage are treated under LL97, and now has a full year of LL97 operational data/experience. Join this informational session to learn how building owners can leverage solar and energy storage to reduce LL97 penalties and what documentation is needed to claim distributed energy deductions followed by an interactive Q&A. 

Emily Poorvin, CEM, Senior Building Energy and Emissions Auditor, NYC DOB

Moderator

Ronald Reisman, NYC Solar Partnership Program Manager, Sustainable CUNY

12:00 - 12:05

Solar Champion Award

Julie Tighe, President, NYLCV 

12:05pm - 1:15pm

LUNCH

Networking Lunch - Student Lounge              

Lunch and Learn -  L61      

Join us for a lunch & learn session that covers the basics of solar energy technology, business models, and career opportunities in the sector. This session will feature a series of speakers who will share their personal career journeys or highlight resources for clean energy job seekers.

1:15pm - 2:15pm

Agency Leadership in Clean Energy

 GWL Theater

Six months into the Mamdani Administration, new leaders across key NYC agencies are setting the direction for policies, programs and new initiatives that affect clean energy deployment. This session provides an early opportunity to hear directly from agency decision-makers about how leadership is aligning policy, permitting, safety, and economic development to accelerate delivery across the city.

Louise Yeung, Chief Climate Officer, NYC Mayor’s Office

Ahmed Tigani, Commissioner, NYC DOB

Tom Currao, Chief of Fire Prevention, FDNY

 Moderator

Noah Ginsburg, Executive Director, NYSEIA

1:15pm - 2:15pm

FEOC Guidance/Federal Tax Incentive Updates

 L61

As federal clean energy policy continues to evolve, understanding the latest guidance and requirements is essential for project planning and investment decisions in New York City’s solar and storage markets.  This session unpacks the Treasury Department’s latest FEOC guidance and its impact on supply chains and project eligibility. It also reviews key federal tax incentives, including the ITC, domestic content, and prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. Hear what developers, installers, and financiers need to know to stay compliant, capture incentives, and protect project pipelines. 

Alec Ward, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs, SEIA 

Moderator

Jonathan Cohen, Policy Director, NYSEIA 

1:15pm - 2:15pm

Cleantech Innovation for NYC's Energy Future

L63

Integrating a high level of distributed energy resources and enabling cost-effective electrification in NYC will require innovative software, hardware, and business models. This session brings together innovators from NYC’s burgeoning cleantech ecosystem to discuss their novel solutions and promising technologies to cost-effectively decarbonize NYC’s energy system. 

Heather Deane, Director, Business Development, Clean Fight

Bomee Jung, Co-founder & CEO, Cadence1.5

Samantha Shiells, Founder & CEO, GigaFlow

Jayda Rodriguez, Senior Program Manager, Innovative Demonstrations for Energy Adaptability (IDEA), DCAS

Beki Kabanzira, Pilots Associate, BATWorks-LACI

Moderator

Shaina Horowitz, Director of Program Innovation and Acceleration, Climate Exchange

2:15pm - 3:15pm

Rooftop Solar Market Evolution

 GWL Theater

New York City has the most dynamic rooftop solar market in the State, and has gone through tremendous evolution over the past decade. However, the federal incentive phaseout, high interest rates, and rising utility rates have forced the industry to quickly adapt. Join this discussion with industry and policy experts about the state of NYC’s rooftop solar market and how companies are navigating near-term challenges and planning for a future that maintains robust deployment. 

Emily Chessin, Assistant Director, NY-Sun Program, NYSERDA

Amy Heart, VP of Public Policy, Sunrun

TR Ludwig, CEO & Founder, Brooklyn SolarWorks

John Humphrey, Director of Energy Storage, Accord Power

Moderator

Jonathan Cohen, Policy Director, NYSEIA

2:15pm - 3:15pm

Interactive Session –  Energy Storage Solutions for NYCHA 

L61

Building on the success of its ACCESSolar and Clean Heat for All program, NYCHA is looking at ways that Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can help it meet several of the climate and resiliency goals in its 2026 Sustainability Agenda. This interactive session will explore how BESS can be deployed by NYCHA at the unit, building, and campus levels. After hearing from NYCHA representatives about opportunities for BESS, participants will be asked to identify innovative solutions that will maximize benefits for both residents and the Authority.

Siobhan Watson, Vice President of Sustainability, NYCHA

Katy Burgio, Deputy Director of Sustainability Programs, NYCHA

Jordan Bonomo, Senior Project Manager, NYCHA

Tom Sahagian, Senior Technical Advisor, NYCHA

Abigail Andrews, Energy Analyst, NYCHA

 Moderator

Ron Reisman, Sustainable CUNY

2:15pm - 3:15pm

Flexible Interconnection in NYC

 L63

Distributed energy storage deployment is accelerating in NYC, with more than a gigawatt of projects in the queue. Battery storage can improve reliability, lower costs, and reduce emissions, however current interconnection constraints are limiting potential. A new EPRI study shows that flexible interconnection, or the use of smart-grid controls to actively manage distributed energy resources, can unlock gigawatts of cost-effective hosting capacity in NY, creating new opportunities for community solar upstate and energy storage downstate. Join this session to hear key findings from this New York–specific study and what it will take to make flexible interconnection work in NYC. 

Bill Acker, Executive Director, NY-BEST

Adam Cohen, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, NineDot Energy

Moderator

Dhruv Patel, Interconnection Policy Manager, NYSEIA 

3:15 - 3:45

Networking Break

3:45pm - 4:45pm

Building Community Support for Energy Storage

 GWL

As energy storage project development progresses in all five boroughs, public interest and community concerns regarding energy storage safety have reached new heights. Community based organizations and local leaders are increasingly being asked to weigh in on the energy storage debate, making education and consistent messaging more important than ever. Join this workshop to discuss effective community engagement strategies, and to align on key messages that will resonate with diverse constituencies across the City. 

Tony DeFazio, Principal, Sustainable PR

Bill Grinstead, President and CEO, Orenda Power

Alia Soomro, Deputy Director for NYC Policy, NYLCV

Eva Gardow, Program Manager, EPRI,

Moderator

Mike Menser, Ph.D., Co-Director, NYC Climate Justice Hub, CUNY 

3:45pm - 4:45pm

DER Asset Management and Operations

 L63

For DER owners, developing and deploying assets is just the beginning of the project lifecycle. As the DER market matures and DERs become integral grid resources, effective operations are mission critical to asset owners and grid operators alike. This session will explore the hardware, software, and operational frameworks used to optimize solar and energy storage assets over time, including a discussion of strategies to ensure system profitability and longevity.   

Ginger Cutler, Sales Director, Voltus

Joel Santisteban, Co-founder and CEO, EcoSuite

Claire Austin, Senior Commercial Asset Manager, Generate Capital

David Buckner, President, Solar Energy Systems

Moderator

Jason Kaplan, COO and General Counsel, PowerMarket 

4:45pm

Closing Remarks

GWL Theater

5:00pm

Networking Happy Hour

 Atrium