January 29, 2026 // Arlington, VA

Presented in collaboration with Utility Privatization Partners

Ensuring the Power & Water Behind the Mission

Energy and water are the backbone of installation readiness—powering operations, supporting families, and enabling the mission. As AI, autonomy, and advanced communications redefine defense, the systems that sustain installations must be trusted, resilient, and always on.

Unlike many mission functions, energy and water security can’t be solved by DoD alone. It requires deep partnership—across installations, utilities, communities, industry, and technology innovators.

The ADC Installation Energy & Water Forum is the only national event dedicated exclusively to installation energy and water issues. Returning in 2026, this one-day, Washington-area program brings together senior DoD decision-makers, utility leaders, community partners, and industry experts to tackle the central question:

How do we strengthen and modernize the shared systems installations rely on—so they remain resilient, adaptable, and mission-ready in an evolving threat environment?

The Forum will:

  • Provide insight into DoD’s priorities and strategy for installation energy and water
  • Offer direct engagement with senior DoD, Service, utility, industry, and community leaders
  • Examine policy, planning, and investment drivers shaping future projects
  • Highlight innovations and lessons learned from installations, communities, and industry partners
  • Create a venue to advance partnerships that strengthen resilience and mission assurance
  • Build new relationships during dedicated networking opportunities, including a closing reception

Who Should Attend

This event is designed for leaders and practitioners across the installation energy and water ecosystem, including:

  • DoD and Service headquarters staff
  • Installation commanders, public works, and energy/resilience offices
  • Utility Privatization system owners and operators
  • Investor-owned, municipal, and cooperative utilities
  • Energy, water, and infrastructure companies
  • Engineering, planning, and resilience firms
  • State and local government officials
  • Community leaders supporting military installations
  • Technology providers in microgrids, cyber, storage, AI, and advanced energy systems

U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Jason Goins

Agenda at a Glance

Subject to change

8:30 – 8:40 AM
Welcome Remarks
Speaker:
  • Tom Ford, ADC President; County Executive, Grand Forks County, ND
8:40 – 9:45 AM
Installation Energy & Water Resilience: Leadership Priorities, Policy, and the Path Ahead
This opening session sets the stage for the forum with a senior leadership discussion on the DoD’s priorities and evolving policy direction for installation energy and water resilience. The panel will dive directly into high-visibility challenges and emerging opportunities, examining the DoD’s posture to host data centers, the state of play for advanced nuclear energy, and the growing importance of cybersecurity in protecting critical infrastructure.

Speakers:
  • Michael Wu, Converge Strategies (Moderator)
  • Brandon Cockrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy
  • Nancy Balkus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment
  • Rebecca Isacowitz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience & Optimization
  • Additional speakers to be added
9:45 – 10:00 AM
Networking Break
10:00 – 10:45 AM
Unlocking the Mission Marketplace Part 1: Military Perspectives on Emerging Challenges & Opportunities
From AI data centers and advanced manufacturing to everything in between, the Trump Administration is increasingly looking to non-excess land on military installations to drive the development of national security and important commercial technologies. This panel will explore how the military services are working to engage utilities and co-ops early in the solicitation of on-base commercial opportunities to help maximize investments that enhance infrastructure resilience and strengthen the national defense mission.

Speakers:
  • Stacey Shepard, President, Shepard Global Strategies; ADC Board of Directors (Moderator)
  • Robert Moriarty, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations
  • Dave Dentino, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Housing & Partnerships
  • Mark Sinder, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Infrastructure Modernization and Resilience
  • Additional speakers to be added
10:45 – 11:30 AM
Unlocking the Mission Marketplace Part 2: the Need for Enhanced Collaboration with Utilities
Emerging national security capabilities requiring new infrastructure on military installations (ie: AI data centers, advanced manufacturing, Golden Dome) will enhance military value, but will need early collaboration with local communities and utilities to accelerate deployment. As the same time, defense communities are being increasingly targeted by cyber enabled adversaries to deny these capabilities for deployment. This panel will review current initiatives underway to improve utility resiliency and long-term growth of supply and delivery for critical missions using private public partnerships to incorporate industry expertise and financing.

Speaker:
  • Lucian Niemeyer, CEO, Building Cyber Security
  • Monica DeAngelo, Director of Federal Partnerships, Southern Company
  • Sachin Patel, VP of Government Services Strategy and Operations, Comcast NBCUniversal
  • Geoff Gasperini, General Manager – Federal Energy Solutions, Dominion Energy
  • Emily Stewart, Director of Business Development, ASUS
  • Richard Houghton, Director of Federal Business Relations, City Light & Power
11:30 – 11:45 AM
Networking Break
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Water We Waiting For? Addressing Water Resilience for Mission Assurance
Installations worldwide face growing water resilience challenges, including aging infrastructure, depleting resources, emerging contaminants like PFAS, and increasing mission demands. This panel will examine how the MilDeps can strengthen water resilience by applying lessons from mature energy portfolios and leveraging tools like performance contracts and IGSAs. Panelists will highlight success stories where installations and defense communities have tackled water vulnerabilities and PFAS risks, and discuss how DoD can better signal support to federal agencies, industry, and academia to address current and future water challenges

Speakers:
  • Abigail Eifert, Senior Associate, Converge Strategies (Moderator)
  • Sean Wheatley, President, American Water
  • Yamil Hernandez, Program Manager, Utilities Procurement, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy & Environment
  • Christine Ploschke, N4 Director (Facilities & Environmental), Navy Installations Command
  • Shelly Schmidt, Architect & Energy Analyst, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment
  • Chris Connor, Senior Vice President, ASUS
12:30 – 1:45 PM
Networking Lunch (on your own)
1:45 – 2:45 PM
Advancing the Strategic Role of Utility Privatization: Updates and Opportunities
Since taking office, President Trump has issued a sweeping series of Executive actions to rapidly invest in building a more resilient and reliable grid for national and economic security. This panel will explore the national defense dimensions of the transmission grid and how DoD must collaborate with defense communities, including utilities, coops, and grid operators, to align national defense and transmission expansion to secure America’s energy dominance. The panel will dive into the wires and non-wires investments that are needed to expand and fortify the grid, including deploying advanced transmission and grid enhancing technologies that have the promise to greatly increase electricity capacity in the short-term to meet the urgent and emergent needs of the modern military.

Speakers:
  • John Conger, President & CEO, Conger Strategies
  • Ali Bakhshi, Utilities Privatization Program and Contract Management, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Energy & Sustainability)
  • Dave Capozzoli, Utility Management Program Director, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command
  • Erik Potter, Utilities Privatization Branch, Air Force Civil Engineer Center
2:45 – 3:00 PM
Networking Break
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Powering the Fight: Expanding and Fortifying the Grid to Achieve Energy Dominance
In recent years, Congress has expanded DoD’s ability to tackle energy and water resilience with modifications to or new authorities that unleash infrastructure partnerships. This panel will explore how DoD can creatively use its authorities to strengthen energy and water resilience. Panelists will examine roadblocks and enablers across popular energy resilience programs like ERCIP and UP, and performance contracts, and offer perspectives on who has the authority to address roadblocks. The panel will also highlight innovative examples of leveraging funding and partnerships inside and outside the fenceline to maximize government-owned energy and water infrastructure, prevent stranded assets, and accelerate the deployment of modern energy and water resilience technologies that deliver stronger mission-ready installations.

Speakers:
  • Will Rogers, Converge Strategies (Moderator)
  • Susan Call, Director, Installation Energy Optimization, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Energy Resilience & Optimization
  • Alex Young, Edison Electric Institute
  • Leslie Abrahams, Center for Strategic & International Studies
  • Kristin Thomasgard, Chief of Staff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Environmental Management & Restoration); Program Director, REPI Program Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Energy, Installations, & Environment)
4:00 – 4:30 PM
Strategic Synthesis & Path Forward
Speakers:
  • Michael Wu, Converge Strategies
  • Tim Ford, CEO, ADC / UPP
4:30 – 5:30 PM
Networking Reception

Partners

Event Partner

Utility Privatization Partners (UPP) brings together the companies responsible for owning, operating, and modernizing privatized utility systems across U.S. military installations. Through long-term partnerships with DoD, UPP members deliver critical investment, operational expertise, and resilience improvements that ensure safe, reliable energy and water infrastructure supporting the mission.

Content Partner

Converge Strategies is a national advisory organization supporting DoD, utilities, and energy innovators on projects and policies that advance installation resilience, modernize infrastructure, and strengthen mission assurance. Their expertise bridges federal, community, and industry perspectives to help shape forward-leaning solutions.

Sponsored by

Registration

Online registration is now closed. Onsite registration will be available at the event.

Please visit the registration desk to select the appropriate category and complete your registration. ADC staff will review and approve your registration onsite.

Venue

The Forum will be held at the Marriott Crystal Gateway, a conveniently located hotel in Arlington with direct access to restaurants, transit, and Reagan National Airport.