Natural gas is a critical bridge fuel for reliability, but is it  paving the way for a nuclear or long-duration storage future? This workshop invites dealmakers working on gas transactions to openly discuss the role that gas plays in the future of the US market - from market dynamics and policy to investor appetite and future energy transition. 

• How are developers and investors structuring gas asset deals to balance current market demand with long-term decarbonization goals?
• What financing models and risk mitigants are most effective for natural gas projects given policy uncertainty and the evolving US energy mix?
• What contract terms or regulatory frameworks support flexibility for potential future pivots, or is gas here to stay?
• What innovative projects have we seen in the gas market space over the last year, and what does the future of US gas look like?

Connecting large-scale power loads to the grid is a complex challenge, shaped by regulatory bottlenecks, transmission constraints, and evolving utility-developer dynamics. As demand for energy - both clean and conventional - grows, both utilities and developers are seeking smarter approaches to permitting, interconnection, and stakeholder engagement. This panel explores where the pain points lie, what’s working to overcome them, and how policy can enable a more agile, coordinated expansion of the grid.

• Which permitting and interconnection hurdles most significantly delay large-scale power projects, and what proven strategies can accelerate these processes?
• How are transmission queue backlogs and cost allocation disputes impeding new clean energy connections, and what policy changes could resolve these issues?
• What is the ideal balance between federal, state, and local authority for speeding up transmission buildout, and how can stakeholder opposition be addressed more constructively?