The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce additional speakers for the 2025 Energy Summit, scheduled for Tuesday, August 19th at the Grand Junction Convention Center. This full-day event will bring together business leaders, industry experts, and community stakeholders to explore the policies and innovations that are shaping Colorado’s energy future.
Already announced as our opening keynote, Martin (Marty) Durbin, Senior Vice President of Policy and President of the Global Energy Institute at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will cut through the noise surrounding federal energy policy and provide practical insights into what those policies mean for Western Colorado.
Joining the program are several distinguished voices in the energy industry. Robert Kenney, President of Xcel Energy – Colorado, and Laura Hickernell, Executive Director of Colorado Cleantech, will offer their expertise on how Colorado can balance innovation, reliability, and affordability in its energy future. Adam Burg, a policy and regulatory expert with Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, and Grace Rink, Associate Vice President at AECOM, will also lend their perspectives to key sessions during the event.
The summit will also feature Lou Villaire and Isaac Ketchum of Atlasta Solar Center, who will lead the session “Clean Energy Incentives in Transition,” helping businesses understand how to adapt to evolving incentive programs. In addition, the session on “EV Infrastructure Resiliency” will include Bonnie Trowbridge, Executive Director of Drive Clean Colorado, who brings deep expertise in clean transportation and vehicle incentives nationwide; Dr. Thomas
Bradley, Department Head of Systems Engineering at Colorado State University, who specializes in energy system design and optimization; and Jeff Engell, Regional Specialist for CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension, who focuses on economic and community development across Western Colorado.
These speakers join an agenda that will also address grid reliability, energy development on public lands, workforce development in the energy sector, and innovations in geothermal, nuclear, hydrogen, and oil and gas.
The Energy Summit is not about politics—it is about policy, practical solutions, and preparing our businesses and communities for the future of energy in Colorado.