DOE Office of Electricity
2026 Grid Power and
Control Electronics
(PACE) Annual Meeting
September 23-24, 2026
Washington, D.C.
Westin City Center |1400 M St NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Google Maps
Registration is open!
To register, visit the registration page.The registration deadline is Friday, September 11, 2026. The cost to register is $300 per person.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, with support from Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is hosting the 2026 Grid Power and Control Electronics (Grid PACE) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, on September 23–24, 2026. This meeting aims to enhance domestic leadership in the field by highlighting opportunities and challenges for grid applications, fostering impactful public-private partnerships, and accelerating the development and demonstration of innovative solutions in grid power electronics and associated technologies.
Load growth from data centers, broader electrification, and onshoring manufacturing, as well as the interconnection of new energy resources and expansion of grid capacity to meet this growth, presents unique opportunities for advancing power electronics in the United States, especially for medium voltage applications (up to 34.5 kV). Globally, the power electronics market was valued at $36.28 Billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $71.20 Billion by 2035. By aligning utility needs, equipment manufacturing capabilities, and federal investments, the Grid PACE Consortium aims to build a cohesive domestic ecosystem to dominate this sector.
The Grid PACE Annual Meeting brings together a coalition of research institutions, utilities, manufacturers, suppliers, and industry leaders aimed at transitioning innovative research in power electronics to grid applications and strengthening the domestic network. The program will feature technical sessions and panels exploring applications, converter topologies, components, and supply chains. The two-day meeting will foster dialogue, engagement, and collaboration across national laboratories, academia, industry, and government to address critical challenges and realize opportunities to modernize and transform the grid.
Why Attend?
- Engage with experts from national laboratories, academia, industry, and government
- Participate in technical sessions covering applications, converter topologies, components, and supply chains
- Join panels focused on research, development, demonstration, and industry innovations
- Network with over 150 attendees shaping the future of grid power electronics
Agenda
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Registration / Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks Kerry Cheung Director, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity |
| 9:10 AM – 9:30 AM | DOE Keynote Katie Jereza Assistant Secretary, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity |
| 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM | Executive Panel Discussion A panel of executives will discuss on-going trends and needs of the industry, including the role of power electronics. Moderator: Annette Clayton, Former CEO, Schneider Electric North America Panelists: Marty Trivette, CTO, LayerZero Power Systems Rohan Kelkar, EVP, Southwire |
| 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM | Break |
| 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM | Grid PACE Overview Kerry Cheung Director, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity |
| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) Common Configurations to Scale DOE national laboratory researchers will present interim results and insights from OE’s effort in developing an MVDC development and demonstration plan, focusing on common converter configurations and power electronic building blocks. |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | DOE Lab Capabilities and Projects DOE national laboratories will present their capabilities and highlight relevant projects advancing power electronics for medium voltage applications spanning materials to systems, testing, and grid integration. Valerio De Angelis, Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) Madhu Chinthavali, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Murali Baggu, National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) |
| 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Break |
| 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Session 1: MVDC Grid Applications – Opportunities, Challenges, and Innovations Utility representatives and consultants will share their views on the future of MVDC grid architectures and applications, exploring technical and economic benefits, barriers, and tradeoffs. Moderator: TBD, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity Participants: Jason Autrey, Manager of Power Delivery R&D, Southern Company Alexander McDonald, Innovation Architect Engineer & Chief, PG&E Seyyed Ali Ghorashi, Advisor, Danovo Dr. Sahar Hendabadi, Vice President of Energy Transition & Grid Modernization, AECOM |
| 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Reception |
Thursday, September 24, 2026
| Time | Session |
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Registration / Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks Kerry Cheung Director, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity |
| 9:10 AM – 10:40 AM | Sessions 2: MVDC Solutions – Opportunities, Challenges, and Innovations from Established Manufacturers This session with established grid equipment vendors will focus on the design, manufacturing, and deployment of MVDC equipment, highlighting supply chain readiness and integration challenges. Moderator: Madhu Chinthavali, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Participants: Ibrahima Ndiaye, HVDC R&D Manager, GE Vernova Alexander Rentschler, Global Head of Technology & Innovation for Transmission, Siemens Energy Gerald Scheuer, Head of Technology, Business Line High Power Solution, ABB TBD |
| 10:40 AM – 11:00 AM | Break |
| 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Session 3: MVDC Solutions – Opportunities, Challenges, and Innovations from New Entrants Rapid load growth and new energy resources are creating opportunities for new entrants. This session will explore how equipment from these innovators can support MVDC grid applications and discuss the readiness of emerging solutions for commercial deployment. Moderator: Valerio De Angelis, Sandia National Laboratories Participants: Brian Dow, CEO, Ampersand Kimberly McGrath, Chief Strategy Officer, Alderbuck Energy Subashish Bhattacharya, DG Matrix TBD, Heron Power |
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Session 4: MVDC Supply Chains – Opportunities, Challenges, and Innovations This session will discuss the MVDC supply chain ecosystem, exploring vulnerabilities, manufacturing bottlenecks, and material scarcity challenges spanning materials, components, passives, assembly, and testing. Moderator: Jacob Mueller, Sandia National Laboratories Participants: James “Jim” Benke, Corporate Development Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Power, Inc. Eric Theisen, Principal Engineer and Team Lead, Energy and Environmental Research, University of North Dakoka Michael Brubaker, Co-Founder & CTO, Advanced Conversion Ashish Kumar, Wolfspeed Juan Galinda, Southwire |
| 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Break |
| 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Open Forum An open session designed to gather participant feedback and ecosystem insights to inform the strategic direction of the Grid PACE Consortium and DOE’s MVDC Development and Demonstration Plan. |
| 4:30 PM | Closing Remarks |
