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 now closed.
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 |
| 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 Ken Hester, Director, Solutions Architects, Nvidia |
| 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM | Break |
| 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM | Grid PACE Overview & Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) Common Configurations to Scale Introduction to the Grid Power and Control Electronics (PACE) Consortium and OE’s effort to define an MVDC development and demonstration plan focusing on common converter configurations and power electronic building blocks. Kerry Cheung, Director, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity |
| 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM | Lunch |
| 12:45 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. Facilitator: Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, ORNL Presenters: Valerio De Angelis, Manager, Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Systems, Sandia Prasad Kandula, Group Leader, Grid Systems Hardware, ORNL Murali Baggu, Laboratory Program Manager – Grid Integration, 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: Eric Hsieh, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity Participants: Seyyed Ali Ghorashi, Advisor, Danovo Dr. Sahar Hendabadi, Vice President of Energy Transition & Grid Modernization, AECOM Brenden Preece, Principal Engineer, Southern Company Alexander McDonald, Innovation Architect Engineer & Chief, PG&E |
| 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Reception |
Thursday, September 24, 2026
| Time | Session |
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Registration |
| 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks Kerry Cheung Director, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity |
| 9:10 AM – 10:40 AM | Session 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, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Participants: Ibrahima Ndiaye, HVDC R&D Manager, GE Vernova Alex Ebbert, Vice President, Product and Technical Strategy, HICO America Alexander Rentschler, Global Head of Technology & Innovation for Transmission, Siemens Energy Gerald Scheuer, Head of Technology, Business Line High Power Solution, ABB |
| 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, Manager, Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Systems, Sandia Participants: Brian Dow, CEO, Ampersand Johnny Gannon, Head of Product, Heron Power Kimberly McGrath, Chief Strategy Officer, Alderbuck Energy Michael Wood, Director of Commercial Development, DG Matrix Patrick Chapman, VP of Technology, Enphase |
| 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, Principal Member of Technical Staff, Sandia Participants: Juan Galindo, VP, Solutions & Systems Engineering, Southwire James “Jim” Benke, Corporate Development Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Power, Inc. Eric Theisen, Principal Engineer and Team Lead, Energy and Environmental Research, University of North Dakota Michael Brubaker, Co-Founder & CTO, Advanced Conversion Ashish Kumar, Senior Staff Research Scientist, Wolfspeed |
| 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. Kerry Cheung Director, U.S. DOE Office of Electricity |
| 4:30 PM | Closing Remarks |
