Tuesday, May 20

6:00 PM: Welcome Networking Reception sponsored by SmartestEnergy
Mandrake Rooftop | 810 N High St., Columbus, Ohio USA

Join us Tuesday evening at 6PM to kick off our Ohio TEPA Ohio Conference with a rooftop welcome reception at The Mandrake. All registered attendees are invited to enjoy an evening of great food, drinks, and skyline view courtesy of our sponsor, SmartestEnergy.

Wednesday, May 21
(Full agenda coming soon)

10:00 AM | Check In
Le Meridien Columbus | 2nd Floor, Coleman Ballroom

10:30 AM | Conference Opening & Welcome Address
– Greg Bechert: President-elect, TEPA & Managing Partner, Scioto Energy
– Tom Price: Senior Director – Sales, Shell Energy

10:45 AM | Policy in Action: The Road to HB 15 and SB 2
Join Senator Bill Reineke, Representative Roy Klopfenstein, and Shawn Nelson for an inside look at the path to enacting House Bill 15 and Senate Bill 2—key legislation aimed at strengthening Ohio’s competitive energy landscape. Our panel will discuss the challenges overcome, bipartisan collaboration, and how these laws are poised to support consumer choice, market stability, and continued investment in Ohio’s energy future.

– Moderator | Kevin Schmidt: Partner & V.P., Government Relations, Strategic Public Partners
– Representative Roy Klopfenstein, Ohio State Representative
– Shawn Nelson: Founder & Principal, Nelson Government Strategies
– Senator Shane Wilkin: Ohio State Senator

11:30 AM: Lunch

12:45 PM | The New Demand Dilemma: Not All Load is Created Equal
PJM’s demand profile is changing fast, led by flexible loads like crypto mining and price-insensitive AI data centers. This panel will examine how these contrasting users are impacting grid operations, pricing, and infrastructure planning—especially as they concentrate in Ohio. What does this mean for reliability, affordability, and future investment?

– Moderator | Austin Mitchell: Co-Founder & CEO, Synota
– Andrew Burchwell: Executive Director, The Ohio Blockchain Council
– Carol Haines: Head of Power & Policy, Core Scientific
– Dan Lawrence: President, OBM

1:30 PM | Ohio & PJM Market Update: Pricing Trends and Procurement Strategy
As PJM markets evolve, Ohio remains a key focus for pricing volatility and shifting procurement strategies. This session will cover the latest market drivers—capacity costs, demand growth, and forward curve trends—and what they mean for brokers and consultants navigating contract timing, structure, and risk for their clients.

– Lindsey Adamski: Senior Energy Strategist, Strategic Client Services, NRG Energy, Inc.
– Elizabeth Melisz: Technical Sales Account Executive, NRG Energy, Inc.
– Hans Rottmann: Senior Manager, Technical Sales, NRG Energy Inc.

2:15 PM | Networking Break
– Sponsored by ENGIE

2:45 PM | Green, But At What Cost? Rethinking Sustainability
With REC prices fluctuating, carbon rules shifting, and political pressure mounting, many customers are asking: Is sustainability still worth it? This panel explores how regulatory changes and market volatility are reshaping the business case for going green from REC and PPA challenges to evolving carbon reporting and global comparisons.

– Moderator | Topher Jensen: Director of Commercial & Industrial Sales, Gas South
– Chris Gersch: Founder & CEO, Verde Solutions
– Ky Slone: Director of C&I Origination, BP
– Ben Tramontini: Environmental Products Trader Economist, SmartestEnergyUS

3:30 PM | Back to the Beginning: EPO Founders Roundtable
Before becoming part of the TEPA organization, EPO was founded by a dedicated group of energy consultants who saw a need to be more active as a group in the Ohio market. In this roundtable discussion, we’ll hear from several early board members as they reflect on why EPO was created, how the industry has evolved, and where they believe it’s headed next.

– Greg Bechert: President-elect, TEPA & Managing Partner, Scioto Energy
– Dennis Giancola: President, Energy Deals, LLC
– Chris Gruelich: President, North Shore Energy
– Huck Hayes: President, AES Energy
– Perry Oman: President, Muirfield Energy

4:15 PM | Closing Remarks
– Eli Sachs: Director of Sales, Freepoint Energy Solutions

4:30 PM | Networking Reception & Happy Hour
– Sponsored by OBM