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Brent Nelson, PhD, leads the forecasting practice at Ascend Analytics and provides expertise in new market dynamics, storage and renewable project valuation and strategy, resource planning, and renewable integration. Brent previously worked for the US Department of Energy from 2014-2016, focusing on research and development strategies for energy efficiency and demand side management. He has extensive experience in energy technology and energy system modeling, with a focus on understanding the impacts of technological change.
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Robert LaFaso leads Ascend Analytics’ Market Intelligence (AscendMI) practice, delivering long-term supply stack, market price, and project economics forecasts that power Ascend’s software suite. His insights guide utilities, developers, and investors in making high-confidence investment and planning decisions. He has led valuation due diligence for multi-gigawatt M&A transactions, including TerraGen’s sale to Masdar and Origis Energy’s sale to Antin Infrastructure Partners.
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Mike Huisenga manages Ascend’s energy storage and renewables bid optimization platform, SmartBidder, providing strategic leadership, overseeing customer success and engagement, product strategy and development, and product sales and marketing initiatives. His experience in renewable energy and sustainability spans two decades, including 15 years at WSP, the largest global engineering and environmental professional services firm, where he served as SVP and oversaw the delivery of technical services for renewable energy projects in the US.
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Ferdinand Rapant is Commercial Leader for Eastern Merchant Markets and is focused on directing commercial strategy in the developer and IPP client space. Ferdinand's background includes two decades of energy-market expertise and over 6GW of successful power projects across renewables, storage, thermal space, as well as extensive experience in digital transformation with several of the largest IPP's and regulated utilities in the US.
Book MeetingThe ERCOT market will work to implement many programs mandated by legislation, as well as additional PUCT initiatives, over the course of 2026. The designs for a wide variety of programs, products, and services, many of which may interact with one another, are slated for debate over the coming year. The decisions made will likely have substantive impacts on power prices, reliability, resource adequacy, and project siting. What gets implemented, and when, will shape investment decisions and market operations for all participants. This presentation examines the market design decisions under consideration for 2026 and beyond, offering perspectives on the design principles employed and their impacts on both power generators and customers.
Ascend Analytics is the leading provider of market intelligence and analytics solutions for the power industry. The company’s offerings enable decision makers in power supply, procurement, and investment markets to plan, operate, monetize, and manage risk across any energy asset portfolio. From real-time to 30-year horizons, their forecasts and insights are at the foundation of over $50 billion in project financing assessments. Ascend provides energy market stakeholders with the clarity and confidence to successfully navigate the rapidly shifting energy landscape.
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