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Paul Eory, Director of Energy Analytics Solutions, supports asset valuation, portfolio management, integrated resource planning, and long-term planning for utilities, developers, IPPs, and investors. With over 13 years of energy sector expertise, Paul helps hyperscalers evaluate assets and accelerated a large investor-owned utility's procurement evaluation process from months to days. Paul began his career at Bay City Electric Light & Power, managed energy efficiency programs, and served as the IRP modeler for Lansing Board of Water & Light. Before Ascend, he led IRPs, FP&A, rate design, and strategic planning at Michigan’s largest municipal utility. Paul also served on the Board of the American Public Power Association’s DEED program.
Book Meeting
Erik Schwartz works with financial institutions investing in energy, guiding investment teams through quantitative insights that strengthen asset valuation, portfolio strategy, and long-term decision planning. With more than two decades in energy-market leadership across Refinitiv, EnergyGPS, Energy Ventures Analysis, Genscape, and Point Carbon, Erik developed a skill set centered on market intelligence and commercial development that supports disciplined capital deployment.
Book Meeting.avif)
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. Robert's 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.
Book MeetingScaling clean energy and load simultaneously can expose a gap between strategy and outcome. This discussion explores how wellintended procurement and siting decisions can collide—shifting price formation, concentrating risk, and eroding hedge value. Attendees will compare real examples of success and selfinflicted risk, then identify signals that scale is moving markets faster than internal decision frameworks can adapt.
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.
Despite the cancellation of 21 GWh of BESS factory capacity in 2025, the US storage market started strong with over 2 GW deployed in Q1, largely driven by utility-scale projects. While investment uncertainty remains, the OBBB Act’s tax incentive timelines spared storage from the worst cuts and spurred activity in the latter half of the year. Developers and investors are adapting to evolving compensation models and financing structures, and storage continues to attract investment. How are timelines and strategies changing with the new landscape, and how can development and investment innovate to drive future growth? This panel will examine the state of the storage market, including deployment trends, financing shifts, supply chain strategy, business models, and technology outlook.
Review the full program agenda here.
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