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ASCEND SPEAKER BUREAU
Brent Nelson, PhD
Senior Managing Director of Market Intelligence
Dr. Nelson leads Ascend Analytics’ forecasting practice, delivering market insights that support storage and renewable project valuation, resource planning, and investment strategy. His work focuses on emerging market dynamics, renewable integration, and the impacts of technological change on power systems.
About
Prior to joining Ascend, Dr. Nelson held academic and research roles at Northern Arizona University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the U.S. Department of Energy, where he focused on energy efficiency and demand-side management research.
Dr. Nelson holds PhD and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley.
Speaking Topics
Resource Planning and Demand-Side/Energy-Efficiency Research
Energy Market Design
US Capacity Markets
Hyperscale Data Center Operations
Project Finance and Investment Strategy
Resource Planning and Demand-Side/Energy-Efficiency Research
Recent Speaking Engagements
September 30, 2026
Key Dynamics in Power Markets: What's Happening and What it Means for Energy Market Participants
Ascend Summit 2026 | Featured Speaker
August 27, 2026
Load Growth and the Future of Capacity Markets
Currents Podcast, Norton Rose Fulbright | Featured Speaker
May 6, 2026
Reliability, Capital Markets, and the New Policy Landscape
Marshall & Stevens Energy Forum | Featured Speaker
March 16, 2026
State of the Storage Market & the Road Ahead
Solar + Wind Finance & Investment Summit
March 10, 2026
Nuanced Tradeoffs and Uncertainties: Unpacking the Bi-Directional Relationship of Data Centers and Power
Hannam Fireside Chat | Featured Speaker
September 10, 2024
Planning for Reliability and Resiliency with Carbon-Free Energy
RE+ | Featured Speaker