Plenary Panels

While the IDEA2023 Educational Program consists of more than 100 presentations delivered by a diverse group of more than 150 expert presenters, our Opening Plenary Panels set the tone for the conference with invaluable insights for some of the biggest names in the industry.
Get a sneak peek at this impressive lineup below and make sure you register for IDEA2023, taking place June 5-8 in Chicago. 

Panel #1: Driving the Energy Transition for Cities, Communities, & Campuses with District Energy

Tuesday, June 6  - 8:20 – 9:15 am CT   
Opening Plenary Panel Discussion 1:
Driving the Energy Transition for Cities, Communities, & Campuses with District Energy
International Ballroom North

The jumping off point for every IDEA conference is an amazing Opening Plenary Panel featuring industry leaders delivering insights you can't find anywhere else. IDEA2023, taking place June 5-8, 2023 at the Hilton Chicago, will be no exception.
Driving the Energy Transition for Cities, Communities, & Campuses is the first of two Plenary Panels, featuring leaders from across the district energy industry, discussing the importance of customer aggregation and scale, strategies for decarbonizing asset mix, integrating renewables to accelerate the energy transition, and topics like electrification, energy recovery and the evolving policy arena.
Moderated by Rob Thornton, President & CEO, IDEA, the panelists for this must-attend panel include (in alphabetical order):
• Carlyle Coutinho, President & CEO, Enwave Energy
• Frank Cuomo, General Manager, Steam Services, ConEdison
• Jacob Graff, Regional General Manager, Cordia Energy
• Brian Mueller, Chief Development Officer, Vicinity Energy
• Lisa Sparrow, President & CEO, Corix Group of Companies
• Steven Swinson, CEO, CenTrio

Panel #2 - Global Leaders Panel

Tuesday, June 6 - 9:20am – 10:15 am CT   
Plenary Panel Discussion 2 – Global Leaders Panel
International Ballroom North

Around the globe, investment in district energy systems is surging as cities, communities and campuses seek cleaner energy infrastructure for enhanced energy security, increased resilience and accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon future. The distinguished global experts in this panel will lend their unique perspectives on the industry and the current energy transition. giving you insights you're not going to hear anywhere else. 
Moderated by Rob Thornton, President & CEO, IDEA, the panelists for this must-attend panel include (in alphabetical order):
  • Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer, Empower
  • Sam Chatterton, Vice President, Applied Product Technical Support, Johnson Controls
  • Aksana Krasatsenka, Director of Knowledge Transfer, Euroheat & Power
  • Cristina Mariaca Orozco, Thermal Districts Project Coordinator, Environment Ministry Colombia
  • Alexander Sharabaroff, Senior Energy Specialist, World Bank Group - International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • Werner Lutsch, Chief Executive Officer, AGFW