Great Transformation 2026 unveils speaker lineup for Bend summit

The Technology Association of Oregon and Outfit announced speakers for Great Transformation 2026, a July 8-10 executive summit in Bend focused on AI-driven power demand, grid modernization and distributed energy resources. The event aims to connect utilities, policymakers, hyperscalers and cleantech leaders around practical solutions for Oregon and the broader Pacific Northwest.

Why it matters: - AI and data center growth is putting new pressure on centralized power infrastructure. - Great Transformation 2026 is designed to bring together the people who can shape distributed energy resources, microgrids, solar-plus-storage and grid management. - The summit targets a gap between technical need and the policy and operating decisions required to deploy solutions.

What happened: - The Technology Association of Oregon and Outfit announced the speaker list for Great Transformation 2026: The Rise of Distributed Energy Resources. - The three-day executive summit runs July 8-10, 2026, at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, Oregon. - Organizers say the event will host 250+ C-suite leaders, policymakers and cleantech innovators. - Registration and the full program agenda are available at more information.

The details: - Confirmed sessions include senior representatives from Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Portland General Electric and MIT. - Panel topics include scaling AI colocation, financing microgrid infrastructure, implementing Oregon’s AR 681 grid blueprint and the geothermal frontier. - The summit will focus on three pathways: Collaborative Innovation, Grid Modernization & Resilience, and Energy Metamorphosis. - The event is built around cross-sector workshops and high-stakes facilitation. - The speaker list spans developers and hyperscalers, manufacturers and service providers, utilities and municipalities, capital and finance, and academics and industry organizations.

Between the lines: - Robert Cross, principal at Outfit, said the key challenge is no longer awareness but getting disruptors, grid operators and regulators in the same room to build an actual roadmap. - Skip Newberry, president and CEO of the Technology Association of Oregon, said Oregon sits at the center of one of the country’s most consequential infrastructure conversations. - The structure of the summit suggests a practical, deal-oriented push rather than a broad conference about energy trends. - The focus on regional benchmarks and pilot programs signals that organizers want attendees to leave with actions, not just ideas.

What’s next: - Attendees will receive a framework for aligning their organizations with 2026-2030 regional energy and technology benchmarks. - Participants will get direct access to Pacific Northwest decision-makers. - The event will provide early visibility into microgrid and AI-driven resource management pilot programs. - Attendees will also receive an exclusive post-event intelligence briefing. - The announced speakers include Google’s Ellen Zuckerman, AWS’s Nate Hill, Microsoft’s Lilia Hou, PGE’s John McFarland and William Messner, and TAO’s Skip Newberry, among others.

The bottom line: - Great Transformation 2026 is positioning Bend as a working summit for the next phase of grid and energy infrastructure planning.