Keynote speakers

Chairman

House Committee on Energy Resources

Representative Drew Darby serves House District 72, representing ten counties across West Texas, including the Big Country, Concho Valley, and Permian Basin. A San Angelo native, he earned his BBA and JD from the University of Texas at Austin. He chairs the House Committee on Energy Resources and serves on multiple legislative committees. A businessman and attorney, he and his wife Clarisa have five children and twelve grandchildren.

Chairman

House Public Education Committee 

State Representative Brad Buckley is serving his fourth term in the Texas House, representing House District 54 in Bell County, including Fort Hood. He chairs the House Public Education Committee and serves on the Natural Resources Committee and the Select Committee on Civil Discourse and Freedom of Speech in Higher Education. A veterinarian and partner at Killeen Veterinary Clinic, he lives in Salado with his wife Susan and their family.

Co-Founder

Texans for Reasonable Solutions
 

Nicole Nosek is the co-founder of Texans for Reasonable Solutions, a statewide organization advancing housing and energy affordability for Texas families. She has helped pass seven state and local laws improving housing outcomes and drives data-driven policy, grassroots engagement, and legislative strategy. Nicole also chairs the Austin Habitat for Humanity Advocacy Committee.

CEO

Cholla Inc
 

Gideon O. Powell is CEO of Cholla Inc., guiding the company’s expansion from oil and gas exploration into Bitcoin mining, data centers, and flexible-load power innovation. He focuses on strengthening energy markets, enhancing grid reliability, and advancing bottom-up, market-driven solutions. Beyond Cholla, Gideon advises national justice-reform initiatives and serves on the MIT Energy Club Advisory Board, contributing to conversations at the intersection of energy, policy, and innovation.

 Vice President

Stand Together
 

Kathleen O’Hearn is Vice President of Issue Education at Stand Together, where she leads national strategies advancing human flourishing and freedom. She previously directed economic policy grantmaking at Stand Together Trust and held senior leadership roles at the State Policy Network and the Mercatus Center. Throughout her career, she has built cross-state coalitions and translated research into actionable policy solutions for lawmakers nationwide.

President

McWilliams Governmental Affairs

Andrea McWilliams is an Austin-based lobbyist, political fundraiser, and national commentator, known for strategic, detail-driven advocacy across public and private sectors. She leads McWilliams Governmental Affairs and has been featured by outlets including FOX News, CNN, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal. A Texas Businesswoman of the Year and Texas Monthly “POWER” honoree, she became the first Texas recipient of the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics “Top Lobbyist” award.

Former President and CEO

PJM 

Experienced energy executive with proven strategic and operational leadership in the industry. Recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in wholesale/retail power markets, modern utility models, grid operations, fast-acting HVDC devices, smart grid innovations, and renewable energy development. Skilled at growing and motivating organizations in complex, evolving environments while championing institutional innovation and excellence.

President 

American Energy Leadership Institute 

Chris is a Republican energy and environment strategist who advises elected officials on policy issues central to the America First agenda. A frequent guest on Fox Business and Fox News, he provides commentary on energy markets, environmental regulation, and domestic production. He also writes for major media outlets and partners with energy organizations to mobilize conservative grassroots support, while serving as a Senior Advisor to the College Republicans.

Chief Construction Officer

 Cipher Mining 

Chris Totin is an engineering and construction executive with more than $23 billion in global infrastructure experience. He has led project management, project controls, and construction teams on complex, large-scale developments across multiple sectors. With deep expertise in execution strategy and field operations, Chris brings practical, hands-on insight to the buildout of next-generation power systems and industrial infrastructure.

Former Vice President AI & Data Center

Intel 

Jose Rios is a leading Bitcoin advocate and former VP of Intel’s AI and Datacenter group, where he led the development and launch of Intel’s Blockscale Bitcoin mining ASIC. He now runs a startup focused on decentralized AI, advises Bitcoin ecosystem ventures, and supports open-source nonprofits. He holds a Computer Engineering degree and an MBA, with research interests in GPU architecture and applied machine learning.

Vice President Energy

Cholla Inc

Clayton Greer is Vice President of Energy at Cholla Petroleum, where he leads the integration of cryptocurrency mining, data centers, and grid operations. With more than 30 years in the electrical power industry, including pivotal roles influencing ERCOT’s market design, he brings extensive expertise in power distribution, system reliability, and emerging flexible-load technologies that strengthen grid resilience and support large-scale energy innovation.

Head of Policy & Government Relations  

Cipher Mining
 

Lee Bratcher is Head of Policy and Government Relations at Cipher Mining, where he leads regulatory engagement with ERCOT and Texas utilities. He previously founded and served as president of the Texas Blockchain Council, advancing key state blockchain legislation. A former political science professor and U.S. Army Reserve Major, Lee holds a Ph.D. with research focused on blockchain-based land registries and institutional reform.

Former Director Grid Coordination

ERCOT

A native Texan from the Coastal Bend, he returned home after serving in the U.S. Navy to begin his energy career at the South Texas Nuclear Plant with Houston Lighting & Power. He later held roles at Duke Energy and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation before joining ERCOT, where he has served nearly 20 years. He led system planning, operations support, and large-load interconnections, most recently as Director of Grid Coordination, and now serves as Principal.

Associate Professor 

Texas A&M University 

Korok Ray is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M’s Mays Business School and a game theorist specializing in Bitcoin and digital markets. His research explores the intersection of Bitcoin and artificial intelligence, including AI-driven transaction design and incentive systems. He holds degrees from the University of Chicago and Stanford University and previously served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

Electricity Trading and Consulting

ERCOT  

An experienced electric market consultant specializing in deregulation within Texas’ ERCOT region, he has represented municipalities, cooperatives, and millions of residential customers in stakeholder and rate proceedings. His career spans roles at LCRA, Pan Canadian Energy Services, and independent consulting, with expertise in power production, market restructuring, risk mitigation, solar and load participation, and balancing ratepayer interests with sound business strategy.

Engineering Professor

TAMU

Dr. Ivan Damnjanović is a professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University and Director of Engineering Project Management. His work focuses on project risk management, public–private partnerships, and production system modeling for complex capital projects. Integrating operations science, data analytics, and finance, his research improves planning and execution under uncertainty while advancing productivity and predictability across infrastructure and energy developments.

Civil Engineering Professor

TAMU

Dr. Howell joined the College of Engineering in 2013. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with High Honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Houston in 2012. His research focuses on modeling the fate and transport of persistent pollutants in water and sediment systems. He teaches environmental engineering, chemistry, statistics, and GIS, and was named the Bell Helicopter Professorship of Engineering in 2021.

Chief of Staff and Director of Communications

McWilliams Governmental Affairs 

Daniel Smeraldo serves as Chief of Staff and Director of Communications for McWilliams Governmental Affairs Consultants, where he leads strategic client service and legislative communications. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (B.A., International Relations & Global Studies), Daniel began his career as a Policy Analyst before advancing to Legislative Aide and later Chief of Staff. He is passionate about public policy, language, and global affairs, and has studied Spanish and Russian abroad.