Celebrating the People Powering Texas at the 2026 PowerPlayer Awards
At the end of June, PowerHouse Texas brought together legislative staff, industry professionals, advocates, academics and members across our Texas energy community for the 2026 PowerPlayer Awards. The evening was dedicated to bringing our community together and celebrating the people and partnerships shaping the future of Texas energy.
The night served two purposes close to our mission. It marked the graduation of this year's Energy Academy class, composed of senior legislative staff at the Texas Capitol, presenting original policy proposals on some of the state's most pressing energy challenges. And we honored the individuals and organizations whose talent, innovation and dedication are driving meaningful progress toward affordable, abundant energy for all Texans.
Energy Academy 2026 Graduating Class
Energy Academy graduates put policy into practice
The 2026 PowerPlayer Awards showcased and congratulated more than 30 graduates of the 2026 Energy Academy. Our participants split into bipartisan, bicameral teams to develop solutions for critical energy challenges facing Texas, sharing their proposals on stage at the Awards.
Pictured: Rate Players Team: Lauren Morreale (Rep. Carrie Isaac), Brandon Moore (Rep. Richard Hayes), Antron Johnson (Rep. Ron Reynolds), Daniel Luo (Rep. Carrie Isaac)
Grid & Ground (winning team). Santino Camacho, Legislative Director for Chairman Drew Darby, and Daniel Wilkins, Policy Analyst for Senator Molly Cook, delivered an exceptional proposal addressing the impacts of data center expansion on energy, water resources and local communities. Their work earned top honors from the judges.
We Didn't Start the Fire. Allison Winney, Kevin Shu, Scarlett Smith and Vince Leibowitz proposed statewide first responder safety standards for battery energy storage systems.
Rate Players. Andrew Harkey, Antron D. Johnson, Benjamin Hickman, Brandon Moore, Daniel Luo, Lauren Morreale and Gary Strong developed an incentive framework for grid-enhancing technologies.
Concrete Results. Alvaro Diaz, Benjamin Abell, Carter Moxley, Jeff Wolverton, Rachel S., Nicholas Allen and Shannon Leigh Perry explored ways to encourage the use of carbon-captured concrete products in roadway construction.
Together, these proposals show what the Energy Academy is built to do: equip the people who support Texas lawmakers with the knowledge to turn complex challenges into practical, well-researched policy solutions.
Texas’ leading experts select the winning team
Evaluating policy proposals this strong is no small task. We are grateful to our distinguished judges, Julie Williams, Mark Stover, Micalah Spenrath, Michael Jewell and Will McAdams, for lending their expertise and giving each team thoughtful consideration.
Judges Mark Stover (Texas Solar + Storage Association) and Micalah Spenrath (Austin Energy) question presenting team.
Honoring the 2026 PowerPlayers
Will McAdams, former PUC Commissioner and President of McAdams Energy Group, questions the Academy team.
The heart of the evening was recognizing the leaders who work day in and day out to make a lasting difference in Texas energy. Congratulations to this year's PowerPlayer Award recipients.
Made possible by our sponsors
The PowerPlayer Awards 2026 and our programs like the Energy Academy depend on partners who believe in our work.
We are deeply grateful to all of our sponsors, with a special thank you to Environmental Defense Fund, including Colin Leyden and former Energy Academy graduate Kiera Eriksen-McAuliffe, for supporting both the event and the PowerPlayer Raffle. And congratulations to our raffle winners Kelsey Johnson, Taylor Neal and Veronique Placke!
The 2026 PowerPlayer Awards reminded us that progress in Texas energy is built by the people behind the policy: the staff who prepare lawmakers for tough decisions, the experts who share what they know and the advocates who keep important issues in front of the public. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to all who support PowerHouse Texas and our mission to advance affordable, abundant energy for all Texans.
We look forward to seeing the incredible Texas energy community at future events.
