Avenues for Fast Deployment: Geothermal Coalitions in Traditional Energy States

This panel features:
Trent McFadyen, Director of Strategy, Project InnerSpace
Matt Welch, Executive Vice President, Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance
Brian Regli, Executive Director, Critical Investments, Office of Governor - Josh Shapiro, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Kelsey Putman Hughes, Director, Energy Tech, Tulsa Innovation Labs
Bryce Carter, Emerging Markets Program Manager for Geothermal, Colorado Energy Office
About the Speakers:
Trent recently served as a domestic policy advisor to U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, focusing on various policy areas, including tax, healthcare, appropriations, natural resources, education, and entitlements. He played a key role in negotiating Drinking and Clean Water funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Matt Welch is a seasoned public affairs consultant with nearly 30 years of experience in complex public policy issues at various levels of government. He founded Horizon Public Affairs (HPA) in 2008, which offers strategic planning, communications, public relations, government affairs consulting, coalition building, political campaign consulting, legislative advocacy, litigation support, and more. Matt also established Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation (CTEI) in 2019, a non-profit organization promoting energy innovation and clean energy policies. In late 2021, he joined former Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman to launch the Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance (TxGEA), dedicated to advancing the geothermal energy industry in Texas.
Brian Regli serves as the Executive Director of Critical Investments for the Governor, overseeing over $19 billion in federal appropriations allocated to Pennsylvania through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. He has extensive entrepreneurial experience in various sectors and holds a Doctorate in Developmental Economics from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Kelsey leads the energy tech portfolio for the Tulsa Innovation Labs as the Director of Energy Tech. She has over 12 years of experience in the energy sector and has held leadership roles in both the oil and gas and renewable energy industries. Kelsey is also co-founder of the Tulsa Renewable Business Alliance.
Bryce Carter is the emerging markets program manager for geothermal at the Colorado Energy Office. He has a strong background in community advocacy and has been involved in various energy and environmental initiatives, including supporting geothermal projects through incentives and refundable tax credits in Colorado.