The Bill Lane Center for the American West, the Hoover Institution, and the Precourt Institute for Energy held the State of the West Symposium: Powering the American West: Affordability, Technology, and Policy in the Western Energy Landscape on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 12:00pm PT in Shultz Auditorium.
With its abundant renewable energy resources, major centers of oil and gas production, pioneering geothermal energy development, rich mineral resources, and vast transmission infrastructure, the American West is a powerhouse of the U.S. energy landscape. The region is at the vanguard of energy transitions, and plays a vital role in the country’s energy security and economic development. Yet rapidly rising demand, increasing costs, aging infrastructure, and complex permitting processes pose formidable challenges to the region’s energy ecosystem and well-being.
This year’s State of the West symposium considers the state of energy in the West, from ensuring affordable energy in the age of AI, to opportunities for permitting reform and the future of nuclear energy.
| Thursday, May 28, 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Content | Speaker |
|
12:00–12:30 PM |
Check-in and lunch |
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|
12:30–12:40 PM |
Opening remarks |
Sec. Condoleezza Rice, Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy |
|
12:40–1:25 PM |
Lunch keynote |
Sen. Ron Wyden, United States Senator for Oregon |
|
1:25–2:40 PM |
Panel #1: Powering Growth Without Breaking the Bill: Affordability in an Era of Surging AI Energy Demand |
Moderator: Liang Min, Managing Director, Bits & Watts Initiative, Stanford University Panelists: Jerry Fenn, Chair of Utah Public Service Commission John Reynolds, President of California Public Utilities Commission Tracey LeBeau, Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of Western Area Power Administration |
|
2:40–2:50 PM |
Break |
-- |
|
2:50–4:05 PM |
Panel #2: Permitting Reform for Energy Abundance in the West |
Moderator: David Fedor, Stephenson Policy Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Panelists: Ben Serrurier, Director of Government Affairs and Policy for Fervo Energy Madeline Silva, Senior Director at Pacific Gas & Electric Company Michael Bennon, Research Scholar & Program Manager at CDDRL for the Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative, Stanford University |
|
4:05–4:15 PM |
Break |
-- |
|
4:15–5:30 PM |
Panel #3: Reinventing Nuclear in the West: Next-Generation Nuclear Technology and Policy |
Moderator: Matt Rogers, Energy Transition Leader, Independent Board Director Panelists: Rachel Slaybaugh, General Partner, DCVC V.A. Stephens, Nuclear Energy Expert, Policy Strategist, Legislative & Public Affairs Leader Drew DeWalt, Co-Founder, General Matter Sally Benson, Precourt Family Professor of Energy Science & Engineering, Stanford University |
|
5:30–6:30 PM |
Reception |
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