CampusEnergy2026 Conference
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Conference proceedings from the CampusEnergy2026 conference in National Harbor, MD
More than 1,300 district energy professionals gathered in National Harbor, MD for education, exhibits, technical tours, and meaningful peer exchange at CampusEnergy2026. This year’s conference was a powerful reminder of the strength and momentum of the campus energy community. CampusEnergy2026 included three days of educational content with three pre-conference workshops, a SIX track technical program, our largest collection of poster presentations and multiple tours of operating district energy systems.
From innovative podium and poster presentations, a sold out exhibit hall, and dynamic discussions on the opportunities and challenges ahead for district energy, this year's event was a special one.
CampusEnergy2026 included three workshops: Thermal Distribution & System Operations; District Energy and Data Centers; and Thermal Energy Networks - Business Best Practices. Workshop content can be accessed through the workshop link on the CampusEnergy2026 landing page, if you were a registered attendee of the workshops.
Only those who registered and paid to attend the conference (or workshops) are able to access the content.
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Opening Plenary Panel: Advancing Thermal Networks
A conversation with campus utility & sustainability leaders on drivers, trends, technologies and techniques shaping future campus energy systems.
Panelists:
- Casey Collins, Director, Utility & Energy Services, Duke University
- Tess McNamara, Sustainable Buildings & Infrastructure Lead, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
- Christopher Potter, Director, Utilities and Power Plant Operations, Architect of the Capitol
- Mary Quintana, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management, Brock University
- Mansi Talwar – Executive Director, Engineering, Utilities and Energy, The George Washington University
- Curtis Wade, Director of Utilities, University of Notre Dame
- David Woodson, Executive Director, Campus Energy, Utilities & Operations, University of Washington
Casey Collins
Director, Utility & Energy Management
Duke University
Casey Collins serves as the Director of Utility & Energy Services for Duke University. His 65-person team is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of district energy and water utilities for a 22 million square feet campus supporting over 40,000 people every day. This organization identifies and implements a broad portfolio of technologies and organizational solutions to help the University meet its facility performance, cost management, and greenhouse gas neutrality commitments. Prior to his work at Duke, Casey served industrial, institutional, and architectural clients with a variety of energy, engineering and project management services. He is an alumnus of North Carolina State University, a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Energy Manager, and a lover of life with his family and community.
Tess McNamara, AIA, LEED AP, ENV SP
Sustainable Buildings & Infrastructure Lead
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Tess McNamara, AIA, LEED AP is the Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure Lead at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and serves on the faculty at the Yale School of Architecture.
An architect and sustainability leader, Tess advances decarbonization and climate action across complex building and infrastructure portfolios. At the Port Authority, she leads decarbonization strategy for airports, transit facilities, and other mission-critical assets, including district energy systems. Previously, Tess worked as a Senior Consultant at Arup, advising public and private clients on climate-responsive design, adaptive reuse, and retrofit of existing buildings. Tessâs research and writing explore the intersection of architecture, policy, urbanism, and climate, with a particular focus on reuse as a pathway to decarbonization. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Architectural Digest. She holds a Master of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture, a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Princeton University. Tess has spent five years on the faculty at Yale, where she teaches the course âBad Buildings: Decarbonization through Reuse, Retrofit, and Proposition.â
Christopher Potter
Executive Director, Utilities and Power Plant Operations
Architect of the Capitol
Christopher Potter is the Executive Director of Utilities and Power Plant Operations at the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and is responsible for the management of the district energy system serving the buildings on and around Capitol Hill. Chris has been with the AOC since 2005. Prior to that, he worked at the General Services Administration district energy system also in Washington DC. Chris has a Master's degree in Public Administration from American University, a Masterâs degree in Engineering Management from Catholic University, and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Mary Quintana, MSc, MES, CEM, CMVP, LEED Green Assoc
Associate Vice-President, Facilities Management
Brock University
Mary is the Associate Vice-President, Facilities Management at Brock University, a higher education institution in Ontario, Canada. In this role, Mary provides leadership to a team of nearly 150 people who maintain and operate over $1.6B in assets. Mary has helped embed sustainability across the whole portfolio, which includes: Capital projects, project management, utilities, maintenance, vehicles and compliance.
For over 15 years, Mary has worked in the university sector, holding roles of Director, Asset Management & Utilities and Director, Sustainability & Asset Management, Energy & Carbon Manager and Environmental Project Coordinator. Via these roles, Mary has developed and advanced environmental, sustainability and utilitiesâ goals. She has been an active participant in the fight against climate change, implementing numerous energy efficiency and carbon management projects that have saved over 10 million dollars while reducing organizationsâ carbon footprints.
Maryâs professional experience includes several years working on research and development, specializing on image processing and automation to assist medical personnel in the early detection of cancer. She also has experience in the consulting field, where she worked with small and medium enterprises in developing competitiveness strategies based on technology management and innovation.
Mary also believes in the power of collaboration; for over a decade she has been involved with OAPPA (Ontario Association of Physical Plant Administrators), a professional group of leaders in the facilities management sector. She has been particularly involved with the Energy sub-committee, of which she became the chair in 2024.
In terms of education, Mary holds a bachelorâs degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering and a Masters degree (Technology management) from the Tecnologico de Monterrey. In addition, she holds a Masters of Environment and Sustainability from Western University and is both a Certified Energy Manager and a Certified Measurement & Verification Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers.
Mansi Talwar
Executive Director, Engineering, Utilities and Energy
The George Washington University
Mansi Talwar leads George Washington Universityâs portfolio of energy strategy, environmental and energy compliance, sustainability, and utilities, where she focuses on advancing decarbonization, improving campus energy performance, and aligning infrastructure investments with long-term sustainability and resilience goals. She has been with GW for five years and previously managed commercial and institutional energy programs for Washington, DC through the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, bringing more than a decade of experience developing and implementing large-scale energy and utility initiatives. Mansi serves on the DC Green Building Advisory Council and the DC Sustainable Energy Advisory Board, contributing an ownerâs and operatorâs perspective to policy and regulatory discussions while helping drive practical, high-performance building and clean energy solutions.
Curt Wade, CEM, BEP, PMP, WT3, LEED AP
Director, Utiliites
University of Notre Dame
As Director of Utilities for Notre Dameâs Facilities Design and Operations division, Curt Wade heads up the operation and maintenance of Notre Dameâs utility generation and distribution systems. Wade leads a team of power plant operators, maintenance, and instrument and control technicians guiding efficiency, reliability, resiliency, dispatch, and generation capacity planning of the campusâs electrical and thermal generation, as well as potable and stormwater systems.
David Woodson, MBA, FMA, CEFP
Executive Director, Campus Energy, Utilities, and Operations
University of Washington
David Woodson is the Executive Director of Campus, Energy, Utilities, and Operations at the University of Washington where he is leading the effort to decarbonize the district heating system at the flagship Seattle campus. David previously had as similar role at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and now is enjoying the opportunity to apply the lessons learned from UBC at UW. David is a UW Alum (Aero and Astro ‘91) and has his MBA ‘06 from UBC. David is presently the Vice-Chair of the International District Energy Association (IDEA).
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Contains 1 Component(s)
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Wednesday Recognition Lunch with Patti Wilson Award Ceremony
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Wednesday Recognition Lunch with Patti Wilson Award Ceremony
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 01
Presentation Description: Healthcare presents a major challenge in building decarbonization, as the push towards less reliance on fossil fuel sources may lead to impacts on resiliency and operations. In the push towards decarbonization, owners of critical healthcare buildings are having to confront major technical challenges to develop efficient, clean, resilient energy systems and operations. Driven by its commitment to environmental stewardship and safety for its communities, Montefiore-Einstein is charting a path of excellence in building and maintaining a modern academic health system for future climate impacts. This is a process of modernizing systems, transforming how their campuses create and use energy, and how this impacts their local environment, community and ensures resilience for its business continuity.
This presentation will present case studies for 5 of Montefiore-Einstein’s campuses to illustrate the range of approaches to decarbonization being undertaken. These campuses contain a mix of inpatient, outpatient, laboratory, classroom and multifamily buildings, and are served by various types of district energy systems, including CHP and microgrids. The decarbonization strategies vary according to space, facility, capital and resiliency needs of the campuses 20-25 years out.
Learning objectives include:
• Identify opportunities and challenges healthcare facilities face in the path to decarbonization
• Understand technical approaches to maintaining resiliency and how existing systems can determine paths forward
• Develop near-and long-term decarbonization projects and understand how to integrate these into facility capital planning.
• Identify sources of funding and life cycle cost strategies for decarbonization approaches
Case Study: The presentation will utilize case studies from Montefiore’s Decarbonization Plan, including three centralized heat pump projects that are currently in early design stages. These projects were identified to both capture unique state funding opportunities and avoid near term NYC LL97 carbon emissions penalties by offsetting steam use through the use of recovering heat from process equipment.
Keywords: Microgrids & CHP for Reliability and Resiliency
Daniel Audette, PE, CEM
Senior Engineer
Wendel
Daniel Audette, PE, CEM is a Senior Engineer/Project Manager at Wendel. He has over 14 years of analyzing building data to develop long-term energy strategies for commercial, governmental, and industrial buildings. Dan has specialized in assisting building owners with developing and implementing campus wide energy reduction and decarbonization projects, as well as obtaining funding in the form of energy tax incentives, federal grants and utility incentives.
He is the co-author of numerous articles related to strategies for the building and energy industry, published in Building Operating Management, UNIT Magazine, Green Lodging News, International Parking Institute, Corporate Business Taxation Monthly, and Thomson Reuters. He has presented on energy efficiency programs throughout the country to hundreds of corporations, architectural firms, engineering firms, accounting firms, as well as at numerous national educational events.
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 02
Presentation Description: The project supported Con Edison in developing a strategic roadmap for steam system decarbonization, aligned with New York's CLCPA and Local Law 97. Leveraging an integrated modeling framework, including multi-energy generation expansion and dispatch optimization, the methodology assesses various technology pathways, regulatory scenarios, and infrastructure configurations calculating capital requirements to meet emission targets. Preliminary insights suggest that near-term electrification, strategic deployment of thermal energy storage, and adaptive use of carbon-free fuels could significantly reduce emissions.
Case Study: Conedison Steam Decarbonization Study
Keywords: De-carbonizing with District Energy
Luca Ferrari
Project Manager
Optit Corp.
Luca Ferrari with Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering and a Master Degree in Business and Finance, started his career in the US analysing and developing complex and innovative energy projects in the utility and industrial sectors. He joined Optit in 2020 as Energy Consultant and he is now managing the Energy Division and the US market operations.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 03
Presentation Description: Data-driven decisions are critical as systems simultaneously aim for optimized performance and long-term sustainability. This poster highlights key findings on the relationship between temporal resolution of time series input data (e.g., hourly vs. 15-minute demand profiles) and the resulting accuracy of simulations created with oemof. The practical challenges of simulation -accurate data collection, model maintenance, and workflow management- will also be discussed. The project explores how simulation tools can support campuses in designing more economic, efficient, and sustainable district energy systems.
Case Study: As an intern for Max Brahms at HTW (University of Applied Sciences) Berlin, through the DAAD RISE scholarship program, I developed and applied simulation models to explore optimal design strategies for district energy systems. Using the oemof modeling library and Gurobi, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solver, I represented system layout, costs, emissions, and demand data to identify optimal technology configurations and capacities. To evaluate the impact of temporal resolution, I wrote code to up- and down-sample datasets, enabling direct comparisons across different levels of detail. The methodology explored could inform utility master planning and decisions regarding the necessary resolution of data collected for internal analysis.
Mary Cotter
Student
University of Virginia
Motivated Mechanical Engineering student interested in learning how computer modeling and efficient engineering can help save our planet. With my free time, I enjoy creating: sewing clothes, brewing kombucha, knitting, drawing and painting.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 04
Presentation Description: My presentation will focus on the changes to the clean energy tax credits enacted by the reconciliation bill, including the new termination/phase out timelines, foreign entity of concern, elective pay, and beginning of construction provisions. The administration is expected to release guidance on these topics soon, which will be timely to discuss at the conference to understand the new rules for claiming the tax credits under the reconciliation bill's revisions.
Gelane Diamond
Associate Attorney
Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, P.C.
Ms. Diamond is an Associate Attorney at Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, P.C., where her practice focuses on implementation of the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, as amended and modified by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 05
Presentation Description: This presentation will explore how Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center leveraged waste heat recovery through the integration of a NLine Energy Recovery Turbine into its district energy system - improving sustainability, resilience, and energy efficiency. Faced with growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining 24/7 operations critical to patient care and research, the team implemented an innovative solution that captures previously wasted thermal energy to generate on-site electricity. The case study highlights key design considerations, technical integration, and project outcomes, including a projected 1.7 GWh of annual energy generation and meaningful carbon reductions. This session will provide real-world insight into how compact, scalable waste heat-to-power solutions can play a role in decarbonizing district energy systems without compromising operational reliability.
Case Study: Abstract:
This case study details the integration of a NLine Energy Recovery Turbine into the district energy system at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center - an active, research-intensive hospital campus with around-the-clock energy needs. In response to rising electricity costs, institutional decarbonization goals, and a broader commitment to innovation in energy resilience, the facilities team pursued a solution to recover and reuse waste steam energy within the plant.
The NLine turbine was installed to convert high-pressure waste steam into on-site electricity, capturing energy that would otherwise be wasted in a PRV. The compact, modular design allowed for seamless integration into the existing thermal infrastructure with minimal disruption to operations. Since commissioning, the system is projected to generate 1.7 GWh of electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions meaningfullya??without sacrificing reliability or uptime critical to patient care and medical research.
This session will share insights from the design, procurement, and commissioning phases, as well as early performance data and key takeaways for other institutions seeking scalable, low-carbon, distributed energy solutions within district energy environments.
https://higherlogicdownload.s3...
Darren Wager, PMP
Vice President of Sales
NLine Energy, Inc.
Darren serves as the Vice President of Sales for NLine Energy, Inc., a renewable energy development company focused on the generation of electricity by capturing unused potential energy from thermal and hydroelectric sources.
With more than 20-years in power generation alone, from hydroelectric and thermal energy sources, Darren's knowledge and expertise are a perfect match for identifying energy recovery opportunities and executing successful projects for clients.
Prior to NLine Energy, Darren worked for Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd. (Gilkes Hydro) who are leaders in providing hydroelectric turbines and energy solution packages to the sub 30MW hydro electric industry.
His career prior to Gilkes was in the highly specialized, custom fabrication, machining, machine building, and refurbishment industry. Serving almost every market sector, he amassed a wealth of knowledge of the types of machinery utilized in each industry and actively negotiated contract frameworks while directing project management to ensure successful project execution.
Since 2003, Darren has held his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management institute, which remains current to date.
A background in welding engineering and a multitude of physical welding certifications to fabricate and weld industrial machinery were the starting point to his career.
NLine's thermal division executes energy recovery projects with our patented Microsteam turbine by harnessing unused or untapped steam in a multitude of manufacturing processes. Industries such as forest products, hospitals, universities, food processing are all candidates for energy recovery and GHG reduction initiatives.
NLine is headquartered in Bend, Oregon with manufacturing facilities in Oregon and Wyoming, and satellite offices in Pennsylvania, California, Washington, Florida, and Maine.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 06
Presentation Description: The benefits of energy data for District Energy Systems a?? from an owner's perspective
Data Collection and Data Management are important factors to successful District Energy System Management. Developing energy use profiles are essential to good energy management of District Energy systems. Hear from a system owner the benefits of a thorough understanding of a district energy systema??s energy profiles and associated data?
Kevin will point to the benefits of good data management, such as comprehensive understanding of system interactions, financial benefits, increased reliability and resiliency, among others.
Case Study: https://www.districtenergy.org...
Keywords: Microgrids & CHP for Reliability and Resiliency
Kevin Kanoff
Campus Energy Engineer
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine
Kevin has 33 years of experience in Energy Engineering and has been the visionary in implementing 3 power generation sources at two different Penn State Health campuses. His experience includes evaluating existing building systems, retrofitting energy conservation measures to functioning buildings, and energy procurement for Penn State Health.
Kevin has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Idaho and is a Certified Energy Manager and Certified Energy Procurement Professional.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 07
This poster presentation seeks to overview the economic benefits and opportunities Low Carbon Ethanol producers may realize by utilizing available 45Z tax credits and implementing new utility generation and carbon capture technologies. DTE Vantage is currently developing a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project in combination with a combined heat and power (CHP) project to serve a major Midwest ethanol production facility. This combined project captures CO2 directly from the ethanol fermentation process and compresses and sequesters it onsite via compression and an injection well. A CHP facility has been added to provide the additional power required to run CCS compression as well as generate steam to be used in the ethanol production process. This additional CHP plant has driven overall carbon intensity (CI) down several points. With 45Z tax credits allowing for up to $0.10 per gallon per CI point below 50, a large ethanol plant can generate tens of millions of dollars annually in tax credits through the addition of a CHP plant.
Keywords: Carbon monitoring and accounting
Matt Iadipaolo
matt.iadipaolo@dteenergy.com
DTE Vantage
Matt Iadipaolo is an energy industry leader with more than 20 years of experience in electric power, thermal generation, and distributed energy systems. He has served a diverse range of clientsâincluding utilities, municipalities, healthcare institutions, higher education campuses, and industrial sectors such as chemical, food and beverage, pulp and paper, manufacturing, and steelâproviding strategic leadership in planning, engineering, project management, and development.
In his role as Project Developer at DTE Vantage, Matt focuses on new business opportunities, evaluates technical and economic feasibility, and leads proposal development for prospective clients. He guides projects through the complete development lifecycle, including assessing customer energy requirements, developing conceptual designs, coordinating internal project teams, managing external consultants, shaping legal, financial, and operational structures, building project schedules, and overseeing initial administration to ensure a smooth and efficient transition from concept to execution.
Before joining DTE Vantage, Matt served as Associate Director of Business Development at Commonwealth Associates, where he led business development and strategic initiatives for the Power Generation Business Unit. Earlier in his career, he held Senior Project Manager and Business Development roles at HDR, Cummins & Barnard, and Black & Veatch, delivering design and consulting engineering services across complex energy and infrastructure projects. Matt earned his BSME from Michigan Technological University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in both Michigan and South Carolina.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 08
The electric vehicle (EV) market remains uncertain, yet major investment in domestic EV and battery production continues. These facilities are highly energy‑intensive and depend on central utility plants (CUPs) that balance technical innovation, cost efficiency, and sustainability. CUPs for EV manufacturing are also strong candidates for creative financial and delivery structures, including third‑party DBOOM (design, build, own, operate, maintain) models and the use of federal investment tax credits
Successful CUP development requires attention to several technical and commercial factors: optimized efficiency and reliability, cost‑effective expandability, carbon‑footprint reduction, low lifecycle costs, integration with the local electric utility (including potential export of energy or services), and effective use of federal, state, and local incentives.
This presentation compares two recent CUP projects using real‑world performance data. Metrics include efficiency (commodity consumption, energy output), development timeline (contracting, EPC, permitting), lifecycle economics (capital recovery, O&M, commodity costs), and sustainability outcomes such as carbon‑reduction performance.
DTE Stanton is a $650 million CUP serving Ford’s EV manufacturing campus in Stanton, Tennessee. The plant supplies steam, electricity, hot water, chilled water, compressed air, natural gas, city water, wastewater treatment, and sanitary water distribution across the 3,600‑acre site. Major systems include gas turbines, HRSGs, mechanical chillers, heat‑pump chillers, steam‑to‑hot‑water heat exchangers, a thermal‑energy‑storage tank, a geothermal system, and a wastewater treatment facility. Operations began in early 2024 under a long‑term services agreement.
DTE Marshall is a $300 million CUP supporting Ford’s EV battery manufacturing campus in Marshall, Michigan. It provides steam, hot oil, electricity, hot water, chilled water, compressed air, and natural‑gas distribution across the 950‑acre site. Key systems include gas turbines, HRSGs, hot‑oil generators, mechanical chillers, steam‑to‑hot‑water heat exchangers, and thermal‑energy storage. Operations are scheduled to begin in early 2026 under a long‑term services agreement.
Keywords: Microgrids & CHP for Reliability and Resiliency, Electric Vehicle, EV, Geothermal, Cogeneration, DTE Vantage, Ford
Mike Larson
Managing Director, Business Development
DTE Vantage
Mike Larson has more than 30 years’ experience in energy project origination, development, management, and engineering. As Director of Business Development for DTE Vantage, Mike is responsible for evaluating the technical and commercial feasibility of on-site energy opportunities and developing those projects from concept to implementation. Mike has evaluated and developed multiple combined heat and power, distributed energy, and utility services projects utilizing a variety of technical solutions and commercial structures for a wide range of customers including industrial, institutional, and commercial facilities. Prior to DTE Vantage, Mike held development and engineering positions at Pace Global, Nations Energy, and Sargent & Lundy. Mike has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Kristen Parkhurst
Manager, Project Engineering
DTE Vantage
Kristen Parkhurst has 10 years of experience in the energy industry. As Manager, Project Engineering, Kristen screens potential projects from a technical perspective to determine project viability. Throughout the development process, she aids in the preparation of proposals to potential DTE Vantage clients by generating potential plant configurations, working with equipment suppliers to cost and select equipment, and issuing requests for proposals for engineering and construction services. Kristen supports active construction projects through the management of equipment suppliers, contractors, and consultants to maintain project deliverables, quality and schedule.
Kristen earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in biosystems engineering from Michigan State University. She also holds her professional engineering license with the state of Michigan.
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Opening Plenary Panel: Advancing Thermal Networks
A conversation with campus utility & sustainability leaders on drivers, trends, technologies and techniques shaping future campus energy systems.
Panelists:
- Casey Collins, Director, Utility & Energy Services, Duke University
- Tess McNamara, Sustainable Buildings & Infrastructure Lead, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
- Christopher Potter, Director, Utilities and Power Plant Operations, Architect of the Capitol
- Mary Quintana, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management, Brock University
- Mansi Talwar – Executive Director, Engineering, Utilities and Energy, The George Washington University
- Curtis Wade, Director of Utilities, University of Notre Dame
- David Woodson, Executive Director, Campus Energy, Utilities & Operations, University of Washington
Casey Collins
Director, Utility & Energy Management
Duke University
Casey Collins serves as the Director of Utility & Energy Services for Duke University. His 65-person team is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of district energy and water utilities for a 22 million square feet campus supporting over 40,000 people every day. This organization identifies and implements a broad portfolio of technologies and organizational solutions to help the University meet its facility performance, cost management, and greenhouse gas neutrality commitments. Prior to his work at Duke, Casey served industrial, institutional, and architectural clients with a variety of energy, engineering and project management services. He is an alumnus of North Carolina State University, a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Energy Manager, and a lover of life with his family and community.
Tess McNamara, AIA, LEED AP, ENV SP
Sustainable Buildings & Infrastructure Lead
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Tess McNamara, AIA, LEED AP is the Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure Lead at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and serves on the faculty at the Yale School of Architecture.
An architect and sustainability leader, Tess advances decarbonization and climate action across complex building and infrastructure portfolios. At the Port Authority, she leads decarbonization strategy for airports, transit facilities, and other mission-critical assets, including district energy systems. Previously, Tess worked as a Senior Consultant at Arup, advising public and private clients on climate-responsive design, adaptive reuse, and retrofit of existing buildings. Tessâs research and writing explore the intersection of architecture, policy, urbanism, and climate, with a particular focus on reuse as a pathway to decarbonization. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Architectural Digest. She holds a Master of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture, a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Princeton University. Tess has spent five years on the faculty at Yale, where she teaches the course âBad Buildings: Decarbonization through Reuse, Retrofit, and Proposition.â
Christopher Potter
Executive Director, Utilities and Power Plant Operations
Architect of the Capitol
Christopher Potter is the Executive Director of Utilities and Power Plant Operations at the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and is responsible for the management of the district energy system serving the buildings on and around Capitol Hill. Chris has been with the AOC since 2005. Prior to that, he worked at the General Services Administration district energy system also in Washington DC. Chris has a Master's degree in Public Administration from American University, a Masterâs degree in Engineering Management from Catholic University, and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Mary Quintana, MSc, MES, CEM, CMVP, LEED Green Assoc
Associate Vice-President, Facilities Management
Brock University
Mary is the Associate Vice-President, Facilities Management at Brock University, a higher education institution in Ontario, Canada. In this role, Mary provides leadership to a team of nearly 150 people who maintain and operate over $1.6B in assets. Mary has helped embed sustainability across the whole portfolio, which includes: Capital projects, project management, utilities, maintenance, vehicles and compliance.
For over 15 years, Mary has worked in the university sector, holding roles of Director, Asset Management & Utilities and Director, Sustainability & Asset Management, Energy & Carbon Manager and Environmental Project Coordinator. Via these roles, Mary has developed and advanced environmental, sustainability and utilitiesâ goals. She has been an active participant in the fight against climate change, implementing numerous energy efficiency and carbon management projects that have saved over 10 million dollars while reducing organizationsâ carbon footprints.
Maryâs professional experience includes several years working on research and development, specializing on image processing and automation to assist medical personnel in the early detection of cancer. She also has experience in the consulting field, where she worked with small and medium enterprises in developing competitiveness strategies based on technology management and innovation.
Mary also believes in the power of collaboration; for over a decade she has been involved with OAPPA (Ontario Association of Physical Plant Administrators), a professional group of leaders in the facilities management sector. She has been particularly involved with the Energy sub-committee, of which she became the chair in 2024.
In terms of education, Mary holds a bachelorâs degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering and a Masters degree (Technology management) from the Tecnologico de Monterrey. In addition, she holds a Masters of Environment and Sustainability from Western University and is both a Certified Energy Manager and a Certified Measurement & Verification Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers.Mansi Talwar
Executive Director, Engineering, Utilities and Energy
The George Washington University
Mansi Talwar leads George Washington Universityâs portfolio of energy strategy, environmental and energy compliance, sustainability, and utilities, where she focuses on advancing decarbonization, improving campus energy performance, and aligning infrastructure investments with long-term sustainability and resilience goals. She has been with GW for five years and previously managed commercial and institutional energy programs for Washington, DC through the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, bringing more than a decade of experience developing and implementing large-scale energy and utility initiatives. Mansi serves on the DC Green Building Advisory Council and the DC Sustainable Energy Advisory Board, contributing an ownerâs and operatorâs perspective to policy and regulatory discussions while helping drive practical, high-performance building and clean energy solutions.
Curt Wade, CEM, BEP, PMP, WT3, LEED AP
Director, Utiliites
University of Notre Dame
As Director of Utilities for Notre Dameâs Facilities Design and Operations division, Curt Wade heads up the operation and maintenance of Notre Dameâs utility generation and distribution systems. Wade leads a team of power plant operators, maintenance, and instrument and control technicians guiding efficiency, reliability, resiliency, dispatch, and generation capacity planning of the campusâs electrical and thermal generation, as well as potable and stormwater systems.
David Woodson, MBA, FMA, CEFP
Executive Director, Campus Energy, Utilities, and Operations
University of Washington
David Woodson is the Executive Director of Campus, Energy, Utilities, and Operations at the University of Washington where he is leading the effort to decarbonize the district heating system at the flagship Seattle campus. David previously had as similar role at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and now is enjoying the opportunity to apply the lessons learned from UBC at UW. David is a UW Alum (Aero and Astro ‘91) and has his MBA ‘06 from UBC. David is presently the Vice-Chair of the International District Energy Association (IDEA).
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Contains 1 Component(s)
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Wednesday Recognition Lunch with Patti Wilson Award Ceremony
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Wednesday Recognition Lunch with Patti Wilson Award Ceremony
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 01
Presentation Description: Healthcare presents a major challenge in building decarbonization, as the push towards less reliance on fossil fuel sources may lead to impacts on resiliency and operations. In the push towards decarbonization, owners of critical healthcare buildings are having to confront major technical challenges to develop efficient, clean, resilient energy systems and operations. Driven by its commitment to environmental stewardship and safety for its communities, Montefiore-Einstein is charting a path of excellence in building and maintaining a modern academic health system for future climate impacts. This is a process of modernizing systems, transforming how their campuses create and use energy, and how this impacts their local environment, community and ensures resilience for its business continuity.
This presentation will present case studies for 5 of Montefiore-Einstein’s campuses to illustrate the range of approaches to decarbonization being undertaken. These campuses contain a mix of inpatient, outpatient, laboratory, classroom and multifamily buildings, and are served by various types of district energy systems, including CHP and microgrids. The decarbonization strategies vary according to space, facility, capital and resiliency needs of the campuses 20-25 years out.
Learning objectives include:
• Identify opportunities and challenges healthcare facilities face in the path to decarbonization
• Understand technical approaches to maintaining resiliency and how existing systems can determine paths forward
• Develop near-and long-term decarbonization projects and understand how to integrate these into facility capital planning.
• Identify sources of funding and life cycle cost strategies for decarbonization approaches
Case Study: The presentation will utilize case studies from Montefiore’s Decarbonization Plan, including three centralized heat pump projects that are currently in early design stages. These projects were identified to both capture unique state funding opportunities and avoid near term NYC LL97 carbon emissions penalties by offsetting steam use through the use of recovering heat from process equipment.Keywords: Microgrids & CHP for Reliability and Resiliency
Daniel Audette, PE, CEM
Senior Engineer
Wendel
Daniel Audette, PE, CEM is a Senior Engineer/Project Manager at Wendel. He has over 14 years of analyzing building data to develop long-term energy strategies for commercial, governmental, and industrial buildings. Dan has specialized in assisting building owners with developing and implementing campus wide energy reduction and decarbonization projects, as well as obtaining funding in the form of energy tax incentives, federal grants and utility incentives. He is the co-author of numerous articles related to strategies for the building and energy industry, published in Building Operating Management, UNIT Magazine, Green Lodging News, International Parking Institute, Corporate Business Taxation Monthly, and Thomson Reuters. He has presented on energy efficiency programs throughout the country to hundreds of corporations, architectural firms, engineering firms, accounting firms, as well as at numerous national educational events. -
Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 02
Presentation Description: The project supported Con Edison in developing a strategic roadmap for steam system decarbonization, aligned with New York's CLCPA and Local Law 97. Leveraging an integrated modeling framework, including multi-energy generation expansion and dispatch optimization, the methodology assesses various technology pathways, regulatory scenarios, and infrastructure configurations calculating capital requirements to meet emission targets. Preliminary insights suggest that near-term electrification, strategic deployment of thermal energy storage, and adaptive use of carbon-free fuels could significantly reduce emissions.
Case Study: Conedison Steam Decarbonization StudyKeywords: De-carbonizing with District Energy
Luca Ferrari
Project Manager
Optit Corp.
Luca Ferrari with Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering and a Master Degree in Business and Finance, started his career in the US analysing and developing complex and innovative energy projects in the utility and industrial sectors. He joined Optit in 2020 as Energy Consultant and he is now managing the Energy Division and the US market operations. -
Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 03
Presentation Description: Data-driven decisions are critical as systems simultaneously aim for optimized performance and long-term sustainability. This poster highlights key findings on the relationship between temporal resolution of time series input data (e.g., hourly vs. 15-minute demand profiles) and the resulting accuracy of simulations created with oemof. The practical challenges of simulation -accurate data collection, model maintenance, and workflow management- will also be discussed. The project explores how simulation tools can support campuses in designing more economic, efficient, and sustainable district energy systems.
Case Study: As an intern for Max Brahms at HTW (University of Applied Sciences) Berlin, through the DAAD RISE scholarship program, I developed and applied simulation models to explore optimal design strategies for district energy systems. Using the oemof modeling library and Gurobi, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solver, I represented system layout, costs, emissions, and demand data to identify optimal technology configurations and capacities. To evaluate the impact of temporal resolution, I wrote code to up- and down-sample datasets, enabling direct comparisons across different levels of detail. The methodology explored could inform utility master planning and decisions regarding the necessary resolution of data collected for internal analysis.Mary Cotter
Student
University of Virginia
Motivated Mechanical Engineering student interested in learning how computer modeling and efficient engineering can help save our planet. With my free time, I enjoy creating: sewing clothes, brewing kombucha, knitting, drawing and painting. -
Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 04
Presentation Description: My presentation will focus on the changes to the clean energy tax credits enacted by the reconciliation bill, including the new termination/phase out timelines, foreign entity of concern, elective pay, and beginning of construction provisions. The administration is expected to release guidance on these topics soon, which will be timely to discuss at the conference to understand the new rules for claiming the tax credits under the reconciliation bill's revisions.
Gelane Diamond
Associate Attorney
Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, P.C.
Ms. Diamond is an Associate Attorney at Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, P.C., where her practice focuses on implementation of the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, as amended and modified by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. -
Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 05
Presentation Description: This presentation will explore how Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center leveraged waste heat recovery through the integration of a NLine Energy Recovery Turbine into its district energy system - improving sustainability, resilience, and energy efficiency. Faced with growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining 24/7 operations critical to patient care and research, the team implemented an innovative solution that captures previously wasted thermal energy to generate on-site electricity. The case study highlights key design considerations, technical integration, and project outcomes, including a projected 1.7 GWh of annual energy generation and meaningful carbon reductions. This session will provide real-world insight into how compact, scalable waste heat-to-power solutions can play a role in decarbonizing district energy systems without compromising operational reliability.
Case Study: Abstract: This case study details the integration of a NLine Energy Recovery Turbine into the district energy system at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center - an active, research-intensive hospital campus with around-the-clock energy needs. In response to rising electricity costs, institutional decarbonization goals, and a broader commitment to innovation in energy resilience, the facilities team pursued a solution to recover and reuse waste steam energy within the plant. The NLine turbine was installed to convert high-pressure waste steam into on-site electricity, capturing energy that would otherwise be wasted in a PRV. The compact, modular design allowed for seamless integration into the existing thermal infrastructure with minimal disruption to operations. Since commissioning, the system is projected to generate 1.7 GWh of electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions meaningfullya??without sacrificing reliability or uptime critical to patient care and medical research. This session will share insights from the design, procurement, and commissioning phases, as well as early performance data and key takeaways for other institutions seeking scalable, low-carbon, distributed energy solutions within district energy environments. https://higherlogicdownload.s3...Darren Wager, PMP
Vice President of Sales
NLine Energy, Inc.
Darren serves as the Vice President of Sales for NLine Energy, Inc., a renewable energy development company focused on the generation of electricity by capturing unused potential energy from thermal and hydroelectric sources. With more than 20-years in power generation alone, from hydroelectric and thermal energy sources, Darren's knowledge and expertise are a perfect match for identifying energy recovery opportunities and executing successful projects for clients. Prior to NLine Energy, Darren worked for Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd. (Gilkes Hydro) who are leaders in providing hydroelectric turbines and energy solution packages to the sub 30MW hydro electric industry. His career prior to Gilkes was in the highly specialized, custom fabrication, machining, machine building, and refurbishment industry. Serving almost every market sector, he amassed a wealth of knowledge of the types of machinery utilized in each industry and actively negotiated contract frameworks while directing project management to ensure successful project execution. Since 2003, Darren has held his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management institute, which remains current to date. A background in welding engineering and a multitude of physical welding certifications to fabricate and weld industrial machinery were the starting point to his career. NLine's thermal division executes energy recovery projects with our patented Microsteam turbine by harnessing unused or untapped steam in a multitude of manufacturing processes. Industries such as forest products, hospitals, universities, food processing are all candidates for energy recovery and GHG reduction initiatives. NLine is headquartered in Bend, Oregon with manufacturing facilities in Oregon and Wyoming, and satellite offices in Pennsylvania, California, Washington, Florida, and Maine. -
Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 06
Presentation Description: The benefits of energy data for District Energy Systems a?? from an owner's perspective Data Collection and Data Management are important factors to successful District Energy System Management. Developing energy use profiles are essential to good energy management of District Energy systems. Hear from a system owner the benefits of a thorough understanding of a district energy systema??s energy profiles and associated data? Kevin will point to the benefits of good data management, such as comprehensive understanding of system interactions, financial benefits, increased reliability and resiliency, among others.
Case Study: https://www.districtenergy.org...
Keywords: Microgrids & CHP for Reliability and ResiliencyKevin Kanoff
Campus Energy Engineer
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine
Kevin has 33 years of experience in Energy Engineering and has been the visionary in implementing 3 power generation sources at two different Penn State Health campuses. His experience includes evaluating existing building systems, retrofitting energy conservation measures to functioning buildings, and energy procurement for Penn State Health. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Idaho and is a Certified Energy Manager and Certified Energy Procurement Professional. -
Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 07
This poster presentation seeks to overview the economic benefits and opportunities Low Carbon Ethanol producers may realize by utilizing available 45Z tax credits and implementing new utility generation and carbon capture technologies. DTE Vantage is currently developing a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project in combination with a combined heat and power (CHP) project to serve a major Midwest ethanol production facility. This combined project captures CO2 directly from the ethanol fermentation process and compresses and sequesters it onsite via compression and an injection well. A CHP facility has been added to provide the additional power required to run CCS compression as well as generate steam to be used in the ethanol production process. This additional CHP plant has driven overall carbon intensity (CI) down several points. With 45Z tax credits allowing for up to $0.10 per gallon per CI point below 50, a large ethanol plant can generate tens of millions of dollars annually in tax credits through the addition of a CHP plant.
Keywords: Carbon monitoring and accounting
Matt Iadipaolo
matt.iadipaolo@dteenergy.com
DTE Vantage
Matt Iadipaolo is an energy industry leader with more than 20 years of experience in electric power, thermal generation, and distributed energy systems. He has served a diverse range of clientsâincluding utilities, municipalities, healthcare institutions, higher education campuses, and industrial sectors such as chemical, food and beverage, pulp and paper, manufacturing, and steelâproviding strategic leadership in planning, engineering, project management, and development. In his role as Project Developer at DTE Vantage, Matt focuses on new business opportunities, evaluates technical and economic feasibility, and leads proposal development for prospective clients. He guides projects through the complete development lifecycle, including assessing customer energy requirements, developing conceptual designs, coordinating internal project teams, managing external consultants, shaping legal, financial, and operational structures, building project schedules, and overseeing initial administration to ensure a smooth and efficient transition from concept to execution. Before joining DTE Vantage, Matt served as Associate Director of Business Development at Commonwealth Associates, where he led business development and strategic initiatives for the Power Generation Business Unit. Earlier in his career, he held Senior Project Manager and Business Development roles at HDR, Cummins & Barnard, and Black & Veatch, delivering design and consulting engineering services across complex energy and infrastructure projects. Matt earned his BSME from Michigan Technological University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in both Michigan and South Carolina. -
Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
CampusEnergy2026 Track: Poster 08
The electric vehicle (EV) market remains uncertain, yet major investment in domestic EV and battery production continues. These facilities are highly energy‑intensive and depend on central utility plants (CUPs) that balance technical innovation, cost efficiency, and sustainability. CUPs for EV manufacturing are also strong candidates for creative financial and delivery structures, including third‑party DBOOM (design, build, own, operate, maintain) models and the use of federal investment tax credits Successful CUP development requires attention to several technical and commercial factors: optimized efficiency and reliability, cost‑effective expandability, carbon‑footprint reduction, low lifecycle costs, integration with the local electric utility (including potential export of energy or services), and effective use of federal, state, and local incentives.
This presentation compares two recent CUP projects using real‑world performance data. Metrics include efficiency (commodity consumption, energy output), development timeline (contracting, EPC, permitting), lifecycle economics (capital recovery, O&M, commodity costs), and sustainability outcomes such as carbon‑reduction performance.
DTE Stanton is a $650 million CUP serving Ford’s EV manufacturing campus in Stanton, Tennessee. The plant supplies steam, electricity, hot water, chilled water, compressed air, natural gas, city water, wastewater treatment, and sanitary water distribution across the 3,600‑acre site. Major systems include gas turbines, HRSGs, mechanical chillers, heat‑pump chillers, steam‑to‑hot‑water heat exchangers, a thermal‑energy‑storage tank, a geothermal system, and a wastewater treatment facility. Operations began in early 2024 under a long‑term services agreement.
DTE Marshall is a $300 million CUP supporting Ford’s EV battery manufacturing campus in Marshall, Michigan. It provides steam, hot oil, electricity, hot water, chilled water, compressed air, and natural‑gas distribution across the 950‑acre site. Key systems include gas turbines, HRSGs, hot‑oil generators, mechanical chillers, steam‑to‑hot‑water heat exchangers, and thermal‑energy storage. Operations are scheduled to begin in early 2026 under a long‑term services agreement.Keywords: Microgrids & CHP for Reliability and Resiliency, Electric Vehicle, EV, Geothermal, Cogeneration, DTE Vantage, Ford
Mike Larson
Managing Director, Business Development
DTE Vantage
Mike Larson has more than 30 years’ experience in energy project origination, development, management, and engineering. As Director of Business Development for DTE Vantage, Mike is responsible for evaluating the technical and commercial feasibility of on-site energy opportunities and developing those projects from concept to implementation. Mike has evaluated and developed multiple combined heat and power, distributed energy, and utility services projects utilizing a variety of technical solutions and commercial structures for a wide range of customers including industrial, institutional, and commercial facilities. Prior to DTE Vantage, Mike held development and engineering positions at Pace Global, Nations Energy, and Sargent & Lundy. Mike has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.Kristen Parkhurst
Manager, Project Engineering
DTE Vantage
Kristen Parkhurst has 10 years of experience in the energy industry. As Manager, Project Engineering, Kristen screens potential projects from a technical perspective to determine project viability. Throughout the development process, she aids in the preparation of proposals to potential DTE Vantage clients by generating potential plant configurations, working with equipment suppliers to cost and select equipment, and issuing requests for proposals for engineering and construction services. Kristen supports active construction projects through the management of equipment suppliers, contractors, and consultants to maintain project deliverables, quality and schedule. Kristen earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in biosystems engineering from Michigan State University. She also holds her professional engineering license with the state of Michigan.
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