The Houston Port Region did more than discuss the future—it switched it on. For generations, Greater Houston has met major economic shifts with engineering talent, entrepreneurial nerve and a willingness to build at Texas scale. That tradition was fully visible inside CPET.

More than 260 business, technology, construction and energy leaders filled San Jacinto College’s LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy & Technology on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, for the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region’s “Powering the Future: Data Centers, Energy & Economic Growth.” The near-capacity gathering brought the people who generate power, construct infrastructure, finance development and train tomorrow’s workforce into one room for a timely conversation about artificial intelligence’s expanding appetite for energy.

 Speakers Economic Alliance Port Region 2026 Powering The Future

 

That appetite is no small matter. AI may live in “the cloud,” but the cloud has an address, a construction schedule, a workforce and a very serious electric bill. As companies invest in increasingly powerful data centers, communities must consider generation capacity, transmission, reliability, sustainability, site preparation, water usage, construction and long-term economic benefits.

Texas grid operator ERCOT’s preliminary long-term forecast projects dramatic electricity-demand growth through 2032, largely reflecting proposed large-load projects and the state’s continued economic expansion. Not every project in that pipeline will be built, but the direction is clear: Texas must begin preparing today for the digital economy’s power requirements of tomorrow.

Microsoft’s Valeria Teran, representing Energy and Sustainability, and Mansur Masood, NRG Energy’s director of data-center origination, opened the program with perspectives on the intersection of technology, data-center investment and energy infrastructure. Their discussion helped frame a central question: How can the Houston Port Region capture this next generation of investment while maintaining dependable, affordable and increasingly efficient energy systems?

Economic Alliance President and CEO Chad Burke moderated the keynote conversation with the steady hand of someone who understands that regional growth is rarely accidental. It is planned, negotiated, financed, permitted, constructed and supported through partnerships. Burke kept the discussion grounded in the Houston Port Region’s competitive advantages—industrial expertise, global connectivity, available talent and a business community accustomed to solving enormous infrastructure challenges.

The “Energy Investments for Data Center Growth” panel added even more voltage. Participants included Abhi Mandhana of Calpine’s PowerFolio team; Matt Hobson, principal at Energy Edge Consulting; Junaid Ali, CEO of Prismecs; Omar David Land, director of operations at Bartlett Cocke General Contractors; and Allen Brookey, business development and growth strategy executive at Wood.

Moderated by Industry Business Roundtable Business Director Melissa Wolkenhauer, the panel examined energy-supply solutions, project development, construction readiness, investment opportunities and the future outlook for AI infrastructure.

What made the conversation especially meaningful was its location. San Jacinto College’s CPET facility represents the practical bridge between economic ambition and workforce readiness. New data-center and energy investments cannot operate on press releases alone. They require electricians, technicians, engineers, construction professionals, cybersecurity specialists, operators and creative problem-solvers.

Hosting the discussion at San Jacinto College underscored that education and industry must move together—or risk watching opportunity move elsewhere.

For more than 35 years, the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region has worked to grow and market a vibrant regional economy through economic development, public policy, workforce development, transportation, infrastructure and quality-of-life initiatives. Its membership connects 17 communities, Port Houston, Harris County and more than 200 private-sector industries surrounding the Houston Ship Channel.

“Powering the Future” continued that legacy by expanding the regional conversation beyond the industries that built Houston’s economic strength toward the technologies that will help define its next chapter.

Presenting sponsor UBS, event sponsors Harris County Precincts 2 and 3 and Texas Technical Trade School, host sponsor San Jacinto College, participating companies and regional partners helped make the program a success. As media sponsor, Houston Style Magazine proudly amplified an event that placed collaboration—not competition for the microphone—at center stage.

 Media Sponsor Table Economic Alliance Port Region 2026 Powering The Future

 

Houston has never been content to simply observe the future from a safe distance. We build the port, train the workforce, engineer the solution and occasionally add a hard hat for good measure. The July 15 program showed that the Houston Port Region is prepared to transform AI’s massive power requirements into investment, employment, innovation and shared regional prosperity.

The message leaving CPET was unmistakable: when Houston’s energy intelligence meets artificial intelligence, opportunity is officially online.

To explore membership, task forces and future programs, visit AlliancePortRegion.com.