Dr. Emanuel Bernabeu leads PJM Interconnection’s Applied Innovation & Analytics team, where he drives the evolution of market design and operational strategy through advanced analytics, AI adoption, and emerging technologies. His work focuses on accelerating proof-of-concept projects, strengthening simulation and data-driven decision making, and positioning PJM to deliver a cleaner, more reliable grid in a time of unprecedented change. Since joining PJM in 2015, Dr. Bernabeu has championed major initiatives that improve market efficiency, system resiliency, and performance under extreme conditions. He is recognized for fostering a culture of innovation that blends “think-tank” vision with “do-tank” execution, aligning PJM’s technical capabilities with the industry’s rapid transformation. Before joining PJM, Dr. Bernabeu held engineering and leadership roles in Argentina and at Dominion Virginia Power, where he specialized in system studies, large-scale simulations, and advanced equipment design and testing. He holds a Ph.D. in Power Systems along with master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech, and a B.S. in Electronics from Universidad Católica de Córdoba. An active member of IEEE and Chair of the Cascading Failures Working Group, Dr. Bernabeu frequently speaks on innovation in power systems at panels and
conferences and has published widely on topics ranging from renewable integration to voltage stability and optimization.
Chris Davidson is Head of Siemens Electrification and Automation Solutions. He leads the design and implementation of sustainable complex solutions in the field of electrical power, medium and low voltage distribution, and distributed energy systems across key industry verticals. Chris has more than 25 years of industry experience working for companies that provide highly technical industrial solutions for the global industrial and power generation markets. Throughout his career, he has held positions spanning engineering, operations, and product management—focusing on packaged electrical systems, excitation systems, integrated low voltage and medium voltage systems, photovoltaic inverters, hybrid power, battery energy storage, and turnkey microgrids. Chris holds Degrees from DeVry University in Technical Management and Electronics & Computer Technology. He is also certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Ross D. Groffman is Vice President of Development at NextEra Energy Resources (“NEER”). As Vice President of Development, Mr. Groffman leads NEER’s Integrated Energy Infrastructure group, which includes NEER’s data center energy infrastructure development business. Previously, Mr. Groffman was responsible for NEER development’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) team, and prior to that led Northeast and Canadian origination and development activities including energy storage, utility scale solar and wind energy. He served as a director in the Canadian wind development group and project director in the Midwest wind development group. Prior to joining NextEra in 2008, Mr. Groffman was an investment banker focused on M&A and restructuring at Loeb Partners. He is a board member of The Advanced Energy Center at Stoney Brook University. Mr. Groffman graduated from The Wharton School at the University of
Pennsylvania.
Chris Hemschot is Vice President of Development for Tenaska Development and leads the origination and development of power supply solutions tailored specifically for data centers and other large-scale energy consumers. His responsibilities include leveraging Tenaska’s legacy generation fleet, overseeing its expansion and driving greenfield development initiatives—all with a focus on meeting the unique energy demands of data center operations. Mr. Hemschot joined Tenaska Energy Solutions in 2019 as Director of Origination and was promoted to his current role in 2021. Under his leadership, Tenaska successfully developed a 300 megawatts (MW) data center load project in Denton, Texas. With a career spanning multiple facets of the energy industry, Mr. Hemschot brings deep expertise in commodity trading, portfolio management and physical asset operations. He has managed generation assets totaling over 38,000 MW across the U.S. and is highly skilled in renewable energy markets, electricity trading, risk management and business development.
Prior to joining Tenaska, Mr. Hemschot founded Khipu Capital, an algorithmic transmission trading fund. He previously held senior roles at Morgan Stanley Commodities, where he led the ERCOT power desk and at NRG as ERCOT Portfolio Director. He began his career as a Junior Bond Option Trader at PaineWebber. Beyond his professional endeavors, Mr. Hemschot is actively involved in community service. He serves as Co-President and Volunteer Coordinator for the Kingsmen, the men’s group at Christ the King Catholic Church, and volunteers with The Stewpot, supporting homeless and at-risk individuals in Dallas. Mr. Hemschot has a Bachelor in Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences from Lehigh University.
Shelby A. Linton-Keddie currently serves as PPL Electric Utilities’ Senior Director of Government, Regulatory and External Affairs. In this role, Linton-Keddie leads PPL Electric’s advocacy strategy and relationships with key stakeholders. A dynamic thinker, Shelby has provided innovative and effective strategy on a wide range of utility regulatory and legislative issues for almost two decades.
Shelby came to PPL Electric from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), where she served as Executive Director of State Regulatory Affairs and oversaw EEI’s national engagement and strategy on state regulatory issues before public utility commissions. She also co-led EEI’s cross-functional state practice team, which focused on emerging industry policy trends on key topics.
Prior to her time with EEI, Linton-Keddie has held various regulatory and legal counsel positions, including serving as Manager of Regulatory Strategy at Duquesne Light Company and at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, where she was legal counsel to Commissioner Pamela Witmer. She also has served in various advocate roles, both as an intern at the Office of Consumer Advocate and as an Assistant Small Business Advocate. In all these roles, Shelby has experience actively managing utility strategies and making policy decisions on a variety of issues.
Ms. Linton-Keddie received her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University, where she served as Managing Editor of the Penn State International Law Review. In addition, Ms. Linton-Keddie holds a B.S., cum laude, and a M.Ed. from Millersville University.
Tony Nokovich is the Vice President of Engineering responsible for the administration of engineering services, including but not limited to the planning, design and construction of water and wastewater capital investment projects for Pennsylvania American Water’s systems and facilities. Prior to taking on this role, he served as the Chief Dam Safety engineer for American Water which involved the management of 74 dams and reservoirs, 44 of which are classified as high hazard by virtue of size and proximity to downstream population centers. His responsibilities included review of design and construction procedures for company owned dams and their appurtenances, preparing and updating emergency action plans, and coordinating dam safety related actions with State and Federal agencies. Prior to joining AW in 2006, Tony worked for eleven years as a geotechnical engineer for Gannett Fleming Inc where he worked on numerous dam design and rehabilitation projects including RCC, masonry, concrete, and embankment dams. In addition, he acted as an extension of staff for the PADEP, under an open-end contract, performing review of dam permit applications for geotechnical construction. Mr. Nokovich received a BS degree in Civil Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1995 and is a registered PE in Pennsylvania. He currently serves as a member of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials advisory, owner outreach, and peer review committees and served a 4-year term on the board of directors.
Dr. Carlos Romero is a leading researcher and technology developer in energy, power generation systems and environmental science, and has more than 35 years of experience in research and higher education. Dr. Romero has been at Lehigh since 1995 and he is currently the Director of the Energy Research Center, and Associate Director of the Institute for Cyber Physical Infrastructure & Energy (I-CPIE). Dr. Romero is a Fellow of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Distinguished Researcher at Lehigh University. He has contributed to numerous publications and has written more than 500 journal and conference papers, technical reports, patents, and book contributions. Professor Romero teaches courses at Lehigh on Power Generation and Renewable Energy.