POWERGEN 2026 AT A GLANCE
When: January 20-22, 2026
Where: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas
Website: www.powergen.com
PowerGen is the industry’s leading business and education hub for power generation professionals. The conference brings together generator owner-operators, engineers, manufacturers, consultants, and service providers who build, operate and maintain reliable megawatts during a period of rapid load growth. Attendees see what is working in the field, discover new technologies and connect with the companies that support their projects. They also learn real-world strategies to keep units online, manage costs and bring new capacity online on schedule.
MEET THE RIGHT PEOPLE
At PowerGen, the utmost priority is fostering one-on-one engagement and relationship building through networking events. This aspect defines the essence of PowerGen. Starting with breakfast roundtables to kickstart attendees’ days and culminating in enjoyable joint networking parties, attendees will leave with a stack of new business cards and valuable connections.
Meet Ups
Open to all attendees, meetups at PowerGen are designed to unite individuals with shared identities, interests, and allies who support them. These gatherings celebrate the diverse affinities that shape the energy industry, offering a space to connect, collaborate, and build meaningful relationships within the community.
Breakfast Roundtables
PowerGen offers a variety of networking opportunities designed to help attendees and exhibitors connect and maximize their experience with other power industry professionals.
Flip the Switch Receptions
Come and join fellow colleagues for a refreshing drink right on the exhibit floor, available at handpicked sponsor booths. It’s the perfect opportunity for attendees to unwind, engage in conversations, and explore exciting offerings from our esteemed sponsors.
UNPARALLELED EDUCATION TO STAY UPDATED
The ten-track technology program connects global industry thought-leaders, fostering networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaborative problem-solving with utilities, product providers, and service providers. Addressing relevant and timely topics, it responds to the market’s current needs each year, such as:
- Powering the Future
- Optimizing Plant Performance
- All About the Gas Turbine
- Nuclear’s Evolution
- Energy Storage Deployments
- Utility-Scale Renewables
- Onsite Power and Flexible Generation
- Hydrogen and Low-Carbon Fuels
- Carbon Capture and Emission Controls
- Exploring Trends in Hydropower
The 2026 Technical Conference Program sessions are vetted and curated by an advisory committee and in-house content team for excellence and thought leadership. The content is presented in a variety of formats, including forty-five-minute presentations case studies, and sixty-minute panel discussions.
THE PRESENT MEETS THE FUTURE
PowerGen is where the power generation industry charts its future. Attendees can engage with industry experts and network with peers through our informative, thirteen-track, technical program. Led by leading professionals, these focused sessions offer excellent opportunities to dive into specific industry topics. Attendees can join thousands of professionals for candid conversations, cutting-edge technology showcases and strategic networking that accelerates real-world progress in power generation.
New for this year, PowerGen offers industry-specific tracks for renewable, conventional, and cross-sector energy, offering insights on reliability, integration, and the future of power. Attendees can walk the show floor to highlight sessions, exhibitors, and zones most relevant to their industry goals.
Conventional Energy Solutions
The gas turbine is considered the workhorse of power generation and offers rapidly dispatchable power combined with reliability, operational flexibility and the ability to use low-carbon fuel blends. Gas turbines will be increasingly needed in fast-ramping applications as renewables account for greater power on the grid. In the face of increasing electricity demand, buyers of F-Class, advanced-class and aeroderivative gas turbines are experiencing lead times not seen since the gas boom of the early 2000s.
Likewise, nuclear power has become increasingly popular with utilities, large offtakers, and the general public. From uprates and plant restarts to next-generation reactor designs, nuclear is poised to expand its role in the energy mix. Several actions will likely need to be considered across financing, supply chain and regulation for the industry to scale up significantly.
Renewable Energy Solutions
Power companies are increasingly using lithium-ion batteries to complement the intermittency of wind and solar. U.S. battery storage capacity has continued to see strong growth in the last year, particularly in the western states. PowerGen’s education includes a focus on the technical and operational challenges of battery storage, along with safety considerations.
Furthermore, decarbonization is shifting the generation mix. Many coal-fired units are on track to retire, while renewable energy resources and batteries continue to see substantial growth. Zero-carbon sources like nuclear are also drawing interest from large-scale generators and industrials. The path to decarbonization faces several challenges, including the intermittency of renewables, rapid load growth and the costs associated with transitioning from fossil fuels.
Also, hydroelectric power is a critical part of the global energy mix, providing close to 16 percent of the world’s electricity and over half of all renewable energy. Its ability to generate consistent, low-cost power makes it a backbone of many countries’ energy strategies, especially in regions rich in water resources.
Finally, solar is the fastest-growing source of new generation and continues to capture a larger share of the U.S. power mix, despite headwinds from tariffs, supply chain constraints, shifting regulatory policy, and interconnection delays. As fleets mature, utility-scale solar farms also face mounting performance and reliability challenges.
CONNECTING SERVICES AND PRODUCT SUPPLIERS
Discover the exhibit hall buzzing with hundreds of companies offering products, technologies, and knowledge that provide solutions for the power generation industry. Attendees can explore PowerGen for exceptional access to industry decision-makers, innovators, and the next generation of entrepreneurs. PowerGen is a business and networking hub for electricity generators, utilities, and solution providers engaged in power generation.
The purpose of PowerGen is to shape the future of generation together with exhibitors and attendees. If your company’s products, technologies, or knowledge provide solutions for the generation industry then you’ll want to be sure the sector knows what you have to offer.