Meeting Information

Conference Sponsors

43rd Annual NTAEE Energy Conference

October 15, 2026
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Add to Calendar

Grapevine Municipal Golf Course Convention Center
3800 Fairway Drive
Grapevine, TX 76051
Venue website
Directions

Thank you for attending! Photos, presentation slides, and the conference program can be viewed or downloaded from the links below:

Conference Program: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/22ot4gu466746kbp0r3hf/2026-NTAEE-Program.pdf?rlkey=6ucrqqgyffae066fi9tcstn27&st=7s4jvl0j&dl=0

Photos : https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r421fcdga4ytnooiymjys/AHJ-xPEHeOmSYz5BD07Pb_Q?rlkey=nus5ls6u5yv7l33eqc4nl7swr&st=q0iu0y2q&dl=0

Presentations: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/lm1ico8jlxh38a00nzoro/ADb8hogU-I7U2KvYpZK6hyc?rlkey=qz9ixpxpy5k1nqh0nzcymgtb6&st=a81ttn98&dl=0

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Teeing Up Tomorrow’s Energy Solutions"

We are thrilled for an impressive interests. All spots are filled. Thank you for your support. Registration is now closed!

We are pleased to announce the upcoming 43rd Annual NTAEE Energy Conference. This year's conference will be held at Grapevine Municipal Golf Course Convention Center, overlooking the golf course where our meals, breakout sessions, keynote address and sponsor/vendor engagement will take place.

* You will earn 5 PDH hours

Schedule:

7:00 - 8:00 Vendor Setup & Networking

7:30-9:00 Breakfast

8:00 - 8:30 Introductions and Welcome from NTAEE and Grapevine City Officials

8:30 - 9:00 Sponsor and student recognition

9:00 - 10:00 UNT ITAC Presentation

10:00-11:00 Elbert Van der Bijl, Yokogawa Corporation, AI/Controls Presentation

11:00 - 12:30 Lunch, Sponsor Engagement, Putting Contest and EV Drive

12:30 - 1:30 Keynote Speaker: Will McNamara, Sandia National Labs

1:30 - 2:00 UNT Senior Project Review

2:00 - 3:00 Panel Discussion on Data Centers, AI and energy required

3:00 - 3:30 Afternoon Snack Break and Networking

3:30 - 4:00 UTA Senior Project Review

4:00 – 5:00 Recognition of NTAEE/AEE Award Winners, Door Prize Raffle and Tear Down

__________________________________________________________

Speakers:

Keynote Speaker: Will McNamara

Bio: Will McNamara is the Principal Investigator for the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) National Consortium, representing Sandia National Laboratories as the lead lab for this effort. The LDES National Consortium is a DOE-funded initiative through which stakeholders across the LDES ecosystem can convene to identify barriers, determine potential synergies, and collaboratively develop and implement strategies necessary to achieve LDES technology commercialization within the next decade.
Will serves as Grid Energy Storage Policy Analyst for Sandia National Laboratories with a focus on energy storage policy development at the federal and state levels. Will has spent his entire 30-year career in the energy and utilities industry with a concentration on regulatory and legislative policy. He has served as a lobbyist in California and has represented major utilities across the U.S. in numerous jurisdictions in proceedings pertaining to integrated resource planning, procurement, cost recovery, rate design, and the development of policymaking best practices. Will's areas of subject matter expertise, in addition to LDES policy, include distributed energy resources, AMI/smart grid, renewables, and competitive retail markets.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abstract: From Energy Savings to Competitive Advantage: Lessons from Industrial Assessments Across North Texas
The UNT Industrial Training and Assessment Center (UNT ITAC) has two core objectives: (1) helping regional manufacturers improve their operations by providing assessments and recommendations, and (2) training the next genera􀀃on of energy engineers. Through nearly 70 industrial assessments conducted over the past four years, the Center has helped small and medium-sized manufacturers identify opportunities for energy efficiency, productivity improvement, and waste reduction.
This presentation will provide an overview of UNT ITAC and its role in supporting North Texas manufacturers through the U.S. Department of Energy's ITAC program. Aggregate results from completed assessments will demonstrate common trends, savings opportunities, and implementation potential across a diverse range of manufacturing sectors. Selected case studies will illustrate how assessment recommendations have translated into measurable energy savings, cost reductions, productivity improvements, and broader competitive advantages for participating facilities. The session will also highlight the workforce development impact of the program through the hands-on training and preparation of engineering students in energy-related technical and professional skills.

Dr. Huseyin Bostanci

Bio: Dr. Huseyin Bostanci is a Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Texas (UNT). He serves as Director of the UNT Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC) and leads the Thermal Management Laboratory. Dr. Bostanci's research focuses on thermal sciences and energy systems, with particular emphasis on high-heat-flux thermal management, microgravity transport phenomena, and Stirling cycle-based energy conversion. His work spans both fundamental and applied research, and he has extensive experience across multiple stages of technology development. He has led or contributed to numerous projects sponsored by U.S. federal and state agencies, as well as industry partners. Dr. Bostanci has coauthored more than 60 publications. He is actively involved in the American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE), where he currently serves on the Executive Committee and as Technical Program Co-Chair for the TFEC 2027 Conference.

___________________________________________________________________

Abstract: Towards Trustworthy Autonomous Process Control: Explainable AI in the Context of Reinforcement Learning Deployment at Industrial Scale

The transition from industrial automation to industrial autonomy demands not only capable AI algorithms, but AI systems that operators, engineers, and regulators can interrogate and trust. This talk addresses that challenge by examining Explainable AI (XAI) methods in the context of reinforcement learning (RL) based autonomous control, using as a case study the recent deployment of Factorial Kernel Dynamic Policy Programming (FKDPP) at Aramco’s Fadhil Gas Plant in Saudi Arabia.

FKDPP enables AI agents to derive optimal control strategies without predefined process models, allowing them to handle multivariable interactions, nonlinear behavior, and fluctuating process conditions. At Aramco’s Fadhil Gas Plant, these agents draw on more than 30 critical process parameters to autonomously adjust variables such as amine temperature, and circulation rate during acid gas removal (AGR) operations.

As RL agents assume direct real-time control of safety-critical processes, the “black-box” nature of such systems presents a fundamental barrier to adoption. This talk explores how XAI techniques such as feature attribution, policy visualization, and counterfactual explanations, can be applied to RL-based controls to surface reasoning behind the autonomous decisions. We discuss practical frameworks for building operator facing explanations that align with process engineering institutions, and examine the implications for safety
validation, regulatory acceptance, and human-machine collaboration in the shift toward fully autonomous plant operations.

The FKDPP deployments such as the one at Aramco serve as a concrete, industrial-scale testbed for these ideas, and points towards a broader research agenda at the intersection of process control, machine learning, and human factors.

Elbert van der Bijl

Bio: Elbert van der Bijl is the Director of Organization Transformation, IT and Consulting for Yokogawa Corporation of America. He joined Yokogawa in 2008 and has held various roles in Marketing and Sales throughout his tenure. He holds a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Delft University of Technology and has been working in the industrial automation industry for 28 years. In addition to his passion for Co-innovating with end-users in the process industry, Elbert has had the pleasure of working closely with the headquarter organization in Japan as well as several R&D centers within Yokogawa globally on new technology developments.

____________________________________________________________________

Panel Discussion on Data Centers, AI and Energy Required

Dr. Paul Krueger

Bio: As the Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Paul Krueger oversees five academic departments: Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. He is a recipient of the Rolf D. Buhler Memorial Award in Aeronautics, the Richard Bruce Chapman Memorial Award for distinguished research in hydrodynamics, the Faculty
Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers North Texas Section Young Engineer of the Year Award and the Ford Senior Research Fellowship. Dr. Krueger earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology.

Ira Nicodemus

Bio: Ira is the Founder of Holistic Utility Solutions and serves as the President. With 16+ years of experience in energy management and solar, he brings a wide range of industry expertise and experience. He will function as the Team Lead and POC. Ira oversaw Energy & Sustainability for 1,400+ Bank of America facilities (25M+ sq.ft.) for CBRE from 2013-2019 and has implemented hundreds of energy and sustainability projects. He holds a BS in Engineering & Management (Clarkson University), MBA (University of North Texas), is a Certified Energy Manager (AEE), and a NABCEP PV Associate.

____________________________________________________________________

UNT - NASA Senior Project: Unit X-HAB Dust Tolerant Life Support "Are Filters Enough?"

Wesley Dodds

Bio: Wesley Dodds is an undergraduate student studying Mechanical and Energy Engineering. He plans to graduate in May 2027. Wesley is the president of the Mechanical Engineering honor society Pi Tau Sigma, as well as the president of the Mechanical Engineering Student Council. He is currently working as an instructional assistant for a MATLAB coding class, and as a research assistant at UNT’s Industrial Training and Assessment Center, where he is gaining experience in energy efficiency for industrial applications.

Natalia Valdez

Bio: Natalia Valdez is a senior at the University of North Texas studying Mechanical and Energy Engineering. She plans to graduate in May 2027. Natalie has attended AEE World Conference twice. She is a two-times NTAEE scholarship recipient. She appreciates the recognition and support. Natalia is currently working at UNT’s Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC), where she is gaining hands-on experience in energy efficiency in industrial applications. She also works as a co-op at Safran Electrical & Power.

___________________________________________________________

UNT HVAC Senior Project: West Hall HVAC Retrofit

Alexandro Lopez

Bio: Alexandro (Alex) Lopez is a Mechanical and Energy Engineering undergrad at UNT . Alex plans to graduate Fall of 2026. He is currently learning to speak Russian, electronics, loves reading and taking long walks on the beach.

Nassim Nader

Bio: Nassim is an undergraduate student studying Mechanical and Energy Engineering at UNT. He plans to graduate Fall 2026. Nassim is currently working at university lab, researching multi-axis additive manufacturing with metal alloys.

Brandon Nassibian

Bio: Brandon is an international student from Canada. He works for UNT facilities as a HVAC student assistant. Brandon is a senior studying Mechanical and Engineering. He played for the UNT Hocky Team.

Tuong Tran

Bio: Tuong Tran goes by Benny! She is a senior majored in Mechanical Engineering and Energy at UNT. Benny is currently working as an instructional assistant for Engineering Graphics.

Bailey Wardwell

Bio: Bailey Wardwell is a Mechanical and Energy Engineering undergrad student at UNT. She plans to graduate Fall 2026. She enjoys hands-on design, prototyping, and figuring out how things work, with interests ranging from 3D printing and product design to cars and electronics. Outside of engineering, Baily enjoys cycling, rock climbing, and collecting entirely too many hobbies.

________________________________________________________

University of Texas at Arlington (UTA ) Senior Project: The project evaluates the viability of solar power in urban environments by comparing four different solar array configurations: horizontal without tracking, horizontal with tracking, predominately vertical with tracking, and vertically wall mounted.

Emily Long

Bio: Emily D. Long is a senior Resource and Energy Engineering major at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is passionate about sustainable and renewable energy. She hopes to use the knowledge and experience gained through her degree to help expand access to reliable energy resources in rural communities.

UTA Blaze Raycers: The team will share the engineering and energy system behind UTA's solar car, including the chassis and suspension, solar generation, energy storage, and power management. We will also share our engineering challenges and experience at our first competition.

William Bourgeouis

Bio: William Bourgeois is an Energy Engineering and Finance scholar at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he served as Lead Engineer and Project Manager for the Blaze Raycers solar car team. Overseeing the design, systems integration, and track preparation of the team’s competition vehicle, Soltron. William's background bridges hands-on power systems design, industrial tech experience, and large-scale energy infrastructure. He is also the co-author of Power Solutions for Large Loads, specializing in baseload generation and generation planning for demanding electrical loads.

Jason Esquivel

Bio: Jason Esquivel is a junior in the Resource and Energy Engineering program at UTA. He was previously in charge of manufacturing the body of the Blaze Raycers solar car. He is currently serves as the body lead. Jason manages a team of students who are working on designing and optimizing an aerodynamic body. He is also the current secretary for Energy Mavericks at UTA and is helping with growing the club and introducing students to the energy industry.

Anthony Mena

Bio: Anthony Mena is a Resource and Energy Engineering student at the UTA, pursuing a minor in Materials Science. He is a member of UTA’s Solar Car Team, where he works on the development and fabrication of the vehicle’s custom solar array. His interests include renewable energy, solar technology, and sustainable engineering.

Jordan Nalepka

Bio: Dallas native Jordan Nalepka is a senior undergraduate student in Resource and Energy Engineering at the UTA. He previously served as Electrical Lead for the Blaze Raycers solar car team, engineering the vehicle's electrical infrastructure and energy storage systems. Currently, Jordan gains industry experience as an intern at Doble-Megger, where he performs system testing and diagnostics.

Jesse Ramos

Bio: Jesse is a junior in the Resource and Energy Engineering program at UTA. He currently serves as the Operations Lead for the Blaze Raycers solar car team, where he manages team resources and procedures to support the team’s performance and success. Jesse also serves as Vice President of Energy Mavericks, an aspiring chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers. In this role, he organizes meetings, events, and opportunities for students to explore the energy industry and connect with energy professionals.

Isaiah Rubio

Bio: Isaiah Rubio is a senior Mechanical Engineering student at the UTA and a U.S. Army veteran. He previously served as Mechanical Lead for the UTA Blaze Raycers solar car team and currently serves as the team’s Chief Engineer. His experience includes mechanical design, manufacturing, fabrication, and vehicle development, with a strong interest in aerospace and advanced engineering.

_________________________________________________________

Being a sponsor for the 43^rd Annual NTAEE Energy Conference is a great way to showcase your organization to the Energy Engineers and numerous businesses located in North Texas. A high percentage of the sponsor and guest proceeds from the conference goes to NTAEE’s Student Scholarship Program. Thank you in advance for supporting the NTAEE organization.

Click below to view or download Sponsor packet:

Sponsorship Packet

NTAEE Sponsor Opportunities:

Platinum Sponsors: $5000 ( available ) Includes: Premium logo recognition in the publications and displays, 1 premium booth location, 5 conference tickets, company case study spotlight on stage, 2 spots for the October 14 golf outing and a $150.00 gift card that NTAEE will provide you to present as a door prize to the lucky winner!

Gold Sponsor: $2,500 each ( available ) Includes: High-tier logo recognition in publications and displays, 1 premium booth location, 4 conference tickets, a company spotlight on stage, 1 spot for the October 14 golf outing, and a $100.00 gift card that NTAEE will provide you to present as a door prize to the luck winner!

Golf Sponsor: $2500 ( Sold Out ): As the Golf Sponsor, you get 2 tee times to invite guests (8 total) for the October 14 golf outing, logo recognition in publications and displays, 1 premium booth location and 3 conference tickets. The Golf Sponsor will also be the sponsor of the putting contest taking place during the conference lunch hour, winner to receive $100.00 cash!

Silver Sponsor: $1,500 ( available ) Includes: Mid-tier logo recognition in publications and displays, 1 premium booth location. 3 conference tickets, 1 spot for the October 14 golf outing, and a $75 gift card that NTAEE will provide you to present as a door prize to the lucky winner!

Afternoon Snack Attack Sponsor: $1000 (Sold Out) Includes: Logo recognition in publications and displays, 1 premium booth location and 2 conference tickets.

Bronze Sponsor: $750 ( available ) Includes: Logo recognition in publications and displays, 1 booth, 2 conference tickets, and a $50 gift card that NTAEE will provide you to present as a door prize to a lucky winner!

______________________________________________________________