10/21/2026

USAEE Conference: Anna J. Siefken Among Keynote Speakers

Long Duration Energy Storage: What It Will Take to Build the Clean Energy System We Need

Register for November's Conference Today

We are pleased to announce that Anna J. Siefken will deliver a keynote address at the 43rd North American Conference of the United States Association for Energy Economics on Monday, November 16. Siefken is a clean energy and infrastructure executive who currently serves as Director for Policy & Markets, North America for the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council.

43rd USAEE North American Conference
November 15—18, 2026 | Pittsburgh, PA
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Siefken’s presentation, "Long Duration Energy Storage: What It Will Take to Build the Clean Energy System We Need," will address a pressing challenge: The grid was not built to carry the large new loads now forecast across North America and globally. Meeting this enormous need will take flexible power that can turn on quickly and stay firm for hours, even days. Long duration energy storage (LDES) delivers, with almost 300 GWh of newer projects operating or in development worldwide—against a global need of up to 140,000 GWh by 2040. In her keynote, Siefken gives an overview of where the energy sector stands, from policy milestones to the revenue visibility investors require before they finance first-of-a-kind projects. Attendees will leave knowing how much storage the system needs and what it will take to close the gap.

Siefken is a clean energy and infrastructure executive with more than 25 years of experience guiding organizations through complex energy markets, capital-intensive assets, and regulatory environments. Her work focuses on strategy, market design, policy risk, and infrastructure deployment for utilities, large energy users, technology companies, and growth-stage platforms – always with the financial case in mind. 

Siefken currently serves as Director for Policy & Markets, North America for the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council, where she guides the Secretariat's strategy and policy efforts to develop markets for existing and emerging clean energy storage technologies. In this capacity, she represents the Council and its members in federal and state regulatory proceedings, ISO and RTO market processes, and stakeholder forums, working closely with utilities, regulators, system operators, hyperscalers, and private sector leaders to advance market frameworks that support grid reliability, capital investment, and commercial adoption of LDES technologies.

Previously, Siefken served as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program, overseeing the decarbonization of 3 billion square feet (350k buildings) with $137 million in projected annual savings and $4.1 billion in private investment potential. Siefken has held executive leadership roles at Carnegie Mellon University’s Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, ICF, and The Home Depot. Siefken is an appointed U.S. Ambassador for Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E).

There is still time to register for the 2026 USAEE North American Conference and join us next month in Pittsburgh. For session and event details, view the full conference agenda.

Once you've registered for the conference, don't forget to book your room at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh Downtown at USAEE’s discounted group rate of $159 per night, plus applicable taxes and fees, by this Friday, October 23. Rooms at this rate are limited and may sell out before Friday’s deadline. After October 23, reservations will be subject to the hotel's standard rates and availability.