CLEANPOWER 2026 will be in Houston, Texas, June 1-4. Wind Systems recently talked with Andrias White Murdaugh, ACP’s vice president of Conferences and Events, about new programs and what attendees can expect from this year’s show.
How will this year’s show differ from what attendees experienced last year in Phoenix?
Each year, CLEANPOWER evolves alongside the industry. In 2026, we’re building on last year’s momentum with expanded programming, more opportunities for connection with peers, and deeper engagement across the show floor.
We’re excited to launch expanded networking programming for women, veterans, emerging leaders, and CLEANPOWER in Color. Each day of the conference, attendees can join an EmpowHER, a PowerVets veteran, Emerging Leaders, or CLEANPOWER in Color activity. Through these programs, we’re hoping to help facilitate deeper, lasting relationships across the industry to help people — and businesses — grow.
If you aren’t already familiar with it, CLEANPOWER in Color is our co-located event for mid-level professionals of color in the industry to gain tailored tools, actionable strategies, and meaningful insights. That program takes place Monday and Tuesday during CLEANPOWER, and after, attendees can spend Wednesday and Thursday fully engaged with CLEANPOWER programming.
On the education front, expect an even stronger focus on the business of clean energy —how projects get built, financed, and scaled, and how our industry can continue to answer the call for more energy (and stable prices for consumers) as AI and data centers increase energy demand across the globe. We’re creating another dynamic, action-oriented experience that reflects where the industry is today and provides attendees with valuable takeaways and connections that improve their business outcomes immediately. Not to mention, the exhibit hall is back on one floor again this year.
If I were a first-time exhibitor, what should I expect from this year’s show?
We like to think of CLEANPOWER as the Goldilocks of energy shows. With an audience of about 9,000 and more than 500 exhibitors, the show floor is always bustling with decision-makers and leaders from every corner of the utility-scale solar, storage, wind, and transmission sectors. However, the show is small enough, with a high-level attendee base, that it’s easy for attendees to meet the right people.
The exhibit hall is designed to facilitate real conversations and business development, not just foot traffic. Exhibitors should expect strong visibility, opportunities to connect with both new and existing partners, and an environment where deals and partnerships are actively coming together. We frequently get feedback that exhibitors make a week’s worth of progress on deals over just three days at CLEANPOWER.
What issues should I expect presenters to address?
This year’s program focuses on the most pressing challenges shaping the industry, with an emphasis on market dynamics and real-world implementation.
The full list of session topics covers national-level insights like the clean-power market outlook, large loads and data centers, AI-driven deployment, and building clean energy in an era of federal policy uncertainty. Sessions will also address policy, finance, and markets, including tariff strategies, project financing, regulatory disparities, and state policy trends.
Across the show floor stages, attendees can also expect practical insights on siting and permitting, transmission development, energy storage, and community engagement, alongside emerging topics like cybersecurity, workforce retention, and agricultural economics.
What kind of networking opportunities will be available for attendees?
We know networking is the No. 1 reason people keep coming back to CLEANPOWER, so we’re continuing everything you know and love and adding new, more targeted opportunities to build connections. Attendees will have access to evening exhibit hall happy hours, the Welcome Reception and networking breakfasts, plus the annual Power Up 5K Run, the EmpowHER Luncheon and daily EmpowHER events, CLEANPOWER in Color sessions and activities each day, the PowerVets veterans meetup and daily activities, and a full Emerging Leaders program for young professionals — it’s a big list. We’re also launching a brand-new awards program for EmpowHER, CLEANPOWER in Color, PowerVets Veterans, and Emerging Leaders. Nominations for excellent colleagues in those groups are open through the month of April, please submit them.
This year’s CLEANPOWER is returning to Houston. What about this venue made it a positive to come back to?
Houston is one of the most important energy hubs in the world, making it a natural home for CLEANPOWER. The city brings together a deep concentration of energy expertise, infrastructure, and investment that reflects the scale and momentum of the clean-energy industry.
Clean energy is an essential part of the American energy mix now and into the future. Gathering for our largest conference in one of the biggest energy hubs in the world just makes sense.
From a practical standpoint, Houston also offers a highly accessible location and a venue that allows us to continue expanding the event experience. After a great conference there in 2019, it made sense to return to a region where the industry is actively growing and evolving. Plus, many of our members and conference attendees have large offices in the Houston area, so we’re excited to make travel easy for those groups and allow for a variety of potential offsite tours and meetings.
What are you personally looking forward to at this year’s CLEANPOWER?
This will be my first CLEANPOWER as an official member of the ACP team, so I’m excited to share that experience with other first timers and engage with our many stakeholders.
Beyond that, what makes CLEANPOWER unique is the energy and momentum that comes from bringing the entire industry together. I’m especially looking forward to seeing the connections that happen across sectors, where we see conversations turn into partnerships, projects, and real progress. It’s truly magic what happens when we’re all together.
With the continued growth of the event and the expansion of programs such as EmpowHER, PowerVets, CLEANPOWER in Color, and Emerging Leaders, this year will be an exciting opportunity to see how the industry is evolving — not just in scale, but in collaboration, community, and leadership.
More info cleanpower.org/expo
