Energy Affordability and the Drive for Innovation: NEWIEE’s 2026 Women Shaping the Agenda
Our summer panel event, Women Shaping the Agenda (WSTA), exemplifies what NEWIEE does best. It’s a convening of bright minds and leaders from across New England for a night of vibrant discussion, inspiration, and community. Each year we gather in new surroundings to tackle a pressing issue, bringing a variety of distinct voices to the discussion.
This year’s theme, “Building Resilience in the Age of Affordability Pressures,” is particularly timely. The event will be held on July 30, 2026, at the Roux Institute in Portland, Maine.
Energy affordability is an issue that dominates regional, national and global conversations. On a human level, higher prices can mean gut-wrenching decisions for the most vulnerable among us. On a systems level, the industry cannot achieve meaningful change without interdisciplinary solutions that address the challenges of shifting regulations, aging infrastructure, and dynamic global economics and an existential environmental crisis. We must devise solutions that deliver short-term and long-term societal benefits, and energy affordability must remain central to it all.
Our moderator and guide for this discussion is Rouwenna Altemose, Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder of the nonprofit All in Energy. Rouwenna works on the front lines of affordability issues, overseeing All in Energy’s work to engage underserved residents to access programs that immediately reduce energy costs and lower long-term energy usage through efficiency and decarbonization.
Our panelists include Heather Sandborn, Maine Public Advocate and former state senator and state representative, Sara Harari, Director of Innovation at Connecticut Green Bank, Chiderah Okoye, CEO of Transform Power Systems (TPS), and Tina Bennett, CEO of PowerOptions. Visit the event page to learn more about their backgrounds.
Join us on July 30th at the Roux Institute in Portland, Maine for a forward-looking discussion about how policy, new technologies, and market innovation can drive solutions to these challenges. We look forward to seeing you at WSTA!
Written By:
Kelly Smith, Head of Development, Greenvolt Power, WSTA Co-Chair & NEWIEE Clerk
Cindy Gage, Senior Vice President, C+C, WSTA Co-Chair
© 2026 New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE). NEWIEE is a non-profit, tax exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
