Sacramento, CA — Hispanics In Energy (HIE) hosted the California Energy Summit 2026 on January 14 in Sacramento, convening elected officials, regulators, industry leaders, and community stakeholders for a full day of substantive, solutions-oriented dialogue on California’s evolving energy landscape.
The summit “California’s Energy Future: Leadership, Innovation, and Emerging Opportunity,” featured five panels and multiple spotlight speakers addressing critical issues including transportation fuels, community engagement, nuclear energy, emerging clean technologies, and the growing energy demands of data centers and artificial intelligence.
Across the day, conversations consistently returned to three core themes: the need for reliability and affordability, the urgency of workforce and infrastructure investment, and the importance of ensuring that California’s energy transition delivers tangible benefits to communities.
“California’s energy future will only succeed if it is grounded in thoughtful policy that reflects the reality on the ground for many communities,” said José L. Pérez, President & CEO of Hispanics In Energy. “That means being honest about tradeoffs, investing in people and workforce pathways, and making sure communities are not just consulted, but meaningfully included in shaping solutions. This Summit reflects our commitment to bringing together serious leaders to have those hard but necessary conversations.”
The Summit featured participation from leaders across government, utilities, industry, and civil society, including: Xavier Becerra (Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services), Janisse Quiñones (CEO & Chief Engineer, LADWP), Kathleen Barrón (Executive Vice President, Constellation Energy), along with state legislators, regulators, and executives from organizations such as NALEO, SHPE, HACU, CAISO, PG&E, SMUD, CRC, WSPA, and others.
View videos of the events here.
ABOUT HISPANICS IN ENERGY
Hispanics In Energy advances Hispanic inclusion in America’s energy industry. Hispanics In Energy (HIE) is a community-driven, non-profit organization designed to facilitate Hispanic inclusion in America’s energy industry. It is a resource for the energy industry, utility companies, municipalities, elected or appointed officials with oversight responsibility of energy related policies and practices, and communities on comprehensive energy matters.
