Agenda

What To Expect

The 2026 Legislative Reception will combine presentations and policy discussions with a networking happy hour where attendees will have the chance to connect with peers while playing casino-style games.

Make meaningful connections and hear from Maryland legislators, regulators, and energy industry representatives about how sustainability can be used as a tool for economic growth. Speakers will give updates on active legislation and provide insights into policy and regulatory trends in Maryland and beyond.

Check out the full agenda below!

Purchase Tickets

5:30 – 6:30 PM

Registration & Networking

Check in, grab a cocktail, and mingle with new and familiar faces in a happy-hour style networking session.

6:30 – 6:35 PM

Welcome Remarks

The 2026 Legislative Reception will kick off with an address from Maryland Clean Energy Center Executive Director I. Katherine Magruder. Attendees will be provided an overview of the evening and hear insights from the perspective of a state green bank.

Speakers:

I. Katherine Magruder

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Executive Director, Maryland Clean Energy Center

Throughout her career Ms. Magruder has been focused on the balance of environment, economy, and cultural character in effective sustainable economic development.

As Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, since 2009, Ms. Magruder manages the statewide green bank working to advance the commercialization and adoption of clean energy products, services, and technologies in Maryland. She collaborates with multiple state and federal agencies, along with utility and private sector partners, to implement climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives. In this role she operates financing programs, administers grants, engages in business development initiatives, oversees outreach, and monitors associated public policy activity.

Previously, as Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Ms. Magruder was responsible for strategic planning, staff management and external relations. During appointment as the Director of Resource Based Industries at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (Commerce), she focused on sustaining the agriculture, forestry, mining, fisheries and maritime industry sectors. Working in key positions with various municipalities, Ms. Magruder led local and regional agribusiness, cultural preservation, and ecotourism initiatives to benefit communities on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Kathy is a member of the American Green Bank Coalition and currently serves as co-chair of the Association for University Research Parks Climate Technology & Building Caucus. She holds seats on the Maryland Power Plant Research Program Advisory Committee, the Maryland Industrial Partnerships Advisory Board , the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Climate, Energy & Environment Policy Committee and is appointed to the Governor’s Economic Competitiveness Sub-cabinet for Maryland.

6:35 – 6:45 PM

Guest Speakers

Hear from two of Maryland’s most prominent leaders about how policies that contribute to the deployment of clean energy solutions can be drivers for economic growth.

Speakers:

Brooke Lierman

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Comptroller, State of Maryland

Brooke Lierman is the 34th Comptroller of the state of Maryland and the first woman to be independently elected to one of our state’s constitutional offices. After running a strong, policy-focused and grassroots-led campaign, she was elected with over 60% of the vote in November 2022. She is an attorney by training, practicing as a civil rights and disability rights lawyer for many years, and prior to her election as Comptroller, she served for 8 years a member of the House of Delegates representing part of Baltimore City. While in the House, she spent time in leadership roles on both the Appropriations Committee and the Environment and Transportation Committee.

In the House of Delegates, she spent time in leadership roles on both the Appropriations Committee and the Environment and Transportation Committee. As a Delegate, Brooke led efforts to ensure a healthy environment for Marylanders. She championed bills such as the first in the nation Styrofoam ban that passed in 2020. Also passed was a bill to increase the recycling market. She led on bills to address single use plastics, including a ban on plastic bags that passed the house. She also championed policies related to saving forests, and increasing transit accessibility & reliability. She also proudly voted in support of the Climate Solutions Now Act.

Kelly Speakes-Backman

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Director, Maryland Energy Administration

Kelly Speakes-Backman is the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration under the Moore-Miller administration. A nationally recognized energy executive with over 25 years of experience in energy and environmental issues, her experience spans public, NGO and private sectors, including most recently building and managing a public affairs organization at Invenergy, an American-based multinational power generation development and operations company.

Prior to this, Kelly served as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. She was the first CEO of the Energy Storage Association, where she led policy, external relations, and industry leadership efforts for the organization. She was also a commissioner of the Maryland Public Service Commission in the O’Malley-Brown administration, where, as an adjunct to the commission, she served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Co-Vice Chair of the NARUC (National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners) Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, and member of the EPRI Energy Efficiency & Grid Modernization Public Advisory Group. Kelly has held leadership positions in the private sector at United Technologies, Wärtsilä, SunEdison, and The Alliance to Save Energy.

6:45 – 7:00 PM

Magic & Mystery

Step into a realm of enchantment and wonder! Experience magic so mystifying it defies reality, mental feats that leave you questioning the limits of the human mind, and uproarious comedy that echoes with laughter! Prepare for a magical journey like no other!

Speakers:

Vince Wilson

Illusionist

Vince Wilson has ignited the screens of the Discovery Channel, Destination America, NatGeo, PBS, and the Travel Channel, leaving audiences worldwide in sheer awe! Not just a sensation on screen, he’s resonated through the airwaves of countless podcasts and radio shows, and graced the pages of numerous print media outlets. Wherever he appears, Vince Wilson brings a cascade of excitement, leaving a trail of captivated audiences waiting for the next magical revelation!

Check him out

7:00 – 7:45

Policy Spotlight

Hear regulators and policymakers about the trending energy policy in Maryland and beyond that has the potential reduce emissions, improve resiliency, and contribute to the expansion of economic opportunity.

Speakers:

Kumar Barve

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Chair, Maryland Public Service Commission

Kumar P. Barve was appointed as Chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission by Governor Wes Moore in January 2026, to fill out a term ending June 30, 2028. He was first appointed in May 2023 by Governor Moore, to fill out a term ending in June 2024. He was later appointed to a new five-year term to begin July 1, 2024.

Prior to his appointment, he had served in the Maryland House of Delegates since 1991, holding leadership roles including Chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee, Majority Leader, and Chair of the Montgomery County House delegation. While in the General Assembly he worked on issues including environmental regulation, energy generation and conservation, and greenhouse gas reduction. Notably, he was the first Indian-American in the country to be elected to a state legislature.

As a legislator, Chair Barve was the recipient of the Casper R. Taylor, Jr. Award in 2023; Certificate of Appreciation from the Maryland Municipal League in 2007, 2010 and 2011; Maryland Super Star from the Maryland Municipal League in 2008; and Legislator of the Year from the Montgomery County Medical Society in 1995, 1996 and 2000.

Chair Barve serves as Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Industry and Regulatory Diversity, and is a member of the Committee on International Relations and the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

A graduate of Paint Branch High School in Silver Spring, Chair Barve received a B.S. in Accounting from Georgetown University. He is a resident of Rockville, Maryland.

Sen. Brian Feldman

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Chair, Senate Education, Energy & Environment Committee (District 15)

Maryland State Senator Brian J. Feldman, both an Attorney and a CPA, is Chair of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Brian serves on the Executive Nominations Committee, the Rules Committee, and the Legislative Policy Committee. He is also a member of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change and the Maryland Economic Development Commission. Nationally, as a member of the National Conferences of State Legislators, he serves as Vice Chair of the Task Force on Energy Supply, and as a member of the Task Force on State and Local Taxation and the Committee on Natural Resources and Infrastructure. Brian also represents Maryland as a member of the Southern States Energy Board. Numerous honors and awards have been conferred on Senator Feldman for his work in the Maryland General Assembly on clean energy. In 2019, Senator Feldman sponsored Maryland’s landmark “Clean Energy Jobs Act” and was recognized by the Community for Solar Access as a “Legislative Champion” and by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network as a “Climate Champion” in 2022. Brian serves on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Senator Feldman and his wife, Janice, have two children who graduated from Montgomery County public schools.

Sen. Benjamin Brooks

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Senate Education, Energy & Environment Committee (District 10)

Senator Benjamin T. Brooks, Sr., is a member of the of the Maryland Senate, representing the 10th Legislative District in Baltimore County. He serves on the Education, Energy and the Environment standing committee, and Energy sub-committee. Senator Brooks is Chair of the Joint Electric Universal Workgroup Service Program. He is also Vice-Chair of the Baltimore County Senate Delegation, Senate Chair of the Veterans Caucus, and a member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, Inc. and the Democratic Caucus.

Senator Brooks is one of thirteen children and a proud native of Sumter, South Carolina. After fulfilling his military obligations in the U. S. Army, which included completing a tour in Vietnam, he matriculated and graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from South Carolina State University. He currently resides in Woodstock, MD with his wife of 50 years, Theresa.

Del. Marc Korman

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Chair, House Environment & Transportation Committee (District 16)

Marc Korman has proudly represented District 16 in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2014. In 2023, he was named Chair of the Environment & Transportation Committee, where he champions issues like public transit, environmental protection, and sustainable growth. Previously, Marc served as House Majority Leader and chaired the Montgomery County House Delegation. A lifelong Montgomery County resident, Marc attended Montgomery County Public Schools, earned degrees from USC, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Maryland, and now lives in Bethesda with his wife, Rebecca, and their two children.

Del. Lorig Charkoudian

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Vice Chair, House Economic Matters Committee (District 20)

Lorig Charkoudian represents District 20 in the Maryland General Assembly, where she serves on the Economic Matters Committee and is Chair of the Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee. Lorig is a strong advocate for legislation promoting environmental justice, consumer protections, economic justice, criminal justice reform, pedestrian safety, and a sustainable food system. In addition to her role as Delegate, Lorig is the Executive Director of the Community Mediation Maryland. Lorig received her PhD in Economics from Johns Hopkins University, has been honored three times as Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Maryland Daily Record. She lives in Takoma Park with one of her two children, Raffi, and runs ultra-marathons.

Del. David Fraser-Hidalgo

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Chair (Energy Subcommittee), House Economic Matters Committee (District 15)

David has represented District 15 in the House of Delegates since 2013. He is a member of the Environment and Transportation Committee and is the Chair of the Motor Vehicle and Transportation Subcommittee. He also serves as the Chair of the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus.

David has a proven track record as an advocate for the environment in his 9-year career as a delegate. He has been named a “Green Champion” by the Maryland League of Conservation Voters every year since 2017 for supporting and sponsoring priority environmental legislation.

In 2017, he spearheaded the charge in the General Assembly to ban fracking in Maryland, making it only the third state at the time to successfully enact such a ban. He has led efforts to phase out our reliance on fossil fuels and encourage the use of electric vehicles in Maryland, with the passage of the Clean Cars Act of 2022 the creation of an electric school bus pilot program and legislation to electrify the state’s vehicle fleet, Maryland is one step closer to a green energy future.

David continues to deliver thoughtful environmental solutions that preserve our environment while creating a higher quality of life for District 15 residents.

Del. Lily Qi

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House Economic Matters Committee (District 15)

Before joining Montgomery County to oversee economic and workforce development, she was a senior economic development official for Washington, DC, a spokesperson for the DC financial regulatory agency and assistant director of multicultural affairs at American University. Delegate Lily Qi was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in November 2018 representing Montgomery County. As the first Chinese-speaking legislator in the Maryland General Assembly. She chaired the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Asian American Affairs. Lily was recognized as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record, Washington Chinese Post’s Person of the Year 2018 and was two-time recipient of the National Association of Counties awards for her work in improving government cultural competency and innovation partnerships.

Del. Dana Stein

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House Environment & Transportation Committee

Dana is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and represents District 11B in Baltimore County. He was first elected to the House in 2006, served as Vice Chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee between 2015 and 2023. He also serves as chair of the Environment Subcommittee of the Environment and Transportation Committee.

Dana is the executive director and founder of the Baltimore non-profit Civic Works. Participants rehab homes, build parks and gardens, make improvements in the homes of senior citizens, and grow fresh produce at an urban farm. Civic Works also operates a high school in Baltimore, REACH Partnership.

Prior to establishing Civic Works, Dana practiced law for several years at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Washington, D.C. He has a B.A. in government from Harvard University, a law degree from Columbia Law School, and an MPA from Princeton University. He and his wife Margaret live in Pikesville with their three kids.

7:45 – 9:00 PM

Networking & Casino Games

Shake some hands and roll some dice! The 2026 Legislative Reception will conclude with a networking session in a casino-style atmosphere. The stakes are high—don’t miss out!