2026 MES Workshop
Georgia Institute of Technology | August 13-14, 2026
Public registration for the workshop is now open!
About
The fourth Macro-Energy Systems (MES) Workshop will be held August 13-14, 2026 at the Kendeda Building at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and will feature a series of lightning talks, poster sessions, community-building workshops, and policy engagement activities. For further context, please see the agendas and outcomes from the Workshops held in 2024, 2022, and 2020. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this form. Due to venue capacity, registration is a two-step process; a follow-up email will be sent allowing you to officially register through Georgia Tech’s system.
Please see our draft agenda below for more details.
Lightning Sessions
Lightning talk sessions will highlight a diversity of energy systems research through a hybrid structure. In each session, 10 participants will give five-minute talks, and then present posters in a 40-minute session in which workshop attendees can more directly engage with presenters and their research. This is separate from the posters-only session on Thursday, which will feature an additional ~40 presenters.
Interactive Sessions
The interactive sessions will focus on improving the design of macro-energy systems research to effectively inform policy decisions. These will be lead by Prof. Michelle Graff, Prof. Morgan Edwards, and Prof. Micah Ziegler.
Keynote Speakers
We are excited to confirm Prof. Kelly Sanders of the University of Southern California and Prof. Erin Mayfield of Dartmouth College as our two keynote speakers!
Dr. Kelly Sanders is a Professor in the University of Southern
California’s Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering. Her research evaluates strategies to accelerate the pace
of decarbonization and electrification, analyzes tensions between
climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, and quantifies
the environmental impacts of energy and water services. In 2024, she
served as Assistant Director of Energy Systems Innovation at the
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, advising the
Biden Administration on energy and climate change mitigation
priorities. Sanders has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications
and has received recognition in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Energy, MIT
Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35, and the American
Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists’ 40 Under 40 for
her contributions to the energy field. She holds a B.S. in
Bioengineering from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S.E. in
Mechanical Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering
from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Erin Mayfield is the Hodgson Family Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering, where she directs the Sustainable Transitions Lab. Her research spans energy systems engineering and public policy, developing decision-support models that integrate climate, health, social equity, and economic considerations to inform infrastructure and energy transitions.
Mayfield is a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Seventh Assessment Report and has contributed to major national initiatives, including the Net-Zero America Project, the REPEAT Project, and the Fifth National Climate Assessment. During the Biden-Harris administration, she served in the White House and the U.S. Department of Energy. Before entering academia, she
worked on hazardous waste remediation, infrastructure planning,
and environmental litigation, and held positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Congress, Princeton
University, and the Environmental Law Institute.
Agenda
Thursday, August 13
7:45 - 8:15 am
Check-in and Welcome Reception with Coffee
8:15 - 8:30 am
Opening Remarks
8:30 - 10:00 am
Interactive Lightning Session 1
10:00 - 10:15 am
Break
10:15 - 11:45 am
Interactive Lightning Session 2
11:45 am - 1:45 pm
Lunch and Keynote Address 1 (Prof. Kelly Sanders)
1:45 - 2:00 pm
Break
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Interactive Learning Session 1
4:00 - 4:15 pm
Break
4:15 - 6:00+ pm
Poster Session
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Reception
Friday, August 14
7:45 - 8:30 am
Check-in and Welcome Reception with Coffee
8:30 - 10:00 am
Interactive Lightning Session 3
10:00 - 10:30 am
Break
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Interactive Lightning Session 4
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Lunch and Keynote Address 2 (Prof. Erin Mayfield)
2:00 - 2:30 pm
Break
2:30 - 4:30 pm
Interactive Learning Session 2
4:30 - 5:00 pm
Closing Session, Remarks, and Post-Workshop Survey
Registration Details
Students: $50
Faculty and Professionals: $150
The registration fee will include Breakfast and Lunch for each day of the workshop, as well as access to all sessions, speakers, and the reception.
Public registration is now open! Due to venue capacity, registration is a two-step process; a follow-up email will be sent allowing you to officially register through Georgia Tech’s system.
Accommodations
A room block has been arranged at the Georgia Tech Hotel. Information about the room block will be released shortly; other accommodations can be found at a multitude of hotels in Midtown Atlanta.
Please contact the MES email (mes@macroenergysystems.org) with any accessibility needs.
Abstract submissions to the 2026 MES Workshop are now closed.
Thank you for your interest!
Results was be released to those who submitted. Registration will first be made available to invited abstracts, then interested community members. If you are a graduate student or postdoc, you can also consider applying to Catalyst Cooperative’s Open Energy Data for All: Summer Data Lab 2026, a two-day workshop held right before the MES workshop. The OED4A program application is now closed.