Energy Week 2026: Day three welcome remarks from Daniel Tkacik and Costa Samaras

The video contains the welcome remarks for day three of Carnegie Mellon University’s 10th Energy Week. Daniel Tkacik, Executive Director of the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, opens by thanking attendees, speakers, and sponsors. He highlights the institute’s role as a hub for interdisciplinary energy research, with over 180 faculty affiliates, and its support for research and entrepreneurship through seed awards. He introduces Costa Samaras, the institute’s director, who discusses the theme ‘Reinventing the Grid for Our Electrified Future.’ Samaras uses the Hoover Dam as a scale reference for gigawatt-scale data centers and emphasizes the need for innovation, policy, and community engagement to meet growing electricity demand. He stresses the importance of grid reliability, resilience, security, and affordability, and mentions Carnegie Mellon’s investments in automated science. The remarks conclude with an introduction to the first keynote speaker, Lou Martinez-Sancho of Westinghouse.