Tuesday | September 15, 2026

2:00 – 4:30pm | PRE-CONFERENCE ACTIVITY (optional)

University of Tulsa’s North Campus Research Facility
Participants will experience:

  • State-of-the-Art Energy Research and Testing Facilities
  • Applied Technology Demonstrations (tbd)

The goal of UTulsa’s North Campus is to explore innovations for the petroleum industry and foster learning by students, researchers, private industry and governments. The research projects have generated millions of dollars and hundreds of research projects designed to solve the problems of today’s energy industry. The land and buildings were donated to The University of Tulsa by Humble Oil and Refining Co. in 1965. The property included a drilling research laboratory and a full-sized enclosed drilling rig. The gift provided an avenue for academia, industry and government to join forces to fund major research initiatives.

This event is free, but pre-registration is required.

5:00 – 6:30 pm | CONFERENCE WELCOME RECEPTION
101 Archer Building – 3rd Floor
The conversation begins here! Join us for light hors d’oeuvres as we kick off this year’s conference with welcome remarks from TEC and TU; student research posters and energy displays.

Wednesday | September 16, 2026

8:00 – 8:30am | Conference Sign-in & Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:00am | CONFERENCE OPENING: WELCOME & PURPOSE

This year’s conference focus is on knowledge transfer, learning, recognition, understanding and respectful exploration.

CONFERENCE ARC 1 | ENERGY REALITY & AWARENESS

9:00 – 10:00am | OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
ENERGY REALITY & THE FUTURE OF ENERGY

10:00-10:30am | GUIDED TABLE DIALOGUE
Participants will discuss the keynote address focusing on 1) KEY TAKEAWAYS; 2) PERCEIVED OPPORTUNITIES; and 3) CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS

10:30-10:45am | Networking Break

10:45-12:00pm | ENERGY PERSPECTIVE PANEL
Highlights how energy realities differ across scales and viewpoints:

  • International
  • National
  • Regional/State
  • Tribal

“Voice Backs” from 1) Tribal Leadership, 2) Industry, and 3) Government.

12:00-1:00pm | LUNCH
SPEAKER: Kristie Ferguson, President, KLF Geological, LLC, Tulsa, Ok
“Oil and Gas: How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going?”

CONFERENCE ARC 2 | DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS & UNDERSTANDING

1:00-1:45pm | Tribal Leadership Panel: Decision-Making & Priorities

  • Tribal Nations as RIGHTSHOLDERS
  • How decisions are made within tribal governments
  • Balancing economic opportunity with cultural, land and community priorities
  • Internal considerations, timing and capacity
  • What meaningful partnership looks like from a tribal perspective

1:45-2:30pm | Government & Regulatory Landscape

  • Permitting pathways
  • Consultation processes
  • Funding opportunities
  • Regulatory timelines

Q&A Roundtables with agency representatives.

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026:

2:30-3:15pm | Industry Perspective: How Energy Projects Actually Move (Case Study)

  • Project lifecycle (from concept to decommissioning)
  • Capital investment structures
  • Workforce requirements
  • Infrastructure development
  • Risk and timeline considerations

Table reflections: 1) What was surprising, 2) What feels challenging, and 3) What should be clarified before engagement.

3:15-3:30pm | Networking Break

3:30-4:00pm | Academia as a Resource

  • Applied research partnerships
  • Technical assistance opportunities
  • Workforce training and education pathways
  • Student engagement with tribal communities

4:00-5:00pm | Cross-Sector Dialogue: Open Floor Conversation

  • What defines a strong and respectful partnership
  • Where misunderstandings commonly occur
  • What preparation improves outcomes
  • Lessons learned from past experiences

Thursday | September 17, 2026

8:30-9:00am | Networking Continental Breakfast

CONFERENCE ARC 3 | ENGAGEMENT IN PRACTICE: HOW IT UNFOLDS

9:00-10:30am | Cross-Sector Working Labs: Real-World Energy Topics

  • Tribal utilities and energy independence
  • Transmission (molecules and electrons) and infrastructure
  • Workforce development pathways
  • Financing energy projects
  • Regulatory navigation

Explore 1) Key information gaps, 2) Partnership opportunities, 3) Realistic next steps, and 4) Considerations related to resilience, cost and long-term planning/partnerships.

10:30-10:45am | Networking Break

10:45-12:00pm | Mock Negotiation Simulation

  • Tribal Leadership
  • Industry Developer
  • Federal Regulator
  • Community Representative
  • Environmental Advisor

12:00-1:30pm | Closing Lunch Dialogue

  • Key insights, take-aways and reflections
  • Remaining questions and concerns
  • Opportunities for continued engagement

1:30 PM | CONFERENCE CLOSES

 

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE

2026 ROSA ENERGY CONFERENCE.

WE HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.

 

*Agenda, speakers, topics subject to change

*All conference events will be held on the 3rd Floor of TU’s 101 ARCHER BUILDING (unless otherwise indicated)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!

Back to Rosa Energy Conference Home Page