08.15-08.55

Registration and Coffee in the Pre-Function Area sponsored by Clyde & Co

08.55-09.00

Welcome Address: Grant Attwell, Managing Director, Cannon Events 

09.00-09.40

Panel Discussion: State of the Market – Can Insurers Really Afford a Soft Market?

The past year has seen a softening in the market, following on from a couple of good years with a relatively benign claims experience and solid pricing. With new entrants rushing into the space, including a number of domestic players, the question is whether lowering prices or softening terms and conditions is the right thing to be doing. In this session we explore how pricing is changing at different rates according to sector, and consider the long-term viability of the market.

Moderator: Joey Dryden, President, Houston Market, IMA

Panelists: Fraser McLachlan, Chairman, TMGX  

Michael Perron, Vice President, Renewable Energy Market Lead, FM Renewable Energy

John Krupczak, Head of US Energy and Construction, Liberty Mutual

Richard Blades, Vice Chairman and Head of Houston Office, Howden US

09.40-10.00

Presentation: State to State – Regional Variations Matter

Across the US, there is great variation in terms of energy sources. While this may not seem to be important, it in fact exposes energy suppliers and their consumers to a variety of risks, which add costs and complexity to power development and supply. In this session we take a look at these differences, and how the risks have manifested in the past few years, as well as looking to the future and how some of these risks might be eliminated.

Presenter: Bill Kost, US Power & Renewable Energy Advisory Leader, Marsh

10.00-10.40

Panel: Downstream Claims – A Warning Shot Across the Bows?

While 2024 was fairly benign in term of losses, the first few months of 2025 saw no less than three major refinery claims. In this session we learn about ROM calculations and why they are so important to parts of the market when these incidents occur. Insurers are also reporting an uptick in day-to-day claims, a worrying sign of a wider issue. Insurers had expected the refinery fires to stem the tide on the softening market, but so far, no change. In this session, we report on those losses and ask whether insurers are heading the right lessons.

Moderator: Stephanie Crochet, National Energy Practice Leader, IMA

Panelists: Gerry Fahrenthold, Senior Vice President, Head of US and Canada, SCOR

Navid Zanganeh, Associate, Thornton Tomasetti

Alex Kazantsev, Account Executive Lead, Energy and Marine Practice, Alliant Specialty

Iain Mac Bean, Executive Adjuster, Integra Technical Services

10.40-11.10

Coffee and Networking Break

11.10-11.45

Panel Discussion: Allocation of Liability in Energy Projects in the U.S

Liability allocation is crucial in energy projects, with disputes often arising from unclear contracts or unforeseen risks. This session examines knock-for-knock and fault-based liability regimes, their interaction with insurance policies, contractual frameworks, and risk-sharing mechanisms, while exploring recent legal trends to help mitigate disputes and improve project outcomes.

Moderator:

Panleists: Rafael Souza, Insurance Manager, US, Canada & Argentina, Equinor

11.45-12.20

Panel Discussion: Renewable Losses – Defects and Kill Switches

In the past year, insurers have seen an increase in claims from renewable power farms, particularly as a result of what appear to be design or manufacturing defects. The industry has long been aware of the risks that so much equipment comes from China, with questions about the security of renewable supplies. This upward trend in claims comes at the same time as some solar plant owners discovered so-called ‘kill switches’ embedded in their equipment, which again, was sourced in China. In this session, we separate the myths and realities to look at the likely loss trends in the years ahead.

Moderator:

Panelists: Bryce Aquino, U.S Head of Engineering, AXIS

Scott Smidlein, Head of Energy, The Hartford Steam Boiler

Ashley Andrews Norris, U.S Natural Resources First Party Claims Leader, Howden

12.20-13.00

Panel Discussion: Prevention is Better than Cure – Risk Management

Identifying the gaps in terms of risk management is often expensive and time consuming, with staff often reluctant to report problems for fear of getting it wrong. Devising internal programmes to help insureds manage such risks is crucial if clients are to properly prevent avoidable risks from materializing. In this session, we hear from an insurer, but also a group of risk managers, who discuss the issues keeping them up at night.

Moderator: David Claiborne, Vice President, Energy and Marine Practice, Alliant Specialty

Panelists: Frank Gonynor, Senior Claims Adviser/Lawyer, Gard

Trevor Nicol, US Renewables Underwriter, AXIS

Ginny Penzell, ARM, RF Director, Risk Management, EOG Resources, Inc.

13.00-13.55

Lunch in the Pre-Function Area sponsored by

13.55-14.10

Presentation: Solar and Hail – Overcoming the Challenges

For the past few years, the risk of hailstorms seriously damaging solar farms has been a familiar tale. Even now, hail storms account for some 75% of the losses in terms of dollar value across the solar book. More recently, however, the market has been developing some innovative solutions to lessen the risk. In this presentation, we learn of the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Presenter: Rod Rennison, Senior Vice President Global Energy Services, Rimkus

14.10-14.25

Presentation: Lessons Learned – Battery Storage

After a succession of costly fires at battery storage units, which were extremely difficult to extinguish, the industry appears to have learned its lesson. New units are now being constructed in a different way, with smaller units across a wider area to spread the risk and reduce the cost should a fire occur. In this session, we look back at the problems and the lessons learned, considering the role insurers have played in helping to reduce the risks for the future.

Presenter: Davis Moye, Senior Consultant, Rimkus

14.25-15.20

Roundtable Sessions

Each roundtable will run for 25 minutes. There will be a 5-minute break to allow delegates to change tables and the tables will then be repeated in a second 20-minute seating.

15.20-16.00

Panel Discussion: Aging Assets Including Wells and Renewables

Assets, whether related to oil and gas or renewables, are not necessarily aging gracefully. Insurers report a number of claims related to blowouts, as well as problems with wind turbine blades and solar panels. For example, on the oil and gas side, there are both decommissioned wells and abandoned wells, of which may be insured, but which present a larger than expected risk to insurers. The question for this panel is, how do you insure assets that are aging or beyond their useful life? How can insurers ensure that clients successfully recycle such assets? 

Moderator: Brad Nehring, Director, Energy, RB Jones

Panelists: Honorio Campos, Underwriting Manager, Allianz Commercial

Shawn Mitchell, Energy Practice Lead, Arqu

16.00-16.20

Fireside Chat: Keeping the Supplies Flowing

With demand for power expanding, developers need a steady supply of equipment at reasonable costs. For insurers, the challenges lie in ensuring spare parts are available to minimize downtimes in the wake of a claim. But to do that, we need to analyze what is happening where, and how that will impact the ability to roll projects out. At the same time, more insureds are facing the risk of their suppliers going out of business, so we consider how the insurance sector can support them with acceptable pricing, and terms and conditions.

Participants:

16.20-16.40

Presentation: Data Centres – Soaking Up the Power

As we all know, data storage centres use enormous amounts of power to keep cool and our data safe. With more of us using artificial intelligence, the demand for power at these centres is soaring. Some companies are developing their own power supplies alongside the data centres, but grids are still under pressure. The question for power providers and, ultimately, their insurers, is can enough power be provided in a consistent manner, while also serving the wider consumer base? What opportunity does this offer for insurers and, indeed, what are the extra risks they will have to carry?

Presenter: Marc Giovanetti, US Director of Energy and Engineered Risks, Sr. Executive General Adjuster, Lloyd Warwick International

16.40-17.00

Fireside Chat: Time for Transition…Or Not?

A year on from Donald Trump being re-elected to the White House, the jury is still out on the long-term consequences of his term in office. While he urges “Drill Baby Drill”, the reality is that it will be investors who decide whether to stick with fossil fuels or move towards renewables. In this session, we look at construction projects across the Americas, from the standstill in offshore wind projects in the US to rapid development in Brazil. We will include a look at the future for nuclear power and finally will ask whether insurers will continue to support renewable clients.

Participants:

17.00-17.05

Closing Remarks and End of Conference