CSF 2026 Day 1 Takeaways with Reg Manhas, Monika Simoes, and Will Bernholz

CSF 2026 Day 1 Takeaways with Reg Manhas, Monika Simoes, and Will Bernholz

Recorded live at the Carbon Solutions Forum 2026 in San Diego, this conversation captures what Day One surfaced and what Day Two needs to deliver. Will Bernholz sits down with Reg Manhas, Co-Founder and CEO of Lapis Carbon Solutions, and Monika Simoes, Founder and CEO of Energy Dialogues, to unpack the through-line of CSF 2026: permitting reform is gaining real momentum, decarbonization conversations have been recontextualized around affordability and reliability, and the end users (hyperscalers, airlines, logistics) are now squarely at the table. Reg shares why investor perception of CCS permitting risk is the central question for the financing sessions, and previews Lapis's first CO2 injection target by end of 2026. Monika reflects on how 15 years of convening has converged on a single discipline: pragmatism, and the synergies that get real projects financed and built. Key Themes: - Why permitting reform is moving from talking point to action - How affordability and reliability reframed the decarbonization conversation - What hyperscalers and airlines need from the energy industry - The financing question every CCS developer is wrestling with - Predictions for CSF 2027: CCS, geothermal, EOR, and the role of AI demand Chapters 00:00 Intro from CSF 2026 in San Diego 00:33 Meet the guests: Reg Manhas (Lapis Carbon Solutions) and Monika Simoes (Energy Dialogues) 01:20 Day One takeaways: permitting reform momentum and EPA Region 6 03:03 What hyperscalers and end users are saying: Google, Microsoft, FedEx, Delta 05:30 AI, agents, and the energy demand picture 06:38 From decarbonization rhetoric to commercial viability 07:10 What to watch on Day Two: data center economics and project finance 08:43 Year three of CSF: pragmatism, synergies, and who needs to be in the room 10:44 Predictions for CSF 2027: CCS projects injecting, geothermal, EOR, hyperscalers as enablers 12:50 Closing thoughts Learn more about Energy Dialogues and upcoming forums at: https://www.energy-dialogues.com [https://www.energy-dialogues.com] Learn more about the Carbon Solutions Forum: https://energy-dialogues.com/events/carbon-solutions-forum/ [https://energy-dialogues.com/events/carbon-solutions-forum/] Subscribe for more episodes of the Energy Perspectives Podcast. Follow Energy Dialogues on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-dialogues/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-dialogues/]

NAGF Live: North American Gas Demand with Tina Faraca, Alix Steel

In this special live edition of the Energy Perspectives Podcast, recorded on stage at the 2025 North American Gas Forum in Washington, D.C., Tina Faraca, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Natural Gas Pipelines, at TC Energy, joins Alix Steel, Principal at DrivePath Advisors, to discuss the outlook for natural gas demand across North America. TC Energy transports roughly 30% of North America's natural gas every day across infrastructure spanning Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Tina outlines the company's forecast of 45 BCF per day of incremental demand by 2035, the brownfield expansion strategies TC Energy is using to meet near-term growth, and the permitting reforms that will determine whether new pipeline systems get built. Key Themes: * The case for natural gas as an essential fuel and an additive approach to energy systems * Permitting reform across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, including the National Petroleum Council's new framework * LNG export growth across all three North American coasts * Brownfield pipeline expansion: compression, looping, and corridor development Chapters 00:00 Intro from the 2025 North American Gas Forum in Washington 00:23 TC Energy's continent-wide footprint: Canada, U.S., Mexico 01:32 Where permitting stands: signals from Bill C-5, FERC, NEPA, and Plan Mexico 03:17 The hardest part of the job: navigating permitting uncertainty 04:13 News from the floor: TC Energy's National Petroleum Council report on permitting reform 05:39 More optimistic than four years ago: pragmatism and bipartisan recognition of natural gas 06:08 Demand outlook: 45 Bcf/d of incremental demand across North America by 2035 08:44 Utilities vs. behind-the-meter: how TC Energy is serving data center demand 09:33 Natural gas as essential, not transition 10:11 Affordability and the real risk: underbuilding, not overbuilding 11:46 Power generation vs. LNG exports: which demand pull leads 12:11 What's driving the optimism 12:56 Navigating three regulatory frameworks across three countries 14:07 Federal permitting reform and the state-level question 14:39 Brownfield expansion now, greenfield pipelines next 16:01 Don't be complacent: a time-bound window for permitting reform 16:59 Closing thoughts Learn more about Energy Dialogues and upcoming forums at: https://www.energy-dialogues.com [https://www.energy-dialogues.com] Learn more about the North American Gas Forum: https://energy-dialogues.com/events/north-american-gas-forum/ [https://energy-dialogues.com/events/north-american-gas-forum/] Subscribe for more episodes of the Energy Perspectives Podcast. Follow Energy Dialogue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-dialogues/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-dialogues/]

Permian as Proving Ground with Derek D. Adams, Matt Kolesar

In this episode of the Energy Perspectives Podcast, recorded live at the Permian Energy Dialogues in Austin in September 2025, Derek D. Adams (Managing Director, Permian Energy Development Laboratory) and Matt Kolesar (Chief Environmental Scientist, ExxonMobil) sit down with Molly Determan (President, Energy Workforce & Technology Council) to discuss how the Permian is scaling the next generation of operational and environmental technology. From continuous methane sensors and satellites to CO2 enhanced oil recovery, produced water treatment, and hydrogen pilots, the conversation explores why the basin remains the world's most active laboratory for energy innovation, and why its technical progress increasingly shapes what's possible across the global energy system. Key Themes: * Methane detection and mitigation at basin scale * CO2 enhanced oil recovery paired with direct air capture pilots * Produced water treatment, beneficial reuse, and brine valorization * Emissions transparency and credible reporting for global buyers Learn more about Energy Dialogues and upcoming forums at: https://www.energy-dialogues.com [https://www.energy-dialogues.com] Learn more about the Permian Energy Dialogues: https://energy-dialogues.com/events/permian-energy-dialogues/ [https://energy-dialogues.com/events/permian-energy-dialogues/] Subscribe for more episodes of the Energy Perspectives Podcast. Chapters * 0:00 Introduction * 0:55 Why emissions transparency matters now * 2:18 The Permian as a natural laboratory * 3:26 Methane detection: sensors, drones, and satellites * 6:00 ExxonMobil's leadership and DOE's role * 8:25 CO2 enhanced oil recovery and DAC hub pilots * 9:57 Produced water, brine valorization, and hydrogen * 11:33 Why scale makes the Permian different * 13:36 Barriers to scaling new technologies * 15:28 Pilots, workforce, and community development * 18:34 Emissions reporting and global trust * 21:05 The future of Permian innovation * 23:12 Closing

World's largest energy lender, EDF Director Greg Beard

In his first podcast as Director of the DOE's Office of Energy Dominance Financing, Greg Beard sits down with Monika Simoes at CERAWeek 2026 to explain how EDF plans to put nearly $300B in loan authority to work. What to know: * Six priority areas: nuclear, hydrocarbons, critical materials, grid, geothermal, manufacturing and transportation * Project selection is data-driven and commercially focused * Loan timelines cut from 18 months to a few months * Commercial viability, not subsidies, guides approval Check out the full episode to hear Beard discuss loans from the prior administration, what companies should know before applying, and why he sees the current moment as a major inflection point. Subscribe for more episodes of the Energy Perspectives Podcast. Learn more about Energy Dialogues and upcoming forums at: https://www.energy-dialogues.com [https://www.energy-dialogues.com/] Learn more about the North American Gas Forum: https://energy-dialogues.com/events/north-american-gas-forum/ [https://energy-dialogues.com/events/north-american-gas-forum/] Follow Energy Dialogues on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-dialogues/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-dialogues/]

From Disposal Wells to Clean Water in the Permian with Chris Nichols, Ted Wooten

In this episode of the Energy Perspectives Podcast, recorded on-site at the 2025 Permian Energy Dialogues in Austin, Texas, Chris Nichols, Vice President, Permian Basin, Continental Resources, Inc. and Ted Wooten, Chief Engineer, Oil & Gas Division, The Railroad Commission of Texas join moderator Michael Grossman, Chair, Technical Committee, Produced Water Society to discuss produced water management in the Permian Basin. From reservoir modeling of disposal zones to beneficial reuse permitting and cross-operator infrastructure sharing, this episode explores how operators and regulators are advancing practical approaches to one of the Permian's most pressing operational challenges. Key Themes: * Applying reservoir engineering principles to saltwater disposal * Beneficial reuse technology, permitting, and commercial readiness * Data sharing between operators, midstream companies, and regulators * Cross-operator collaboration on water infrastructure Learn more about Energy Dialogues and upcoming forums at: https://www.energy-dialogues.com Learn more about the Permian Energy Dialogues: https://energy-dialogues.com/events/permian-energy-dialogues/ [https://energy-dialogues.com/events/permian-energy-dialogues/] Subscribe for more episodes of the Energy Perspectives Podcast.