Transportation Energy 2024 Annual Conference
Innovation for Sustainable Transportation
May 13-15, 2024
The Lofton Hotel Minneapolis, MN
Believe it or not, May is just around the corner! We are already well into planning our annual conference, to be held at the Minneapolis The Lofton Hotel on May 13-15, 2024. The theme of this year’s conference is “Innovation for Sustainable Transportation.”
The agenda encompasses all aspects of transportation energy. Here are the topics we will be exploring (subject to change):
Agenda
Monday, May 13
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Welcome Reception
Tuesday, May 14
8:00am
Breakfast
8:30am
Welcome and TEI24 Outlook
John Eichberger
TEI’s Executive Director will set the stage for the conference, share the intent behind the agenda topics and prepare attendees to be open to new ideas and perspectives that might help expedite the transition to lower emissions transportation options while preserving access to affordable transportation for all communities.
 | John Eichberger — Executive Director, Transportation Energy Institute Previously, Eichberger served more than 14 years at NACS representing the convenience and fuel retailing industry before the media and federal government. |
8:45am
Who is the consumer and what do they want?
Speakers:
- Adam Rosenblatt, Founding Partner, Bold-Decision
- Tammy Klein, Founder & CEO, Transport Energy Strategies
Delivering vehicle and energy solutions that satisfy consumer demand requires understanding who the consumer is, where they live and what they want and need. This panel will combine new insights from a TEI consumer survey with insights about the diverse needs of different communities. This broad perspective is critical as we seek to deploy emissions reduction solutions that benefit all consumers equitably in all communities.
 | Tammy Klein — Founder & CEO, Transport Energy Strategies Tammy Klein is the Founder and CEO of Transport Energy Strategies (www.transportenergystrategies.com), a consultancy that provides market and policy intelligence, research analysis and strategic advice to clients on a range of global transport energy issues. She runs a member-based consulting service, the Transport Energy Outlook, which provides research analysis and competitive intelligence on global trends for clients across a range of sectors, including auto, oil, biofuels and fuel retail. For over 25 years, Tammy has served as a strategic advisor for a broad range of clients in the energy industry globally, as well as governments and NGOs. She holds a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida. She is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia bars. |
9:45am
Break
10:00am
Evolving with the Transportation Market – A Cooperative Perspective
Speaker: Ron Batey, Senior Director of Energy Economics, CHS Inc.
CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com) is a leading global agribusiness owned by American farmers across the United States with domestic and international operations, including energy, agronomy, grain trading and food processing. Cenex (www.cenex.com), the energy brand of CHS Inc., provides high-quality refined fuels through nearly 1,400 locally owned convenience store locations across 19 states. Consumers depend on Cenex fuels, lubricants, propane and renewable energy products to power homes, businesses and communities. Batey will share insights into the evolving energy landscape in the U.S. and global markets and proposed strategies to explore opportunities for the cooperative system that arise from the ongoing energy transformation.
10:45am
Break
11:00am
Transitioning Fleets to Zero Carbon
Speakers:
- Josh Tippin, Vice President of Fuels and Energy Services, Penske Transportation Solutions
- Cara LaRochelle, Director of Sustainable Mobility, Delphi
- Marcus Grubbs, Minnesota Director of the Office of Enterprise and Sustainability
In the quest for reducing and eliminating vehicle-related emissions, fleets may represent the best opportunity for rapid transition since fleet managers are less fickle than typical light duty vehicle customers – it comes down to return on investment, not emotion. At the same time, the fleet market presents a host of challenges not presented by light duty vehicles while also boasting more options to satisfy different use cases and duty cycles. This panel will evaluate the challenges and opportunities associated with reducing emissions from fleet vehicles in the most economically sustainable way and present preliminary results of a total cost of decarbonization calculator being developed for Canadian fleet operators.
 | Cara LaRochelle — Director of Sustainable Mobility, Delphi For over two decades, Cara has supported public and private sector clients in being drivers of change – excuse the pun! She brings to the table considerable expertise in energy efficiency and clean energy for the transportation sector, specifically related to medium- and heavy-duty on-road vehicles as well as rail. Combining her creativity and keen attention to detail, she assists organizations in identifying the approaches required to decarbonize their operations, and in developing the necessary tools to implement their plans. She is well-versed in both the technical and policy aspects of transportation and seamlessly combines these elements to illuminate pathways to setting and achieving decarbonization goals. Whether you operate on roads or on rails, whether you move people or freight, Cara can help. |
12:00pm
Lunch
1:00pm
Depoliticizing EVs
Speakers:
- Mike Murphy, CEO, EV Politics Project
The transition to a transportation sector that is more heavily reliant upon electricity for its power has become somewhat of a political issue. Often, some policy makers support all policies that promote or even require vehicle electrification while others will oppose every policy on the same grounds. This session will seek to remove the rhetoric from EVs and help the audience focus on the opportunities they represent regardless of political consideration and discuss options to depoliticize EVs.
 | Mike Murphy — CEO, EV Politics Project Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party’s most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and Senatorial campaigns, including 12 wins in “blue” states that have consistently voted Democratic in Presidential elections. He served as a top campaign advisor to John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with dozens of other GOP Senators, Governors and Members of Congress. Murphy has worked on five GOP Presidential campaigns and for foreign leaders in Europe and Latin America. In 2020 he served as a key strategist for Republican Voters Against Trump. In 2023 Murphy funded EVPolitics.org, an organization working to break down the partisan divide over Electric Vehicles. He also advises Fortune 500 corporations, as well as several Hedge Funds and Trade Associations. Murphy is also a widely quoted pundit; he wrote the popular “Murphy’s Law” column for TIME and is a longtime senior analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He also co-hosts the popular podcast “Hacks on Tap” with David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs with over 14 million downloads to date. Murphy currently serves as co-director the University of Southern California’s Center for the Political Future. He has served on the boards of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and as a senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, focusing on the intersection of domestic politics and national security decision making. Murphy also works as a writer and producer in the entertainment industry. Murphy was born in Detroit, Michigan and attended the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He lives with his wife Tiffany and daughter Audrey in Los Angeles. |
2:00pm
Break
2:15pm
Building a Viable EV Charging Network
Speakers:
- Karl Doenges, Executive Director, Charging Analytics Program
- Scott Shepard, Director, Transparency and Insights, Center for Sustainable Energy
Despite government grants to support initial deployment, in order to develop a sustainable network of reliable chargers the market must ultimately deliver a return to those companies investing in charging stations. Relying on a history of providing support services to the EV charging community and leverage data from the TEI’s new Charging Analytics Program, this session will evaluate the opportunities for business-friendly charging installations and identify the key factors that influence profitability at the charging port.
3:00pm
From the Perspective of the EV Charger Operator
Speakers:
- Scott Sharabura, Parkland Corporation
- Lonnie McQuirter, Director of Operations, 36 Lyn Refuel Station
Theory and data analysis can help business understand the opportunities and challenges of entering the EV charging space and can help mitigate difficulties and limit unexpected challenges. However, nothing is more instructive that real-world experience. This panel will discuss their experience with installing and operating charging stations, what went well and what did not and how they may approach future installations differently based upon what they have learned.
4:00pm
Break
4:15pm
The Evolution of an Energy Company
Speaker:
- Katie Kline, U.S. South Sales Manager, ExxonMobil
As one of the largest oil and refining companies in the world, ExxonMobil is often viewed as a monolithic stakeholder in transition of the transportation energy industry. As an energy company, ExxonMobil must stay ahead of the curve, anticipating how demand for energy may evolve and investing to ensure it can continue to support the needs of its customers. Kline will discuss the diversification of ExxonMobil’s portfolio, where the company sees the market heading and how it is positioning itself to remain a primary supplier of energy in the future.
5:00pm
Adjourn
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Networking Reception
Wednesday, May 15
8:00am
Breakfast
9:00am
A Data-Centric Perspective on the Light Duty Vehicle Transition
Speaker:
- Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist, Cox Automotive
Industry observers recognize the volatility in headlines and corporate announcements regarding the pace of the light duty market’s transition to electric powertrains. The up and down sentiments surrounding this sector can lead to rash assumptions, misplaced investments, poorly advised policies and dysfunctional market developments. What is really going on and what should we expect going forward? This session will present a dispassionate analysis of the light duty vehicle market, help set realistic expectations about vehicle manufacturing plans and help level set where the market is heading and how quickly it might arrive there.
 | Jonathan Smoke — Chief Economist, Cox Automotive In addition to being a key advisor to the Cox Communications and Cox Enterprises executive teams, Smoke serves as the Chief Economist for Cox Automotive and is a member of the automotive leadership team. Smoke leads the company’s effort in developing deep expertise in all aspects of the automotive transportation industry, the economic factors impacting U.S. vehicle buyers and the automotive division’s many business clients and partners. For more than three decades, Smoke has focused on translating data and trends into relevant, actionable insights for the industries that represent the biggest purchases that consumers make in their lifetimes: real estate and automotive. Prior to joining Cox Automotive, Smoke served as Realtor.com’s chief economist. Before that, he was the chief economist for Hanley Wood, a media and market intelligence company, and also served in a variety of roles at Beazer Homes, including senior vice president of strategy and innovation. Smoke is an executive member of the board for the Atlanta Economics Club and is a member of the Conference of Business Economists, Harvard Industrial Economists and the National Association of Business Economists. He speaks at major auto industry conferences such as the NADA and NIADA conventions, Automotive News World Congress, and Used Car Week. His views on the economy and the auto industry are featured regularly in industry and national news outlets such as Automotive News, Auto Remarketing, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Follow him on X @SmokeonCars to keep up with the latest industry insights. Smoke holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and religious studies from Rhodes College and a master’s degree in business from The University of Texas at Austin. |
9:45am
Break
10:00am
Future of Low Carbon Fuel Standards
Speakers:
- Robin Vercruse, Executive Director, Low Carbon Fuel Standard Coalition
- Bob Larocque, CEO, Canadian Fuels Association
- Will Hupman, Vice President, American Petroleum Institute
Neil Koehler, Policy Advisor, Renewable Fuels Association
A TEI study in 2021 found that 73% of life cycle emissions from ICE vehicles comes from the fuel combustion cycle. While regulations requiring certain power trains have gained traction in some jurisdictions, transitioning the entire fleet will take a very long time. Consequently, reducing the carbon intensity of the energy consumed by vehicles is a critical component to achieving meaningful reductions in emissions. This session will evaluate the success of existing low carbon fuel standard programs, explore the potential expansion of such programs to additional and larger jurisdictions and discuss the opportunities and challenges such programs present to the market.
 | Will Hupman — Vice President, American Petroleum Institute Prior to his role at API, Will led federal government affairs efforts for The Sherwin-Williams Company. He also previously served as Senior Director of Federal Relations at API where he advanced the association’s policy positions and developed advocacy strategies. Before joining API, Will worked as a Legislative Director and Counsel on Capitol Hill for two Members of Congress. Will received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University. |
 | Neil Koehler — Policy Advisor, Renewable Fuels Association |
11:00am
Break
11:15am
Biofuels – The Near-Term Solution?
Speakers:
- Karl Thomas, National Account Executive, Optimus Technologies
- Matt Durler, Vice President Feed Development, ICM, Inc.
- Jim Szybist, Head of Propulsion Science Section, Oak Ridge National laboratory
If reducing the carbon intensity of fuels is a critical element to achieving meaningful emissions reductions, the role of biofuels must not be overlooked. How the market leverages the lower carbon intensity of ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel will be critical, as will the ability of the biofuels sector to further lower the carbon intensity of their fuel products. There remain concerns about feedstock availability, especially with the increased focus on sustainable aviation fuels, and there remains lingering concerns about the impact of biofuels production on other sectors, such as food supplies and prices. This session will dive deep into the real impact of biofuels on the transportation sector and ancillary markets, the potential for expanding the use of such fuels and the trajectory for further reducing associated life cycle carbon emissions.
 | Matt Durler — Vice President Feed Development, ICM, Inc. Matt’s roots are in production agriculture, and he continues to be actively involved in the family farm and cattle ranch near Dodge City, Kansas. Prior to joining ICM, he spent 11 years at Conestoga Energy holding various roles from Plant Manager to Vice President of Marketing. Matt is a graduate of Washburn University, where he studied finance, economics and marketing. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA while playing college football. |
12:15pm
Lunch
1:00pm
Advanced Liquid Fuels
Speakers:
- Lucy Liu, Senior Consultant, ERM
- Laura Morris, Product Manager, Verde Clean Fuels
With a global objective to reach zero carbon emissions from transportation, options beyond current and traditional energy will be required. With a current global fleet of 1.5 billon ICE vehicles on the road today, all solutions will be necessary. Solutions that appeared impractical in the past are quickly being revisited and there is a growing need for innovative liquid fuel solutions. This session will examine some innovative solutions that can satisfy the need for lower carbon liquid energy, including e-fuels and alternative gasoline.
 | Lucy Liu — Senior Consultant, ERM |
 | Laura Morris — Product Manager, Verde Clean Fuels Prior to Verde, Laura held a variety of roles at ExxonMobil, primarily focused on Upstream Major Capital Projects and Procurement. Laura received her BS in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. |
2:00pm
Peering into the Crystal Ball – What developments might we expect in the next 10 years?
Speakers:
- Graham Conway, SouthWest Research Institute
- Dave Mullaney, Rocky Mountain Institute
- Mark Boyadjis, EY Parthenon
- Megan Boutwell, Stillwater Associates
Projecting what the market will do in the future is challenging and never an exact science – there are too many variables that can disrupt its trajectory. However, understand what is under development today and could be affect the market in a meaningful way can be extremely valuable in developing long-terms strategies. This session will examine what developments we might expect to witness in the next 10 – 15 years.
3:00pm
Closing Comments
John Eichberger
3:15pm
Adjourn
Who Will Be at TEI '24?
Take a look at who will be in the room during TEI ’24 this year. Interested? Register below to join us.
*Featured Speaker
Bob Anderson
Principal, Fuels Policy
Chevron Corporation
Paige Anderson
Director, Government Relations
NACS
Bailey Arnold
Director, Clean Air Initiatives
American Lung Association
Andy Austin
SVP New Business Innovation
Mansfield Oil Company
Ron Batey*
Senior Director, Refined Fuels Economics, Pricing and Operations
CHS Inc. (Cenex)
Jessey Bouchard
Research Scientist
Aramco Research Center-Detroit
Randy Boucher
VP, Global Engineering
Franklin Electric Fueling Systems
Megan Boutwell
President
Stillwater Associates LLC
Mark Boyadjis
Director, Electrification & Advanced Mobility
EY-Parthenon
Sara Brenden
Director of Market Development Operations
Growth Energy
Joseph Brooks
Field Advantage
Lou Burke
Manager of Retail Services
Phillips 66 Company
Joe Butler
Senior Director, Fuel Supply & Optimization
Pilot Travel Centers LLC
Jeff Carpenter
HBIIP Manager
USDA
Thereza Cevidanes
Manager
Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America
Denton Cinquegrana
Chief Oil Analyst
OPIS, A Dow Jones Company
Strategic Marketing Director
The Lubrizol Corporation
Genevieve Comtois
Senior Executive Adviser
Authentic Partners
Graham Conway
Manager
Southwest Research Institute
Tom Cronenberg
Director of BD & Transformational Projects
RaceTrac, Inc.
CEO
Field Advantage
Luis Del
National Account Manager
BASF Corporation
Mary Dery
Director, Performance Additives
Innospec Fuel Specialties
Judge Dobrient
Vice President
Delek US
Karl Doenges*
Charging Analytics Program Executive Director
NACS
Jon Dryja
Sustainability Business Development Manager
Global Partners LP
Curt Dunafin
Manager, Energy Services
GROWMARK, Inc.
Matt Durler*
VP of Feed Development
ICM Inc.
New Business Development Manager
Source North America Corporation
Keesha Esqueda
Director Fuels Compliance
Flint Hills Resources
Andrew Falco
Market Development and Analytics Manager
Growth Energy
Tribal Programs Leader
Oneida Engineering Solutions, LLC
Fuel Supply and Trading Manager
Kwik Trip, Inc.
Berit Foss
Director of Sustainability and Compliance
POET, LLC
Marjorie Frankel
Director of Marketing and Communications
Transportation Energy Institute
Manager, Clean Air
American Lung Association
Andrew Garrison
Marketing
ExxonMobil Fuels
Joe George
President Cox Automotive Mobility
Cox Automotive
Chris Gilliland
Managing Director, Renewable Power and EV Charging
Phillips 66 Company
Jennifer Green
Quality & Additive Program Manager
CITGO Petroleum Corporation
Global Product Manager – Fuel Quality
Gilberto Veeder-Root
VP – Fuel & Tank Quality
Tanknology, Inc.
James Heckler
Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions and Investor Relations
Sunoco LP
Scott Heim
OPW Eastern Regional Sales Manager
OPW Retail Fueling
Chip Hilarides
Vice President Quality and Stewardship
Flint Hills Resources
Joel Hirschboeck
SVP Fuel Supply Chain
GetGo Cafe+Market
Vice President
Transportation Energy Institute
Will Hupman*
VP – Downstream Policy
American Petroleum Institute
Tarun Isaac
SVP
AlixPartners, LLP
Executive Director
Alliance for Transportation Electrification
Tom Jones
Director – Site Development
EVgo
Brittany Kaplan
Head of Enterprise Sales
Electric Era Technologies
Patrick Kelly
Sr. Director Fuel & Vehicle Policy
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
Executive Vice President, COO & CFO
NACS
Tammy Klein*
Consultant
Transport Energy Strategies
Fuels Sales Manager – US South
ExxonMobil Fuels
Director, Global e-Mobility Product
Gilbarco Veeder-Root
Senior Technical Advisor
Afton Chemical Corporation
Cara LaRochelle*
Director of Sustainable Mobility
Delphi Canada
CEO
Canadian Fuels Association
Jon Lee
Director, Sustainability and Low Carbon Strategy
British Petroleum
Principal Engineer
Southwest Research Institute
Technical Manager
Neste US
Lucy Liu
Senior Consultant
ERM
Fuel Center Director
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Scott McCalmont
Solar Energy Technology Advisor
US Department of Energy
Tiina McCombie
Nat’l Petroleum Director, VP
National Energy Equipment
SVP of Sales
ChargerHelp, Inc.
Director of Operations
36 Lyn Refuel Station
Liz Menz
Director, Education and Special Projects
Transportation Energy Institute
Sr. Director, Fuel Operations
Walmart Stores, Inc.
Kristi Moriarty
Senior Engineer
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Laura Morris
Project Manager
Verde Clean Fuels
VP Innovation
S. Bravo Systems, Inc.
Mike Murphy*
CEO
EV Politics Project
Scott Negley
Senior Director, Product Management- Products & Systems
Dover Fueling Solutions
Product Manager
Gilbarco Veeder-Root
SVP, Chief Impact Officer
NASCAR, Inc.
Gabe Olives
EVP, Energy
Impact 21
Conner Olson
Senior Enterprise Account Executive
Electric Era Technologies
Tom Pocrnich
Director of Product
EVgo
Fuel Supply Manager
Casey’s General Stores, Inc.
CEO
Xpress Natural Gas LLC
Austin Robida
Product Manager
CHS Inc. (Cenex)
Partner
Bold Decision Consulting LLC
Samantha Ruhser
Casey’s General Stores, Inc.
Ronald Sabia
Chairman of the Board
Marc Saleh
Lead Consultant
Mobility Futures Lab
Jon Scharingson
Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives
Chevron Renewable Energy Group
Prentiss Searles
Director – Fuels, Marketing, and Vehicles
American Petroleum Institute
Vice President, EV Charging
Parkland USA
Scott Shepard
Director, Transparency & Insights
Center for Sustainable Energy
Dave Shreve
Senior Manager, Strategic Planning
Cummins, Inc.
Thomas Shyr
Partner
AlixPartners, LLP
Carrie Simms
Retail Fuels Manager – West
ExxonMobil Fuels
EV Practice Lead
Impact 21
Jonathan Smoke*
Chief Economist
Cox Automotive
Section Head Propulsion Science
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Amy Talarico
Marketing Director
Field Advantage
Tom Tiejen
Vice President, Xerxes
XERXES
Robin Vercruse*
Executive Director
Low Carbon Fuels Coalition
Brian West
Chief Automotive Engineer
West Energy and Environment Associates LLC
Director of Conferences & Industry Content
Petroleum Equipment Institute
Peter Wilding
Casey’s General Stores, Inc.
Robert Wimmer
Director, Energy and Environmental Research
Toyota Motor North America
Erin Wroge
Sr. Director, Energy Marketing
CHS Inc. (Cenex)
Aaron Young
Senior Manager, Commercial
Electrify America, LLC
Lexi Young
Director of Marketing
S. Bravo Systems, Inc.
FUELS'23 is generously sponsored by:
Catch these organizations at our conference showcase:
Event Registration
Register now for THE conference of the year for unbiased research and dialogue with key stakeholders in the energy sector that will reimagine the transportation industry.
TYPE | |
Transportation Energy Institute Contributor | $1,299 |
Transportation Energy Institute Non-Contributor | $1,499 |
Electric Vehicle Council Member | $1,299 |
Government/National Laboratory | $699 |
Media | Contact: Marjorie Frankel mfrankel@transportationenergy.org |
Travel Accommodations
The Lofton Hotel, a Hilton Tapestry Collection property
601 1st Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55403-1409
612-677-1100
Room Rate: $189 plus tax
While there is an attendee room rate, each attendee is responsible for making their own hotel reservations.
Please use GROUP CODE: Group Code TRANS.
Final event details will be emailed to you approximately one week prior to TEI’24.
If you have questions regarding your registration, please contact Liz Menz at lmenz@transportationenergy.org.
Electric Vehicle Council Meeting
This meeting will be held on Monday, May 13th from 1-5 pm
For more information on how to participate on the EV Council, please contact Jeff Hove at jhove@transportationenergy.org
Sponsorship Opportunities
Become a Sponsor!
There are several sponsorship opportunities available.
For more information, contact John Eichberger at jeichberger@transportationenergy.org
