The 2026 National Natural Gas Readiness Forum brought together natural gas operators, electric system stakeholders, regulators, emergency management officials, and government representatives to examine one of the industry's most important challenges: ensuring energy reliability during periods of extreme demand and severe weather. Discussions focused on winter preparedness, energy system coordination, operational resilience, and lessons learned from recent events.

The day began with opening remarks from Karen Harbert, President and CEO of the American Gas Association and Kayla Hahn, Chair of the Missouri Public Service Commission. Their participation underscored the importance of collaboration between industry and regulators in maintaining reliable energy service and preparing for future challenges.

Forum attendees explored the evolving energy landscape during a National Energy Outlook discussion featuring perspectives from the natural gas and electric sectors. The conversation focused on current and future demand, production, consumption, and supply trends, highlighting the interconnected nature of today's energy systems and the need for cross-sector planning.

The government perspective on winter preparedness brought together federal and state officials to discuss how agencies prepare for unprecedented periods of high energy demand. Panelists addressed emergency preparedness, energy security, resilience planning, and coordination among government entities and industry partners. The discussion reflected the growing recognition that reliable energy delivery depends on extensive collaboration before emergencies occur.

During the invitation-only afternoon insights sessions, participants examined natural gas and electric coordination within organized power markets. Representatives from major independent system operators discussed how market operators and energy providers coordinate before and during high-demand periods. The dialogue reinforced the importance of communication and situational awareness among organizations responsible for maintaining grid reliability.

The complementary panel focused on how natural gas and electric coordination works in practice across regions of the country. Industry leaders from pipeline, storage, transmission, and distribution organizations shared operational perspectives on preparing for and responding to periods of elevated energy demand. The discussion emphasized the value of planning, information sharing, and established relationships in maintaining service reliability under challenging conditions.

The forum's final panel, "The Calm Before Winter Storm Fern: NGA's Gas Supply Task Force Planning for Severe Weather Events and the Results," highlighted how proactive planning and coordination helped Northeast energy providers prepare for Winter Storm Fern. The session examined the work of the Northeast Gas Association's Gas Supply Task Force, National Grid's preparedness efforts, and observations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's storm assessment activities. The panel featured Alana Daly, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Policy at NGA; Caroline Hon, Vice President of New England Regulation and Pricing at National Grid and NGA Board Chair; and Kent Mottice, Energy Industry Analyst with the FERC Storm Assessment Team. The discussion was moderated by Amanda Sramek, Director of Security & Preparedness at the American Gas Association. Together, the panelists offered perspectives on preparation, performance, and the lessons learned from Winter Storm Fern.

The forum concluded with a discussion of lessons learned from AGA's 2026 regional tabletop exercises. These exercises examined natural gas and electric coordination scenarios designed to strengthen preparedness for severe weather and other high-impact events. Presenters shared recommendations emerging from those exercises and discussed opportunities to further improve communication and coordination across the energy sector.