The rise of clean and climate technologies is reshaping supply chains, changing workforce expectations, and redefining the “modern manufacturer.”
This year’s Retool’26 sessions offer a window into that evolution, specific to Western New York and the Southern Tier.
The Retool '26 annual conference is set for 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 9 at Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron, N.Y. It’s a rare opportunity to meet clean energy innovators, learn how AI and automation are working successfully in manufacturing, and a lot more.
To help manufacturers improve and grow, Retool has put together a full day of engaging speakers, panelists, and vendors. All session topics will focus on the growth potential for climate/clean tech manufacturing, including supply chain opportunities and production efficiencies.
Retool’26 will feature speakers and panelists for several critical topics in manufacturing and clean energy:
Clean Energy Innovators – Panel Discussion – Charles Murray (Switched Source), Andrew Lee (Innovia GEO), Alex Kosyakov (Natrion)
You don’t need to be a big enterprise to innovate. The clean energy economy is being built by smaller, faster-moving innovators.
New products and solutions are reshaping how businesses:
In this session, you’ll learn about grid resilience, geothermal energy, energy storage, and how companies are assessing energy reliability for their future production needs. Listen in as innovators in the clean energy sector talk about their work, including the use of AI, to help small businesses improve their bottom lines.
The Business of Decarbonizing our Waste – Vaishali Maheshkar (Recycle Vision AI); Trevor Mance (Casella); Mark Walluk and Kevin Newton (RIT Golisano Institute for Sustainability & the Pollution Prevention Institute)
This is not “just another sustainability sermon.” For you, it's more about efficiency and cost recovery.
Waste is one of the least-optimized parts of many manufacturing operations. And increasingly, it’s becoming:
With AI entering the picture, even waste streams are becoming measurable, sortable, and improvable in ways that weren’t possible before.
It's time to rethink every output of your operation, including what used to be thrown away – and in some cases, turning that “waste” into value.
Balancing Energy Policy and Economic Development in New York – Sean Ewart, Deputy Energy Secretary of New York State
This one might sound like boring government talk. Easy to skip. Don’t!
Energy policy in New York is increasingly shaping:
With constraints comes creativity. While policy can feel like a chokehold on business growth, it’s also directing massive investment into:
The rules of the game are changing, but so are the rewards for companies that learn how to play.
Beyond Backup: The Business Case for BESS in Manufacturing (Resilience, Peak Shaving, Decarbonization) – Hassan Obeid (global technical sales leader, Cummins Inc.)
Battery Energy Storage Systems are changing from a “nice-to-have backup” into a financial and operational strategy.
What could that mean for your company?
Energy is no longer just an expense you have to live with. It’s something you can actively optimize and control.
Energy Storage – Building Reliability for Manufacturing – Jon Williams, CEO (Viridi Parente)
Manufacturing runs on consistency. Downtime, voltage fluctuations, and energy uncertainty are poison to profit.
Energy storage is emerging as a way to create predictability in an unpredictable grid environment. Sometimes, reliability is something manufacturers have to engineer themselves.
Instead of relying solely on the grid, companies are starting to build resilience directly into their operations. That changes the best practices for facility design, investment, prioritization, and risk management.
Celebrating a Clean Energy Success: Electrovaya’s US Gigafactory – Lee Gilmore, general manager (Electrovaya)
“Is this clean tech stuff actually happening here, or just in headlines?”
Perhaps you can learn from Electrovaya’s success. On a broader level, it could signal:
This type of growth is physical, local, and already reshaping the manufacturing landscape. Where do you fit in its ecosystem?
Industry 4.0 - AI & Robotics Success Stories in Manufacturing – Punit Shetty (Alliance for Manufacturing Technology), Dan Vrana (Buffalo Manufacturing Works), Jason Horn (R.W. Earl Automation)
Maybe you've felt like Industry 4.0, AI, and robotics were things happening elsewhere. This session will explain that it's something already working in environments that look a lot like yours.
Companies like yours are already using it to solve real operational problems. The barrier has lowered from “innovation” to “expectation.” And once that line moves, standing still is equal to falling behind.
The underlying message of this year’s conference is simple: The clean tech transition is already happening. The only real question is how quickly regional manufacturers decide to be part of it.
Whether you’re exploring new markets, weighing workforce challenges, or simply trying to understand what’s next, this year’s Retool WNY conference offers a chance to step back and see the big picture.
Tickets are still available! Take advantage of group discounts today. Register at: Retool26.eventbrite.com.