2026 NACo Energy Symposium
About the symposium
County leaders from across the country joined in the Texas Panhandle for the 2026 NACo Energy Symposium. Held September 23-25, 2026, the event offered county officials a unique opportunity to engage with the most pressing issues shaping America today.
Attendees heard from experts, exchanged ideas with peers and gained practical into the policies, projects and partnerships driving the future of energy development. From grid reliability and energy infrastructure to economic development, land use, innovation and community impacts, the symposium equipped county officials with the insights, partnerships and strategies needed to lead in a rapidly changing energy landscape.
Registration closed
Registration for the 2026 Energy Symposium is now closed.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at nacomeetings@naco.org.
Committees & Caucuses
NACo Rural Action Caucus
Since 1997, the Rural Action Caucus (RAC) has represented the nearly 70 percent of America's counties that are rural, addressing critical federal, state and local issues impacting these unique communities. In Washington, D.C., RAC is the voice of rural counties before Congress and the White House.
Programs & Initiatives
Rural Energy Academy
NACo’s Rural Energy Academy empowers county leaders with information and support to make energy decisions that work best for their communities.
Loan fund helps counties support entrepreneurs
The City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization envisioned a microloan program for some time, but adding an Economic Recovery Corps fellow finally made it happen.
U.S. Department of Agriculture announces reorganization
On July 24, 2026, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a major reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will relocate thousands of federal employees, restructure regional offices and consolidate administrative services and operations. The changes are expected to reduce USDA’s footprint in Washington, D.C. and shift more personnel to regional hubs across the country.
Water matters for data centers
Data centers often cluster in a few places, need treated water and use the most when demand is already high in hot weather. This growing demand is driving data center development nationwide, accelerating local proposals and the importance for county officials to understand impacts to energy, land and water resources.
County leaders push for a voice in data center regulation authority
County officials in states like West Virginia and Texas are limited in their ability to regulate data centers while still held accountable by their residents.
The "Backslash Backlash:" Counties pivot in the data center buildout
Data center development across the country has put a new focus on county policies, how they regulate land use and more for local residents and how they could shape the path for economic growth built around artificial intelligence and information technology.
Chips, Compute and Counties
NACo CEO Matt Chase: "The fundamentals remain the same [when it comes to data centers]: demand a seat at the table, study the supply chain, understand the financing capital stacks, ask hard questions and fight for a deal that leaves your community better off — not used and abused."