Panelist Bios, Taming the 2026 Peak
Jordan Barowitz, Barowitz PR
Jordan Barowitz has spent more than 25 years at the intersection of New York City government, media, real estate, and civic life. He served nine years at City Hall and, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, drove communications on New York’s smoking ban, the property tax increase, and the MTA transit strike. He later spent 16 years leading public affairs for The Durst Organization, where he guided major rezonings, launched the first LEED Platinum Skyscraper, and helped secure the One World Trade Center RFP, and played a key role in reshaping Ground Zero into a thriving commercial district.
Through Barowitz Advisory, he helps organizations navigate New York City’s complex political, civic, energy and media ecosystems. He distills information into advocacy and delivers clarity, direction and results for his clients.
Jordan serves on boards across the City, including the Association for a Better New York, GrowNYC, and the Brooklyn Public Library. He is a member of City & State’s Brooklyn Power 100 and a lifelong New Yorker who attended NYC public schools.
Alex Gulagaci, RXR
Alex Gulagaci is a New York–based engineering executive recognized for his leadership in real estate, data center strategy, and large-scale infrastructure operations. As VP and Head of Engineering at RXR, he oversees engineering strategy across a 30million square-foot portfolio, directing programs in building systems, energy procurement, operational efficiency, and carbon-neutrality initiatives. His background spans senior roles at Google, BNY Mellon, and Morgan Stanley, where he led complex capital projects, mission-critical environments, and enterprise-wide engineering standards. He holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology and a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and has also served as an adjunct professor in engineering and sustainability.
Alex Schneider, Voltus
Alex leads the New York sales and account management team at Voltus, the leading virtual power plant operator with 8 GW of load flexibility under management across North America. In his role, Alex helps large commercial & industrial energy users in New York maximize revenue and savings through demand response and other load flexibility programs.
Alexander Potulicki, Con Edison
Alexander Potulicki is the Section Manager of Demand Response at Con Edison, where he leads operations and strategy teams responsible for program design, RFPs, contract negotiations, and administration of utility demand response programs. His work focuses on coordinating across internal and external stakeholders to ensure these programs effectively support electric grid reliability and system needs.
Alexander has held multiple roles across Con Edison, including positions in engineering, steam operations, and operations planning. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Columbia University, and New York University.
Samantha Bergami, New York Independent System Operator
Sam Bergami is a Senior Distributed Resources Operations Engineer with the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which operates New York’s high-voltage transmission system, manages the state’s competitive wholesale electricity markets, and conducts comprehensive power system planning. In her current role, Sam is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the NYISO’s Demand Response Programs and development and operation of the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) participation model.
Sam has also been a key contributor to the development of the DER participation model, specifically focused on Capacity Market rules and implementation.