Austin, Texas (May 29, 2026) – Zpryme, a research-based firm with services focused on energy and technology, announced today that Rudy Garza, President & CEO of CPS Energy, has been selected as the 2026 ETS Thought Leader of the Year. Garza was chosen for the recognition amongst a group of peers following voting by ETS alumni and committee members.
ETS, or Energy Thought Summit, is Zpryme’s signature annual event, bringing energy and industry thought leaders together from around the world to share ideas and work to solve some of today’s most pressing energy challenges.
The ETS Thought Leader of the Year award salutes an individual among the ETS community of thought leaders who possesses the type of inventive and brave vision needed to inspire the global energy ecosystem toward sustainable modernization.
“Nobody does anything in this industry alone,” says Garza. “We do it together. We share information about what we learn and our experiences that are difficult that make us stronger. We do that with great people. I’m only as strong as the team that we built at CPS Energy.”
Held this year in San Antonio under the theme “Hack the Planet,” ETS26 explored the intersection of energy, technology, humanity, and creativity. Throughout the week, utility leaders, innovators, artists, musicians, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers gathered to imagine what the future of energy could look like when built with people at the center.
One of the defining moments of the week was recognizing Garza in the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, where his leadership and commitment to community reflected the spirit of ETS26 itself. His recognition highlighted not only innovation in the utility industry, but also the importance of collaboration, resilience, and human connection in shaping the future of energy.
This year’s event also featured immersive art installations, live music performances, thought leadership programming, and the premiere of original storytelling projects including “Dreams of Me” and “Built Together,” reinforcing Zpryme’s longstanding belief that creativity and human connection are essential parts of innovation.
Previous award winners include Nancy Bui-Thompson, Board Director, SMUD (2025), Raiford Smith, Chief Utility Innovation Officer of AES’ US Utilities – AES Indiana and AES Ohio (2024), Emeka Anyanwu, former Energy Innovation and Resource Officer of Seattle City Light and current CEO of Snohomish County PUD (2023), Jackie Sargent, former General Manager of Austin Energy (2022), Paul Lau, CEO and General Manager of SMUD (2021), Calvin G. Butler Jr., President and CEO of Exelon (2020), and Gil C. Quiniones, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Power Authority and current CEO of ComEd (2019).
ETS26 was hosted in partnership with CPS Energy and the City of San Antonio, welcoming attendees from across the energy ecosystem for four days of collaboration, discussion, and shared experiences focused on building a more resilient and connected future.
For more information about ETS and future events, visit energythoughtsummit.com.
