POWERGEN International 2027: a power generation visitor guide

18–21 January 2027 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. POWERGEN is a business and education event for electricity generators, utilities and solution providers. The organiser describes the 2027 programme as addressing generation, operations, permitting and storage, with topics including gas turbines and combined cycle, data centres, nuclear power, and operations and reliability. Check current organiser information for registration, session times and any changes before you travel.

Why POWERGEN matters to power professionals

Explore generation and capacity questions

POWERGEN brings together professionals involved in planning, building and operating power generation assets. The 2027 homepage frames load growth as a challenge for utilities, independent power producers, EPCs and OEMs. For an attendee, this can make the event relevant to questions about capacity, project schedules, equipment and operational performance. Treat each supplier proposition as a starting point for technical and commercial diligence.

Connect operational learning with technology comparisons

The organiser presents POWERGEN as both an exhibition and an education hub. The current agenda covers generation, operations, permitting and storage, while trending topics include gas turbine and combined-cycle technology, data centres, operations and maintenance, reliability and asset life, and nuclear. Use these topics to select sessions and supplier conversations that map to a live plant, project or procurement issue.

Use the 2026 results as context, not a promise

POWERGEN’s official 2026 post-event recap reported 8,164 registered power-generation professionals and 539 exhibitors. It also reported a 2:1 buyer-to-seller ratio and said 84% of attendees were decision-makers. These are figures for the completed 2026 edition, not forecasts for 2027. They indicate the scale of the prior event, but do not guarantee access to a specific buyer, supplier or decision-maker.

Who should visit POWERGEN International?

Utility resource-planning and operations teams

Useful if you are evaluating reliability, resource planning, plant performance or long-term supply needs. The organiser specifically identifies utilities as a core audience and highlights how they are adapting to load growth and reliability demands. Bring the operating or planning question, relevant constraints and the internal decision timeline you need to address.

Independent power producers and power-plant owners

Useful if you develop, own or operate generation assets and need to assess technologies, project partners or operating practices. The organiser names independent power producers and owner-operators among the event’s audience. Prepare to compare project assumptions, equipment scope, fuel or technology options, commissioning responsibilities and service support.

OEMs and technology providers

Useful if your company supplies generation equipment, components, controls or related services. The event provides an exhibition setting for presenting solutions to utilities, solution providers and power producers. Set a target audience and a measurable objective, and prepare substantiated technical materials rather than relying on broad claims.

EPC contractors and project-delivery teams

Useful if you design, procure or build power assets. The organiser identifies EPCs as a stakeholder group and the 2027 agenda includes project delivery issues such as permitting and capacity. Prioritise conversations about equipment interfaces, lead times, construction constraints, commissioning and the evidence needed to qualify suppliers.

Engineers, maintenance and reliability professionals

Useful if you work on plant performance, maintenance planning, reliability or asset life. The 2027 topic list includes O&M, reliability and asset life. Bring a concise problem statement and record which ideas or technologies merit a closer engineering review back at your organisation.

What can you find at POWERGEN?

The 2027 organiser information points to the power generation supply chain and these programme areas:

• Gas turbines and combined-cycle generation.
• Data-centre power demand and capacity delivery.
• Nuclear generation.
• Operations and maintenance, reliability and asset life.
• Generation, permitting and energy storage topics in the 2027 agenda.

The exhibition includes suppliers of products, technologies and knowledge for power generation. Consult the current exhibitor list for named companies, product details and the latest category structure; do not assume that a supplier from a prior edition will return.

What should you aim to achieve at POWERGEN?

If you represent a utility or owner-operator

Define a concrete objective such as comparing three approaches to a reliability issue or identifying suppliers for a specific capacity or maintenance requirement. Record the operating conditions, technical limits, evidence needed and internal stakeholders who must review any proposal.

If you develop or finance generation projects

Clarify the project stage, technology scope, permitting dependencies, delivery window and counterparties you need to understand. Use event discussions to identify questions for further diligence rather than treating an introductory meeting as a project validation.

If you are an EPC or engineering professional

Focus on interfaces and delivery risk: equipment dimensions and scope, schedule assumptions, commissioning, workforce and materials constraints, service responsibilities and documentation. Separate a promising concept from a solution that has been checked against project specifications.

If you exhibit

Decide which stakeholder group your offer serves and what evidence supports its application. Prepare concise technical material, relevant project examples and a follow-up process. A trade-show conversation can open a discussion, but does not guarantee a contract, lead or partnership.

How to prepare before POWERGEN International

1. Confirm the 2027 agenda and registration details. The organiser’s site lists the event for 18–21 January 2027; review current access requirements, session timings and registration information before booking plans.
2. Write down your priority question. Choose a capacity, fuel, asset-life, reliability, storage, permitting or project-delivery issue that your team needs to resolve.
3. Review exhibitors and sessions. Use the current official list and agenda to identify relevant suppliers and learning sessions. Treat the 2026 recap as historical context, not the 2027 programme.
4. Prioritise meetings. Group contacts as essential, useful or exploratory, and reserve time for follow-up with engineering, operations, procurement or project colleagues.
5. Prepare power-sector questions. Ask about capacity and operating range, performance assumptions, fuel or technology requirements, emissions or compliance documentation, integration, commissioning, maintenance, spare parts, service response and delivery constraints. Select questions relevant to your role and project.

How to use the POWERGEN exhibition floor

For each stand, capture Company → solution → application → evidence → owner → next action. For example, if a vendor discusses a turbine or reliability solution, record the operating conditions it assumes, the documentation it can provide, whether the use case matches your plant and which colleague must assess the claim.

Do not try to collect every brochure. Compare suppliers against the same technical and commercial criteria, note any limitations, and make clear which statements require confirmation. If an exhibition conversation raises a project opportunity, follow up with a written scope and a request for relevant technical material.

Beyond the POWERGEN exhibition floor

POWERGEN combines an exhibition with education and peer exchange. The 2027 agenda covers generation, operations, permitting and storage, while the homepage highlights gas turbines and combined cycle, data centres, O&M and asset reliability, and nuclear. Use the published agenda to select sessions for your role; session availability and details can change, so confirm the final programme with the organiser.

Plan your time realistically

POWERGEN runs across four calendar days. Rather than attempting to attend every session, reserve blocks for your highest-priority technical discussions, selected education and planned follow-up. If attending with colleagues, divide coverage by generation, engineering, operations and commercial requirements, then compare notes each day. The organiser’s current agenda and venue information should determine the final plan.

After POWERGEN: turn contacts into decisions

Sort contacts into A: immediate technical or procurement follow-up, B: potential future fit and C: industry intelligence. For A contacts, send a specific request for equipment specifications, performance conditions, integration documents, project references, service terms, commissioning scope or delivery schedules. Involve plant, engineering, procurement and compliance colleagues as appropriate. Compare responses on the same basis before progressing any supplier or project conversation.

Who should consider exhibiting?

POWERGEN may suit manufacturers, OEMs, technology suppliers and service providers whose products support generation assets, utilities, power producers or project delivery. Before exhibiting, identify the stakeholder group you need to reach, the problem your offer addresses, the evidence you can share and the resources available to follow up. The 2026 recap reported 539 exhibitors and 8,164 registered professionals; those past figures offer context, not a forecast of 2027 participation or results.

POWERGEN International visitor checklist

Before

• ☐ Confirm registration, venue information and the current 2027 agenda.
• ☐ Choose one or more measurable operational, project or sourcing objectives.
• ☐ Shortlist relevant exhibitors and sessions.
• ☐ Prepare project, plant and supplier questions.

During

• ☐ Compare solutions against the same technical criteria.
• ☐ Record assumptions, evidence needed and a named next action.
• ☐ Share relevant notes with colleagues attending different topics.

After

• ☐ Request written specifications and service details.
• ☐ Review project fit with operations, engineering and procurement.
• ☐ Assign follow-up owners and deadlines.

Is POWERGEN International worth visiting?

POWERGEN is most relevant to professionals who plan, build, operate or supply power generation assets and have a question about capacity, technology, reliability, project delivery or operations. The exhibition and education programme can help attendees compare information and identify next steps. A focused agenda and careful supplier qualification make the difference between useful insight and a busy but unstructured visit.

POWERGEN International 2027 at a glance

Closing: take an operating or project question to Salt Lake City

POWERGEN is useful when your conversations are anchored to a plant, technology or project decision. What could you learn from a supplier or peer that would change your next engineering, procurement or operating step? Prioritise. Compare. Verify. Follow up.

Power generation opportunities in the United States

Market context

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. electric-power-sector generation totalled about 4,260 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025. Its January 2026 outlook forecast 4,423 billion kilowatt-hours in 2027 and projected the combined share of solar and wind generation to rise from about 18% in 2025 to about 21% in 2027. These are national figures and forecasts, not event attendance claims.

Opportunities for exhibitors

Suppliers may investigate how their generation, operations, storage or reliability offerings fit the needs of utilities, power producers and project teams working in the U.S. market. The EIA outlook makes generation mix and expected demand relevant discussion points, but companies should validate customer needs, regulations, fuel or technology assumptions and project economics.

Opportunities for visitors

Utility and owner-operator teams could compare technologies and services against their own capacity, reliability and asset-life priorities. EPCs and developers may use the market outlook to frame questions about delivery schedules and generation mix. The national outlook does not determine the business case for any individual project or supplier.

The United States may be relevant to power-sector participants because EIA documents a large generation base and forecasts further growth through 2027. Fit depends on a participant’s technology, customers, local requirements and project conditions.

Discover Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City has historic sites and museums that can offer a change of pace from technical sessions and the exhibition floor.

Temple Square

The official Temple Square visitor site describes a downtown historic area spanning five city blocks, with historic sites and exhibits.

Natural History Museum of Utah

The museum presents Utah’s natural history through permanent galleries, including exhibits on the region’s landscape, fossils and collections.

Salt Palace Convention Center is in Salt Lake City itself. Check current access and opening information for attractions separately, then fit a visit around the confirmed POWERGEN schedule.