Connecticut State Senator, Reflection AI, Comcast and NARUC Chief Join 'Broadband and AI in the Next Congress'

The event, on Dec. 1 at the National Press Club, links the issues of AI risk, digital infrastructure, energy use and federal preemption

Broadband Breakfast

Oct 29, 2026 — 4 min read

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2026 – More panelists have confirmed their participation in "Broadband and AI in the Next Congress," the “must attend” gathering at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026.

The new panelists include Rachel Appleton of Reflection AI, and Elizabeth Chernow of Comcast on Panel 1; Tony Clark of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and Cy McGeady of Equinix on Panel 3; with Connecticut State Senator James Maroney joining Panel 3.

They join keynote speaker Rep. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter, R-Georgia, lead sponsor of the American Broadband Deployment Act, and previously announced panelists from the Center for Democracy & Technology, INCOMPAS, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Registration for the event is available for $245, and Breakfast Club Members take an additional $100 off. Detailed information about the event is available on Broadband Breakfast at broadbandbreakfast.com/bai/.

Conference sponsors currently include Comcast (Gold Sponsor) and INCOMPAS (Silver Sponsor).

New panelists

Rachel Appleton, head of government relations for the Americas at Reflection AI, will join Panel 1, "What Do We Have to Fear? AI and Catastrophic Risk." She leads policy strategy and government engagement for the company, which develops open AI models. She previously served as head of federal affairs at Anthropic, where she advocated for legislation requiring transparency around frontier AI models. Her experience also includes senior counsel positions at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Elizabeth Chernow, associate vice president of public policy at Comcast, will also join Panel 1. She helps shape the company's positions on broadband, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and joined Comcast in 2010. She co-authored proposals published by Aspen Digital for responsible early access to frontier AI models, which outline how critical infrastructure operators can evaluate emerging cyber capabilities and strengthen defenses.

Tony Clark, executive director of NARUC, will join Panel 3, "The Data Center Power Crisis and Ratepayer Protection," along with Cy McGeady, head of energy policy at Equinix, one of the world’s largest data center operators and digital infrastructure companies.

NARUC, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, represents the state regulators. Clark served on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 2012 to 2016 and on the North Dakota Public Service Commission from 2001 to 2012, including more than five years as chairman. He was NARUC president from 2010 to 2011.

McGeady's work on Equinix’s power sector policy includes a focus on expanding electricity supply to support growing data center demand while maintaining affordability, reliability and declining emissions. He brings more than a decade of experience in the electric power sector, including commercial roles involving project development, asset management in short-term electricity markets and long-term transactions.

Joining other panelists on Panel 4, will be James Maroney, a Connecticut state senator representing the 14th District. He was first elected in 2018 and is co-chair of the General Law Committee and vice chair of the Energy and Technology Committee. His legislative work includes consumer data privacy protections, children’s and health data privacy laws, and legislation governing state government use of artificial intelligence.

The conference program

The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until about 3 p.m. Four technology reporters will moderate. The updated program is available:

Panel 1: What Do We Have to Fear? AI and Catastrophic Risk

Moderated by Cat Zakrzewski, White House reporter at The Washington Post. Panelists include Miranda Bogen, director of the AI Governance Lab and chief technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology; Elizabeth Chernow of Comcast; and Rachel Appleton of Reflection AI.

Panel 2: Permitting Reform and the AI Race

Moderated by Christopher Cole, senior telecom reporter at Law360. Panelists include former Rep. Chip Pickering, CEO of INCOMPAS. The panel will examine broadband permitting legislation and efforts to speed environmental reviews.

Panel 3: The Data Center Power Crisis and Ratepayer Protection

Moderated by Lauren Feiner, senior policy reporter at The Verge. Panelists include Tony Clark of NARUC and Cy McGeady of Equinix. The panel will examine who pays for the grid upgrades that AI data centers require, including the Power and Water for Families Act (H.R. 9419) and the White House's Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

Panel 4: Federal Preemption vs. State AI Patchworks

Moderated by Rebecca Kern, senior correspondent at The Capitol Forum. Panelists include Matt Schruers, president and CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry Association; Alan Butler, executive director and president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and James Maroney, Connecticut state senator.

Additional panelists and keynote speakers will be announced soon.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Sales & Marketing Director Quinn Nghiem at quinn@breakfast.media.