About
As global energy demands surge, the nuclear industry faces a historic moment. Driven by aggressive net-zero targets and the unprecedented power requirements of industrial electrification and AI data centers, maximizing the lifespan and capacity of existing carbon-free assets is no longer optional. Extending nuclear plant operations to 80+ years, unlocking power uprates, and enhancing fleet-wide performance have rapidly shifted from ambitious long-term goals to immediate strategic grid imperatives.

The path to achieving decades of safe, reliable, and optimized operation runs directly through the control room.

Today's nuclear operators are navigating a complex storm of aging legacy Instrumentation & Control (I&C) systems, shifting workforce demographics, escalating cybersecurity requirements, and increasingly dynamic grid demands. To succeed in this environment, leading utilities are moving away from reactive, piecemeal "like-for-like" hardware swaps and embracing comprehensive, programmatic digital transformations.

Join industry experts from Emerson and Westinghouse for an in-depth discussion on how modern automation and advanced digital I&C architectures are fundamentally reshaping the future of nuclear power. This webinar will provide a practical blueprint for utilities looking to safeguard their assets, optimize thermal efficiency, and build a resilient infrastructure for the next 40 years and beyond.

Key Discussion Themes & Takeaways
• Program vs. Project: Discover why top operators are abandoning isolated, outage-driven component replacements in favor of an enterprise-wide, programmatic approach to modernization that scales predictably and controls long-term costs.

• Operational Excellence & Longevity: Learn how modern digital architectures help mitigate obsolescence, secure critical operations against modern cyber threats, and maximize plant performance under extended operating licenses.

• Navigating Life Extensions & Power Uprates: Explore how advanced automation and modern I&C manage the tighter control tolerances and increased thermal margins required to safely execute power uprates and extend reactor life to 80+ years.

• Cross-Fleet Synergies: Uncover how you can capture immense value by standardizing on a consistent, reliable automation platform and I&C strategy across your nuclear fleet and expanded portfolio including thermal, renewable, storage and microgrid assets.

• The Bridge to Next-Gen Nuclear: Understand how the data frameworks and automation and I&C modernizations implemented on today’s operating fleets create a digital bridge to next-generation nuclear power.
When
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 · 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada) (GMT -4:00)
Presenters
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Mirela Patrascu
Vice President, Global Marketing; Emerson, Power and Water Solutions business
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Chris Crefeld
Vice President, Instrumentation & Control; Westinghouse
As Vice President, Instrumentation & Controls, Chris leads a team of over 500+ global experts responsible for engineering, design, assembly, verification & validation, and delivery of Instrumentation & Controls(I&C) for the worldwide Nuclear Power Plant fleet and the next generation of new-build Advanced Reactors. Chris works closely with utilities to maximize
their operational excellence and the availability of their power plant stations through proactive maintenance of their plant systems, advancing strategic I&C projects and providing full life cycle support maximizing the Westinghouse value to our customers.

Before this role, Mr. Crefeld led the Instrumentation & Controls for X-Energy, designing High Temperature Gas Reactors, and prior to that held leadership roles across Westinghouse throughout his 23-year tenure, including I&C Director; Cyber Security Director; General Manager
Abu Dhabi; and Fellow Engineer.

He has experience across multiple global nuclear power plant technologies, including those in the UAE, South Korea (APR1400 design); U.S. (AP1000® plant, CE, BWR, ABWR, Westinghouse Gen II designs, HTGR); and Eastern Europe (VVER1000 design).

Mr. Crefeld is a certified Design for Six Sigma Green Belt and holds a Master's degree of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
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Aaron Larson
Executive Editor, POWER magazine
Aaron Larson joined the POWER team in September 2013 as an associate editor and was named executive editor in 2017. Aaron has a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering technology and a master’s degree, specializing in finance. He spent 13 years in the U.S. Navy nuclear power program, advancing to Chief Petty Officer. He has worked at commercial nuclear, biomass, and coal-fired power plants, functioning in operations, maintenance, safety, financial, and management capacities. Aaron holds a Chief A Engineer boiler operator license in the state of Minnesota.
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