Congresswoman Alma Adams Urges Black Energy Leaders to “Build Your Personal Pipeline” at NC AABE Conference

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Today, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) served as a featured speaker Friday at the North Carolina Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy’s 2026 Professional Development Conference, where she encouraged attendees to invest in knowledge, relationships, opportunity, and purpose as they build careers that can shape both the energy industry and the future of their communities.

Held at Duke Energy Plaza in Charlotte, the conference brought together energy professionals, emerging leaders, students, and community partners for a full day of professional development focused on skill-building, policy, confidence, leadership growth, and the future of artificial intelligence in the industry.

In remarks tied to the conference theme, “Building Your Personal Pipeline,” Congresswoman Adams reflected on her own journey from modest beginnings to the halls of Congress and challenged attendees to think beyond individual success.

“The most important pipeline is not the one that carries oil or natural gas,” Adams said. “The most important pipeline is the one that carries people like you — from where you are to where you are destined to be.”

Congresswoman Adams thanked the NC Chapter of AABE and its president, MoNiqueka Smith of Duke Energy, for convening a gathering centered on growth, access, and leadership. She praised the organization for creating space not only for professional advancement, but for deeper conversations about equity and influence in one of the nation’s most consequential industries.

“Our people need more than just a seat at the table in the energy sector,” Adams said. “We need, and deserve, a seat at the head of the table.”

Drawing from her personal story, Adams spoke about the values instilled by her mother, the transformative role of education, and the importance of HBCUs in opening doors for students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds. She connected that lived experience to her long record of public service, including her advocacy for HBCUs, maternal health, affordable housing, food access, and economic opportunity.

She also challenged attendees to see the energy sector in its full context — as a field deeply connected to national security, global economics, agriculture, technological innovation, and everyday life for working families.

During her remarks, Adams pointed to current disruptions in global energy markets as an example of how decisions made far beyond North Carolina can directly affect utility bills, food prices, transportation costs, and the livelihoods of families and farmers here at home. She urged energy professionals to recognize the full weight and reach of their work.

“If you work in energy, you are not just working in a sector,” Adams said. “You are working at the intersection of national security, economic justice, agricultural stability, and global diplomacy.”

Adams also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in the energy industry, emphasizing that Black professionals must not be left out of the rooms where emerging technologies are being designed, governed, and deployed.

“The question is no longer whether AI will transform the energy sector — it already has,” Adams said. “The question is whether Black professionals, whether our community, will be at the table designing those systems, training those models, creating those platforms, and setting those policies.”

Throughout the address, Adams urged attendees to treat civic engagement as an essential part of professional life, calling advocacy “the most underused tool in one’s professional toolkit.” She encouraged participants to stay informed, build relationships, mentor others, and bring their expertise into policy discussions at every level of government.

She closed with a direct challenge to those in the room: invest in themselves, invest in others, and invest in the future.

“Your personal pipeline should never stop with you,” Adams said. “It should extend forward to the people who are following behind you.”