Powerup Data Centers

A recent report from the Department of Energy estimated that the electricity usage by U.S. data centers will at a minimum double by 2028, when such centers will consume up to 12% of the electricity in the nation. The radical increase in the amount of electricity needed to reliably power the AI and cyber mining facilities is a generational opportunity for the energy industry to grow--and grow profitably.

However, meeting this challenge via “conventional” methods will require vast quantities of new power generation, enormously expedited interconnection queues and significant new build in transmission capacity—much of which is unlikely to be available in the time frame required. Obviously, conventional methods must be supplemented by innovative solutions.

This remarkable event will take a deep dive into the mix of conventional and bridge solutions that can power data center facilities in the near-term, the pathways those data centers could use to transition to lower emission long-term power supplies, and how to obtain the enormous amount of capital needed to fund the development of the data centers and their associated power projects.

PowerUp Data Centers will examine the thorny tariff and other policy decisions that must be made to balance the use of collocated power generation with the huge investments in transmission infrastructure desperately needed to maintain reliable electric service. It will lay out the roles that wind, solar, storage, gas-fired generation, microgrids, and nuclear power can play in meeting the enormous (and remarkably near term) demands of hyperscale data centers. And it will discuss the deal structures, contracts and other arrangements needed to meet the challenges of financing some of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in history.

PowerUp Data Centers will bring together data center developers, policymakers, utilities & renewable energy providers to explore how to seize the opportunities and meet the challenges of reliably powering hyperscale data centers. They will discuss:

• How unprecedented increases in data center demand are driving policy changes, energy infrastructure planning, power procurements and energy investments across North America
• The pluses and minuses of using collocated projects, onsite power supplies, microgrids, and other solutions to provide reliable power to data centers NOW
• The impacts of new interconnection and transmission planning processes on the timelines for connecting data centers to the grid, and the possibility of introducing new processes for interconnecting large loads
• How the sometimes-competing goals of securing power supplies immediately vs meeting corporate clean energy goals are affecting power supply deals, tariff structures, and local permitting
• What investors, lenders, and other players are looking for in order to provide the enormous CAPEX needed for today’s hyperscale data center developments and associated power projects

Attend to network with and learn from key decision-makers, leading players, and your peers about the challenges and opportunities of meeting the power needs of a wave of hyperscale data centers.