AI Data Centers Meet Energy Generation and Transmission Constraints (Webinar)

In AI Data Centers Meet Energy Generation and Transmission Constraints, you'll learn ...

• Growth in data centers driving future U.S. electricity demand
• Current data center energy problems and tradeoffs
• Power generation options for data centers
• How capacity factors for data centers influence generation source selection

Overview

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This webinar includes a data and fact-based overview of the impact that artificial intelligence data centers are having on the grid and future electricity generation demand. Demand growth, generation sourcing, siting issues, and impacts on utility ratepayers are explained along with the industry direction.

The webinar explores the rapid growth of artificial intelligence data centers and their escalating energy requirements. U.S. data centers already consume 3% of national electricity, projected to surpass 12% by 2030. AI computing, storage, and cooling drive unprecedented demand, with AI workloads requiring 5–10 times more power than traditional data centers. Utilities forecast trillions in new infrastructure investment to accommodate this surge.

The presentation examines market hotspots such as Northern Virginia and Dallas, where massive data center clusters are reshaping local power grids and straining transmission capacity. It highlights the tension between speed-to-market deployment and the long permitting timelines for new transmission infrastructure, spurring interest in on-site natural gas turbines, nuclear restarts, and renewable-plus-storage solutions. Big Oil and private equity are increasingly entering the power generation space, acquiring or developing gas plants dedicated to data centers.

Beyond electricity, the webinar underscores challenges of water use, urban siting conflicts, and community resistance. Despite risks of higher consumer rates and emissions, the sector promises economic growth, tax revenue, and job creation. The central theme is balancing reliability, cost, and sustainability as AI accelerates demand for resilient 24/7 power

The webinar is designed to provide key and pertinent energy information on the data center energy demand changes that are occurring within the U.S. It is led by an expert with over 40 years of technical, strategic, and financial experience in the energy sector, with international energy experience with multi-national companies, Newmont Corporation, Rio Tinto, and ExxonMobil.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• The key drivers behind the rapid growth of electricity demand from AI data centers.
• The three main categories of energy use in data centers: computing, storage, and cooling.
• Projections of electricity demand growth and their implications for U.S. utilities and infrastructure investment.
• Major U.S. data center markets (e.g., Northern Virginia, Dallas) and their impact on local grids.
• Tradeoffs in power supply strategies, including grid reliance, on-site generation, and renewable integration.
• The role of natural gas, nuclear, and renewables in meeting 24/7 high-capacity data center demands.
• Community and regulatory challenges such as transmission permitting, siting conflicts, and water consumption.
• The economic implications of data center growth, including rising electricity costs, tax revenues, and job creation.
• Emerging industry responses, including utility gas plant expansion, Big Oil’s entry into power generation, and direct plant acquisitions by data center operators.
• How to apply the concept of capacity factors to compare the effectiveness of different generation sources for continuous AI-driven operations.
• Local resistance to new data center installations