As demand for data centers and other large energy loads continues to rise, strategic grid and interconnection planning is becoming more critical than ever. This session will explore the growing role of data centers in modern energy infrastructure and the need for innovative solutions that balance reliability, sustainability, and customer priorities. Panelists will discuss how organizations can manage increasing load demand through stronger utility collaboration, improve customer resilience with flexible energy solutions, and leverage emerging technologies to support both business growth and broader community needs.

The conversation will also address the increasing pressure on data centers to reduce carbon emissions and meet evolving corporate and regulatory climate goals. As energy markets and customer expectations continue to shift, leaders must find ways to integrate sustainability into long-term planning while remaining agile in a rapidly changing landscape. This panel will highlight how organizations can align operational performance with environmental responsibility to ensure lasting business resilience.

During this session, watch a drone will take off at an energy facility thousands of miles from Scottsdale. It will fly a live inspection mission. The presenters will control it from the stage.

No pre-recorded footage. No simulation.

The drone is a permanently stationed, autonomous aerial system that launches on demand and transmits thermal and visual data in real time. Utilities and infrastructure operators are deploying these systems to inspect substations, transmission corridors, distribution equipment, and large-load facilities without rolling a truck or putting a crew in the field. The same system secures facility perimeters and responds to alarms autonomously. More than 450 energy companies trust Skydio to help them inspect and protect critical infrastructure today.

As AI-driven load growth pushes infrastructure buildout faster than traditional inspection programs can follow, this session covers what automated aerial operations look like in practice: how missions are triggered, what the data looks like, and where operators are finding real reductions in truck rolls and time-to-find on equipment anomalies.

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