Opening Remarks: How Energy Storage is Rewiring the Data Center & Utility Relationship

While the first question for data center developers is almost always, “how fast can we plug in?” the utility’s usual response of “how much demand are we talking about?” reveals a chasm in perspectives and priorities. Closing this divide isn’t about a single piece of technology but a different approach to seeing these questions sorted out. Bridge power solutions and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can provide those answers. 

Onsite energy storage allows developers to bypass grid constraints and launch AI projects years ahead of scheduled substation upgrades. By buffering limited capacity, these facilities can also evolve from grid burdens into strategic assets for utilities. What begins as a short-term workaround for speed-to-power can become a long-term pillar of grid stability, providing the millisecond-level response times needed to balance a decarbonized grid while fueling the exponential growth of the AI economy. Join us to better understand how these innovations are providing a blueprint for interconnection that can deliver value in the short and long term. 

Keynote Panel: Aligning Developer, Utility, Community and Regulatory Interests

While the “how fast” and “how much” questions related to data center demand are well understood, actual answers ultimately depend on regional regulations, local grid health, community awareness and site-specific configurations. Success in this new landscape is about more than solutions and systems, but instead requires a new level of transparency and partnership between the people behind the power, on every side, and at every level. 

Join us to explore what better connections between developers, utilities, regulators and communities can look like in order to reconcile their differing priorities to create a unified roadmap for the future of the grid.