Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2026

Omni Shoreham

Washington, D.C.

official event of Power Magazine

Program Agenda

Monday, September 30
12:05 pm - 12:25 pm
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
The D.C. Imperative

A senior federal energy official outlines how regulators view emerging data center demand and the proceedings most likely to affect projects.

Wednesday, September 30
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
Welcome & Framing

Sets the context for two days: the power system wasn't designed for this. This event is where the two industries figure out how to work together anyway—starting with what's slowing projects down, then what it takes to move them.

12:25 pm - 12:45 pm
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
The Legislative Lens

A congressional or policy leader discusses national security, permitting, and transmission policy signals relevant to large-scale AI and data center build-out.

12:45 pm - 1:05 pm

Independent analysts translate semiconductor and AI roadmaps into MW/GWh projections and uncertainty ranges for long-lived assets—training vs. inference load shapes, density trends, regional concentration.

1:30 pm - 2:05 pm
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
Permitting in Practice: What's Actually Moving

Federal practitioners (FERC, DOE) and state environmental agency directors examine where generation and data center siting approvals are actually clearing today—and what a realistic federal permitting path looks like for projects reaching final investment decision.

2:05 pm - 2:40 pm
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
Community Opposition and the Messaging War

Hyperscalers, utilities, and consumer advocates examine who pays, how costs are framed, and what actually moves local stakeholders to support projects.

2:40 pm - 3:15 pm

Finance, developer, and utility perspectives on which emerging deal structures—from build-and-transfer to multi-party ownership—are gaining traction, and what risk allocation tools lenders require before capital commits.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Utilities, ISOs, and FERC representatives detail why projects remain stuck in interconnection queues post-reform—queue management, congestion modeling, transmission topology—and what procedural changes could shorten timelines from years to months.

Panelist
Agee Springer
Director, Grid Interconnections
Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Thursday, October 1
8:00 am - 8:20 am
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
The Utility's Honest Answer

A utility executive presents the generation and infrastructure plan required to serve projected data center load, including timing and cost realities.

8:20 am - 8:30 am
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
The Hyperscaler's Actual Problem

A hyperscaler explains how siting, reliability, flexibility, and contractual obligations shape their power procurement decisions.

8:30 am - 8:55 am
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
What Would It Actually Take to Sign?

Utility and hyperscaler leaders discuss what concrete terms and risk allocations would allow large, long-term capacity agreements to close—using live deal structures as the basis for the conversation.

Moderator
Aaron Larson
Executive Editor
POWER magazine
9:00 am - 9:45 am
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
How Big is Big? Demand at Scale

System planners, chip experts, and data center operators align on updated demand forecasts, density trends, and operational load patterns—and what uncertainty bands mean for 20-year capital decisions.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Developers and technology providers examine the pipeline for firm power across gas, nuclear, and geothermal through the late 2020s and beyond—organized around impediments, opportunities, and use cases for each fuel type. Hyperscalers discuss which technologies match their procurement needs and timelines, and how use cases map to specific generation types.

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Operators and developers share lessons from 100-MW-class on-site power solutions—including gas, storage, and emerging nuclear options at microreactor scale—covering risks, economics, and interaction with the bulk grid.

Panelist
Arjun Prasad Ramadevanahalli
Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, LLP
Panelist
TJ Surbella
Power IBU Director
Emerson Power & Water Solutions
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
Stabilizing the Grid: A Four-Way Comparison

Grid and asset experts compare multiple stability solutions—synchronous condensers, advanced storage, algorithmic controls—by use case, cost, and deployment readiness today versus 2028.

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Data Center POWER eXchange 2026
Flex Mosaic in Practice

Utilities and operators present early results from treating data centers as flexible loads—what ramp rates, durations, and commercial structures have worked, and where the physics, contracts, or IT stacks hit a hard wall.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Senior representatives from the major trade associations spanning generation, load, and clean energy—including electric utilities, nuclear, data center operators, and grid stakeholders—give their honest read on where the industry is gaining ground and where the binding constraints are most likely to derail announced projects.

Group Show Director

Marisa Nicholson

mnicholson@accessintel.com

Event Sales Director

Ellen Nyboer

enyboer@accessintel.com

Sr. Marketing Director

Nikki Puckett

npuckett@accessintel.com

Content Director

Cassie Davie

cdavie@accessintel.com

Sr. Editor, POWER

Sonal Patel

spatel@powermag.com