Roger Copeland, PE, Power & Utilities Practice Lead at Burns Engineering, examines the physical realities of power delivery, from grid interconnection queues and substation capacity limitations to transformer shortages and long-lead electrical equipment that now define project schedules. The session then shifts from infrastructure to operations as Joe O’Brien of GridBeyond explores how battery energy storage systems, real-time energy orchestration, and virtual power plants are enabling data centers to move beyond passive consumption toward active grid participation—unlocking faster interconnection, new revenue streams, and a fundamentally different relationship with utilities and grid operators.
Together, the two perspectives reveal why infrastructure decisions and operational flexibility strategies can no longer be treated as separate workstreams. Attendees will gain practical insight into how on-site and hybrid power architectures, early vendor engagement, and software-driven energy dispatch work in concert to de-risk timelines, reduce costs, and position data center operators not just as energy consumers, but as grid partners.
