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Realigning Utility Planning for the Data Center Era as part of the Data Center
The rapid acceleration of the energy transition, paired with explosive hyperscale load growth, has turned long-standing industry best practices on their head. Not long ago, data center demand was treated as a manageable, localized load, while tools like Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and edge intelligence were often dismissed as fringe IT concepts rather than operational necessities. Today, the reality of integrating gigawatt-scale computing loads alongside a bi-directional, decentralized grid has forced a fundamental shift in perspective.
In this session, a panel of utility executives pulls back the curtain on their own professional evolutions. They will move beyond standard talking points to candidly discuss the specific technologies, load models, and planning strategies they once doubted—or flat-out got wrong—but now champion. By exploring how their views on data center integration, dynamic grid management, and data-driven decision-making have shifted, these leaders offer a transparent look at the collective unlearning required to power the digital age while building a resilient, modern grid.
