Connect | New York // Energy Summit: Oxford debate - When to go in front of the meter vs behind the meter?

Go to the 2027 site
  • —
  • Energy Summit
  • Energy & Sustainability
  • Mission Critical Power
  • Open Session

Speakers

Adam Michaelis

VP - Hyperscale Engineering, PointOne Data Centers

Devin Dilley

President & Chief Innovation Officer, EPC Power Corp.

Hadia Sheerazi

Programme Consultant - Build Clean Now, Mission Possible Partnership (MPP)

James Li

General Manager of UPS, Datacenter and Telecom Business, Ampace

Guy Marom

Vice President of Data Center Systems, MARA

Eric Reaman

President & CEO, Cashman Preload Cryogenics

AI work loads, grid congestion, long interconnection queues, and constrained markets have triggered the need for new methods of accessing power. This Oxford-style debate asks to address: New data centers should be built and operated behind the meter (BTM) instead of in front of the meter (FTM).

  • Do sustainability optics push, delay, or block builds? Does BTM vs FTM improve or worsen it?
  • What are the potential community benefits (job creation, heat reuse, reliability of services)?
  • How are larger build data centers approaching BTM solutions and how can hybrid models best succeed?

We’ll consider interconnection timelines, permitting, and the role of batteries in bridging constraints. Using Sli.Do, audience members will be able to pose their questions to the panel.