Connect | Virginia // Panel Discussion: Billion dollar bets - Leading the course for sustainable AI expansion

The outlook for data center investment into 2026 remains exceptionally strong, primarily driven by the massive power and capacity demands of artificial intelligence workloads. Private equity continues its dominance in the market, viewing the sector as a stable, long-term haven for capital amidst this transformative growth.

This strong demand is running up against energy and land constraints, causing operators and investors to re-evaluate geographic strategies; while Northern Virginia remains a dominant market, its power limitations are driving interest in emerging US markets. Successfully developing large-scale projects and alternative energy sources now often relies on innovative financing models. This spotlight panel poses the question of how are operators, developers and investors strategising for the future?