Connect | Virginia // DCD>Debate: Amped up, but out of time? Who can keep the grid powered in the age of AI?

As AI accelerates the energy demands of data centers, the question isn't if the grid can keep up, but whether it should even try!

From turbine shortages and gas supply risks to three-month maintenance outages and skyrocketing fuel costs, power independence is anything but simple. Is true energy autonomy through renewables or microgrids feasible, or just a comforting illusion? Is gas a realistic bridge, or a dead end? And what about fusion: is it a future-ready solution or a moonshot for tech billionaires?

This debate dives into the brutal realities of self-generated power: where “bring your own power” (BYOP), co-gen, and behind-the-meter projects are becoming survival tactics, not fringe strategies. This session will unpack the mounting strain between grid limitations and AI-scale demands, and whether the data center industry is ready, or even willing, to take on the role of utility.

Conducted under Chatham House Rule, this DCD>Debate invites experts to dissect these pivotal industry issues.