US utility Dominion Energy has appointed John Russell as its new chief AI and digital officer, as it continues to experience record demand from data centers across its footprint.

An internal hire, Russell moved over from the position of VP and chief technology officer, which he had held since April of last year. Previously, Russell has worked in leadership roles at defense firms Northrop Grumman and Leidos.

Reflecting on the news, Russell wrote on LinkedIn: “The energy industry is at the intersection of unprecedented technological advancement and growing customer expectations. Data, artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies are rapidly reshaping how we operate, serve our customers, enhance reliability, and prepare for the future.

“I am honored to help lead Dominion Energy's digital and AI journey at such a pivotal time. The opportunity before us is not simply about adopting new technologies; it’s about empowering my amazing colleagues at Dominion with better insights, enabling smarter decisions, and unlocking new ways to create value across the enterprise.”

Dominion Energy primarily supplies electricity to parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It is the main energy supplier for Northern Virginia, which has the highest concentration of data centers in the world. As of spring 2026, the utility has more than 51GW of contracted data center capacity in its pipeline.

The company was recently acquired by NextEra Energy for approximately $67 billion, creating the world's largest electrical utility company. Following the acquisition, the companies have a combined data center pipeline of around 130GW.