Data Center POWER exchange

October 28, 2025

Hyatt Regency Denver

Official Event of POWER
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2025 Program Agenda

Crafted by the POWER editorial team and the DPX Advisory Board, the inaugural Data Center POWER eXchange program will feature a groundbreaking lifecycle framework to address the collision between data center growth and grid modernization. Structured around three critical phases—Site Selection, Development, and Operations—the agenda integrates cross-sector dialogue, regulatory alignment, and technical innovation.

Check back often for updates – new speakers are being added daily!

Monday, October 27
4:00 pm — 6:00 pm
Room: Centennial Foyer, Third Floor
Registration
Registration
Tuesday, October 28
7:00 am — 8:00 am
Networking Events
Networking Breakfast
7:00 am — 6:30 pm
Room: Centennial Foyer, Third Floor
Registration
Registration
8:00 am — 8:20 am
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Opening Keynote: Fireside Dialogue - The $2T Challenge: How Power and Data Center Leaders Align on Growth and Reliability
Keynote: The $2T Challenge--Powering the AI Era

Former FERC Chair Mark Christie will open DPX 2025 with a keynote framing of the $2 trillion infrastructure challenges at the intersection of power and digital growth. At an industry

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Former FERC Chair Mark Christie will open DPX 2025 with a keynote framing of the $2 trillion infrastructure challenges at the intersection of power and digital growth. At an industry turning point where AI-driven demand is straining infrastructure, Christie will lay out the reliability, market design, and cost-allocation stakes for utilities, hyperscalers, and regulators.
Keynote
Mark Christie
Former Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Mark Christie, LLC
8:20 am — 8:30 am
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Opening Keynote: Fireside Dialogue - The $2T Challenge: How Power and Data Center Leaders Align on Growth and Reliability
Keynote: A New Era in Demand--Meeting the Challenge of Increasing Load in a Data-Driven World

Building on the foundational challenges framed by Mark Christie, Dominion CEO Robert Blue will delve into the utility perspective on unprecedented load growth driven by digital transformation. He'll outline how

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Building on the foundational challenges framed by Mark Christie, Dominion CEO Robert Blue will delve into the utility perspective on unprecedented load growth driven by digital transformation. He'll outline how the broader industry must adapt investment strategies, regulatory frameworks, and operational practices to safeguard reliability and meet surging demand in today's data-driven landscape.
Speaker
Robert M. Blue
Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer
Dominion Energy, Inc.
8:30 am — 9:00 am
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Opening Keynote: Fireside Dialogue - The $2T Challenge: How Power and Data Center Leaders Align on Growth and Reliability
Executive Dialogue: Aligning Growth and Reliability

Immediately following the keynotes, Christie convenes a high-level dialogue with power and data center leaders driving multi-billion-dollar decisions. Panelists will deliver candid perspectives on forecasting gaps, regional market differences, permitting

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Immediately following the keynotes, Christie convenes a high-level dialogue with power and data center leaders driving multi-billion-dollar decisions. Panelists will deliver candid perspectives on forecasting gaps, regional market differences, permitting hurdles, and cost allocation. The conversation is designed to move beyond analysis toward producing credible, actionable blueprints to close today's power gaps and enable tomorrow's digital growth.
Moderator
Mark Christie
Former Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Mark Christie, LLC
Panelist
Robert M. Blue
Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer
Dominion Energy, Inc.
Panelist
Caroline Golin PhD
Founder and CEO, formerly with Google
Envision Energy Advisors
9:00 am — 9:45 am
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor

As data center demand surges, developers face mounting challenges securing sites with adequate, timely power. This session explores the widening gap between siting ambitions and grid realities, highlighting how transformer

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As data center demand surges, developers face mounting challenges securing sites with adequate, timely power. This session explores the widening gap between siting ambitions and grid realities, highlighting how transformer shortages, transmission delays, and regional constraints are reshaping location strategies. Panelists will examine why regulated utilities often deliver faster, more predictable capacity than merchant markets, and how water, permitting, and community opposition now factor into every decision. Learn how new utility–developer coordination models are helping both sectors navigate today’s high-stakes siting environment. 

Chair
Evan A. Pierce
VP, Site Development for the Americas
EdgeConneX
Panelist
Zach Zimmerman
Research and Policy Manager
Grid Strategies
Panelist
Anders Johnson
Director Gas Storage Development
Kinder Morgan
Panelist
Asad Raza
Data Center Commissioning Manager
AWS
Panelist
Adam Post
Senior Vice President
CoreSite
9:45 am — 10:30 am
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor

As interconnection delays stretch to years, data center developers and utilities are turning to behind-the-meter (BTM) solutions and co-location arrangements that raise fundamental questions about cost allocation, grid reliability, and

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As interconnection delays stretch to years, data center developers and utilities are turning to behind-the-meter (BTM) solutions and co-location arrangements that raise fundamental questions about cost allocation, grid reliability, and market fairness. This session unpacks recent FERC actions on co-location, state regulatory responses, and the evolving frontier of BTM strategies. With only 7% of tracked data center projects currently having co-located generation despite its potential to solve grid constraints, panelists will explore barriers to wider adoption and examine how these arrangements affect ratepayer costs and grid stability.

Chair
Jose Daniel Lara
Senior Researcher
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Panelist
Thomas M. Poteet III, P.E.
Senior VP, Corporate Development
Mesa Solutions
Panelist
Peter Kelly
Managing Partner and Chief Technology Officer
Redtree
Panelist
Amol Phadke PhD
Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley
Panelist
Lisa Tiffin
SVP, Energy Management
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
10:30 am — 11:00 am
11:00 am — 11:45 am
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Lifecycle Phase 2: Development - From Permitting to Dispatchable Power
Streamlining Permitting & Regulatory Alignment

Permitting delays and regulatory fragmentation slow every project while community opposition increasingly derails developments. This session explores how federal, state, and local agencies are working to harmonize permitting processes while

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Permitting delays and regulatory fragmentation slow every project while community opposition increasingly derails developments. This session explores how federal, state, and local agencies are working to harmonize permitting processes while addressing the growing challenge of community acceptance. With $64 billion in U.S. data center projects blocked or delayed by local opposition, panelists will discuss strategies for proactive stakeholder engagement, water usage compliance, and navigating the complex web of environmental requirements that now define project viability.

Chair
Maria Faconti
Partner
K&L Gates LLP
Panelist
Marty Hopkins
Partner
Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
Panelist
Tad Macfarlan
Partner
K&L Gates LLP
11:45 am — 12:30 pm
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Lifecycle Phase 2: Development - From Permitting to Dispatchable Power
Advancing On-Site Power & Dispatchable Generation

With the massive and growing power demand of data centers, securing reliable and timely generation is essential to meet their future needs. This session focuses on advancing on-site power and

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With the massive and growing power demand of data centers, securing reliable and timely generation is essential to meet their future needs. This session focuses on advancing on-site power and dispatchable generation solutions, including natural gas, renewables, geothermal, SMRs, and hybrid systems, that can support data center needs both on-site and through grid integration. Experts with experience in various technologies will share perspectives on how these solutions can be deployed quickly, address safety and environmental considerations, and provide cost-effective energy to support the evolving requirements of data center operators and their customers.

Chair
Ms. Megan Reusser
Technology Manager
Burns & McDonnell
Panelist
Allan Schurr
Chief Commercial Officer
Enchanted Rock
Panelist
Scott Yappen
Senior Business Development Manager
Wartsila North America, Inc.
Panelist
Jeff Miller
VP Business Development
TerraPower, Llc
12:30 pm — 1:15 pm
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Lifecycle Phase 2: Development - From Permitting to Dispatchable Power
Financing the Future: Monetizing Resilience and Managing Policy Risk

This session will discuss securing funding and making data center projects financially viable in the current market and regulatory environment, including opportunities created by NRC and NEPA reform. We will address

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This session will discuss securing funding and making data center projects financially viable in the current market and regulatory environment, including opportunities created by NRC and NEPA reform. We will address innovative financing models and funding sources, including nuclear partnership structures and resilience monetization, tailored to managing regulatory uncertainty, taking advantage of increasing public support for nuclear, and the capital requirements of SMR deployments.  

Chair
Sean Lev
Partner
HWG LLP
Panelist
Ellen Ginsberg
Sr. Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Panelist
Craighton Goeppele
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
TerraPower, Llc
Panelist
Gordon Dolven
Director of Americas Data Center Research
CBRE
1:15 pm — 2:15 pm
Sponsored by:
2:15 pm — 2:45 pm
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Lifecycle Phase 3: Operations - Forecasting, Resilience, and Redesign
AI-Driven Grid Monetization & Predictive Forecasting

In DPX’s Operations phase, this session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) elevates load forecasting from a retrospective analysis into a dynamic control mechanism that bolsters grid resilience. Participants will learn

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In DPX’s Operations phase, this session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) elevates load forecasting from a retrospective analysis into a dynamic control mechanism that bolsters grid resilience. Participants will learn how advanced digitalization enables utilities to anticipate volatile, data-center–driven demand in real time—enhancing dispatch accuracy, streamlining maintenance through predictive analytics, and creating new revenue streams via demand-response and ancillary services. The discussion will highlight measurable impacts on system reliability, operational efficiency, and market participation, illustrating how AI-driven insights bridge the gap between planning and execution to support sustainable, high-growth digital infrastructure without compromising affordability or public trust.

Panelist
Avnaesh Jayantilal PhD
Chief Technology Officer Grid Innovation
GE Vernova
Panelist
Nancy Armstrong
Technical Program Director, Energy and Robotics
NAES Corporation
Panelist
Joseph Holtman
VP Power Trading
NRG, Energy
2:45 pm — 3:30 pm
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Lifecycle Phase 3: Operations - Forecasting, Resilience, and Redesign
Data Center Growth: Lifecycle Solutions to Bridge Digital Infrastructure Demand and Grid Modernization

As the demand for data centers accelerates alongside the urgent need for grid modernization, the panel convenes industry leaders, utility experts, and technology innovators to present a holistic lifecycle framework

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As the demand for data centers accelerates alongside the urgent need for grid modernization, the panel convenes industry leaders, utility experts, and technology innovators to present a holistic lifecycle framework that bridges these critical domains. Anchored in three phases—Site Selection, Development, and Operations—the discussion will illuminate how regulatory alignment, technical ingenuity, and cross-sector collaboration can resolve the ongoing collision between rapid data center expansion and evolving energy infrastructure. Key topics include the latest in interconnect challenges, chip advancements, and the rise of modular solutions; the panel examines why speed, reliability, and scale are imperative in today’s environment, and unpacks the shifting landscape of data center siting. Utility decision-makers will gain insights into the nuanced requirements of data centers, fostering dialogue that is essential for mutual advancement. Join the panel for an engaging exploration of the strategies, technologies, and partnerships shaping the future of digital infrastructure.

Chair
Jennifer Cahill E.I.T.
Associate Vice President, Campus Infrastructure Integration Lead
Black & Veatch
Panelist
John Hiddema P.E.
Vice President Electric Utilities
STACK Infrastructure
Panelist
Ludo Hintos
Vice President, Infrastructure Planning & Development
Corscale Data Centers
3:30 pm — 4:00 pm
4:00 pm — 4:45 pm
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor

High-growth states are pioneering regulatory models that balance rapid data center expansion with ratepayer protection and community concerns. This session examines how public utility commissions and legislatures are integrating lessons

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High-growth states are pioneering regulatory models that balance rapid data center expansion with ratepayer protection and community concerns. This session examines how public utility commissions and legislatures are integrating lessons from regulated market advantages into frameworks that address cost allocation, water usage requirements, and community benefit sharing. Panelists will explore how regulatory innovations in Texas, Virginia, and Georgia are creating templates for sustainable growth that protects both ratepayers and community interests.

Chair
Lisa Youngers
Access Intelligence
Panelist
Lori Cobos
President, Cobos Strategies, LLC, Former Texas PUC Commissioner
Cobos Strategies, LLC
Panelist
Eric Blank
Chairman
Colorado Public Utilities Commission
Panelist
D. Skylar Rosenbloom
Assistant General Counsel
Entergy Services LLC
4:45 pm — 5:15 pm
Room: Centennial A-C, Third Floor
Forward Planning - Markets, Trust, and Risk Allocation
Planning in Crisis Mode: What if the Power Doesn't Show Up?

As surging load demand collides with sluggish infrastructure timelines and growing community opposition, the risk of unserved load for contracted hyperscale projects is no longer hypothetical. This flash panel drops

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As surging load demand collides with sluggish infrastructure timelines and growing community opposition, the risk of unserved load for contracted hyperscale projects is no longer hypothetical. This flash panel drops attendees into a high-stakes scenario where a 200-MW AI data center campus faces delays due to both infrastructure constraints and unexpected community legal challenges. With contracts, costs, community relations, and credibility on the line, panelists will dissect the legal, financial, operational, and social license implications in real time.

Chair
Arjun Prasad Ramadevanahalli
Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, LLP
Panelist
Geoff Bland
SVP of Commercial Strategy
Life Cycle Power
Panelist
Jim Buie
Chief Executive Officer
ValorC3 Data Centers
5:15 pm — 6:30 pm
Room: Centennial Foyer, Third Floor

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