Transition-AI: Can the Grid Handle AI’s Power Demand?

Creative solutions for utilities and data center operators to manage the AI energy boom.

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Data center energy use is spiking around the world. As AI workloads soar, the International Energy Agency says that demand could double in the next two years. Many utilities in the U.S. are scrambling to procure more power to meet growing load from new manufacturing plants, electrification, and data centers – often by proposing new gas plants.

This trend is worrying environmentalists and clean power advocates, who say AI could make decarbonization harder on an already-constrained grid. But many experts see it as an opportunity to get creative about expanding grid capacity and designing data centers – and that the benefits of AI in the power sector will far outweigh the increase in power demand.

So, are growing concerns over AI’s power demand justified? How are they contributing to America’s growing hunger for electricity? And what technologies and grid management techniques can address it?

In our upcoming Transition-AI event, Latitude Media Executive Editor Stephen Lacey is joined by three experts who offer a range of views on how to address the energy needs of hyperscale computing, driven by artificial intelligence.

Brian Janous, co-founder of Cloverleaf Infrastructure. Brian is the former VP of energy at Microsoft who saw how the rise of ChatGPT complicated clean energy procurement. He is now focused on unlocking new grid capacity for utilities without relying on fossil fuels.
Michelle Solomon, senior policy analyst at Energy Innovation. Michelle co-authored a new report on the many ways utilities can meet rising demand without building new gas plants.
John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna. John is focused on building data centers for batch processing that utilize excess renewable energy.

Who should watch?

Utilities / IPPs
Energy developers
Solution providers
Data center operators
Large energy buyers
Policymakers / regulators
Analysts / researchers

Event themes

Forecasting AI power demand
Impact of data center growth on utility IRPs
Meeting cloud operators’ carbon-free targets
Resource mix to power data centers
Alternative solutions: grid-enhancing technologies
Optimizing data center design and efficiency
Data center siting aligned to grid capacity
AI in service of managing power demand
Interconnection bottlenecks and obstacles to development

Featured Speakers

Stephen Lacey
Latitude Media

Stephen Lacey

Executive Editor + Co-Founder

Latitude Media

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Stephen Lacey is the co-founder and executive editor of Latitude Media and the co-host of Open Circuit. He helps shape editorial coverage, live events, and creative partnerships. He’s a veteran journalist, editor, and producer who’s been running news teams and making audio programming about the clean energy transition for nearly two decades.

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Brian Janous
Cloverleaf Infrastructure

Brian Janous

Chief Strategy Officer + Co-Founder

Cloverleaf Infrastructure

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Brian is a global energy and decarbonization leader with nearly 25 years of experience pioneering innovative approaches to marrying sustainability with business strategies. Brian is the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder of Cloverleaf Infrastructure. Cloverleaf aims to solve the critical problem of expanding grid capacity to support the largest electric customer loads to spur economic growth and investment. Brian also serves as a Sr. Advisor with Green Strategies, advising early stage to Fortune 500 companies on energy and decarbonization strategies. Previously, Brian served as VP of Energy at Microsoft, supporting the development and execution of Microsoft’s global cloud and AI energy strategy. This included oversight of energy policy, procurement, renewable energy, distributed generation, and overall environmental impact. Prior to Microsoft Brian worked as a consultant at Brubaker & Associates, assisting Fortune 500 companies with energy procurement, policy, and sustainability matters.
Brian holds board positions with LineVision, a leader in dynamic line rating technology, VEIR, a pioneer in superconducting transmission technology, and the Institute for Energy Studies at Western Washington University. Brian has also previously served on the board of the American Wind Energy Association (now the American Clean Power Association). Brian holds an MBA from Webster University, a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Missouri.

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John Belizaire

John Belizaire

CEO, Soluna

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John Belizaire is the CEO of Soluna Holdings, the world’s first utility-scale company building modular, batchable computing centers for intensive applications like Bitcoin mining, AI, and machine learning, powered by renewable energy. As a serial entrepreneur, John has successfully founded and scaled multiple industry-leading technology startups that have achieved market leadership and double-digit growth, including FirstBest, an insurance software company acquired by Guidewire, and The Theory Center, a software company acquired by BEA Systems. Before becoming an entrepreneur, John was the lead architect for Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group. John holds B.S. and Master’s of Engineering degrees in Computer Science from Cornell University.

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Michelle Solomon

Michelle Solomon

Senior Policy Analyst, Energy Innovation

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Michelle is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Electricity Program at Energy Innovation, working to accelerate the transition to a clean, affordable, and equitable electricity sector in the United States.
Prior to joining Energy Innovation, Michelle earned her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Stanford University, where she studied nanoparticles with applications in purifying chemicals for use in medicine and the environment. During graduate school, she also pursued an interest in energy policy and spent a summer working on electric vehicle policy at the California Energy Commission. After graduating, she transitioned full-time into policy as a Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. As a fellow, she had the chance to work on energy and environment policy for Senator Ed Markey, focusing on a wide range of issues spanning environmental justice to electric vehicle charging.
Michelle holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. from Stanford University in materials science and engineering. She also completed her B.S. in physics at Boston College.

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