In this workshop, we brought together utility leaders, data center developers, and industry experts to tackle the growing challenges of integrating data centers into the grid. The following focal points shaped discussions:

• Energy Demand Growth: Rapidly growing and unpredictable data center loads challenge grid reliability, voltage stability, and power quality.

• Infrastructure Lag: Existing transmission and distribution systems are bottlenecks for meeting data center demand.

• Increased Risk: There can be significant initial and downstream financial impacts to utility companies, especially when plans for large loads do not materialize.

• Technological Adaptation: AI computing efficiencies and cooling innovations will shift power demand trends.

• Concentration: Data centers are not uniformly constructed across service territories, whereas they tend to concentrate where there is available / affordable land, fiber communication backbones, affordable energy and water use rates, and tax incentives.

• Financing: Access to capital to fund utility infrastructure projects is limited.

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