Explore the Agenda
7:30 am Check-In & Morning Coffee
8:15 am Advancing Data Centers Opening Remarks
8:20 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Designing Power Delivery for High-Density Data Centers
8:30 am Panel: Overcoming Space Constraints to Support Rising Density Requirements for Next-Gen AI Data Halls
- Exploring strategies to effectively deliver increasing kilowatt loads into shrinking data hall footprints while maintaining safe and reliable electrical distribution
- Identifying how rising rack densities and megawatt-scale loads impact cable routing, duct banks and space planning
- Evaluating alternative layouts, stacking approaches and site considerations to balance equipment footprint and power delivery as AI loads continue to grow
9:00 am Transitioning to High-Voltage Direct Current (DC) to Unlock Greater Efficiency & Power Density
- Exploring the emerging ecosystem for high voltage DC systems to understand where DC may present clear advantages for future deployments
- Analyzing how DC distribution alters redundancy, protection and overall power architecture to ensure reliability is sustained during adoption
- Benchmarking potential efficiency and density benefits against the maturity of available equipment to make informed decisions about early stage DC integration
10:30 am Morning Refreshments & Speed Networking
11:10 am Panel: Rethinking Power Distribution Methodologies to Support Rising Rack Densities & Minimize System Risk
- Comparing different distribution approaches to determine which methodologies best support higher power densities without increasing operational risk
- Assessing strategies to tailor distribution for varying workload types, ensuring AI dense areas receive appropriate capacity without compromising other zones
- Ensuring maintainability by designing distribution paths that allow safe isolation of equipment while upholding uptime expectations
Overcoming Grid Bottlenecks & Ensuring Reliable Campus Power
11:40 am Eliminating Transmission & Interconnection Bottlenecks to Accelerate Power Delivery
- Clarifying where generation, transmission and distribution each become bottlenecks for high density campuses, to support more accurate assumptions in load flow [MI1.1]
- Examining how long transmission build out timelines and interconnection queues affect the energization of new data center campuses, to align medium voltage design work with achievable in service dates
- Designing campus electrical systems to accommodate phased energization and future capacity to ensure reliability despite transmission/interconnection delays
12:10 pm Lunch Break
1:10 pm Case Study: Harnessing Onsite Generation to Overcome Utility Delays & Meet Emerging Grid Stability Requirements
- Redesigning facilities to include onsite generation as a solution for delayed utility power and strict grid stability requirements
- Navigating permitting, emissions and community constraints that affect the feasibility, size and operation of onsite power systems
- Coordinating onsite generation with campus layouts, overall electrical design and utility interfaces to maintain long-term reliability
1:45 pm Fireside Chat: Navigating Utility Constraints to Secure Power Faster & Meet Large Load Approval Requirements
- Analyzing how inconsistent large load definitions, evolving grid criteria and multi year utility delays create major approval bottlenecks
- Understanding the impact of voltage and frequency ride through requirements influence switchgear, UPS and transformer design
- Evaluating how rapidly changing AI loads challenge utility connections and affect upstream electrical equipment sizing
- Addressing how utility capacity limits and evolving interconnection rules drive load balancing, redundancy and overall power distribution planning
Ensuring Reliability & Resiliency in High-Density AI Environments
2:10 pm Case Study: Exploring Power System Analysis to Strengthen Data Center Electrical Reliability
- Validating electrical system performance to improve safety, resilience and compliance in mission-critical facilities
- Leveraging power system analysis software to support informed design decisions, protection strategies and constructability
- Integrating power system studies throughout design, construction and close-out to ensure maintainable data center power systems
2:40 pm Afternoon Refreshments & Networking Break
3:10 pm Case Study: Managing Fluctuating Power Demand to Meet AI Workloads
- Examining how steep, fast AI load swings cause voltage and frequency deviations that trigger unnecessary transfers to backup systems
- Highlighting the importance of meeting ride through requirements to prevent cascading grid impacts
- Exploring rack-level and low-level technologies like embedded UPS to smooth spikes in load and improve power stability
- Evaluating strategies such as large-scale battery storage, capacitors and other power mitigation techniques to handle unpredictable AI workloads
3:40 pm Mastering Redundancy & Maintainable Designs to Build Reliability into Data Center Electrical Systems
- Comparing redundancy schemes to understand how different electrical topologies influence system reliability and availability
- Applying reliability analysis to identify which parts of the electrical system most affect uptime, helping prioritize focus areas in design
- Optimizing maintenance and redundancy strategies to maintain critical power during planned work and unexpected events