At POWERGEN 2026 in San Antonio, leaders from utilities, engineering firms, technology companies, and industry organizations discussed how rapidly changing demand profiles, especially from data centers and AI workloads, are reshaping power generation, grid planning, and energy infrastructure. Speakers emphasized that traditional patterns of electricity use are shifting, requiring the generation, transmission, and distribution parts of the grid to operate as a more interconnected system to meet new levels of demand. Demand associated with large data centers has driven historically high growth rates, placing pressure on engineering capacity and prompting utilities to rethink planning and workforce strategies to keep pace with change.

During a session titled “Flex or Famine: The Power to Accelerate AI,” Jim Barbour of Enchanted Rock highlighted the distinct characteristics of modern electricity demand, noting that data centers do not follow traditional peak cycles and that the power requirements for AI training are very different from standard computing queries. He emphasized that these differences create complexity in planning and underscore the need for closer collaboration between developers and utilities.

The conference also addressed the concept of “bridge power”—flexible onsite energy systems that can supply immediate capacity while longer-term grid infrastructure is developed—and the challenges of permitting, interconnection, and capacity accreditation. Utility representatives discussed the role of onsite generation in future energy planning and stressed the importance of integrated solutions that balance short-term reliability with long-term grid goals.

You can read the full article from Fortinet here.