Agenda

8–8:15 a.m.
Welcome, Opening Remarks

8:15–8:45 a.m.
Keynote Address
Infrastructure Masons Chairman and Founder Dean Nelson will kick off NREL's Partner Forum by sharing the biggest issues facing the digital infrastructure industry today. Nelson will explore how to navigate five key areas—power, perception, people, planet, and protection—and what they mean for the future of the industry.

8:45–10 a.m.
Panel Discussion: Meeting Power Demand of Data Centers
This panel will discuss how to meet increasing power demand in the most cost-effective and reliable manner and an integrated approach to energy solutions. What are organizations' predicted load growth in the next 10–15 years? What are current operational constraints?

10:15–10:30 a.m.
Lightning Talk: NREL's Geospatial Analysis Capabilities
NREL's advanced data analysis, artificial intelligence-powered modeling, and large-scale visualization capabilities enable faster, more cost-effective siting of energy infrastructure to meet growing demand. By generating unique spatial and temporal datasets, NREL delivers insights that inform critical challenges and provide a deeper geospatial perspective on contemporary energy solutions.

10:30–11:30 a.m.
Panel Discussion: Data Center Site Selection and Analysis
This panel will discuss the key considerations for optimal placement of new data centers. What are the main criteria used to site new data center installations? What are key characteristics of data center-dense geographical areas?

12:30–1:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion: How Can Data Centers Be Good Neighbors?
The panel will explore considerations for local economies and permitting timelines. What are the current challenges when proposing new installations? What are common disputes from communities, and how are permitting timelines affected?

1:30–1:45 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Chip to Grid, Co-Optimization of Integrated Energy Systems
Learn how NREL is gathering key industry players—including leading hyperscalers, utilities, chip manufacturers, system integrators, and high-performance computing developers—to address the full spectrum of challenges and energy capacity needs, from chip-level innovation to comprehensive grid integration powering AI data centers.

1:45–3 p.m.
Panel Discussion: Data Center Energy Efficiency and Optimization
This panel will discuss innovations and optimization practices that enable efficient maximization of computational throughput. What is the current average energy demand for representative workloads, and how will it change in the next 5–10 years? What are key strategies and emerging technological areas that could free up available capacity, reducing the need for grid expansion?

3:15–4:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion: Supporting Grid Reliability
This panel will discuss how data centers can be designed to provide grid services and ensure grid resilience. What are current strategies for data centers to participate in dynamic energy systems rather than solely being a grid consumer? What do utilities need to maintain power quality for all user types in markets where data centers operate?

4:15–4:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks and Adjournment

8:30–9:30 a.m.
Data Center Innovation: Startups Showcase
Emerging startup technologies show promise for addressing expanding demands on the grid. For the first time, the Partner Forum will showcase four startups with technologies to help manage load growth while ensuring grid reliability, energy source-mix integration, and optimized efficiency. The objective of the session is to deepen understanding, foster collaboration across the ecosystem, and drive investment into innovative solutions for data center power management.