From Server Farms to Statehouses: Simplifying the Data Center Surge to Amplify Efficiency Impact

When:  Mar 26, 2026 from 01:00 PM to 02:00 PM (ET)

Business Issues & Regulatory Models Topic Committee Presents: 

From Server Farms to Statehouses: Simplifying the Data Center Surge to Amplify Efficiency Impact 

Overview: 
As AI and digital services fuel unprecedented growth in data center energy consumption, this session explores how one program is proactively addressing the challenge. Through a comprehensive market assessment and a cross-jurisdictional policy review, the presentation will highlight strategies to streamline regulatory complexity and accelerate energy efficiency from the outset of data center development. 

Key Themes: 

  • The rapid rise in data center energy demand, projected to triple by 2028. 

  • Oregon’s POWER Act and its implications for balancing data center growth with residential energy equity. 

  • A national review of successful energy efficiency programs and utility models. 

  • The role of data storytelling and integrated research in navigating policy and technical challenges. 

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Policy Impact: Determine how local, state, and federal policies—like Oregon’s POWER Act—affect data center siting, rate structures, and energy program participation. 

  1. Program Design: Compare effective design strategies from successful data center energy efficiency programs across the U.S. 

  1. Strategic Communication: Demonstrate how to use data storytelling and cross-sector research to simplify complex energy issues and inform program development. 

Speakers: 

  • Jared Casey and Andrea Salazar, Michaels Energy 

  • Shelly Carlton, Energy Trust of Oregon