Sep 8, 2026 · 22 min · 15 segments
This episode is part of our EEI 2026 Highlights series. The discussions highlight the innovative strategies, investments, and partnerships shaping the future of the energy grid. The speakers are…
Jake ElderGuest
Kristen BraunGuest
Jason RowellGuest
Brian ReelHost
Kendall HughesHost
Samantha Phillips-GraziosiHost
What does that mean and how has that become a critical competitive advantage for these AI developers?
Yeah, I mean, in some ways it's kind of obvious, right? We're in a bit of a race here to build and train large models that can then be monetized over time.
And there's a kind of continual push and compounding returns to building the most frontier smartest models, which requires more and more innovation.
And so there have been a number of different studies that make the case for meaningful, meaningful economic uplift for these new developments if they can get online even just 12 or 18 months sooner.
Of course, for our utility friends, it's also beneficial to bring these loads online sooner if they can be accretive.
And so I think really what we've seen over the last year, year and a half is the utilities recognize that delivering quickly is important, but that we need to make sure that we're qualifying and de-risking those loads as they're coming.
And so I've been really kind of heartened by the processes we've seen a bunch of utilities put in place around vetting these projects, working them through queues, ensuring that good faith deposits come in at the right time to fund work, but also not be too much of a blocker towards new development.
And I think, you know, Utilities like Dominion, Georgia Power, and a few others have really been leading the way on that piece.
What does that mean and how has that become a critical competitive advantage for these AI developers?
Yeah, I mean, in some ways it's kind of obvious, right? We're in a bit of a race here to build and train large models that can then be monetized over time.
And there's a kind of continual push and compounding returns to building the most frontier smartest models, which requires more and more innovation.
And so there have been a number of different studies that make the case for meaningful, meaningful economic uplift for these new developments if they can get online even just 12 or 18 months sooner.
Of course, for our utility friends, it's also beneficial to bring these loads online sooner if they can be accretive.
And so I think really what we've seen over the last year, year and a half is the utilities recognize that delivering quickly is important, but that we need to make sure that we're qualifying and de-risking those loads as they're coming.
And so I've been really kind of heartened by the processes we've seen a bunch of utilities put in place around vetting these projects, working them through queues, ensuring that good faith deposits come in at the right time to fund work, but also not be too much of a blocker towards new development.
And I think, you know, Utilities like Dominion, Georgia Power, and a few others have really been leading the way on that piece.
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