Engineering Influence from ACEC
Jul 17, 2026 · 19 min · 11 segments
As demand for AI infrastructure accelerates, successful data center development depends on more than identifying available land. Developers and engineering teams must navigate permitting challenges…
Navdeep MartinGuestDiana OlerHostThis podcast is produced by the Market Intelligence Committee at the American Council of Engineering Companies, where we bring you conversations with industry experts on the issues shaping our firms and the markets we serve.
This series is presented in partnership with the Engineering Influence Podcast at ECAC National.
Today, we're joined by Navdeep Martin, co-founder and CEO of FlyPower, an AI-powered platform that helps developers protect millions in project investment by answering two critical questions: Should I build here, and what is my path to approval? FlyPower analyzes social, political, and permitting risks to develop, give development teams the intelligence they need to chart a strategic path to approval.
So communities across the country are grappling with the grow-growth of data centers because of the AI expansion and, and other large-scale infrastructure projects, frankly.
Um, engineering firms are finding themselves at the intersection of not only technical design, but now public perception and regulatory approval.
And in many cases, project success depends, you know, not just on, you know, understanding on social and political dynamics, it's also on engineering solutions as well.
So today we're gonna discuss how firms can better anticipate those challenges and position projects for success.
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This podcast is produced by the Market Intelligence Committee at the American Council of Engineering Companies, where we bring you conversations with industry experts on the issues shaping our firms and the markets we serve.
This series is presented in partnership with the Engineering Influence Podcast at ECAC National.
Today, we're joined by Navdeep Martin, co-founder and CEO of FlyPower, an AI-powered platform that helps developers protect millions in project investment by answering two critical questions: Should I build here, and what is my path to approval? FlyPower analyzes social, political, and permitting risks to develop, give development teams the intelligence they need to chart a strategic path to approval.
So communities across the country are grappling with the grow-growth of data centers because of the AI expansion and, and other large-scale infrastructure projects, frankly.
Um, engineering firms are finding themselves at the intersection of not only technical design, but now public perception and regulatory approval.
And in many cases, project success depends, you know, not just on, you know, understanding on social and political dynamics, it's also on engineering solutions as well.
So today we're gonna discuss how firms can better anticipate those challenges and position projects for success.
