The Energy and AI Nexus: Modernizing Grids, Forging Partnerships

Name: The Energy and AI Nexus: Modernizing Grids, Forging Partnerships — ORF America
Start: 2025-10-23T08:30:00-0400
End: 2025-10-23T10:00:00-0400
Location: ORF America

Thursday, October 23, 2025
8:30 AM 10:00 AM 08:30 10:00

ORF America 1100 17th Street NW, Suite 501 Washington, DC 20036 (map)

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On October 23, ORF America launched the Future of Energy Breakfasts series with a roundtable discussion on the energy and artificial intelligence nexus.

AI is rapidly transforming how energy is generated, delivered, and consumed. By improving forecasting, enhancing grid performance, and enabling smarter demand management, AI can strengthen the security, resilience, and affordability of energy systems. At the same time, AI’s growth presents new challenges. Expanding data centers, cloud services, and advanced computing applications are driving unprecedented electricity demand. Managing this demand — without compromising reliability, affordability, or security goals — has become a critical policy issue. Beyond U.S. borders, there is also an opportunity to forge strategic partnerships — sharing American strengths in AI-energy applications while learning from global experiences. Collaboration with allies such as India and with partners across the Global South can ensure that AI’s promise in energy strengthens resilience, competitiveness, and security worldwide.

Key takeaways included:

Convergence of Sectors. There is growing convergence between the energy and AI industries — major energy companies are investing in AI capabilities, while big tech firms are entering the power generation and supply space.
Surge in Electricity Demand. AI-driven data centers are emerging as major energy consumers, contributing to the next big surge in global electricity demand alongside the electrification of transport, cooling, and industry.
Emerging Private Power Ecosystems. In regions with weak or slow-moving utilities, hyperscalers are creating parallel ecosystems — building their own generation, transmission, and data infrastructure to ensure reliability.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Solutions. While advanced nuclear and other power options are gaining interest for AI workloads, large-scale deployment remains at least 5–7 years away, leaving current supply gaps unresolved.
Equity and Global Access. The rapid growth in AI-related power demand risks leaving behind countries with underdeveloped grids. Expanding equitable access to both reliable electricity and AI capabilities is crucial for inclusive growth.
Operational Efficiency through AI. AI applications in grid operations are already improving efficiency, reducing peak loads, and enhancing the integration of renewable energy — proving the technology’s value beyond consumption.
Capacity and Governance. Building AI literacy among grid engineers and embedding AI–energy equity in forums like the G20 and MDB agendas will be essential to align innovation with sustainability and fairness.
Policy Coherence. Achieving the full potential of the AI–energy nexus will require greater policy coherence — aligning energy, AI, critical minerals, and industrial strategies so that innovation, infrastructure, and supply chains evolve in sync rather than in silos.

Speakers

Welcome Remarks: Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America
Amb. Geoff Pyatt, Senior Managing Director, McLarty Associates and Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources
Govind Shivkumar, Director, Omidyar Network
Jennifer Schuch-Page, Managing Principle-Energy and Sustainability, The Asia Group
Moderator: Piyush Verma, Senior Fellow, ORF America

Participants