AI and the Electric Grid - Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (ACEE) Program

The total U.S. annual consumption of electricity has not increased in the past 15 years, but the demands of artificial intelligence data centers are projected to shift that trend line dramatically upward in the next few years. Join industry analysts from S&P Global Research, Princeton Professor Jesse Jenkins, and Community Energy founder Brent Alderfer to explore the impact of this new demand on the nation's energy grid, and the implications for energy costs and GHG emissions, and possible paths forward.

Meet the Facilitators: 

Kelly Morgan is a research director in the 451 Research technology research group at S&P Global Market Intelligence. She is responsible for the Datacenter Services & Infrastructure team as well as the M&A practice. Her research includes analysis of datacenter providers, market size, supply/demand, new technology and datacenter industry trends, as well as M&A activity. Kelly has spent more than 18 years covering datacenters and telecommunications at both 451 Research and in private equity. She also worked for several years in Paris at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Kelly holds a BA degree with honors from Wesleyan University and an MA from Tufts, where she studied international business and economics.

Jesse Jenkins is an assistant professor at Princeton University with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment. Jesse leads the Princeton ZERO Lab (Zero-carbon Energy systems Research and Optimization Laboratory), which focuses on improving and applying optimization-based energy systems models to evaluate low-carbon energy technologies and generate insights to guide policy and planning decisions in national and sub-national jurisdictions transitioning to net-zero emissions energy systems. Jesse earned a PhD and SM from MIT, worked previously as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and spent six years as an energy and climate policy analyst prior to embarking on his academic career. 

Brent Alderfer is co-founder of Community Energy Inc. the developed some of the first grid scale wind and solar projects in the U.S.,  pioneering the marketing and financing necessary to make projects work for a wide range of private and utility customers. Prior to Community Energy Alderfer served as a Utility Commissioner on the Colorado Public Utility Commission and chaired the Energy Resources Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners during the restructuring of electric markets. Early in his career Alderfer practiced commercial law representing development stage companies. Alderfer holds an electrical engineering degree from Northeastern University and a law degree from Georgetown University.

What to Expect: A 3-hour program with presentations by the facilitators and a panel discussion. 

To request accommodations for this event, please contact the workshop or event facilitator at least 3 working days prior to the event
 

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