HOUSTON, March 23, 2026, 11:52 CDT
Global energy and tech executives pushed AI power demand to the top of the agenda at CERAWeek on Monday, after Google’s Ruth Porat warned the United States was not “full throttle on energy” and Nvidia teamed with AES, Constellation, Invenergy, NextEra Energy, Nscale Energy & Power and Vistra on AI data centers designed to flex with grid needs. 1
The timing matters. S&P Global said this year’s conference would bring an “unprecedented” number of tech leaders to Houston to discuss how data-center growth is remaking energy markets. Conference materials show a plenary called “Powering the AI Revolution” and another discussion on reliability and affordability featuring Porat, John Ketchum and Daniel Yergin, who said the energy and technology industries were “converging like never before.” 2
The numbers have hardened. The Energy Information Administration expects U.S. electricity use to set fresh records in 2026 and 2027, while projections cited by Reuters Events from the Electric Power Research Institute show data centers could account for 9% of U.S. electricity demand by 2030, up from 4% in 2025. 3
Google is already trying to buy time. Last week it said it had signed five utility agreements under “demand response” programs — deals that pay big users to cut power at peak times — making up to 1 gigawatt of data-center load available for curtailment. Michael Terrell, Google’s head of advanced energy, called that “a really important tool for meeting future demand.” 4
Nvidia described its plan with Emerald AI and the six power groups as a way to connect “AI factories” — its term for AI data centers — to the grid faster, using on-site generation, batteries and software that can trim computing load when the system is stressed. AES chief Andrés Gluski said “grid flexibility will be key,” while Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez said, “We don’t have a supply problem — we have a peak problem.” 5
Competitive pressure is already forcing bigger bets on dedicated supply. On March 20, NextEra said Trump had approved up to 10 gigawatts of gas-fired projects in Texas and Pennsylvania aimed at large users such as data centers, while SoftBank and AEP disclosed plans for an Ohio AI campus backed by a 9.2-gigawatt gas plant. The risk is that the fastest response leans harder on gas, and the Ohio project has already drawn environmental criticism. 6
Investors moved with it. By 11:37 a.m. CDT, Constellation shares were up about 3.0%, Vistra 4.1% and NextEra 1.1%, while Nvidia gained 1.6%; Alphabet rose 0.4%, a smaller move on the tech side.
The backdrop in Houston is rougher than a normal power conference. Oil traded around $100 a barrel on Monday as the war on Iran jolted global markets, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright and ADNOC chief Sultan Al Jaber warned the shock was spreading through the economy. That made the push to add electricity for AI look less like a future challenge and more like an immediate supply fight. 7
