AI Infra Summit 2026

A California Utility, Its Grid Operator and Google on AI Power Demand

Data centers account for a quarter of projected load growth in the state, its grid operator said, against much larger shares in Texas and Virginia.

Akul Saxena

Sep 15, 2026 — 5 min read

Photo of (from left) Shaneez Mohinani of GridCARE, Tyler Norris of Google, Bobby Hollis of STACK Infrastructure, Chelle Izzi of Pacific Gas and Electric and Neil Millar of the California Independent System Operator, at the AI Infra Summit in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesday.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 15, 2026 – Six federal proceedings opened in June will set the terms for how data centers connect to the American power grid and who pays for the transmission built to serve them. The six grid operators named in them file responses this fall.

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The AI Energy Management Alliance, a new trade association for artificial intelligence power demand, launches Wednesday, said Tyler Norris, head of market innovation at Google. It was formed to file comments in regulatory proceedings, a function he said the industry's existing group does not serve.

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AI Infra Summit 2026 Pacific Gas and Electric California Independent System Operator North American Electric Reliability Corporation ERCOT NERC GridCARE AI Energy Management Alliance Santa Clara Northern Virginia Federal Power Act Section 206 Chelle Izzi Tyler Norris Shaneez Mohinani Neil Millar electricity Data Center