Planning the Grid at the Speed of AI: From Interconnection Queues to Grid Readiness
September 10, 2026 | 3:00 PM EDT | Online Webinar
Presented by Siemens, NVIDIA and Dominion Energy
Description
Planning the Grid at the Speed of AI is a live webinar examining one of the fastest-growing infrastructure challenges created by artificial intelligence and electrification: how can electric utilities expand and plan transmission systems quickly enough to accommodate rapidly increasing electricity demand?
Experts from Siemens, NVIDIA and Dominion Energy will explore how AI-driven data centers and other large electricity users are changing traditional assumptions about grid planning. The discussion focuses on transmission capacity, increasingly congested interconnection queues, infrastructure planning and ways AI, advanced analytics and high-performance computing can accelerate studies and help utilities make better planning decisions.
The issue extends well beyond data centers. Siemens notes that electrification, advanced manufacturing, renewable-energy integration and large-load development are all increasing pressure on a grid that must simultaneously become more reliable, resilient, affordable and capable of supporting economic growth.
The core audience include:
- Transmission planners
- Power-system engineers
- Utility executives
- Interconnection teams
- Regulatory professionals
- Professionals responsible for grid expansion and infrastructure planning
Additional Details
What You'll Learn
How AI and data-center growth are changing electricity demand and transmission planning. Why utilities are experiencing increasingly difficult interconnection queues and grid-readiness challenges. How utilities can evaluate large new electricity loads more efficiently. How AI, advanced analytics and high-performance computing can accelerate complex transmission-planning studies. How planners can evaluate multiple possible demand scenarios instead of relying on a single long-term forecast. How utilities are modernizing planning processes to identify constraints sooner. How improved transmission planning can support electrification, infrastructure development and economic growth. Practical perspectives from organizations directly involved in technology development and electric-grid operation
Why This Matters
Electricity is becoming a critical constraint on the expansion of AI infrastructure, data centers, advanced manufacturing and broader electrification. A new facility may have financing, land and customers ready, yet still face years of delay because sufficient transmission capacity or grid connections are unavailable. At the same time, utilities must integrate renewable generation, modernize aging infrastructure and maintain reliability and affordability. Improving how quickly utilities can model, understand and plan the grid could therefore affect not only AI development but the pace of the wider clean-energy transition and economic development.
Action Level - LEARN
What You'll Leave With
A clearer understanding of how AI-driven electricity demand affects grid infrastructure. A better understanding of transmission and interconnection bottlenecks. Examples of how utilities are responding to large-load growth. Insights into AI-enabled and data-driven transmission planning. Approaches for evaluating uncertainty and multiple future demand scenarios. Greater understanding of how grid planning affects infrastructure investment and economic development. Practical perspectives from Siemens, NVIDIA and Dominion Energy. Access to Siemens' related “Planning the Grid at the Speed of AI” executive briefing/white paper, which examines large-load growth, transmission planning and capital allocation
Best For - Systems Designers, Researchers, Local Governments, Policymakers, NGOs / Civil Society, Technology Professionals
Systems It Connects To - Circularity & Whole-System Design, Clean & Renewable Energy, ICT & Cybersecurity, Public & Planetary Health, Smarter Cities & Communities, Water, Infrastructure, Supply Chains
Languages - English
Practical Next Step - Identify a grid or interconnection bottleneck affecting your community, organization or region. Use the webinar to find one planning or AI-enabled approach that could help solve it—and identify who needs to work together to put that solution into practice.