Fairness, flexibility and the future of the grid

When: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Where: 159 West 25th Street, 2nd Floor, New York

AI is rewriting the U.S. power demand curve, and fast. Data center power demand is forecast to more than double by 2027, from 31 to 66 gigawatts, pushing data centers’ share of U.S. peak summer demand from roughly 4% to 8.5% in just two years. More than 4,000 data centers are already operating nationwide, with another 1,500-plus in development.

That growth is already showing up on the utility bill. Data centers drove 38% of total charges in PJM’s most recent capacity auction and 46% across its last four auctions combined. Residential electricity prices have outpaced inflation since 2022, and nearly 80% of Americans worry data centers will push prices higher still. The public reaction has been sharp and bipartisan: more Americans see data centers as bad for the environment, home energy costs, and local quality of life than see them as good. Community pushback has already blocked or delayed at least 75 projects worth roughly $130 billion in Q1 2026 alone — including New York’s first-in-the-nation moratorium on new hyperscale facilities.

The industry’s default answer has been to build: new generation, new transmission, new gas plants — on timelines and price tags that strain the grid and the ratepayer alike, and that often arrive too late anyway.

But there’s another way. Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — networks of batteries, EVs, smart thermostats, and other distributed resources — can add flexible capacity in months, not years, at a fraction of the cost. VPPs are already bringing value to the grid and ratepayers alike. ConnectedSolutions, a cross-utility grid flexibility program run with National Grid, Eversource, and other New England utilities, has enrolled 280,000 devices and delivers more than 800 MW of flexible capacity, with 96% customer retention, evidence that this model scalable and sustainable

Join us for a Climate Week NYC conversation on how VPPs can help solve the grid’s biggest challenge, and what it will take for them to play a bigger role — all while keeping the grid more affordable and reliable for everyone.

What you’ll learn

• Why VPPs are a necessary part of the solution: How aggregated batteries, EVs, and smart thermostats can deliver grid-scale capacity in months rather than years, at a fraction of the cost of new generation.
• The benefits of VPPs for utilities and ratepayers: How VPPs help utilities meet peak demand while giving ratepayers a way to lower bills, earn incentives, and play an active role in a more reliable grid.
• Proof it works: A real-world look at ConnectedSolutions — a cross-utility VPP program with National Grid, Eversource, and other New England utilities — enrolling 280,000 devices, delivering 800+ MW of capacity, and holding 96% customer retention.
• What it will take to grow VPPs nationally, and equitably: The policy and market shifts needed to unlock VPPs everywhere — and how to do it in a way that doesn’t leave ratepayers footing the bill for AI’s power appetite.