The 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit was the right event at the right time for a market hungry for solutions. We are now living in a time when the world is managing more digital data than ever. The growth spurt is power-hungry, as servers draw huge amounts of electricity and water to keep cool. Plenty of companies want to find new ways to grow that don’t damage the environment. This summit was designed to promote dialogue among leaders about real-world energy-saving solutions. It was a glimpse of the potential of future technology to make data centers cleaner and more efficient. Read below to learn more about the expert sessions and the partners that made the event possible.

Sessions at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit

The speakers at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit discussed several ways to enhance data center efficiency. So, this section covers the specific titles and goals of each presentation given during the event:

How Data Center Development Impacts Local Communities (Fireside Chat)

Speaker: Dr. Denitza Arguirova, Director of Strategy, Crusoe

Dr. Denitza Arguirova looks at the complex link between new tech buildings & the towns where they reside. This talk focuses on managing the physical/social footprint of these massive projects. Specifically, firms must talk to local people early to solve concerns about noise & land use. By planning, these facilities can provide real benefits like new jobs & better local roads. Moreover, this early engagement ensures that tech growth helps the community instead of creating conflict or lasting social problems.

GenAI Power Surge: Driving the Need for Greener Data Centers (Fireside Chat)

Speaker: Holly Elwood, VP of Strategic Engagement and Category Development, Global Electronics Council

Holly Elwood addresses the massive jump in electricity needed to run Generative AI models today. This rapid growth puts heavy pressure on the power grid & makes it harder to meet climate goals. To solve this, she suggests using strict standards when buying hardware/equipment. As a result, this helps managers pick servers & parts that are truly eco-friendly. The talk at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit also covers tracking the carbon footprint of electronics from the factory to the site. Additionally, better tech choices allow companies to support AI growth without causing a global emissions spike.

Electric Load Forecasting Basics

Speaker: Taco de Vries, Manager, Integral Analytics

Taco de Vries explains how to predict the exact amount of power a data center will need at any time. This process is called load forecasting, & it is a vital step for balancing electricity supply. These predictions help managers avoid wasting energy or facing unexpected power shortages during peak times. By using data-driven math, facilities can better plan for busy traffic periods. So, this ensures the data center stays reliable while keeping monthly energy costs as low as possible for the operator.

The Precision Race: How Smart Cooling Redefines Data Center Efficiency

Speaker: Janis Strelits Strele, CEO, Smart Cooling Technologies; Dana Pack, President Americas, Smart Cooling Technologies

Janis Strelits Strele & Dana Pack present precision cooling as the new competitive focus for thermal management. This session highlights proven case studies from locations including Arizona, Abu Dhabi, & London. Furthermore, the speakers argue that the industry must move beyond the old practice of oversizing equipment just to ensure reliability. Instead, a new blueprint focuses on precision to achieve higher cooling efficiency & uptime. With these targeted standards, facilities can now treat heat more efficiently and at bigger scales without losing energy as power consumption increases.

Powering Data Center Growth with Clean, Reliable Energy Solutions

Speaker: Chuck Hanna, Sr. Vice President, Enterprise and Solution Sales, Constellation Energy

Chuck Hanna discusses the importance of sourcing clean/reliable energy for growing digital needs. This talk explains how strong relationships can provide reliable power & help reach decarbonization goals. Moreover, he describes partnering to develop projects that support infrastructure with clean energy integration. By working together on energy projects, companies can align their rapid scaling with long-term environmental commitments. The session at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit explores how these strategies allow organizations to grow their footprints while maintaining a focus on corporate sustainability targets & steady power delivery.

Designing for Impact: Driving Climate Neutral and Net Positive Water Strategies in Global Data Centers

Speaker: Renee LaManna, Sustainability Manager, CyrusOne; Heather Schrock, Director, Environmental Partnerships, Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Renee LaManna & Heather Schrock detail the CyrusOne roadmap to be climate-neutral by 2030. This session covers how to integrate data-driven sustainability through advanced greenhouse gas accounting & transparent disclosures. Moreover, the speakers explore aligning environmental strategies in both U.S. / European operations to maintain a consistent global impact. Additionally, the presentation highlights how to embed environmental & social targets into early engineering & site selection. This ensures that sustainability remains a core design principle for all new global data center projects.

Comparing Energy Efficiency, Water Usage, and Economics of Data Center Cooling Options, including 40% Water Reduction Opportunities

Speaker: Ben Sparrow, CEO & Chief Engineer, Saltworks Technologies

Ben Sparrow analyzes how data center growth & power density are increasing cooling demands today. This session compares the economics, energy efficiency, & water usage of different cooling options. He notes that some choices reduce water but use more energy, while others do the opposite. Moreover, a major focus is placed on blowdown treatment strategies that allow for a 40% reduction in make-up water. This technical comparison helps operators manage water-stressed environments without sacrificing the overall energy efficiency of their facilities.

Scaling Fast, Thinking Long-Term: A Fireside Chat on Data Center Sustainability

Speaker: Namrata Gupta, Sustainability Manager, Vantage Data Centers

Namrata Gupta discusses the challenge of growing a company quickly while staying sustainable. This session looks at the operational reality of building new sites while respecting net-zero goals. She shares insights on how large operators can use the same high standards across different global regions. The talk also covers how to anticipate future laws regarding energy use & environmental reports. This forward-thinking approach ensures that today’s fast construction projects stay viable & eco-friendly for many years to come.

Start Green, Stay Green, Backup Green, Operate Green

Speaker: Sam Thigpen, Founder – CEO, Sapphire Gas Solutions

Sam Thigpen at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit explores using natural gas for construction power & behind-the-meter energy needs. This session details how LNG can be used for permanent onsite gas storage & supply. He also discusses how LNG / CNG can provide necessary resiliency for facility operations. Furthermore, the speaker explains how incorporating RNG can improve the overall sustainability story of a data center. These solutions offer a cleaner way to manage both primary & backup power needs while helping facilities move toward a more reliable operating model.

Unlocking the Path To Water Positive Data Centers

Speaker: Matt Grandbois, Vice President, Business Development, AirJoule, LLC

Matt Grandbois examines the growing trend of heat reuse in the U.S., driven by AI growth. This session provides a roadmap for heat reuse & explains the “Air Joule” path to turn waste heat into water. He outlines how these technologies help address operational & sustainability goals at the same time. By following this path, data centers can move toward becoming water-positive facilities. Moreover, this approach helps solve environmental problems while keeping cooling systems working perfectly for high-density computing workloads.

Powering Resilience Sustainably: Low-Carbon Fuels for Data Center Backup Generation

Speaker: Harrison Akridge, Strategic Account Executive, Mansfield Energy

Harrison Akridge provides an overview of the renewable fuel landscape & future projections. This talk focuses on practical options to reduce emissions from backup power without sacrificing reliability. He analyzes adoption routes, trade-offs, and near-term decisions for the data center operators. In his assessment of low-carbon options, he enables organizations to find ways to meet their carbon reduction goals and remain resilient in the face of grid disruptions. Additionally, the session reveals that so-called emergency systems can, in fact, be successful & sustainable long-term energy solutions.

Designing green data centers around power availability constraints and AI-driven energy demand

Speaker: John Belizaire, CEO, Soluna Holdings

John Belizaire at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit explains how developers can design the next generation of green energy data centers. Furthermore, this session provides real examples of Soluna’s green centers to show how infrastructure handles high density. He discusses the broader implications of powering AI sustainably. This includes how energy-aware infrastructure can support both grid stability & climate goals. By prioritizing energy-aware design, he shows how data centers can act as beneficial assets to the power grid while meeting the soaring energy demands of modern AI.

Data Center Construction with AI-Powered Progress Tracking

Speaker: Hammad Chaudhry, Principal, Strategic Ventures, Cupix

Hammad Chaudhry introduces using 360-degree video capture instead of standard photos for project tracking. This session explains how a unified data platform hosts 360 photos, laser scans, & drone imagery. Moreover, he demonstrates how AI-powered tracking works with BIM & project schedules. This technology allows for better oversight during construction/logistics. It helps teams identify delays & manage complex site tasks. This digital approach makes building modern facilities much faster & more transparent for the project owners & stakeholders.

Power Compute Effectiveness: A new way to think about data center performance

Speaker: Jeffrey Moore, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Airsys

Jeffrey Moore advocates for modern liquid / direct-to-chip cooling to replace legacy air systems. This session examines how modular liquid rack designs scale for AI & high-performance workloads. Moreover, he introduces a new way to think about performance called the Power Compute Effectiveness (PCE) metric. Furthermore, he discusses how automated cooling systems can recover wasted power & increase usable capacity. This allows operators to turn more power into performance & unlock stranded capacity within their existing data center infrastructure.

Turning Waste Heat into Water, Cooling, and Carbon Removal: A New Infrastructure Layer for AI Data Centers

Speaker: Ben Stone, Vice President – Corporate Development, Avnos

Ben Stone addresses how to manage AI-driven pressure on power, cooling, & water resources. This session at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit explores integrating Hybrid Direct Air Capture (HDAC) technology with data center infrastructure. Additionally, he explains how to reuse waste heat to reduce cooling demand while enabling on-site water generation & carbon removal. This creates a new infrastructure layer for resilient & cost-efficient operations. By combining these processes, he demonstrates how data centers can meet sustainability targets & clean the environment while maintaining AI performance.

Identifying, measuring & managing materials & processes to reduce the carbon footprint

Speaker: Forest Halualani, Lead, Sustainability Program, Compass Datacenter

Forest Halualani explores using low-carbon materials to minimize the embodied carbon of data centers. This session compares stick-built/modular construction methodologies for low-carbon techniques. Moreover, he emphasizes accurate & meaningful measurement of sustainability efforts to ensure alignment with client goals. Additionally, the presentation highlights design principles that prioritize both energy efficiency & cost-effectiveness. Picking the right materials & processes early on is the best way to lower a facility’s total footprint while ensuring that sustainable choices remain financially viable.

Navigating the Sustainability-Reliability Paradox in Data Center Strategy

Speaker: Matt Stansberry, Vice President, Data Center Practitioner Insight and Experience, Uptime Institute

Matt Stansberry at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit defines resiliency & sustainability in a data center context. This session examines the tradeoffs between redundancy, risk, & sustainability goals. Furthermore, he discusses how hyperscale / neocloud models are reshaping efficiency & accountability. By analyzing key decision tradeoffs for near-term infrastructure investments, he provides a framework for operators to balance reliability & sustainability. This helps teams find a middle ground where the facility stays on & stays green. The session also provides essential guidance for navigating complex infrastructure choices.

From Research to Reality: How Education and Applied Research Are Accelerating Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Infrastructure (Fireside Chat)

Speaker: Dr. Klyne Smith, Program Director, M.S. Datacenter Systems Engineering, SMU Lyle School of Engineering

Dr. Klyne Smith discusses the importance of academic study and specialized education in the industry. It shares some insight into how applied research in this area can lead to engineering solutions in the real world that can be used to improve efficiency and resiliency. He stresses the need to create a workforce that is uniquely prepared to serve highly dense digital facilities. By closing the distance between theory and application, he illustrates how education alliances can speed up the development of innovative technologies. Additionally, this session illustrates that the critical key to long-term data center sustainability is training the next generation.

Designing Data Centers for Net-Zero Without Compromising Performance (Brainstorming Session)

Facilitator: Miranda Gardiner, Executive Director, iMasons Climate Accord

The speaker at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit led a collaborative session set on practical strategies for reaching net-zero. This brainstorming session encourages experts to share ideas for minimizing carbon footprints throughout the life of a building. She guides the group through topics like:

• renewable energy, 
• advanced cooling, 
• & low-carbon materials. 

The goal is to make a holistic approach to sustainability that works for everyone in the industry. By sharing challenges/solutions, the session aims to move the needle on net-zero commitments/solve large environmental problems.

AI Infrastructure as a Catalyst for Smarter Energy Consumption in Data Centers (Panel Discussion)

Speaker: Namrata Gupta, Sustainability Manager, Vantage Data Centers; Harsha Bojja, Principal AI Platform Architect, Google

Namrata Gupta & Harsha Bojja explore AI-enabled energy optimization & aligning data centers with sustainability goals. This session covers efficiency gains & intelligent cooling optimization using data-driven insights. Furthermore, the speakers explain that AI software can manage cooling & power systems much faster than humans. This makes the whole data center work smarter & reduces total energy consumption. Additionally, the panel demonstrates how AI acts as a catalyst for better resource management. By using these responsive strategies, facilities can support high-performance computing efficiently.

Who were the sponsors for the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit

Any event is as good as the credible companies backing it up, and this event was no different. So, let us go through the impact of the event partner at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit on the landscape:

Integral Analytics – Silver Sponsor

Integral Analytics is an energy data organization that makes software to help plan/run the modern power grid. Their platforms aid utilities and data centers in managing growing energy loads and investments in grids. Moreover, by blending engineering with economic analysis, their tools can predict load growth at a very local scale. This makes way for teams to better plan for future grid needs. Today, their analytics guide grid modernization & regulatory efforts in more than 30 U.S. states. The event partner at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit is set on making the entire energy system more sustainable and reliable.

Constellation – Silver Sponsor

Constellation is a Fortune 200 company and the largest producer of carbon-free power in the U.S. They oversee an enormous energy portfolio across nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar. The company produces about 10% of the nation’s clean electricity – enough to power 16 million homes. On the market, they retail electricity and natural gas to millions of homes and businesses. Moreover, their offerings enable companies to achieve their individual cost, risk, and long-term decarbonization objectives.

ByteBridge | UFRC – Silver Sponsor

ByteBridge is a minority-owned IT solutions provider based in California that grew out of a global IT integrator. They have incredible expertise in data center infrastructure, enterprise IT, & unified communications. Furthermore, one of their major innovations is the Under-Floor Rack Cooler (UFRC), made specially for high-density conditions. Additionally, this system combines with liquid cooling to make airflow better and reduce energy usage. By reducing PUE, the event partner at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit aids facilities in preparing for the future densification of server racks while maintaining stable high performance. 

Mansfield Energy – Silver Sponsor

Mansfield Energy is a leading North American fuel supply and logistics company. They deliver more than three billion gallons of fuel annually to approximately 8,000 customers. With a broad supply point network, they bring refined fuels, renewables, and natural gas to market. Their services streamline vendor relationships by offering a single point of contact for fuel system and price risk management. Mansfield is also dedicated to emergency response fuel services that keep businesses running. Moreover, they help clients achieve their emissions targets and operate reliably.

Saltworks Technologies – Bronze Sponsor

Saltworks Technologies offers solutions for industrial water and lithium in harsh environments. They make advanced treatment systems that enable facilities to regain as much water as they can. Their modular, digitalized systems achieve zero liquid discharge (ZLD), essential for regions under water stress. For lithium projects, they offer the entire route from raw brine to battery-grade materials. This technology encompasses desalination and evaporation, supported by a range of testing and remote assistance services. Additionally, they enable industrial operators to maintain demanding water budgets efficiently and sustainably.

Sapphire gas solutions – Bronze Sponsor

Sapphire Gas Solutions, based in Conroe, Texas, moves fuel where pipelines cannot reach. They specialize in virtual pipeline services for CNG, LNG, and RNG across the United States. This Inc. 5000 company supports many sectors, including power generation and mining, through turnkey energy management. They boost energy resilience by delivering gas quickly during supply breaks. Furthermore, they promote RNG to capture methane and lower carbon footprints. Their mobile fleet and infrastructure help hard-to-reach areas adopt clean energy and sustainable pipeline alternatives.

AirJoule Technologies – Bronze Sponsor

AirJoule Technologies is a climate tech company that designs and manufactures specialized systems to cool air and capture water from it simultaneously. Their technology employs novel sorbent materials to capture moisture with a fraction (75%) of the energy required by conventional techniques. Furthermore, this procedure results in clean, recycled water that can substitute for drinking water in cooling towers. They have collaborated with the likes of Google and Microsoft to build water-efficient data centers. With their process, these plants can drastically cut energy and water use, even for high cooling loads.

Cupix – Presenting Partner

Cupix provides a 4D digital twin solution enabling operators to capture physical sites with 360 cameras and LiDAR. Furthermore, this technology constructs timestamped digital twins that reveal precisely how a site is altered over time. It makes watching construction progress and documenting it extremely reliable for owners and contractors. Remote walkthroughs are also available through the platform, minimizing costly site visits. Furthermore, teams can make quicker decisions and maintain high-quality control throughout the project lifecycle by comparing as-built information with the original designs.

Avnos – Presenting Partner

Avnos is a climate tech company that pioneered Hybrid Direct Air Capture (HDAC) technology to extract carbon dioxide directly from the air. Moreover, their proprietary process uses air and electricity to produce clean water as a co-product. HDAC does not need external heat or access to water, in contrast to conventional processes. Therefore, it represents a far more cost-effective and sustainable path to carbon removal, particularly in arid regions. Additionally, their modular design enables them to be scaled easily in units. So, this provides a straight run for infrastructure turnkey projects to sequester carbon and produce water.

Gridmatic – Presenting Partner

Gridmatic is a power marketer that uses artificial intelligence to enable clean energy producers to maximize their participation in the market. Moreover, their platform utilizes machine learning to forecast energy prices, grid conditions, and dispatch behavior. This enables the producers of renewables to maximize their profits and their exposure to market risk. For battery storage-enabled companies, the event partner at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit tailors charge and discharge decisions to maximize revenue. They also assist large power consumers in purchasing renewables in the best possible way. Furthermore, they are leveraging AI know-how to close the gap between green energy supply and demand.

GenServe – Exhibiting Partner

GenServe is a leader in industrial generators and backup power solutions, sales, and service. They cater to enterprises with zero margin for downtime, including hospitals and data centers. With more than 16 locations throughout the U.S., they provide a full range of services for leading brands, including rentals, complex retrofits, and more. Their team of certified technicians guarantees a fast response and quality service to over 10,000 clients. Moreover, keeping spare systems running at full performance, they offer the resilience to weather any interruption from the primary grid.

2N Systems – Exhibition Partner

2N Systems is a leading provider of critical infrastructure solutions, delivering power and cooling to mission-critical sites. Furthermore, they orchestrate UPS, generator, and precision cooling delivery throughout North America. They do a lot of their work on “live” systems, where they must keep the systems running during upgrades. Their staff takes great pride in using a 200-point checklist and meticulous planning that ensures zero downtime during the installation. They also continue to support clients after delivery to assist with preparing the infrastructure for additional energy requirements and increased server loads.

Fans-Tech – Exhibition Partner

Fans-Tech designs/manufactures intelligent fans and motors for data centers & industrial HVAC systems. It was founded in 2004 and has mega manufacturing bases in China & Vietnam to align with the global demand. Furthermore, their custom coolers focus on high reliability and low noise while majorly minimizing energy usage. Moreover, with more than 500 patents, they use advanced simulation tools to make sure their components perform in a consistent fashion. Additionally, the event partner at the 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit’s in-house testing labs allow them to make specialized cooling solutions for 5G base stations and modern/high-density digital facilities. 

Braden – Exhibition Partner

Braden is a 100-year-old engineering firm that deals in air handling and emissions control for gas turbines. They engineer inlet air systems, silencers, and exhaust systems to maximize power plant efficiency. Moreover, their technology supports more than 750 turbines worldwide today, thousands of them processing billions of tons of clean intake air every year. Their attention is also towards the reduction of damaging emissions such as NOx and CO by means of advanced catalytic reduction processes. Additionally, the organization’s systems enhance the sound and reliability, enabling plants to comply with stringent environmental regulations while producing high levels of power generation.

Hashworks – Business Development Sponsor

HashWorks Industries sits right at the intersection of the energy transition and digital tech. Based in Westport, Connecticut, and led by CEO Todd Esse, the team uses over 30 years of oil and gas expertise to build high-density computing sites and energy storage. They specialize in managing power volatility and energy risks through dynamic market strategies. By repurposing wasted or flared gas into computer power, they curb emissions and stabilize the grid. Also, their flexible data centers even allow for three times more renewable integration, making the entire power system greener and more reliable.

The iMasons Climate Accord – Knowledge Partner

The iMasons Climate Accord brings together over 150 power players like AWS, Google, and Meta to tackle a massive goal. They want to hit net-zero carbon across all digital infrastructure by following the Paris Agreement standards. This group focuses on tracking carbon from materials, power, and supply chains using clear, open standards. By sharing best practices, they help firms in 130 countries make greener market choices. Their work also drives transparency and speeds up emissions cuts for over $150 billion in data center projects worldwide.

To Sum Up

The 4th U.S. Data Center Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Summit was a huge success. The event demonstrated that the industry is prepared to take on the challenges of the AI era. Speakers offered a host of practical advice for saving water, cutting carbon, and using energy more efficiently. It also demonstrated that new technologies are making it easier to be green and stay the course. So, collaboration between companies is the way to bring about real change. If you want to lead the pack in this area, we recommend you attend more of such sustainability summits.