Data Centers and Other Large Electricity Customers Driving Resurgence in Nuclear Generation Interest

The growing demand for electricity in data centers due to the significant expansion of AI has sparked a renewed interest in using nuclear power to meet this demand. Some proposals suggest directly connecting nuclear power to data centers as behind-the-meter load. Both existing large nuclear plants and planned Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are being considered for this purpose. This presentation will provide an overview of the challenges involved in connecting large electrical loads like data centers to the grid, as well as the benefits and potential concerns of using existing or new nuclear facilities to power these facilities. It will also cover how data center developers are prospecting new sites across the country, spanning various energy markets, for data center development. Additionally, the presentation will address the operational challenges of a data center operations from a utility perspective.

Adam W. Loeding & Manish Jain, S&L

Adam Loeding is a Vice President of consulting services at Sargent & Lundy. Adam manages and directs teams on assignments for electric power utility planning, owners’ engineering, technical advisory, and resource integration. Adam has broad and deep power experience working on a variety of generation technologies including thermal, nuclear, and renewable technologies with a focus on wind, solar, and energy storage. In support of these projects, Adam’s teams provide valuable insights that project stakeholders rely upon during the development, financing, construction, and operation of power assets. Additionally, Adam has consulted on resource and demand planning projects and has managed detailed transmission and interconnection system studies for large electrical loads, data centers, and offshore wind projects. Prior to joining Sargent & Lundy, Adam worked as a data center technician. Adam has a BS in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois.

Manish Jain has 15 years of experience in Transmission System Operation and Planning. At Sargent & Lundy, Manish manages a group of power systems engineers focusing on various transmission planning, generator interconnection, and power system studies engagements. Before joining Sargent & Lundy, Manish worked at Commonwealth Edison (An Exelon Company). Manish has been an industry leader in EMS applications for transmission system operations. He has also chaired the EMS modeling subcommittee at the North American Transmission Form (NATF). He has experience with GE, ABB, and OSI EMS systems. Manish has extensive experience in performing transient and dynamic voltage stability studies. He also has experience in carrying out dynamic voltage recovery studies. Manish is a subject matter expert for NERC compliances and has participated and presented in NERC and PJM audits.

Date/Time

Nov 13, 2024 @ 12pm-1pm Central Time

Registration

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