How will the escalating energy demands of a tech-fueled future be met as the world undergoes a complex and uncertain energy transition?
For our fourth annual Energy Transition Summit, we sought to answer that question by bringing together a distinguished group of industry leaders, innovators, investors, policy experts, and community leaders who are forging the new energy economy. Guided by the theme “shaping Our Energy Future – The Path Forward,” we fostered wide-ranging panel discussions and fireside chats on how to bridge the growing gap between demand and capacity-for power as well as industrial advances-amid regulatory shifts, infrastructure bottlenecks, and capital constraints for mega projects.
Since its inception, our Summit has provided an essential forum for industry leaders to share ideas on the most pressing challenges and promising opportunities, from capital formation and regulatory evolution to technological commercialization. This year’s summit, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Mintz Enduring Energy & Infrastructure Practice, took place during a critical period in the energy transition marked by a surge in demand driven primarily by the digital infrastructure boom and geopolitics.
In remarks opening the Summit, Tom Burton, Chair of the Mintz sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Practice, framed the central challenge this way: How can we meet energy transition demand in a world where risk allocation is shifting away from the many (the US taxpayer) toward the few?
“The technology exists, the people exist, but will private capital be able to step up and receive the rewards for the additional risk that they’re being asked to take on?” he noted.
After giving opening remarks, Tom moderated the keynote fireside chat with David crane, CEO and Chairman of Generate Capital.As the leader of a premier sustainable infrastructure investment firm,David offered insights into the technologies and economics shaping the energy transition. He also shared thoughts on the looming US electricity shortage,advice on investing in the sector,and lessons learned from his time at the Department of Energy (DOE),where he recently served as the Undersecretary of Infrastructure.
* The first panel, moderated by Sahir Surmeli, Co-chair of the Mintz Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Practice, covered the private equity investment landscape. Mark Lewis, Managing Director at Lime Rock New Energy, Francis O’Sullivan, Managing Director at S2G Investments, and Katie Wu, Director of Global Impact at KKR, shared where they see growth opportunities, how valuations are shifting, and areas ripe for consolidation.
* The second panel turned to the critical challenge posed by the unprecedented surge in demand driven by data centers,artificial intelligence (AI),and cloud computing. The panel, moderated by Ayaz Shaikh, chair of the Projects & Infrastructure team in the Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure Practice at Mintz, convened experts from finance and technology to dissect this challenge: Jonathan Kim, Managing director and Head of Power & Infrastructure at Mizuho, Claus Hertel, Managing director and head of Energy/Core Infrastructure at Rabobank, and Juan Macias, CEO of AlphaStruxure. The group discussed new financing approaches needed to meet the unprecedented demand, the obstacles to growth, and the challenges hyperscalers face in balancing reliability with sustainability.
Worth a look