Growing reliance on digital technologies, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a surge in energy-intensive data centers in the country and in the Northwest. On April 22, 2025, the Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) hosted a Decarbonization Forum during which a panel of experts explored the impact of data center energy use on the Northwest’s energy grid and clean energy transition. We packed the room at K&L Gates, who sponsored the event in Seattle, with attendees from utilities, businesses, state agencies, and clean energy advocacy organizations.
Panelists included: Brian Janous (Cloverleaf Infrastructure), Crystal Ball (PNUCC), Edith Bayer (Oregon Department of Energy), Kate Brouns (Governor Ferguson’s Office), Diane Brandt (Renewable Northwest), and Joshua Basofin (Climate Solutions).
The event began with an introduction from Eileen V. Quigley, CETI’s Executive Director and the panel moderator. Eileen explained that CETI’s Decarbonization Forum series is designed to demystify complex decarbonization problems and offer suggestions for breaking barriers to progress. She gave high-level context on data centers, AI, and energy use for the upcoming discussion.
Brian Janous presented on the future of energy infrastructure related to rapid growth of data centers and AI, focusing on the challenge of surging energy demand from data centers and the desire to meet that demand with clean electricity. Strategically, Brian explained that “the answer is the grid,” emphasizing opportunities to deploy grid-enhancing technologies (GETs), virtual power plants, storage, and other methods for addressing demand. Janous also emphasized the critical need for expanded transmission.
Crystal Ball then took the podium to present PNUCC’s 2024 Northwest Regional Forecast, which projects a 30% growth in demand for electricity from 2024 to 2034, an increase from the 24% growth projected in the previous year’s forecast. Crystal stressed that regional collaboration will be critical to address the challenges posed by growing electricity demand.
The discussion then turned to representatives from state agencies and advocacy organizations in Oregon and Washington.
Edith Bayer provided insights from Oregon’s Energy Strategy modeling and explained some of the challenges that Oregon faces with respect to data center growth, including its impact on the state’s emissions reduction targets. One of these challenges is the new loads being built in utility service territories that are not covered by Oregon’s clean electricity law, HB 2021, which causes uncertainty around the potential emissions impacts. Edith also highlighted the need to break down silos between the tech industry and the energy/utilities industry, as well as the critical role of energy efficiency and demand management.
Kate Brouns shared Washington’s perspective on the impact of data center growth on the state’s grid and clean energy goals, highlighting Governor Ferguson’s recently announced data center workgroup, which will provide recommendations to the Governor by December 1, 2025 around a shared vision for building data centers in Washington. Kate also discussed the need to build public trust and rewrite the concerning narrative that is pitting data centers against the clean energy transition.
Diane Brandt then discussed how recently forecast data center load growth has shifted the way Renewable Northwest works with its members to promote responsible development of renewable energy resources in the Northwest. Diane focused on how data centers fit into the region’s current efforts to build transmission, which she highlighted as a big barrier to the clean energy transition.
To close out the panel presentations, Joshua Basofin shared challenges and proposed solutions regarding data center load growth in Oregon. He spoke to the need to modernize Oregon’s grid with GETs and permitting reform to prevent excessive strain from data center load. He also addressed the issue of cost allocation and advocated for a separate rate class for data centers to protect rate payers from bearing the cost of the infrastructure and transmission investments needed to support data center growth. Joshua closed his remarks by highlighting three bills pending in the 2025 Oregon State Legislative Session:
The panel discussed equity trade-offs of increased demand for electricity on communities and energy grids where data centers are located and took questions from the audience before the event concluded.
A recording of the discussion and panelist slide decks will be available soon, so stay tuned.
CETI also produced Data Centers, Artificial Intelligence, and Energy Use 101, a resource to demystify data center energy use, emissions, and the impact of AI, as well as ongoing efforts in the Northwest to understand the implications of data center demand for the grid.
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