Technical Article
Rising Demand and Energy Innovation Collide at the Great Transformation in Bend, Oregon this July
The energy transition isn’t happening in a silo. Energy exists in a symbiotic relationship with the technologies it powers. That has always been the case — but now, as the transition from fossil fuels to renewables accelerates, the nature of that symbiosis is changing.
Many of today’s energy-hungry technologies — particularly those integrated within smart grids and energy management systems — can intervene directly in the systems that feed them: More EVs mean higher energy demands. Paradoxically, they can also provide services to help grids manage today’s increasingly complex energy landscape.
Now data centers and AI have entered the chat. According to the IEA’s new report, “A typical AI-focused data center consumes as much electricity as 100,000 households, but the largest ones under construction today will consume 20 times as much.”
While that poses an immense challenge for energy generation and distribution, AI also has much to offer the grid. The technology’s ability to learn, analyze, and predict can play a major role in keeping the grid stable as complexity ramps up.
To fully harness that potential, and respond to the exponential growth of AI and data centers in general, we need to fill that demand for energy — which the IEA predicts will more than double to roughly 945 TWh globally by 2030.
Grid infrastructure is already creaking under increasing loads from electrification, and traditional upgrades are notoriously slow. Data centers need energy now. And it has to be reliable, resilient, and clean so they can fulfil their 24/7 demands without dramatically increasing emissions.
As rapidly deployable distributed energy resources, microgrids have huge potential for keeping the AI engines running. Getting the most out of this constellation requires collaboration across the cleantech, renewables, and AI industries.
Which is why this year’s Great Transformation: Energy Innovation and the Modern Grid will be discussing AI, data centers, and microgrids with the experts, entrepreneurs, and change agents working in these spaces. They’ll be doing that across three key sessions:
The event is happening on July 10 at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, Oregon. Read on to hear the organizers talk about their vision for the event, and about the value you’ll get out of attending. Ticket details at the end.
Four partners, one vision
The Great Transformation is a forum for cleantech and renewable energy industry professionals to exchange ideas that address the biggest challenge of our lifetime: the transition from centralized to distributed energy.
It’s presented by Cross Consulting and the Technology Association of Oregon, in partnership with Mayfield Renewables and Xendee.
To put faces to those companies, their principals are Robert Cross of Cross Consulting, Skip Newberry of TAO, Jacob Betcher of Mayfield Renewables, and Adib Naslé of Xendee.
Robert, Skip, Jacob and Adib recently shared their reasons for partnering in this year’s event. In doing so, they illuminated different aspects of their shared vision: A gathering of industry professionals to drive energy innovation and the modern grid during the rise of AI — or what the IEA calls “one of the most important technological revolutions today.”
“The Great Transformation emerged from the realization that the energy transition requires broad participation,” says Robert. “Technology, policy, and economics all factor into the changes rolling over us — and staying in silos won’t help us get the job done. This event will help define the path forward.”
For Skip, the event provides space for addressing the challenges that AI presents for data center operators and utilities in particular — and for exploring the other side of the coin: “Viewed through a different lens, these challenges are opportunities for entrepreneurs seeking to commercialize more efficient technology and/or clean energy solutions.”
Jacob values the format’s ability to seed expert discussions on distributed solutions: “As growing energy demands push our grid closer to the edge, we need solutions now. But traditional energy generation and grid upgrades can take a decade or more. All of this is leading us to distributed generation.”
Adib welcomes the focus on microgrids as a promising answer to the problems presented by AI growth and insufficient grid infrastructure:
The value of attending
The topic of this year’s Great Transformation might be steeped in digitalization and AI — but in-person meetings are still crucial for personal development and collaborative problem solving within and across the sectors shaping our collective future.
The conversations will cover multiple facets of AI and distributed generation, including:
- The pain points that hyperscalers and data center operators encounter as they try to meet AI energy demands while reducing environmental impact and CO2 emissions.
- Where hyperscalers see AI technology going from here.
- The challenges of implementing microgrids at different facilities, and how top-tier companies are solving those challenges.
As Robert notes, “Cleantech entrepreneurs, solar-plus-storage industry professionals, and change agents will benefit from learning from subject-matter experts who are working on the front lines, dealing with mission-critical issues every day.”
Gathering knowledge and expertise like this benefits everyone: “By better understanding the scale and nature of the challenges, we can collectively design and implement better solutions, including better policies, products, services, and partnerships,” says Skip.
And as ever when key players gather in one place, “the learning, networking, and formation of collaborations will be real and meaningful,” says Adib, also noting the caliber of the attendees: “Some of the most important players in the energy and data center space in the Pacific Northwest will be present and sharing new insights.”
Another benefit of attending the Great Transformation is the visual experience it will offer: “By demonstrating impact, the event will show participants what’s happening as innovation pushes forward,” says Robert. “We hope attendees leave feeling inspired.”
Wrapping up, event details, and tickets
So if you’re an entrepreneur or professional working in cleantech, solar-plus-storage, or AI and data centers, join Robert, Skip, Jacob, and Adib in Bend this July.
You’ll spend an enlightening half-day with other bold thinkers, gather valuable insights, and make connections that will drive your business and our industries forward.
The Great Transformation: Energy Innovation & The Modern Grid
July 10, 2025
2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Riverhouse Lodge, Bend, Oregon.
Buy your ticket for $75 here.
If you have any questions, get in touch with Skip or Robert. They’ll be happy to help.
See you in Bend!
