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Data Center Load Growth & Rising Electricity Costs

Data Center Load Growth & Rising Electricity Costs

Essential Training for Electric Utilities

September 22, 2026 Online :: Central Time

Overview Agenda Instructors Credits
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As data center demand accelerates nationwide, electric utilities face escalating capital costs, rising customer rates, increased regulatory scrutiny, and heightened reliability risk. Utilities that lack a clear, defensible strategy for managing data center-driven load growth and cost recovery are increasingly vulnerable in rate cases, IRPs, and public proceedings.

This one-day course provides must-have training for electric utility professionals responsible for planning, rates, regulatory compliance, and large-customer strategy. The course focuses on how data center demand translates into system costs, and how utilities can justify, allocate, and recover those costs while minimizing risk to other customer classes.

Register now to gain practical frameworks, common language, and actionable tools for rate design, regulatory filings, and internal decision-making under uncertainty.

Learning Outcomes

  • Define how data center load differs from traditional large industrial load and why it introduces greater planning uncertainty
  • Explain how rapid large-load growth affects utility capital planning, cost recovery, and revenue stability
  • Identify the full system cost impacts of serving data centers, including generation, transmission, distribution, and fuel exposure
  • Apply cost causation principles to evaluate whether large load growth appropriately allocates costs across customer classes
  • Analyze how market structure and regulatory frameworks influence cost exposure and recovery options
  • Compare common large-load rate structures, tariffs, and special contracts for effectiveness and defensibility
  • Assess regulatory expectations and potential rate case vulnerabilities tied to data center growth
  • Evaluate tools such as demand charges, minimum bills, marginal cost pricing, and curtailment provisions to control financial risk
  • Interpret real-world tariff case studies to identify best practices and common pitfalls
  • Develop a defensible decision-making framework for evaluating large data center proposals
  • Formulate documentation and analytical support needed for successful regulatory filings
  • Design immediate action steps to improve internal alignment across planning, regulatory, finance, and economic development teams

Register

Please Note: This event is being conducted entirely online. All attendees will connect and attend from their computer, one connection per purchase. For details please see our FAQ

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Individual attendee(s)$ 995.00 each(early bird rate)
(price after September 11, 2026 is $ 1,095.00)
Volume pricing also available

Individual attendee tickets can be mixed with ticket packs for complete flexibility
Pack of 5 attendees$ 4,230.00 (15% discount)(early bird rate)
(price after September 11, 2026 is $ 4,655.00)
Pack of 10 attendees$ 7,960.00 (20% discount)(early bird rate)
(price after September 11, 2026 is $ 8,760.00)
Pack of 20 attendees$ 14,925.00 (25% discount)(early bird rate)
(price after September 11, 2026 is $ 16,425.00)

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before August 21, 2026 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

EUCI retains the right to refuse registration by any individual or company.

Agenda

Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Central Time

Online

Log In

8:45 AM

Lunch Break

12:30 - 1:00 PM

Adjourn for the day

5:00 PM

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Log In

9:00 - 10:00 AM

The Gap Between Load Growth and Cost Recovery

Where projected vs. actual data center load diverges

  • Financial consequences of over- and under-building
  • How load uncertainty translates into cost recovery risk
  • Implications for capital planning, revenue stability, and rate cases

Utility risk addressed:
Exposure to stranded or underutilized assets and unrecovered costs.

10:00 - 11:00 AM

How Data Centers Drive System Costs – and What Must Be Justified

Understanding the full cost stack:

  • Generation capacity and resource adequacy impacts
  • Transmission, substation, and feeder upgrades
  • Fuel price exposure and procurement challenges
  • Differences across market constructs and regulatory structures

Utility risk addressed:
Assess market-wide costs versus jurisdiction-specific costs.

11:00 - 11:15 AM

Morning Break

11:15 AM - 12:30 PM

Cost Allocation and Rate Design: Building Defensible Structures

What regulators are increasingly focused on:

  • Cost causation vs. average rate recovery
  • Where data center costs are leaking into residential and small commercial rates
  • Where data center revenues can offset rates for other customers

Trends on rate design for large loads:

  • Comparison of common approaches to serving large loads(existing tariffs, new tariffs, and special contracts)
  • Eligibility criteria
  • Common elements in tariffs designed for large loads
  • Rate case vulnerabilities tied to large load growth

Utility risk addressed:
Regulatory rejection of cost recovery and public backlash over rate increases.

12:30 - 1:00 PM

Lunch Break

1:00 - 1:30 PM

Regulatory Expectations and Public Accountability

Preparing for heightened scrutiny:

  • What commissions are starting to ask and why
  • Transparency challenges in large customer agreements
  • Equity, affordability, and fairness concerns
  • Common element in large load tariff filings
  • Documentation and analysis regulators expect to see

Utility risk addressed:
Increased regulatory intervention and loss of credibility.

1:30 - 2:15 PM

Case Study: Large Load Tariff of a Midwestern Utility

  • Regulatory and macro context
  • Interdepartmental preparation
  • Key filing elements, including key analysis and proposals
  • Innovations introduced
  • Strategies to navigate regulatory procedures effectively
2:15 - 3:15 PM

Practical Tools Utilities Are Using to Control Costs

  • Demand-based pricing and minimum bill structures
  • Marginal cost+ pricing
  • Phased load commitments and utilization thresholds
  • Curtailment, interruptible service, and flexibility options
  • Bring your own capacity models
  • Cost recovery mechanisms tied to actual usage

Utility risk addressed:
Balancing competitiveness with financial protection.

3:15 - 3:30 PM

Afternoon Break

3:30 - 4:15 PM

Strategic Decision Framework: Managing Data Center Growth Responsibly

Internal alignment utilities must achieve:

  • Planning timeframe considerations
  • When to say yes, no, or not yet
  • Aligning planning, rates, and economic development
  • Avoiding siloed decision-making
  • Preparing leadership for high-stakes decisions

Utility risk addressed:
Strategic missteps driven by growth pressure and misaligned incentives.

4:15 - 4:45 PM

Key Takeaways and Utility Action Checklist

What participants leave with:

  • A defensible framework for evaluating data center proposals
  • Clear documentation and analysis needs for regulatory filings
  • Immediate next steps to strengthen internal alignment
  • Priority actions to improve cost recovery outcomes.
4:45 - 5:00 PM

Open Q&A

Instructors

Dr. Goksin Kavlak

Senior Energy Associate

Brattle Group

 Dr. Kavlak specializes in electricity sector topics such as renewable energy, climate policy analysis, and technological change in energy systems.

Prior to joining Brattle, Dr. Kavlak was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she led a project team investigating the cost reduction in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems due to innovations and energy and climate policies.

Sai Shetty

Senior Energy Associate

Brattle Group

Mr. Shetty has experience in the regulation and economics of the electricity sector.

With a background in econometrics, Mr. Shetty’s work focuses on the application of econometric principles to understand outcomes in electricity markets. In addition, he has worked with electric utilities on issues related to rate design, electric transmission litigation, and in performance-based regulation to help quantify productivity growth in the electric transmission industry.

Continuing Education Credits

IACET

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EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.7 CEUs for this event

Verify our IACET accreditation

 

Who recognizes IACET Credits?

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must log in and be in attendance for the entirety of the course

Instructional Methods

PowerPoint presentations and open discussion will be used

CPE

Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Course CPE Credits: 8.0
There is no prerequisite for this Course.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

CpeEUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

CLE

Only registered attendees can request CLE credits for an EUCI course/event. Please email [email protected] prior to the course start date and list the state where you are licensed and your bar# as well as the name and date of your course/event in your request, and someone will be in contact.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for utility personnel whose decisions directly impact:

  • Load forecasting and capital planning
  • Rate design, cost allocation, and tariff development
  • Regulatory filings, testimony, and commission engagement
  • Large-customer contracts and economic development negotiations
  • System reliability and resource adequacy