Data Center Project Development Due Diligence for Utilities & Developers

Carsten Baumann is Director of Strategic Initiatives and Solution Architect at Schneider Electric.  In that role, he assists clients with their Industrial IoT and Sustainability initiatives in the Commercial & Industrial and Data Center markets.  Previously, he supported the Consulting and Engineering community by advising on resource-optimized energy management solutions in the data center market. Mr. Baumann joined Schneider Electric in 2012.  His career spans more than three decades in the data center, broadcast, telecommunications, AV and IT industry.  He is an active member of iMasons and the Green G working group (Next G). Until 2018, he served as Treasurer and President on the board of AFCOM Southern California and was chairman for The Global Society for Asset Management (G-SAM).  Mr. Baumann recently completed a program at MIT in Smart Manufacturing and holds an electrical engineering degree from the Theodor-Litt-Schule in Giessen, Germany.

Abby Briggerman is a partner at the law firm Holland & Hart.  She is co-leader of the firm's Electric Power and Data Center industry teams.  In that role Ms. Briggerman helps data center developers, industrial consumers, and non-utility generators address the complex regulatory challenges of securing reliable power supply in today's rapidly evolving energy landscape.  She advocates for large industrial consumer coalitions and data centers in electric utility rate proceedings, service quality matters, certificates of public convenience and necessity, demand side management programs, and rulemaking proceedings. Her practice extends beyond contested proceedings to include electric utility resource planning at both state and regional levels.  Before joining Holland & Hart, she represented municipal utility interests in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proceedings.  Ms. Bruggerman served on the Board of the Colorado Chapter of the Women's Energy Network as inaugural President-Elect (2017-2018) and President (2019), and on the Board of the global Women's Energy Network Foundation (2023-2024).  She earned her law degree at George Washington University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Cornell University.

Rochelle Rabeler is a partner at the law firm Holland & Hart.  She counsels developers, investors, sponsors, and independent power producers in connection with wind, solar, storage, and other energy projects throughout the U.S., varying in size from 100 kW to 1000+ MW. Ms. Rabeler works with both buyers and sellers, guiding them through each nuance of project development contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity financings, including ISDA and other hedge and swap agreements. She specializes in power purchase agreements (PPAs) and has extensive experience representing parties in the negotiation of traditional physical offtake PPAs and also financial and virtual PPAs or contracts for differences. To date, Ms. Rabeler has supported clients successfully negotiate and execute corporate PPAs for wind and solar projects totaling more than 2 GW in the aggregate.

Nathan Smith is Director of Utility Engagement North America for Vantage Data Centers.  As such, he leads the utility strategy and engagement across Vantage Data Centers' North American footprint.  His responsibilities include developing and managing relationships with key utility partners to align utility strategies with business objectives, advocating for optimized rate structures and service agreements, and supporting the expansion of the company's energy portfolio in new and existing markets. Before joining Vantage in 2023, Mr. Smith worked for nearly eight years at Xcel Energy, most recently serving as Key Account Manager.  Previously he served in executive capacities at Global Compression Group and Squash Compression.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration & Management from Southern New Hampshire University.

Mark Monroe is a retired data center industry executive with more than 40 years' experience in software and hardware development, quality assurance, IT Operations, data center design, construction, and operations, sustainability, and energy efficiency and renewable energy. He led The Green Grid and Infrastructure Masons, and has led enterprises, colocation companies, and hyperscalers through five eras of digital infrastructure market shifts.

Tod Sword is Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Economic Development Services Consultant covering Orange County, South Bay, Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County. He joined SCE in November 2004. Mr. Sword specializes in attracting, retaining and growing businesses in SCE’s territory by helping companies access economic development incentives and resources to remain competitive in the global economy.  In 2012, he established the SCE Data Center Task Force to grow data center customers in SCE territory, resulting in the five 20MW Colocation facilities opening in Southern California.  A few years previous, Tod led a twenty-member Regional Economic Development (RED) Team which successfully retained a large technology company in Orange County by identifying more than $5M in savings via water, electric, and workforce training incentives saving over 800 jobs from relocating overseas. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Sword chaired the South Bay Economic Development Partnership in the South Bay of Los Angeles County. During 2009, he also Co-Chaired the South Bay Aerospace Consortium bringing together private sector aerospace companies and workforce and educational institutions to develop training curricula for critical aerospace occupations within the region. In 2005, he led the initiative to retain Nissan North American headquarters through a cross-jurisdictional RED team chaired by County Supervisor Burke, which quickly developed a multi-million dollar incentive package on behalf of Los Angeles County.

Lindsey Apland is Vice President at Urban Solution Group, where she wears many hats. She started her career in the Oil and Gas Industry in 2008 in Colorado, working in industrial noise mitigation.  Working her way up to Director of Business Development for the US Market, her experience working closely with the environmental regulatory side of the industry as well as operations and engineering, has exposed her to the great lengths companies go to ensure they are operating safely within communities.  Ms. Apland holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado.

Adam Waitkunas is President and Founder of Milldam Public relations, a full-service public relations firm that has served clients in the data center and technology spaces.  Prior to founding Milldam Public Relations in 2005, Mr. Waitkunas was the manager of Doug Stevenson’s 14th Middlesex District State Representative campaign, which set a record for fundraising for a challenger in a Massachusetts State Representative race. He began his career at Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, a Boston-based public relations firm supporting major public affairs and corporate communications initiatives.  Mr. Waitkunas received his degree in Political Science with a minor in Communications from Westfield State University.

Michael Fluegeman is Senior Principal Electrical Engineer & Mission Critical Practice Leader at AlphaTech.  He has more than three decades of expertise in critical power systems.  Mr. Fluegeman is considered a foremost authority in critical facilities and data centers, His extensive hands-on experience spans the entire project lifecycle, from conceptual design and peer review to real estate evaluation, project management, and construction support. His proficiency extends to litigation support as an expert witness, business development, test and commissioning, and operations assistance of electrical and integrated critical support systems.  Mr. Fluegeman earned a BS degree in Electrical Power Engineering at the University of Cincinnati.