About the Program
AI data centers have rapidly emerged as a kitchen table issue, especially in the small towns and rural counties where they’re being built. As local, regional, and national leaders, we all have a shared responsibility to shape this future (before it shapes us). Whether you’re a yes, a no, or a maybe – and whether the data center coming to your community is a good neighbor or not – this year’s Roadshow agenda is designed to equip you with the information, tools, and networks that you need to build better futures.
Program Schedule
Please Note: All times in Central Time.
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
KEYNOTES
THE DATA CENTER NEXT DOOR? MAPPING LAND, WATER, AND ENERGY
By Sherry Stout, National Laboratory of the Rockies
CASE STUDY: GOOGLE ON BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR
By Katie Ottenweller, Lead for EnergyMarket Development & Policy, Eastern US, Google
CASE STUDY: THE AFTERMATH OF X AI IN MEMPHIS
By Pearl Walker, Memphis City Council, District 3
POWER, PLACE, AND PROSPERITY: DATA CENTERS DONE RIGHT
By Sarah E. Hunt, Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy &
Amelia Powers Gardner, Utah County Commissioner & LAMP
REPORT OUT: THE LANDSCAPE AHEAD
By Daniel Dassow, Business Reporter, Chattanooga Times Free Press; Josh Gauntt, Anchor/Reporter, WBRC 6 News; Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, News Director of Digital, ICT; and Whitney McKnight, The Edge
A VISION FOR SHARED PROSPERITY
By Yinka Bode-George, Sustain Our Future Foundation; Mayor Friday Ellis, City of Monroe, LA; Peter Colavito, Executive Director, Invest in Our Future; and Rutland Walker, CEO, Union Up
BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS
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| Affordability | Defining the Energy & Affordability Crisis | Under Pressure: Water Use and Reuse in Data Centers | Working Lands: Rural Land Use and the Future of Agriculture (AR & DC) | Turning Community Insight into Rural Resilience | The Cost of Power: Utility and Data Center Perspectives on Rising Energy Bills |
| Infrastructure | Distributed Energy as a Ministry of Resilience: Faith Leaders in Conversation | The Big Picture: Planning Strategies for Sustainable Water Infrastructure | Local Control: Practical Tools & Model Policies | Cultural Preservation as a Resource for Resilience: The Gullah Geechee Case | Best practices from the Field: SOUL partners in their own words |
| Local Control | Partnering with Local Utilities to Accelerate Resilience | From Preparedness to Recovery: Planning for Rural Flood Resilience | Rural Organizing Strategies for Self-Determination in Data Center Development | Community Benefits that Matter: Designing Agreements for Long-term Value | The Permit Matrix: How Communities Can Use the Approval Process to Make Data Centers Work for Them |
| Conservation & Stewardship | Growing Food and Clean Power: How Farm-Friendly Solar Helps Farmers, Neighbors, and Energy Systems | Water Is Life: Indigenous Perspectives on Water Stewardship, AI Infrastructure, and the Future of Rural Communities | Ending Land Loss: Strategies for Restoring Heirs Property Rights | Dignity and Work: Building Opportunity in the Age of AI | From the Ground Up: Energy Planning Tools for Rural Communities |
EnergyAffordability
Defining the Energy & Affordability Crisis
Infrastructure
Distributed Energy as a Ministry of Resilience: Faith Leaders in Conversation
Local Control
Partnering with Local Utilities to Accelerate Resilience
Conservation & Stewardship
Growing Food and Clean Power: How Farm-Friendly Solar Helps Farmers, Neighbors, and Energy Systems
WaterAffordability
Under Pressure: Water Use and Reuse in Data Centers
Infrastructure
The Big Picture: Planning Strategies for Sustainable Water Infrastructure
Local Control
From Preparedness to Recovery: Planning for Rural Flood Resilience
Conservation & Stewardship
Water Is Life: Indigenous Perspectives on Water Stewardship, AI Infrastructure, and the Future of Rural Communities
LandAffordability
Working Lands: Rural Land Use and the Future of Agriculture (AR & DC)
Infrastructure
Local Control: Practical Tools & Model Policies
Local Control
Rural Organizing Strategies for Self-Determination in Data Center Development
Conservation & Stewardship
Ending Land Loss: Strategies for Restoring Heirs Property Rights
Economic DevelopmentAffordability
Turning Community Insight into Rural Resilience
Infrastructure
Cultural Preservation as a Resource for Resilience: The Gullah Geechee Case
Local Control
Community Benefits that Matter: Designing Agreements for Long-term Value
Conservation & Stewardship
Dignity and Work: Building Opportunity in the Age of AI
WorkshopsAffordability
The Cost of Power: Utility and Data Center Perspectives on Rising Energy Bills
Infrastructure
Best practices from the Field: SOUL partners in their own words
Local Control
The Permit Matrix: How Communities Can Use the Approval Process to Make Data Centers Work for Them
Conservation & Stewardship
From the Ground Up: Energy Planning Tools for Rural Communities
OPTIONAL TOURS
OMCO SOLAR
From American Steel to Solar Power
THE PEOPLE’S PATCH
Where Agriculture Meets Community Resilience
OAKVILLE INDIAN MOUNDS EDUCATION CENTER + JESSE OWENS MUSEUM
Two Destinations, Extraordinary Stories
BRIDGEFORTH FARMS & COTTON GIN
Five Generations of Farming, Legacy, and Innovation