Foley & Lardner LLP partner Tim Spear appeared on the United States Energy Association’s Power Sector Podcast to give perspective on energy supply-demand trends, infrastructure challenges, and the growing impact of data centers on energy generation.
He noted that while natural gas prices have seen downward pressure recently, future volatility remains possible due to global events. He emphasized the outsized energy demands of data centers, which are expected to drive significant growth in both natural gas and renewable generation assets.
“Even a few data centers are going to have an impact,” Spear said, explaining that given the increased power needs and demands for near total grid reliability, “we’re going to see a lot of gas, but I think we’ll probably also see a continued build out of other generation assets as well.”
Spear also addressed the implications of recent federal budget legislation, suggesting it may accelerate renewable energy projects in the short term but introduce longer-term uncertainty, and he highlighted the importance of permitting reform to support infrastructure development, including pipelines and liquefied natural gas export facilities. He concluded by highlighting concern around potential equipment shortages, particularly gas turbines, which could create a gap in generation capacity as data center demand rises and renewable incentives taper off.
The full episode is available across all major podcast platforms, including Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.
