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Salt Lake City places POWERGEN 2027 at the center of one of the most dynamic electricity markets in North America. Across the Western U.S., utilities are navigating rapid change as AI infrastructure, hyperscale data centers, electrification, and population growth drive unprecedented demand for new generation and grid infrastructure.

The Mountain West has become a real-world laboratory for the capacity, modernization, and dispatchable power conversations that define POWERGEN.

A Power Market in Rapid Expansion

Electricity demand across the Western grid is accelerating faster than utilities projected just a few years ago.

20%+
projected electricity demand growth across the Western grid this decade
166 GW
of new U.S. peak electricity demand expected within the next five years
90 GW
of projected demand from data centers alone this decade

U.S. electricity consumption is expected to reach record highs in 2026 and 2027, driven largely by AI computing and electrification.

Meeting this demand is accelerating investment across generation, storage, transmission expansion, and advanced grid technologies.

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The Mountain West Is One of the Fastest-Growing Energy Regions 

The Interior West — including Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico — is emerging as one of the fastest-growing electricity markets in the country. Utilities across the region are forecasting 50%+ electricity demand growth over the next decade, fueled by digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and population growth.

Utilities such as Rocky Mountain Power (PacifiCorp) are already planning for significant load growth as hyperscale data center development accelerates across the West.

Utah Is Emerging as a Major Data Center Hub

Salt Lake City and the surrounding Utah region are rapidly becoming a destination for hyperscale data center development thanks to several structural advantages: 

  • Reliable and scalable regional power resources
  • Strong transmission and distribution infrastructure
  • Strategic connectivity for western data networks
  • Available land supporting large hyperscale campuses
  • A cooler climate that supports efficient data center cooling

These advantages are fueling rapid expansion across the Salt Lake Valley.

699%
projected growth in regional data center capacity by 2030
1,200+ MW
of expected data center power capacity in the Salt Lake market
200–1,000 MW
required by a single hyperscale data center campus

Some proposed AI facilities could require gigawatt-scale electricity demand, placing Utah at the center of discussions around large-load interconnection, generation planning, and infrastructure investment.

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A Region Balancing Fleet Transition and Reliability

The region is also navigating a major generation transition. Projects like the Intermountain Power Project in Delta, Utah, which is shifting from coal to natural gas units capable of hydrogen blending, highlight how the West is balancing reliability, emissions goals, and long-term capacity needs.

Across the region, declining coal capacity, expanding renewables, and rising electricity demand are accelerating investment in:

  • Dispatchable gas generation
  • Utility-scale renewables
  • Long-duration energy storage
  • Transmission expansion
  • Hydrogen-ready infrastructure

Where Power and Digital Infrastructure Converge

The presence of multiple hyperscale data center campuses within close proximity to Salt Lake City creates a unique opportunity for POWERGEN attendees to explore the intersection of power generation and digital infrastructure.

This regional ecosystem strengthens POWERGEN’s role as the event where the power generation industry and digital infrastructure leaders come together to address the future of electricity demand.

Hosting POWERGEN 2027 in Salt Lake City puts the event at the center of one of the fastest-growing energy markets in the United States.

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