Data Center World POWER Dallas Recap: Power Is the New Currency of the Digital Age

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At the inaugural Data Center World POWER conference in Dallas, leaders from across the data center, energy and infrastructure sectors came together to address one of the most critical challenges shaping the future of digital infrastructure: how to power the AI revolution.

Chris Crosby our CEO joined Woody Rickerson, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at ERCOT, for a dynamic keynote exploring how Texas has become the proving ground for powering next-generation digital infrastructure. The discussion underscored the importance of smart grid modernization, regulatory agility and collaborative partnerships between utilities and data center developers to meet rapidly escalating AI-driven power demands.

Speakers
  • Chris Crosby — Chief Executive Officer, Compass Datacenters
  • Woody Rickerson — Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, ERCOT

Key takeaways

  • Power as strategy: Energy availability now guides site selection, phasing and campus design.
  • Grid partnership: Direct collaboration with market operators improves forecasting, stability models and interconnection timelines.
  • Behind the meter: Microgrids, large-scale batteries and fast-start generation increase resilience and cost control while easing grid constraints.
  • AI operations: Predictive analytics and automated controls optimize load profiles and cooling efficiency to support sustainability targets.
  • Policy and community: Clear regulatory pathways and proactive community investment enable responsible growth and long-term reliability.

Keep reading

Read the full event coverage on Business Wire: “Data Center World POWER 2025 Proves Power Is the New Currency of the Digital Age.”

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About Compass

Compass Datacenters, one of Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest growing companies, designs and constructs data centers for some of the world’s largest hyperscalers and cloud providers on campuses across the globe. Our corporate culture is predicated on continual improvement and innovation and has enabled us to marry technology with modern manufacturing methods to enhance our ability to consistently deliver our customers' projects faster, with no sacrifices in quality. Since our inception, our sustainability efforts have encompassed the entire data center from its design to its post-delivery performance, including the efficient use of land, water-free cooling and a focus on Green House Gas reduction in the materials used to build our facilities and in their operation. Compass embraces a long-term perspective with the financial strength of investors Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Brookfield Infrastructure.