Powering AI: infrastructure, capital and resource challenges
The rapid expansion of data centre financing, driven by developments in artificial intelligence and digitalisation, is placing new demands on electricity systems, natural resources and local communities. At the same time, this is creating substantial investment opportunities in infrastructure and introducing new capital requirements across the economy.
As developers race to expand capacity, policy-makers, investors and infrastructure providers face a central challenge: how to support digital growth while managing affordability, environmental impacts and resource constraints.
Taking place during New York Climate Week, this roundtable, hosted by Moody’s Ratings and OMFIF, will discuss how stakeholders are responding and what the accelerating buildout of digital infrastructure means for energy systems, sustainable investment and the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
Discussion topics include:
- Rising power demand, grid constraints, water use, and energy affordability
- Renewable energy, storage and infrastructure solutions to support growth
- How capital markets – from project finance to sustainable debt – are evolving to finance the next generation of data centre and energy infrastructure
Speakers
MatÃas Covarrubias
Research Economist
Banco de España
MatÃas Covarrubias
Research Economist
Banco de España
MatÃas Covarrubias is senior economist at Banco de España. His research estimates how the artificial intelligence supply chain fits into the US production sector, tracing expenditure flows between all the sectors related to compute and datacenters. He leads the analysis of AI-driven investment.
Jim Hempstead
Managing Director
Moody’s Ratings
Jim Hempstead
Managing Director
Moody’s Ratings
Jim Hempstead is managing director at Moody’s Ratings. He oversees the North American regulated utility and power team. Prior to joining, he was investment banker at Merrill Lynch, where he worked in the Global Energy and Power Group, providing financial and advisory services to various companies. He also acts as rating chair across Global Infrastructure and Project Finance franchise at Moody’s.
Savannah Irving
Vice President, Fixed Income Sustainable Investing
Neuberger Berman
Savannah Irving
Vice President, Fixed Income Sustainable Investing
Neuberger Berman
Savannah Irving is vice president in fixed income and environmental, social, and governance investing at Neuberger Berman. Irving oversees corporate credit portfolios and implementing fixed-income strategies. Prior to joining Neuberger Berman, Irving contributed to credit ratings industry at Fitch Ratings.
Matt Kutchyak
Senior Vice President
Moody’s Ratings
Matt Kutchyak
Senior Vice President
Moody’s Ratings
Matt Kutchyak is senior vice president at Moody’s Ratings. He oversees the integration of environment, social and governance factors into financial assessments. He previously held various leadership roles at Moody’s, where he focused on sustainable finance initiatives.
Lucia Lopez
Senior Vice President, Sustainable Finance
Moody's Ratings
Lucia Lopez
Senior Vice President, Sustainable Finance
Moody's Ratings
Lucia Lopez is executive director of global head of credit sustainable finance at Moody’s Ratings. She is responsible for developing and implementing initiatives to integrate the impact of environmental, social and governance considerations. Prior to Moody’s, she held several roles at banks including Deutsche Bank and Barclays, specialising in leverage finance, commodities and natural resources.
Sarah Moloney
Editorial Director
OMFIF
Sarah Moloney
Editorial Director
OMFIF
Sarah Moloney is Editorial Director at OMFIF and its lead expert on sustainable and transition finance. She oversees Editorial and Production team and maintains OMFIF’s extensive network of expert authors and industry contacts. She also leads OMFIF’s editorial work on transition finance, including research into how public investors can mobilise capital to support the global transition to net zero.
Trey Simpkins
Sustainable Finance & Advisory
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Trey Simpkins
Sustainable Finance & Advisory
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Trey Simpkins is director of sustainable solutions at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. He is responsible for the origination, structuring and execution of sustainable finance transactions across a broad range of sectors. Prior to SMBC, he covered energy and natural resources clients at Société Générale.
Timings
08:30 – 09:00 Registrations and refreshments
09:00 – 10:30 Roundtable discussion
Sponsors
