Clean energy deployment is accelerating, but the systems supporting it are under strain. Surging demand from AI-driven data centers, longer equipment lead times, and growing supply chain complexity are putting pressure on utilities and developers alike. Traditional planning and forecasting models are no longer enough.
This podcast explores why clean energy buildouts are slowing despite strong momentum and how procurement has become a critical lever for execution. As demand patterns shift and volatility increases, procurement teams are being pulled into earlier, more strategic roles across planning, contracting, and risk management.
Rather than focusing on cost alone, the conversation highlights how agility, flexibility, and resilience now define successful energy projects. From securing long-lead equipment to structuring contracts for uncertainty, procurement is emerging as a driver of speed, certainty, and scale.
What You’ll Hear:
- How AI-driven demand is rewriting energy forecasts
- Why equipment delays and supply constraints are reshaping project timelines
- How procurement can enable faster, more resilient clean energy buildouts
PODCAST SUMMARY
The conversation explores how clean energy growth is running into new constraints as demand accelerates and supply chains struggle to keep pace. AI-driven data centers are rapidly increasing electricity consumption, rendering traditional forecasting models ineffective and forcing utilities to rethink how they plan and procure power.
The hosts discuss how long lead times for critical equipment, particularly transformers, have emerged as one of the biggest threats to clean energy project timelines. Procurement teams are responding by securing manufacturing capacity earlier, diversifying suppliers, and standardizing components to reduce risk and improve schedule certainty.
Contracting strategies are also evolving to reflect greater volatility. Developers are moving away from rigid agreements and toward flexible structures that include escalation clauses, milestone-based payments, and shared risk mechanisms. These approaches help absorb pricing, tariff, and delivery uncertainty without stalling projects.
The discussion also highlights how increased digitization is introducing new risks. As renewable infrastructure relies more heavily on connected equipment, cybersecurity has become a core procurement consideration alongside cost and lead time.
The podcast concludes with a clear message. Clean energy buildout at scale depends on procurement stepping into a strategic role. By modernizing forecasting, acting early on supply risks, and embedding flexibility into sourcing decisions, procurement can help break the gridlock slowing the energy transition.