Keynote panel: From hype to hook‑up - Making nuclear real for AI‑scale data centers

03 Sep 2026
Datacloud USA Stage - Level 5
Datacloud Energy

Colocation with existing nuclear shows one near-term pathway, while SMRs remain non-operational for U.S. data centers and face licensing, fuel, and schedule hurdles. This session cuts past the talking points to map doable routes from MOU to megawatts and pressure-tests them with skeptics 

  • What nuclear models are genuinely bankable for the next 3–5 years and how would those interconnect, contract, and deliver “time-to-power” at hyperscale? 

  • For SMRs to serve data centers this decade, what exactly must happen and what do recent assessments say about cost/timeline risk and uncertainty? 

  • How should deals be structured? 

  • What’s the pragmatic role of BYOP + storage in nuclear-enabled campuses and how does that compare to today’s gas pathways? 

Chairperson
Mark Gusakov
Mark Gusakov, CEO - Digital Infrastrucutre Group Inc.
Speakers
Bob Kinscherf
Bob Kinscherf, VP, National Accounts - Constellation
Brian Gitt
Brian Gitt, SVP, Head of Business Development - Oklo
John Bates
John Bates, EVP Development and Power - PRIME DATA CENTERS
Jenifer Shafer
Jenifer Shafer, Ben L. Fryrear Presidential Chair in Energy - Colorado School of Mines