If you missed two of the biggest conversations at the 2026 Ohio Manufacturers’ Energy Conference, now is your chance to catch up.

Dr. Jonathan Koomey opened the day by taking a hard look at the data center demand forecasts now driving some of the biggest decisions in the electricity market. His challenge was uncomfortable and increasingly important. How much of the projected load is actually real, and how much should customers be expected to pay before anyone can prove it?

Abhijeet Sathe of SB Energy closed the conference from the other end of the spectrum, laying out the scale and ambition behind the planned PORTS Technology Campus in southern Ohio and what it takes to pair enormous new demand with real generation, infrastructure and investment.

“Jonathan challenged us to scrutinize what is being forecast, while Abhijeet showed us what it looks like when somebody is prepared to put real investment behind real demand,” said Lindsey Short, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association managing director of advocacy and energy services. “That distinction matters enormously when billions of dollars in future energy costs are on the line.”

One talk questioned the assumptions. The other showed what committed growth can look like.

Both are worth watching. 9/4/2026