Data centers are becoming one of the defining energy challenges of the AI era. In this episode of Digest This, Three Rivers Energy Partners explores how Virginia’s massive data center growth is putting new pressure on the electric grid, carbon policy, utility planning, and clean energy development.

The episode breaks down Virginia’s 5,926 megawatts of operating data center capacity, the state’s scheduled return to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the rising demand for reliable power as AI infrastructure expands. It also looks at major renewable energy projects, including solar development in Texas and offshore wind growth in the German North Sea.

But the core question is bigger than any single project: how do we build a grid that can support 24/7 digital infrastructure while still advancing climate goals?

The conversation highlights renewable natural gas as one practical part of the answer. By capturing methane from organic waste sources like landfills, agricultural manure, and wastewater treatment plants, RNG can provide flexible, dispatchable energy that complements wind and solar while supporting a more circular energy economy.