Clean Energy Discussions at SXSW 2025
The Crossroads of Innovation and Environmental Sustainability
The 2025 SXSW Conference featured over 1,700 sessions. Of those more than 200 were dedicated to environmental issues — making it one of the most significant climate-related venues for discussion since COP29. Within this group, our team focused attention specifically on sessions related to clean energy.
In this article, we review five sessions now available to the public that illustrate how emerging technologies are reshaping energy systems and addressing key challenges linked to:
- SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
- SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)
- SDG13 (Climate Action).
These session address topics including grid optimization, advanced battery storage, next-generation nuclear solutions, and the untapped potential of ocean energy. As with most sessions at SXSW, the impact and potential of AI was front and center.
Experts — from startup founders to corporate executives — emphasized the critical role of integrating technology and data-driven insights to boost energy efficiency, improve regulatory compliance, and foster sustainable industrial practices. While progress in some SDG targets may pose challenges for others, clean energy delivers environmental benefits and drives economic growth.
Below, you will find key quotes and session summaries, along with links to listen to the full discussions:
- Powering Tomorrow: How Big Tech is Redefining the Future of Energy and AI
- Bridging the Gap: AI-Driven Utility Transformation and Nuclear Energy
- Location Matters: Optimizing America’s Energy Transition
- Shepherding the Future: Agriculture & the Energy Transition
- Wave of the Future: Capturing the Unlimited Power of the World’s Oceans
Powering Tomorrow: How Big Tech is Redefining the Future of Energy and AI
Speakers: Erin Eckenrod (AES), Kara Hurst (Amazon), Ed Ludlow (Bloomberg), J. Clay Sell (X-energy)
“I am excited for the next 15 years to think about what we can do and how much we’re going to innovate, change together, and harness collaboration to transform industries. The climate pledge is an amazing opportunity for us to work within and transform those sectors — built environment, transportation, cement and steel, and maritime — that have long needed a push.”
~Kara Hurst
The session examined how rising energy demand driven by AI and massive data centers is transforming energy supply. Panelists discussed how strategic investments in renewables, advanced battery storage, and next-generation nuclear solutions — such as small modular reactors (SMRs) — can address current shortfalls while ensuring a resilient, around-the-clock clean energy supply. They underscored the critical role of technology, including AI-driven grid optimization, in creating more efficient, scalable, and safe energy systems that power modern industry and lay the groundwork for a sustainable future.
Bridging the Gap: AI-Driven Utility Transformation and Nuclear Energy
Speakers: Brad Fox (Nuclearn), Drew Griffiths (Constellation), Archie Manoharan (Microsoft), Phillip Zeringue (Nuclearn)
“[Projections show] AI and data centers are going to consume one and a half gigawatts of energy — that’s an entire modern, large nuclear unit worth of power. So your choice is either build a ton of natural gas turbines, or build nuclear power. If you care at all about keeping the carbon emissions down, the answer is nuclear or a ridiculously massive amount of batteries”
~Brad Fox
Building on the previous session, this panel examined how rapid AI advancements are reshaping traditional utility models and transforming the nuclear energy landscape. Industry leaders noted that as AI and data centers demand energy on a massive scale, the alternatives narrow: invest in natural gas turbines or pivot toward cleaner power — like nuclear — combined with substantial battery storage to curb carbon emissions. The discussion underscored the need to integrate AI into critical operations — streamlining maintenance, optimizing efficiency, and enhancing regulatory compliance — while keeping human oversight central to nuclear safety. The speakers emphasized that merging established utility practices with the dynamic mindset of tech companies is essential to meet growing energy demands. By harnessing AI for smarter data management and decision-making, the industry can reduce costs, accelerate deployments, and advance toward a sustainable, carbon-free energy future powered by advanced nuclear technologies.
Location Matters: Optimizing America’s Energy Transition
Speakers: Joe Azar (Panola County), Laura Corso (WattTime), Andrew Peterman (Rivian), Laura Zapata (Clearloop)
“In the United States today, the major contributors to our carbon footprint are transportation and electricity —and over 60% of our electricity still comes from fossil fuels.”
~ Laura Zapata
This session examined how strategic location selection for renewable energy projects can yield both environmental and economic benefits. The panel observed that the fragmented U.S. grid results in significant regional differences in overall emissions and health outcomes. By leveraging detailed data on grid congestion, fossil fuel reliance, and local conditions — a concept the speakers term emissionality — stakeholders can pinpoint sites where solar projects will have the greatest impact. The discussion also emphasized the need for partnerships among clean energy investors, local communities, and private companies to transform under-served areas and bolster grid reliability amid growing energy demand.
Shepherding the Future: Agriculture & the Energy Transition
Speakers: Will Harris (White Oak Pastures), Jim Malooley (Silicon Ranch), Roxanne Newton (Hound River Farms), Boris Schubert (Silicon Ranch)
“In the U.S., we have an unprecedented hunger for new and cleaner energy… the way to get there is through deploying one of the cheapest and fastest technology we have, which is solar.”
But…
“When you own the land for 30–40 years, you think differently about the way you develop, build, maintain and operate that land.”
~Boris Schubert
The panel examined the tension between expanding solar energy production and its impact on land use. It highlighted how agrivoltaics is redefining land use by merging utility-scale solar development with regenerative agriculture. By integrating solar installations with managed grazing — using sheep to naturally control vegetation — panelists demonstrated a model that maintains soil health and biodiversity while revitalizing rural economies. The discussion also addressed the importance of selecting livestock suited to diverse ecosystems and explored innovative approaches, such as specialized breeding programs for parasite resistance, underscoring the broader potential of these dual-use systems to transform local communities through enhanced food security, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
Wave of the Future: Capturing the Unlimited Power of the World’s Oceans
Speakers: Ryan Davidson (CalWave Inc.), Ryan Ono (Ocean Conservancy), Kelly Rogers (National Hydropower Association), Kristi Terrasa (C-Power)
“What if you could have a power strip and an internet connection in the middle of the ocean? And that’s exactly what our solution does.”
~ Christy Trossa
This session showcased ocean energy as the world’s largest untapped resource — a reliable, dense power source for offshore operations, data centers, island microgrids, and autonomous maritime systems. Industry leaders discussed innovative wave and tidal technologies that harness the ocean’s motion to generate electricity, complementing wind and solar to enhance grid resilience and energy security. Panelists highlighted promising pilot projects, such as CalWave’s scalable submerged buoy designs and Sea Power’s autonomous offshore systems, engineered to work in extreme marine environments while minimizing environmental impact. They stressed the need for streamlined permitting, strategic public–private partnerships, and robust policy support to accelerate ocean energy commercialization.
Conclusion
The SXSW 2025 sessions on clean energy remind us that transforming our energy systems is far more than a technical upgrade — it is a fundamental shift that can accelerate economic growth while protecting the environment. From developing infrastructure to support AI and data initiatives, to strategic renewable project positioning and innovative agrivoltaics, and finally, to unlocking the vast potential of ocean energy, these discussions underscore how technology and can reshape our energy landscape while supporting the Sustainable Development Goals.
These sessions offer a strategic roadmap for harnessing clean energy to:
- Drive decarbonization and enhance grid resilience (contributing to SDG7 and SDG13),
- Stimulate both rural and urban economic development (supporting SDG9), and
- Forge public–private partnerships that foster sustainable, inclusive growth.
By embracing clean energy approaches, we can support innovation while also protecting our environment.
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Note: Generative AI tools were used in the creation of this article to assist with research, summarization, and editing.
