AI and National Security: The Nexus with Energy

To attain U.S. AI dominance, America needs hundreds of gigawatts of new base load power – How do we get there?

Just as the Internet reshaped global business, Artificial Intelligence is poised to drive the next wave of economic growth and national security. The U.S. led the digital era with tech giants like Microsoft and Google.

Now, the AI race—led by companies like Nvidia—is accelerating, with rising global competition from firms like China’s Deepseek.

AI advancement demands far more than powerful chips—it requires a dramatic increase in reliable energy. After two decades of flat electricity demand and a shift away from coal and nuclear, the AI era will force a major rethink of U.S. energy infrastructure.

Our panel will address the challenges and the pros and cons of potential solutions.

MODERATOR:

Erin L. Smith, MBA
Sustainability Executive, Global Commercial Banking, Bank of America
Based in Charlotte, as Sustainability Strategy Executive for Business Banking (BB) and Global Commercial Banking (GCB), Erin works to align BB and GCB Sustainability efforts to the broader Enterprise wide Bank of America Sustainability goals. In her current role, Erin focuses on banker preparedness and client engagement as it pertains to social impact, climate action and overall Sustainability strategy. Read full profile…

PANEL:

Robert Edwards Jr.
Managing Director, Hamilton Clark
Mr. Edwards focuses on working with companies who are driving the energy transition. Rob is an energy industry executive and strategic advisor on global Next-Gen energy solutions and investments. Rob brings more than 20 years of diverse leadership and advisory experience supporting senior decision makers in the private sector (JPMorgan Chase, Tesla, Edison Mission Energy, DTE Energy), and in government (Department of Energy Loan Programs Office). Read full profile…

Obinna Isiadinso
Global Sector Lead, Data Centers and Senior Investment Officer, Global TMT, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Mr. Obinna Isiadinso is Global Sector Lead, Data Centers and Senior Investment Officer, Global TMT with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Washington DC. At IFC, Obinna develops global investment strategy for the Data Center sector, leads investment teams on investment valuation and execution considerations, reviews debt and equity transaction structures, and participates in transaction negotiations. Mr. Isiadinso brings 18 years of experience in private equity and credit investments in emerging markets globally. Read full profile…

Partho Sanyal
Managing Director, Chair of Energy Transition Investment Banking, Bank of America
Partho Sanyal is currently Managing Director and Chair of Energy Transition Investment Banking at Bank of America, based in New York. Partho has 30 years of investment banking, merchant banking, private equity and venture capital investing experience at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, International Finance Corporation, NextEra Energy and RWE. Read full profile…

Mary Wilson
Founder & CEO, Taza AI
Mary Wilson is the Founder & CEO of Taza AI, the platform connecting the $7 trillion impact economy through expert-trained AI. She brings over 15 years of leadership at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and the energy transition. Mary began her career in the Power & Utilities sector, holding senior roles across Europe, the U.S., and Australia with innovators such as Sensus, Opower, Oracle, and Siemens-acquired eMeter – helping utilities modernize infrastructure and accelerate the clean energy transition. Read full profile…