Permian Basin power conference spotlights AI-driven data center growth

No longer just an oilfield story, the Permian Basin is becoming a story of artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout.

The theme of the second annual Permian Power Conference is "Time to Power," and Joseph Triepke, managing partner of The Power Connection, said investment is pouring into the Permian Basin.

He said energy producers and data centers are becoming intertwined.

"Data center spending is going bananas and the Permian Basin is the top energy producer," he said.

That includes wind, solar and even nuclear, he added.

The goal of the conference is not to focus only on power and AI, he said. "We want the conference to be an all of the above power conference."

In 2026, more data center capacity will be deployed or placed under contract than in prior years combined. In this age of AI, those with an interest in powering the Permian will need power and bravery, said Bill Kleyman, CEO and co-founder of Apolo.

Opening the conference at the Midland Horseshoe, Kleyman told the audience that "just like oil, AI is in everything."

And like oil, he said AI data centers are undergoing sudden changes. For example, he said developers are pursuing gigawatts of power rather than megawatts. He also cited estimates that $1.3 trillion will be spent on AI over the next five years, up from $40 billion in 2022.

With power demand forecast to surge to between 100 and 130 gigawatts by 2030, according to BCG, and more than 80 gigawatts, according to Evercore, Kleyman said developers are rethinking how they obtain power. Many are colocating power generation on their data center campuses.

As AI increasingly flows into daily life, Kleyman acknowledged concerns that the technology would eliminate jobs.

"AI is tools and workflows. All our AI agents have not replaced human workers. In fact, we've hired more people," he said. "Shoes can't possibly run a shoe store."

More than 800 people have registered to attend the conference, which has more than 100 sponsors and a lineup of more than 60 speakers.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 9:57 PM.