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Have data centers ever strained electricity supply for residential customers during storms or outage
AWE Association of Women in Energy • 2 views • September 21, 2026
About this video
Can data center growth put pressure on electricity supply for residential customers during storms or outages?
In this AWE Energy Exchange Q&A, Catherine Bond, Vice President of Commercial Operations at NOVEC, discusses how the utility approaches grid planning as data center demand continues to grow.
Catherine explains the importance of forecasting, careful planning, and reducing speculative projects in the queue. She also shares how NOVEC works to connect new customers responsibly while maintaining reliable service for its existing customers.
Watch the full Q&A to hear Catherine’s perspective on data centers, grid reliability, and responsible load growth.
Want to hear more insights from leaders shaping the future of energy? Join us for an upcoming AWE Energy Exchange Lunch & Learn:
https://awenergy.org/events/
#AWEnergy #WomenInEnergy #DataCenters #GridReliability #ElectricGrid #EnergyDemand #EnergyIndustry #Utilities #PowerGrid
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Leigh Sebastian serves as General Counsel and Ethics Officer of the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and its non-profit corporations, providing strategic legal leadership across electric generation and transmission, water and telecommunications utility services. She is responsible for corporate governance, environmental affairs, litigation, and legal support for all aspects of the organization including real estate, construction, financial and supply chain transactions, in addition to providing regulatory and compliance support.
LCRA is a political subdivision of the State of Texas that generates revenue from its core operations: electric transmission, electric generation, water and telecommunications. LCRA also operates through its non-profit corporations the GenTex Power Corporation, LCRA Energy Services Corporation, LCRA Energy Services Corporation II, and LCRA Transmission Services Corporation to serve Texans throughout ERCOT.