Knowledge Networks, American Bazaar to host AI infrastructure policy forum in Vienna, Virginia

Knowledge Networks and The American Bazaar will host Powering the AI Decade on Oct. 15 in Vienna, Virginia, bringing policymakers, tech leaders, energy experts and investors together to focus on AI infrastructure, power, permitting and financing. The forum comes as data center demand and grid constraints become central to U.S. AI competitiveness.

Why it matters: - AI infrastructure is becoming a policy and economic issue, not just a technology issue. - The forum will focus on the power, grid, permitting and financing constraints that can shape where and how AI systems are built. - The event is aimed at decision-makers who influence data center growth, utility planning and public policy.

What happened: - Knowledge Networks and The American Bazaar announced Powering the AI Decade, a half-day policy forum set for Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. - The event will take place at the Towers Crescent Conference Center in Vienna, Virginia. - The forum will convene policymakers, technology leaders, energy stakeholders, investors and infrastructure experts. - Registration is available through the event page.

The details: - The program will examine infrastructure, energy, permitting, financing and policy challenges tied to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. - Organizers say the conversation will center on reliable power, data center capacity, grid infrastructure and streamlined permitting. - Scheduled speakers include Nancy Novak of Compass Datacenters; Ted Trabue of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia; Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia’s 10th District; Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia’s 11th District; Del. John McAuliff of the Virginia House of Delegates; Michael R. Turner of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors; and Stephen D. Hener of the Thomas Jefferson Institute. - The speaker lineup spans data center development, energy regulation, federal and state policy, infrastructure financing and local government. - The agenda includes the keynote “America’s Digital Infrastructure at an Inflection Point.” - Additional sessions will cover building AI infrastructure, securing power, navigating permitting, financing large-scale development and public sentiment around AI infrastructure projects. - The event will close with “AI on the Ballot: What the Public Is Telling Washington,” a nonpartisan discussion of public opinion and policy implications. - Event details list the venue at 1850 Towers Cres Plaza, Vienna, VA 22182, USA. - The forum is organized by Knowledge Networks through RegulatingAI and The American Bazaar.

Between the lines: - The announcement reflects a broader shift in AI policy debates toward physical constraints such as electricity supply, transmission and local approvals. - Bringing lawmakers, regulators, utilities and investors into one room suggests the agenda is as much about execution as it is about technology. - Sanjay Puri, founder and chairman of Knowledge Networks, said AI policy can no longer be separated from infrastructure and energy policy and that the next decade will depend on building physical infrastructure, securing reliable power and establishing policy frameworks.

What's next: - Leaders from government, industry and capital will use the Oct. 15 forum to identify policy priorities for AI infrastructure development. - Organizers are positioning the event as a working conversation for senior decision-makers across government, regulation, technology, data centers, energy, investment, infrastructure and professional services. - Knowledge Networks says its broader work includes AI policy, leadership and innovation initiatives such as RegulatingAI, the ERAI Fellowship, Policyora, CAIO Connect, the AI Speakers Bureau and the Universal AI Awards. - The American Bazaar says it covers business, technology, policy and issues relevant to the Indian American community and the broader diaspora.