PTC will host PTC's DC 2026 on September 17, bringing together senior leaders from digital infrastructure, hyperscale platforms, private equity, and government to address the infrastructure, energy, and policy questions behind AI growth. The event comes as investment cycles compress, energy strategies shift, and public policy races to keep pace.
"AI is no longer just a technology story - it's an infrastructure and competitiveness story," said Brian Moon, CEO of PTC. "Investment cycles are compressing, energy strategies are being rewritten, and public policy is racing to keep pace. PTC'DC creates a forum where industry and government can engage directly on the realities of this buildout."
Energy, capital, and the US-China balance
The program opens with "AI 2030: The Global Race for Power and Capital," examining hyperscale concentration, infrastructure intensity, and the shifting balance between the United States and China. Sessions throughout the day will cover gigawatt-scale energy deployment, high-density AI facilities in constrained markets, consolidation pressures in the fiber sector, community resistance to data center expansion, and the policy frameworks around sovereign AI and export controls.
For government attendees, the policy sessions are the draw. Export controls, permitting, and grid access are the areas where public-sector staff most often need working knowledge of how AI infrastructure actually operates. Structured resources like AI Learning Path for Policy Makers are built for that gap.
Who's at the table
Confirmed participants include the CEOs of Digital Realty, Colt, Dapple, Cogent Communications, Connectbase, EdgeConneX, and Vertiv, along with senior executives from NVIDIA, CoreWeave, and Verizon Partner Solutions. Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nate Fick is also on the program.
"PTC'DC brings together the people who are building, financing, and regulating the infrastructure behind AI," said Tony Rossabi, Chairman of Beyond Data Centers and Chair of the PTC Board of Governors. "The questions now go far beyond technology. Who controls the capital? Where does the power come from? How do nations compete without fragmenting the global system?"
Now in its third year, PTC's DC has become a focused gathering for leaders at the forefront of the economic, geopolitical, and operational shifts in the AI economy. Registration is open at ptc.org/ptcdc.
Why this matters for government professionals
AI infrastructure decisions are becoming public-sector decisions. Data center buildouts require grid capacity, water rights, and local permits - all of which fall to government. Export controls and sovereign AI policy are being written now, and the US-China balance depends partly on how fast each side can deploy energy and compute.
Government professionals who understand how data centers consume energy, how fiber consolidation affects competition, and how export rules shape the market will be better positioned to write rules that work. For those who need to build that knowledge quickly, ongoing coverage of how agencies are adapting is available through AI for Government.
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