With a growing number of data center projects planned and under construction in Wisconsin, the demand for energy to power the state’s economy is expected to increase significantly in coming years.

A special BizTimes Media event, Powering Progress, will be held to discuss this trend and examine what is being done to prepare for the coming surge in energy demand and how businesses can best prepare and take advantage.

The Powering Progress event will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Pilot House at Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee. Click here to register.

The event will feature three panel discussions. The panelists will include:

• Dale Lewis, director of data centers, The Boldt Company
• Coleman Peiffer, senior manager of data center services, Alliant Energy
• Debby Tomczyk, shareholder, co-chair of the data centers group, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.
• Tom Dagenais, vice president of system planning, ATC
• Todd Stuart, executive director, Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group
• Tricia Braun, executive director, Wisconsin Data Center Coalition
• Nick Debakker, principal, vice president of operations, Milwaukee Broach Company
• Tim Frank, CEO and co-owner, Banker Wire
• Erik Wilde, executive vice president and president of domestic commercial and industrial, Generac

The Powering Progress event is sponsored by UMB Bank, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. and We Energies.