Featured Keynote at DataCloud USA 2026: From hype to hook‑up: Making nuclear real for AI‑scale data centers

Arquelle Shaw, President Americas at Equinix, takes the stage at Datacloud USA to tackle one of the industry's biggest challenges. Join her on Thursday, September 3, at 10:40 AM for the high-stakes keynote panel, "From hype to hook‑up: Making nuclear real for AI‑scale data centers."

Alongside industry leaders, Arquelle will cut past the talking points to map doable routes from MOU to megawatts. The session will pressure-test nuclear models bankable for the next 3–5 years, address the reality of SMR timelines, and explore how to structure deals that deliver "time‑to‑power" at hyperscale.

Keynote panel: From hype to hook‑up: Making nuclear real for AI‑scale data centers

Co‑location with existing nuclear shows one near‑term pathway, while SMRs remain non‑operational for U.S. data centers and face licensing, fuel, and schedule hurdles. This session cuts past the talking points to map doable routes from MOU to megawatts and pressure‑tests them with skeptics 

• What nuclear models are genuinely bankable for the next 3–5 years and how would those interconnect, contract, and deliver “time‑to‑power” at hyperscale? 

• For SMRs to serve data centers this decade, what exactly must happen and what do recent assessments say about cost/timeline risk and uncertainty? 

• How should deals be structured? 

• What’s the pragmatic role of BYOP + storage in nuclear‑enabled campuses and how does that compare to today’s gas pathways? 

Chairperson: Mark Gusakov, CEO - Digital Infrastructure Alliance

Speakers: 

• Arquelle Shaw, President Americas - Equinix
• Bob Kinscherf, Vice President, National Accounts - Constellation