Session 4: The Path Forward: District Energy & Data Centers

Workshop participants will discuss the following questions: o How can a district energy system aggregate sufficient heat to invest in a thermal network? What are the investment parameters? o Data centers are seeking firm power and robust cooling. How does district energy/CHP in the US fit this market segment? o Downtown district energy systems in the US often distribute steam. How to best integrate and value lower temp data center heat? o What is the value proposition for a data center to have an offtake arrangement with a district energy system? o How can states/provinces/cities support the investment risk in this new era of federal policies? o How important are federal, state, provincial or local policies to deployment of district thermal networks for data centers? o Codes and compliance - Are state and local building codes helpful or a hindrance to holistic thermal energy network solutions? o Risks, rewards and rate base: What regulatory changes, if any, are needed to accelerate aggregation & integration of data centers? o What comes next for the conversation between data centers and the district energy industry in North America?


Bruce Ander, P. Eng.

President & CEO

Markham District Energy

Bruce Ander, P. Eng. Since 2002 Ander has held the position of President & CEO of Markham District Energy (MDE); a thermal energy utility owned by the City of Markham. MDE is recognized as a Canadian and international leader in the development of modern thermal networks providing reliable, resilient and sustainable energy to Markham’s new urban centres. Ander has spent over 40 years in Ontario’s energy sector developing community energy systems and power generating facilities. Serving as Chair of the Canadian District Energy Association (CDEA) from 2008 to 2013, Ander then lead a merger with the International District Energy Association (IDEA). Served on the IDEA Board for five years and as Chair in 2016. In 2013 MDE was the recipient of the IDEA’s System of the Year award, the highest honor the association can confer on a district energy system. In the same year, Ander was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Government of Canada in recognition of the recipient’s contribution to the municipal sector in Canada. In 2024 Ander received a Clean50 award that recognizes measurable leadership in fighting climate change and helping Canada transition to a low-carbon economy.

Luke Gaalswyk

CEO

Ever-Green Energy, Inc.

Luke Gaalswyk is president and CEO of Ever-Green Energy and its parent company District Energy St. Paul, a 501(c)(3) non-profit district energy company headquartered in Saint Paul, MN. Luke joined Ever-Green in 2022 as president of the organization overseeing the company’s corporate services. Prior to joining Ever-Green, Luke served in leadership roles in power generation and district energy industries with Xcel Energy and NRG Thermal (now Cordia). Luke has nearly 20 years of experience in energy, operations, and engineering and is a veteran of the United States Air Force. He currently serves on the boards of directors for the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and Saint Paul Downtown Alliance and is a drill-status member of the Minnesota Air National Guard. He has a mechanical engineering degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton.

Kevin Hagerty

President and Chief Executive Officer

Vicinity

As President and Chief Executive Officer, Kevin oversees day-to-day business operations with the leadership team reports of Operations, Sales and Account Management, Marketing and Communications, Human Resources, and Engineering/Information Technology. Kevin will also drive the transition to electrification and the delivery of eSteam™ across our systems and work closely with Vicinity’s Executive Chairman Bill DiCroce to continue elevating Vicinity’s position as the leader for the decarbonization of North American cities lucky enough to hold district energy systems.

In his former role as Technical Officer (CTO), Kevin oversaw the Information Technology (IT), Engineering, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), and Technical teams to drive technical performance and innovation and support operations. Kevin has over 20 years of experience in the power industry and had previously worked for Veolia in senior and leadership positions for nearly 10 years.

Kevin’s most recent role at Veolia was serving as senior vice president of operations for Veolia North America’s (VNA) East business. Appointed in 2018, Kevin was responsible for VNA’s largest region of business, overseeing over 50 facilities, including the company’s largest district energy systems: Boston and Philadelphia.

He graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. He also achieved an MBA from Boston University.

Dale Medearis

Senior Regional Planner

Northern Virginia Regional Authority (NOVA

Please see the attached linked in profile for my bio --> https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-medearis-389273a/ Please contact me via linked in if you have any questions. Thank you.

Noah Nkonge

Senior Manager - Global Heat Export Lead

Equinix

Noah joined Equinix in 2023 with the mission to scale up heat export from their global portfolio of data centres, benefiting local communities in which they operate. He is currently developing a pipeline that includes over 50 data centre sites worldwide, ensuring that Equinix plays a leading role in enabling the energy transition globally while creating local circular economies. He is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in sustainable energy. He collaborates with individuals and organisations at the forefront of the energy transition, co-creating sustainable solutions that empower communities. Noah's expertise lies in industrial heat recovery and reuse for heat networks, where he has pioneered cross-industry waste heat partnerships in the UK to supply residual industrial heat to heat networks.

Dariusz Raczkowski, MSFM, MSFRM, CPMM, CEM, CRL

Director, Client Services

Catalyst Commissioning Group, LLC

Transforming Tomorrow's Power Infrastructure Today - Dariusz Raczkowski, MSFM, MSFRM, CPMM, CEM, CRL, stands at the forefront of the energy revolution as Director of Client Services at Catalyst Commissioning Group, LLC. With decades of expertise spanning utility-scale power generation, renewable infrastructure, and mission-critical environments, he doesn't just manage systems—he reimagines them for a sustainable future. Solving the AI Infrastructure Crisis - The hyperscale datacenter explosion has created several unprecedented challenges, one of which is heat generation from high-density racks that traditional airflow cannot handle. Where others see obstacles, Dariusz sees opportunity. His team's work on liquid-to-chip cooling and immersion technologies strategies is creating new possibilities by educating datacenter operators on the value of district thermal networks and microgrid systems. Strategic Vision Beyond Engineering - Dariusz's unique ability to translate technical advantages into quantifiable financial impact sets him apart. His blend of reliability, leadership, and financial risk management expertise ensures every infrastructure investment delivers measurable value throughout its complete lifecycle. From operations and emergency response through design and construction management, he brings comprehensive mastery with advanced credentials spanning facilities management, energy management, and Certified Reliability Leadership. Ready to revolutionize your infrastructure strategy? Connect with Dariusz to discover how tomorrow's sustainable, reliable, and profitable heat transfer and power solutions can transform your mission-critical operations today.

Richard Riopel

Senior Regional Director, Growth

Cordia Energy

Richard is a seasoned commercial executive with over 25 years of experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors. His multidisciplinary background includes engineering, operations, project management, and commercial leadership. He has successfully led complex, large-scale projects across North and South America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and Europe. Specializing in EPC infrastructure, client acquisition, commercial strategy, and high-stakes contract negotiations, Richard leverages deep industry expertise to deliver strong, value-driven outcomes. Known for cultivating strategic partnerships, he integrates technical, operational, and commercial perspectives to craft innovative solutions that align client needs with business objectives. Currently, Richard serves as Senior Regional Director, Growth at Cordia Energy, where he focuses on origination, contract negotiation, and deal structuring within P3 frameworks, mergers and acquisitions, project development, and strategic initiatives. His work supports the acquisition, financing, and development of behind-the-meter energy infrastructure, district energy, and distributed energy systems for both greenfield and brownfield projects. Richard holds a degree in Geological Engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal and an Associate Degree in Sciences from Collège de Maisonneuve.

Paul Zmick, ME

Director of Energy & Utilities

University of Virginia

Paul G. Zmick, PE
Director of Energy and Utilities
University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Paul Zmick currently leads the 120 FTE Energy and Utilities team for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville Virginia. Central utilities are provided for over 19 million square feet of facilities, including the University Medical Center. The Energy and Utilities team is responsible for energy procurement, generation, distribution, and operation, maintenance, and renewal of the utility infrastructure, with a strategic focus on safety, sustainability, and stewardship. Utilities provided include steam, heating water, cooling water, domestic water, sanitary, storm, 13kV power, and on-site renewables. 

Paul currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International District Energy Association and has been an active member in the organization for many years. Prior to UVA, Paul worked for DuPont and Koch Industries for a combined 22-years across five manufacturing sites in various engineering and leadership roles. While at DuPont, Paul was listed as inventor on two US Patents. Paul graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, and the University of Virginia with a Master of Systems Engineering; and is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.

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