NAIOP National Forums Symposium 2026

Scott Ziance, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and leader of the firm’s national economic development incentives practice, served as chair for the Research Foundation Industry Trends Meeting at the NAIOP National Forums Symposium on April 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  As part of that meeting, Scott moderated a panel titled “Powering Up For New Data Center Development.”

The panel focused on sourcing adequate supplies of electricity when considering data center projects and the challenges resulting from regional grids with limited capacity.  Panelists discussed approaches to accessing power for new data center development and for addressing community concerns about new projects, with a focus on recent projects in Utah and other western states.  The panel also addressed how hyperscalers are currently approaching new data center development and community engagement.  Panelists included Wes Swanson, CEO of NOVVA Data Centers; Braden Moore, vice president of Big-D Construction; and Kate Franko, senior manager for data center public affairs for Google.