Sustainability Takes the Stage at PTC: The Future of the Data Center Power Grid
PrintAt PTC’26, sustainability conversations moved decisively out of the theoretical and into the practical. In his JSA TV interview from the conference floor, Louis Liu, Sustainability Project Engineer at Rehlko, spoke candidly about how expectations around environmental performance are changing and what that means for the future of mission-critical power.
Rather than focusing on distant net-zero targets, the discussion centered on how sustainability is being evaluated today: through data, transparency, and verifiable impact across the full lifecycle of equipment.
“Sustainability can’t just live in marketing language anymore,” Liu explained. “It has to show up in how products are designed, how they’re evaluated, and how customers can actually compare one solution to another.”
A key theme of the conversation was the industry’s growing reliance on standardized tools like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to bring consistency and credibility to sustainability claims. In 2025, Rehlko launched the industry’s first EPD for backup generators. As Liu noted, EPDs help shift procurement decisions away from assumptions and toward measurable insight, particularly when it comes to embodied carbon and Scope 3 emissions.
“When you put real lifecycle data behind a product, it changes the conversation,” he said. “It gives customers the ability to make informed decisions without guessing what ‘sustainable’ really means.”
The interview underscored a broader shift taking place across digital infrastructure. Sustainability leadership is no longer defined by who talks the loudest, but by who can prove impact, communicate it clearly, and integrate it into engineering decisions without compromising reliability. At PTC, that shift was already underway.
Watch the full JSA TV interview with Louis Liu from PTC
Hybrid Energy and the Limits of the Grid
If sustainability set the tone at PTC, energy resilience set the urgency. In a second JSA TV conversation from the conference floor, Vishnu Barran of Clarke Energy, a Rehlko company, shifted the focus from environmental accountability to the operational realities facing data centers today, particularly the growing mismatch between power demand and grid readiness.
“Demand isn’t rising in a smooth, predictable way anymore,” Barran noted. “We’re seeing sharp spikes, long lead times for grid connections, and increasing uncertainty around availability.”
The discussion centered on a challenge familiar to many operators: power is needed faster than the grid can deliver it. As AI workloads accelerate deployment timelines and increase density, waiting years for traditional utility upgrades is no longer viable. This gap is driving greater interest in hybrid energy systems that combine generation, storage, and intelligent controls into integrated, site-level solutions.
Rather than positioning these systems as alternatives to the grid, Barran emphasized their role as stabilizers and enablers.
“Hybrid energy isn’t about replacing the grid,” he explained. “It’s about giving operators control — the ability to manage volatility, smooth demand, and maintain uptime even when external conditions aren’t ideal.”
A recurring theme of the interview was flexibility. Fuel-agnostic engines, modular architectures, and scalable systems allow operators to adapt as requirements evolve, rather than locking into a single, rigid solution. This adaptability is becoming critical as regulatory pressure, sustainability expectations, and energy constraints converge.
The conversation reinforced a key takeaway from PTC: resilience is no longer defined by redundancy alone. It’s defined by how intelligently power systems respond to change, whether that change comes from AI-driven demand, grid instability, or future fuel transitions.
Watch the full JSA TV interview with Vishnu Barran from PTC
Taken together, Rehlko’s JSA TV conversations at PTC delivered a clear message: the future of mission-critical power will be defined by trust, transparency, and adaptability.
Louis Liu’s discussion underscored how sustainability is no longer aspirational or theoretical. With tools like Environmental Product Declarations, lifecycle analysis, and standardized reporting, operators now have the data needed to make informed decisions and suppliers are being held to a higher bar of accountability.
Vishnu Barran’s perspective expanded that conversation into the operational realities of today’s power landscape. Grid constraints, volatile demand, and accelerated deployment timelines are forcing a rethink of how energy systems are designed and deployed. Hybrid architectures, modular systems, and fuel-flexible strategies are becoming foundational.
What connected both conversations was a shared understanding that resilience can’t be bolted on after the fact. It must be engineered deliberately, informed by real data, and designed to evolve alongside the infrastructure it supports.
At PTC, the message was clear: the industry is moving beyond one-size-fits-all solutions. The next phase of digital infrastructure will be built on smarter power strategies that balance reliability, sustainability, and control.
