The regulatory framework governing the electric grid was built for a very different era.

Today, developers and utilities are confronting enormous new loads, compressed development timelines, constrained transmission systems, and evolving rules about who can connect to the grid, where the power will come from, and even who can sell it.

In this episode, Vinson & Elkins' Chief Innovation Officer Aubrey Bishai is joined by Energy Regulation Partner Jeff Jakubiak to help make sense of this changing landscape.

Together they discuss the FERC's evolving role, the choices between buying and building generation, different approaches to connecting data centers to the grid, and why regulatory policy may ultimately help determine which states and regions capture the next wave of AI driven investment.

For years, states competed aggressively to attract data center investment through generous tax incentives. Today, however, several states are reevaluating those programs, introducing new taxes, pausing incentive offerings, or reconsidering policies that many investors once viewed as stable. So what happens when today's assumptions no longer hold?

In this episode, Vinson & Elkins' Chief Innovation Officer Aubrey Bishai is joined by Co-Head of Tax Controversy Kathy Pakenham, to discuss the rapidly evolving tax incentive landscape for data centers. Together they explore why tax certainty has become a strategic issue, how recent developments are affecting project economics, and what owners, developers, and investors should be thinking about as they evaluate opportunities across different jurisdictions.

Projects become operational, markets evolve, technologies advance, regulations change, and the contracts that looked straightforward during periods of rapid expansion are put to the test.

So what happens when today's assumptions no longer hold?

In this episode, Vinson & Elkins' Chief Innovation Officer Aubrey Bishai is joined by International Dispute Resolution & Arbitration Partner James Barratt, who advises clients on complex cross-border disputes involving major infrastructure projects and long-term commercial arrangements. James has been at the forefront in identifying where disputes are likely to arise in the operation phase of the AI build-out.

Together they discuss the next phase of the AI infrastructure story, where disputes may emerge, the lessons other industries can offer, and what companies should be doing now to build more resilient agreements in the future.

Innovation governance is the framework we use at Vinson & Elkins to help companies identify, protect, manage, and ultimately maximize the value of their intellectual property, data, technology, and proprietary systems, including protecting against claims from other rights holders. And in today's environment, that challenge is becoming more complex and more important than ever. Modern data centers are no longer just physical infrastructure assets. They sit at the intersection of software, hardware, AI models, cooling technologies, chip architecture, operational processes, and proprietary engineering. As companies race to innovate, collaborate, and scale, the risks surrounding intellectual property ownership, protection, licensing, and competitive advantage are evolving just as quickly.

In this episode, Vinson & Elkins' Chief Innovation Officer Aubrey Bishai is joined by Hilary Preston, Partner and Co-Head of Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation, to discuss how companies should think about intellectual property risks and opportunities in the rapidly expanding AI and data center ecosystem.

They explore why innovation governance matters, where organizations may be most exposed, and how collaboration and partnerships can create new complexities around ownership and confidentiality, and why protecting innovation is increasingly becoming a core business and infrastructure strategy, not just a legal consideration.