Scott Brennan

Scott Brennan is the NYU Center on Technology Policy researcher interviewed in The little-known regulatory bodies that can make or break AI data centers. In the Marketplace Tech episode, he explains why state Public Utility Commissions matter to AI policy as data centers place larger demands on electricity grids.

His role in the source is to translate utility regulation into AI-infrastructure terms. Brennan emphasizes that commissions can influence planning, rates, long contracts, infrastructure approval, and upfront payments, making them potential protectors against Data Center Cost Shifting.

Connections

• NYU Center on Technology Policy and NYU - institutional context for the report.
• Public Utility Commissions - regulatory bodies Brennan wants AI policy audiences to understand.
• Data Center Cost Shifting and AI Energy Bottleneck - main policy problems he discusses.
• MaaS Infrastructure and AI Compute Continuity - broader AI infrastructure concepts affected by power availability and grid terms.