Texas dominated the agenda at Metro Connect Fall x Datacloud USA 2026, and for good reason. ERCOT is reviewing roughly 474GW of large-load interconnection requests, data centres account for around 90% of that figure, and a state-ordered audit has paused new approvals while regulators work out how much of that demand is real.
That tension, between AI-driven demand and the grid, workforce and political systems built to support it, ran through every session Capacity covered across four days in Austin: panels, keynotes, a fireside interview and two invitation-only closed-door gatherings.
This report brings that coverage together in one place. Inside: Nvidia’s $500bn push to bridge a 20-year financing gap, a fibre market where permitting has overtaken power as the top constraint, 41 US fibre deals recorded so far in 2026, Andy Lipman’s now-regular flashpoints countdown, and what fibre builders and data centre developers said off the record under the Chatham House Rule.
Download the full report here.
Metro Connect USA 2027
Metro Connect USA is the largest executive-level digital infrastructure event in the U.S. The only one of its kind, this 25-year-strong gathering is where decision makers come together to make deals happen.
