Powering AI Infrastructure in a Volatile World: Fact Checking Supplier Escalations for Transformers & the Role of Copper

Today’s global race to build AI-ready datacentres is intensifying across every major geography, but it’s unfolding against a backdrop of mounting complexity. Procurement and planning teams now face a constantly shifting landscape—one day it’s tariffs and trade policies, the next it’s military conflicts or shipping disruptions along-side evolving regulatory changes—each introducing new layers of uncertainty. These converging challenges are fundamentally reshaping the power infrastructure sector, often driving up input costs, extending lead times, and increasing overall risk. In this environment, it is more critical than ever for procurement teams to proactively anticipate disruptions, manage volatility, and implement strategies for cost optimization.

Join our experts as they unpack:

- Industry Pain Points: Understand the challenges to AI datacentre build-outs pertaining to power infrastructure, particularly bottlenecks in transformer industry, and role of copper price volatility

- Data-Driven Solutions: Learn how to leverage cost models to navigate procurement complexities and enhance negotiation power with your suppliers

- Live Demonstration: Experience a walkthrough of our proprietary transformer cost model, comparing regional cost indices and identifying true cost drivers

- Future Forecasting: Gain insights into the critical role of copper in AI buildouts and what to expect as pricing outlook in the coming years

Speakers

Ashima Tyagi

Economics Associate Director, Pricing & Purchasing
S&P Global Market Intelligence

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Jason Kaplan

Director, Nonferrous Metals Analysis
S&P Global Market Intelligence

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