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What A Week! | CURT Conference Recap: AI, Energy, and Productivity

Picture of Elias Saltz, Steve Gantner, David Stutzman Elias Saltz, Steve Gantner, David Stutzman February 9, 2026 at 5:15 PM

2026

 

Steve Gantner, Elias Saltz, and Tina Montone attended the CURT (Construction Users Roundtable) National Conference in Orlando, Florida in early February 2026 and returned with a clear throughline from the conversations taking place across the conference. In this discussion with Dave Stutzman, they reflect on how AI, data centers, power infrastructure, and construction productivity are no longer separate topics, but deeply interconnected forces shaping the future of project delivery.

As data centers continue to be built at unprecedented speed, demand for reliable, redundant power is rising just as quickly. At the same time, AI is emerging as a practical tool to improve construction productivity not by pushing crews to work faster, but by reducing rework, improving information flow, enhancing safety, and accelerating knowledge transfer across generations.

Despite the momentum, significant challenges remain. Regulatory complexity, labor shortages, and long-term declines in U.S. construction productivity continue to strain the industry. A consistent theme throughout CURT was the need for earlier collaboration and better alignment of data across design, construction, and procurement as a pathway to reducing inefficiencies and building long-term industry resilience.

Learning Points

  • Industry insight: AI, data centers, power availability, and construction productivity are no longer separate issues, they are part of a single, interdependent system shaping project delivery.

  • Practice takeaway: Productivity gains will come less from working faster and more from eliminating rework, improving information accuracy, and getting the right data to the right people earlier.

  • Process lesson: Early alignment of design, construction, and procurement data is essential to reducing RFIs, delays, and downstream inefficiencies.

  • Risk or opportunity: AI presents a significant opportunity to offset labor and productivity challenges, but only if paired with reliable power infrastructure and disciplined implementation.

  • People & culture: Technology will not replace experience; the real value lies in using AI to capture, transfer, and amplify human expertise across generations.