Microsoft executive to speak at AEW 2026 on AI energy demand

Microsoft has announced that Darryl Willis will speak at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town, with the discussion focused on AI, cloud computing, and the link between digital infrastructure and energy investment in Africa.

• Darryl Willis, Corporate Vice President for the Energy & Resources Industry at Microsoft, has been confirmed as a speaker at AEW 2026 in Cape Town from October 12–16.
• Microsoft says its strategy links AI infrastructure with electricity investment, including hyperscale data centers, new generation capacity, transmission infrastructure, grid modernization, renewable energy, battery energy storage systems, gas-fired power, and energy wheeling.
• The article says Microsoft recently launched its $2.5 billion Frontier Company initiative and is expanding its digital footprint through cloud infrastructure, AI capability development, and regional data centers in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa.