Plug and Play Launches AI Center of Excellence With PG&E Partnership to Boost San Jose’s AI Leadership

San Jose is cementing its status as the AI capital of the world with help from a new AI Center of Excellence launched this week by Plug and Play and in partnership with PG&E. The center will be the first of its kind on the West Coast and it will be the first tenant of the innovative Net Zero community coming to Downtown San Jose. 

Patti Poppe helps launch the AI Center of Excellence in San Jose this week.

“What really excites me about this project in San Jose is the willingness of the mayor to participate, Patti with PG&E, and the rest of the people that are here. I think this is the most alignment I have ever felt,” said Plug and Play CEO Saeed Amidi during the center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda on Wednesday. 

The center’s goal is to foster AI startups through a dedicated accelerator program, inspire future entrepreneurs through a 7th-12th grade learning center and showcase the latest AI innovations through public exhibition halls. 

PG&E CEO Patti Poppe compared the future of artificial intelligence to the rise of the internet and introduced the concept of “Real Intelligence” (RI) — the fusion of AI and local talent — as the key to unlocking the next era of innovation. 

“Where else in the world has the density of talent that San Jose does to deliver the transformative innovations that will be born of AI,” Poppe asked. “That’s what’s going to make AI work — the real intelligence of the people of San Jose, the students at San Jose State University, the people of California, and the people of PG&E who can harness the potential of this new technology to transform lives for the better.” 

As a founding partner, PG&E will mentor startups that could help the company meet future load growth, improve operational efficiency, and stabilize customer rates. Roughly 40 startups are expected to go through the accelerator program each year. 

The center will also drive job creation, strengthen the economy, and better prepare youth at a time when AI is expanding across all industries — especially within energy and manufacturing, as highlighted by an expert panel and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan during the launch. 

“Believe it or not, one in five workers in San Jose works in manufacturing. We’re a city that still makes stuff. We are what ‘Made in America’ looks like. So, if your AI applications lead to a physical manifestation — a motor, a battery, a robot, or whatever it may be — San Jose is the place to be,” said Mayor Mahan. 

The center will be temporarily located at 2 W Santa Clara St., in the Divco West building, until renovations of the historic Bank of Italy building are completed.  

The Bank of Italy is part of the Net Zero community being developed in downtown San Jose by real estate developer Westbank, in partnership with PG&E and the City of San Jose. The project will pair three data centers with up to 4,000 residential units, capturing excess heat from the data centers and repurposing it through a district energy system to heat and cool surrounding buildings. The plan addresses the growing demand for AI-driven data centers and housing while advancing San Jose’s net-zero goals.