The geography of data center real estate has been changing rapidly since ChatGPT arrived in 2022, kicking off huge demand for IT infrastructure for AI hardware. This AI boom has transformed how data centers are designed, and where they are located and powered. 

To understand these changes, DCR host Rich Miller spoke with David Liggitt, the founder and CEO of datacenterHawk, which provides research and analysis on data center real estate. David is one of the sector’s sharpest analysts, and has been tracking  data center markets for nearly 20 years. With the in-depth market data compiled by datacenterHawk, he has a unique vantage point on how AI is changing data centers, and what it may mean for our digital future.  

In our discussion, David shares his perspective on utility power constraints in key  real estate markets, the super-sizing of data center buildings and campuses, and how that has altered many of the traditional approaches to data center site selection. We also examine the influx of capital and new players in the data center market, whether there is a bubble developing, and why experience matters in delivering hyperscale campuses. 

David also offers a glimpse into what datacenterHawk’s research suggests about which markets might emerge next as data center destinations. Some of them might surprise you. Here’s our conversation.

00:00 - Introduction from Rich and David's background 02:03 - How the AI boom has changed the data center market 04:55 - Following the power, and the new geography 07:25 - The growing role of natural gas in site  selection 09:45 - Is there a bubble? Why execution matters. 12:45 - The outlook for consolidation and M&A 20:25 - What are the interesting emerging data center markets? 24:40 - Community relations and resource impact of new projects 26:21 - The Road Ahead for Data Center Supply and Demand  

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years. 

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LINKS FROM THIS SHOW: 

datacenterHawk https://datacenterhawk.com/

datacenterHawk on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@datacenterHawk

RELATED VIDEO:

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0

How Soon Will Nuclear Data Centers Become A Reality? https://youtu.be/STr3FHuBhok

Why Data Centers Matter in the Age of AI https://youtu.be/9GJSENgbcmk

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound. 

Could data centers help reshape the power grid? The boom in AI infrastructure is creating challenges for data centers, utility providers and power grids. To help us understand the state of play between data and energy, we turned to Elisa Wood, the founder of Energy Changemakers, which focuses on the future of distributed energy. Elisa has been covering the energy sector for years, and many of you may know her work at Microgrid Knowledge.

We discuss the intersection of energy and data, the potential for innovation and new business models., and the prospect for more data centers with on-site power generation, and what that might mean for the future of the grid.

Join host Rich Miller as he and Elisa Wood examine data centers, AI and the future of power.

Here’s our discussion.

00:00 - Intro and background on Elisa Wood 00:45 - The energy sector’s love-hate relationship with data centers 09:20 - AI demand and the importance of “time to power” 14:30 - On-site power is coming, at Internet scale 16:30 - Regulatory considerations with on-site power 18:45 - How decentralized data center power might shift the future of the grid 21:30 - Natural gas as the bridge to nuclear 23:00 - Communication gaps between the utility and data center sectors 28:00 - Server waste heat reuse and community relations 32:00 - Business model innovation on the utility side

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW :

Energy Changemakers (Elisa's Company) https://energychangemakers.com/

RELATED VIDEO:

How Soon Will Nuclear Data Centers Become A Reality? https://youtu.be/STr3FHuBhok

Why Data Centers Matter in the Age of AI https://youtu.be/9GJSENgbcmk

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound.

In the premiere episode of the Data Center Richness podcast, host Rich Miller speaks with Apolo CEO Bill Kleyman about his mantra of "power and bravery" as the key to innovation and building the data center industry of the future.

A key focus is the timeline for nuclear-powered data centers. How soon can nuclear energy be available to address the "power gap" from constraints on regional power grids? Rich and Bill discuss the varied approaches to nuclear data centers - including traditional nuclear plants, small modular reactors (SMRs) and even portable microreactors that can be deployed on trucks - as well as the interest from tech titans like Microsoft, Google, Amazon (AWS), Meta and many others.

Kleyman says nuclear-powered AI infrastructure may arrive sooner than expected. He will moderate a keynote session at the Data Center World conference featuring Google and nuclear specialist Kairos Power, who hope to have a nuclear project online by 2030.

Kleyman also talks about the importance of introducing data center careers to younger students, and his experience with immersive learning programs. And Bill has lots to say on his theme of "power and bravery" as the key to innovation and building the data center industry of the future.

 Here's an overview of the discussion between Rich Miller and Bill Kleyman

00:00 Introduction to Data Center Richness 00:21 Meet Bill Kleyman 00:41 The Outlook for Nuclear Power in Data Centers 02:38 The Growing Demand for Clean Energy to Power AI 03:49 The Rapid Evolution of the Data Center Industry 05:38 Practical Deployment of Nuclear Technologies 14:46 Staffing and Workforce Development 17:47 Inspiring the Next Generation 23:30 Power and Bravery!

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Join respected industry expert Rich Miller for conversations that will help you understand the fast-moving world of digital infrastructure, and what it means to you. Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been tracking the data center industry for more than 25 years, explaining how data centers are central to the Internet, the AI revolution, and the energy transition.

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