Data Center Richness

Building big campuses in power-rich locations. That's the approach at EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, which is developing data center campuses in six sites across the US, including a $17 billion campus in Louisa County, Virginia.

EdgeCore's strategy is guided by CEO Lee Kestler, who has deep experience in both the data center and energy sectors. Kestler has held leadership positions at data center operators Exodus, DuPont Fabros and Vantage Data Centers, as well as stints in the energy industry at NextEra Energy and Oak Ridge Labs.

Host Rich Miller talks with Kestler about building AI infrastructure in a power-constrained world, the transition to liquid cooling, and the importance of partnerships with utilities and communities.

Here's an overview of our conversation:

00:00 - Intro: Building Data Centers for the Long Term

01:00 - Meet Lee Kestler and EdgeCore

05:20 - EdgeCore 2.0: Bigger Ambitions, Bigger Campuses

08:30 - Navigating the Data Center Power Crunch

10:15 - Going Long on Power in Priority Markets

15:00 - Data Center Design, Liquid Cooling and the AI Transition

18:25 - Why Mesa has Emerged as a Data Center Hub

21:45 - EdgeCore's Strategy in Virginia

27:50 - The Evolution of Ashburn and Data Center Alley

31:30 - The New Geography of Power

37:15 - How Data Centers are Laying the Groundwork for Nuclear SMRs

40:00 - What's Next for EdgeCore?

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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.

Subscribe to Data Center Richness wherever you get your podcasts!

Prefer video? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK! Check out the Data Center Richness Substack: https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:

Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure https://edgecore.com/

Follow Lee Kestler on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leekestler/

Follow Rich Miller on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

What's Next for Data Center Investing? https://youtu.be/XITavRKbXF4?si=51FzTTK4LByqQI2a

Mastering High-Density Cooling https://youtu.be/_zeLScBMDxk?si=432CIwTrRQjgw3_q

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030? https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z-

All video by Data Center Richness.

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It's been a big year for Bloom Energy, a fuel cell manufacturer which has been winning large deals to provide power for data centers.

Our guest on Data Center Richness is Jeff Barber, the Vice President of Data Center Sales for Bloom Energy. Jeff discusses why Bloom is providing on-site power for large data centers AND their utility providers, and how fuel cells can address some of the community concerns about noise and emissions from data center projects.

Here's a guide to our discussion:

00:00 - Intro: A Big Year for Bloom Energy

00:55 - Jeff Barber's Data Center Journey, and an overview of Bloom Energy

03:35 - Data Centers, Fuel Cells and Bloom Energy's Strategy

08:58 - Where Bloom Fits in the Shift to On-Site Power

13:30 - Data Centers, Utilities and Power Pricing

15:30 - Bringing Fuel Cells to Internet Scale

17:30 - AI Workloads, Power Fluctuations and Stability

20:48 - CoreWeave and Bloom - Densification and Faster Time to Power

22:45 - Bloom Energy and AEP - On-Site Power Through a Utility Partnership

25:45 - Bloom's Deal with Oracle - Power at Scale, Within 90 Days

29:00 - The Future of Power, and Bloom's Opportunity

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

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. Subscribe to our channel for more insights:

On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

On the Web: Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/ LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Bloom Energy https://www.bloomenergy.com/industries/data-center-power/

Follow Jeff Barber on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jabarber1/

Follow Rich Miller on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Flexibility: The Key to Unlocking More Data Center Power https://youtu.be/D6-1QxRRxoA

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=hc4pFlJ68jPSuP61

All video by Data Center Richness.

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Cooling is a hot topic in the data center industry. Few companies have been more focused on cooling than Aligned Data Centers, which builds hyperscale facilities for some of the world's leading players in cloud computing and AI.

Our guest today is Michael Welch, the Chef Technology Officer at Aligned, who discusses how Aligned is updating its products and designs for the rising densities in AI workloads, and why an advanced cooling lab is an important part of the company's strategy.

Data Center Richness host Rich Miller and Michael Welch discuss the following topics:

00:00 - Intro: Cooling is a Hot Topic

00:52 - Meet Michael Welch and an overview of Aligned Data Centers

03:50 - The State of Data Center Cooling

08:00 - The Delta Cubed and Delta Flow systems

11:00 - Hybrid Environments: Air Cooling and Liquid Cooling, Working Together

16:42 - The Aligned Advanced Cooling Lab

20:33 - How Higher Density Can Enabl;e Server Waste Heat Reuse

23:50 - On-Site Power and the Future of Energy

26:00 - The Improving Economics of Fuel Calls and BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems)

28:08 - How Aligned Optimizes its Supply Chain

31:25 - The Supply Chain in the Gigawatt Era

35:05 - The Road Ahead: Designing for Bigger, Denser Data Centers

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.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

On the Web: Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Aligned Data Centers https://aligneddc.com/

Inside Aligned's Advanced Cooling Lab https://youtu.be/-aq_uVdZ6eA?si=Q4wTNvTYlLNA4lfy

Follow Michael Welch on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-welch-0a7b092b/

Follow Rich Miller on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

A Closer Look at Two-Phase Liquid Cooling https://youtu.be/w_Us94JgYzc

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030 https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Large global investors have played a major role in the AI boom, providing funding for the construction of data centers and network infrastructure.

Today we look at data centers through the perspective of investors, How do large private investors think about data centers as an asset class? What trends do they consider in their investment strategies? Which markets are the most attractive? And how do they think about opportunity and risk in a fast-moving market?

Rich Miller's guest today is Michael Hochanadel, the Managing Director and Head of Digital Assets at Harrison Street. Michael has been an investor in the sector for 20 years, and shares his insights about how investors assess different types of properties and business models, and what the next phase of AI-powered growth might look like.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - The Investor Perspective on the Data Center Sector

01:37 - Introduction to Michael and his career

03:25 - Background on Harrison Street

07:15 - The Themes Guiding Harrison Street's Data Center Strategy

12:30 - Harrison Street's digital infrastructure investments - PowerHouse, 1547, Oppidan and Summit IG

15:40 - How network architecture creates investment opportunities

17:45 - The state of the Enterprise data center market. What's next?

21:30 - AI and Infrastructure: How will the rise of inference shape th enetwork?

27:00 - AI use cases could be "limitless." Michael shares some early winners.

30:15 - Assessing investment risk in a rapidly evolving AI landscape

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. Subscribe to our channel for more insights:

On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

On the Web: Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Michael Hochanadel Bio https://harrisonst.com/people/michael-hochanadel/

Michael on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hochanadel-767380/

Harrison Street https://harrisonst.com/

RELATED VIDEO:

What's Next for Data Center Real Estate? https://youtu.be/H2FFJfm5wug?si=RI-9sGUGGbzmE4qh

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030 https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z

Why Data Centers Matter in the Age of AI https://youtu.be/9GJSENgbcmk?si=lkeyM8AiseP1v99t

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice or any other professional advice. Please consult with a professional for specific advice tailored to your situation.

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Chris Crosby has deep insights on essential the role of data centers in an AI-powered future. Crosby is the CEO of Compass Datacenters, which builds some of the world's largest data center campuses.

In this week's Data Center Richness episode, host Rich Miller talks with Crosby about how Compass has embraced new approaches to power and the supply chain, as well as sustainable construction and backup power. Crosby also shares about Compass' adoption of HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil), a lower-emissions diesel fuel, and the company's current project to convert the former Sears Headquarters near Chicago into a massive data center campus.

But for Crosby, the success at Compass all comes down to company culture and building great teams.

Highlights:

00:00 - Overview from host Rich Miller

02:00 - The role of digital infrastructure in an AI-powered world

03:30 - Solving power constraints impacting AI growth

07:45 - Load flexibility as a Pathway to Power

11:15 - The role of capital in fixing the grid

15:00 - How to address utility power queues

17:45 - How do data centers make flexibility work?

20:25 - Rethinking the data center supply chain

23:15 - The power of company culture in building great teams

27:45 - Bringing new talent into the data center industry

30:05 - How Compass thinks about sustainability

32:15 - Leading the way on adoption of HVO (low-emission generator fuel)

34:30 - Converting the Sears HQ campus into a huge data center

37:00 - The role of data center retrofits and adaptive reuse

38:25 - Data centers and community relations

41:00 - Data centers and the opportunity ahead

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.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:

On the Web: Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Compass Datacenters https://www.compassdatacenters.com/

Compass Culture: Core Convictions https://www.compassdatacenters.com/about/

Sears HQ to Become a Data Center https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/hyperscale/article/55089460/suburban-chicago-welcomes-compass-datacenters-major-hyperscale-development-on-legacy-sears-hq-site

Chris Crosby on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-crosby-3542b71/

RELATED VIDEO:

Flexibility: The Key to Unlocking More Data Center Power https://youtu.be/D6-1QxRRxoA?si=0Zf8leFTQJ28ZlTg

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030 https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z-

Verrus is Rethinking the Data Center https://youtu.be/x9OoLh8UEoc?si=mINiJlqSCMmX1ejJ

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Verrus is a new data center company that is seeking to build the data center of the future. It is rethinking key aspects of how data centers are built, and how they interact with the power grid.

On this episode of Data Center Richness, host Rich Miller speaks with the leadership team at Verrus, an all-star team of data center pioneers who are rethinking the data center for 2025 and beyond. That includes new approaches to some of the huge challenges the industry faces around power and design.

Verrus is a company to watch in the next few years. It plans to use software, AI, and deep wells of engineering experience to improve how data centers interact with compute workloads and the power grid. It plans to create grid-interactive data centers that use energy storage and software to work more effectively with utilities, along with data center designs that optimize every watt at every point of the power chain.

Verrus is backed by Alphabet spinoff Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, and much of the Verrus leadership team helped create Google's hyperscale data centers. That includes my guests today, Nelson Abramson and Anand Ramesh, the CEO and CTO of Verrus, who will share about their experience at Google. All told, the Verrus team has deployed 13 gigawatts of data center capacity.

If you're wondering what the future of data centers will look like, I think you''ll enjoy today's conversation. Here's an overview:

00:00 - Intro: Rethinking the Data Center

02:10 -Who is Verrus? Meet Nelson Abramson and Anand Ramesh

04:45 - How Verrus plans to be different

07:20 - "Fundamentally re-evaluating" data center development

09:15 - Data centers as an anergy asset

12:11 - The role of energy storage in Verrus' ambitions

15:25 - Design innovation at Verrus

17:00 - The utility relationship, and opportunities in load flexibility

22:00 - New structures and tools that can redefine utility relationships

28:30 - Power design, energy optimization and the Negawatt

44:10 - Data centers are fundamentally changing

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.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights!

On the Web: Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Verrus https://verrusdata.com/

Technical Report w NREL: The Data Center as a Flexible Grid Asset https://verrusdata.com/news/verrus-nrel

Verrus on LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/company/verrus/

RELATED VIDEO:

Flexibility: The Key to Unlocking More Data Center Power https://youtu.be/D6-1QxRRxoA?si=0Zf8leFTQJ28ZlTg

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030 https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z-

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=0ae-RwdbBFQnRwJ8

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

AI will be a paradigm shift for tech - and how that may change our work and our daily lives. What will that look like?

To explore this important topic, Data Center Richness host Rich Miller speaks with Bill Kleyman, CEO of AI technology firm Apolo. They discuss the speed of the AI transition, what comes next, what it means for the tech sector, how we handle this type of big, disruptive change as society.

Rich and Bill examine AI adoption in the context of cloud computing, and how initial skepticism and trust issues led to refinement and widespread usage as the technology matured. A major difference is the speed of development, as improvements in AI hardware from NVIDIA and other chipmakers drives rapid change in data center design, power and cooling.

In the second half of the podcast, Rich and Bill discuss the recent Data Center World conference, and what the huge turnout tells us about the curent "data center moment."

Here's an overview of the conversation:

00:00 - The AI Transition

02:30 - Up Next: Bold innovation and Uncomfortable Transitions

03:15 - Paradigm Shifts Create Winners and Losers

06:30 - Big Changes in How We Interact With Data

11:30 - Journalism and "Google Zero" as an Early Signal

13:30 - FOMO and Comfort With Asymmetric Change

17:15 - AI, Trust and the Cloud Computing Precedent

18:45 - Bill on Making Compliance Work in an AI-Powered World

21:10 - A Recap of Data Center World

25:30 - Real Estate Enthusiasm and the AI Risk Proposition

28:20 - What 'Wonder Valley" Tells Us About Where We're Headed

31:15 - Data Centers as Real Estate on Steroids

32:00 - Natural Gas a Bridge Fuel for AI Infrastructure

32:30 - Is Liquid Cooling Infrastructure Sexy?

36:30 - The Potential for Waste Heat Recycling

39:00 - Community Resistance and Responsible Infrastructure

41:00 - Can AI Transform the Power Grid?

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. Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Bill Kleyman https://billkleyman.com/

AFCOM State of the Data Center Report https://datacenterworld.com/2025-state-data-center-report/

Apolo Web Site https://www.apolo.us/

Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

RELATED VIDEO:

Bill Kleyman: How Soon Will We See Nuclear Data Centers? https://youtu.be/STr3FHuBhok

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

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What will the data center of 2030 look like? How will design and technology change as AI moves to the next level?

Those are the questions that Vlad Galabov and his research team addressed at the Omdia Analyst Summit at the recent Data Center World conference. Vlad is the Senior Research Director for Enterprise Infrastructure at Omdia, one of the market intelligence services at Informa TechTarget.

At DCW we got a chance to talk with Vlad about how AI is changing the way data centers are designed and built, and how Omdia believes the market will evolve. It was an interesting conversation about AI and the road ahead. That includes a look at the growth on-site natural gas generation to support AI data centers, and how adoption of liquid cooling will scale dramatically to support high-density racks from NVIDIA.

00:00 - How AI will change the future design of data centers 01:07 - Overview of Vlad's work and the Omdia team's research focus 01:35 - How has the landscape changes since ChatGPT arrived? 03:30 - Why the pace of change is accelerating 07:10 - Reasoning as a glimpse into the future of AI 08:50 - On-site natural gas generation as a speed-to-market strategy 11:30 - The road ahead for liquid cooling 17:37 - How will enterprise customers keep pace in the AI arms race?

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:

Vlad Galabov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlad-galabov-384b2535/

Omdia Web Site https://omdia.tech.informa.com/

RELATED VIDEO:

Why Data Centers Matter in the Age of AI https://youtu.be/9GJSENgbcmk?si=xZIpDc7T0a06nTSO

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

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Are regional power grids actually constrained? Or could dozens of gigawatts of power be unlocked by new approaches to grid management and data center power contracts? That's the intriguing question posed by new research from an energy analyst, and it could have large implications for the data center industry.

Data Center Richness host RIch Miller talks with Tyler Norris, whose recent research paper titled "Rethinking Load Growth" has made waves in the energy sector, advancing new strategies for managing growth on America's power grid. Research by Norris found that close to 100 gigawatts of additional headroom could be created on US grids - if data centers can be flexible, and limit their power demands for a few hours each year.

Why would data centers want to do that? Because it might offer a faster path to power, which is a huge priority for hyperscale data center operators as they focus on the AI arms race and building America's digital future. Let's talk about data centers and flexibility.

Highlights from the discussion with Rich and Tyler:

00:00 - Why load flexibiility matters.

1:35 - Tyler's background in the energy sector.

4:45 - How flexible loads could enable new approaches to grid management, enabling up to 100 gigawatts in additional capacity.

7:20 - Scenarios for data center load curtailment and implications for uptime.

22:00 - Does low capacity utilization in data centers offer an opportunity?

30:30 - Demand for AI is raising stakes for a workable solutions to a complex problems.

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. Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Tyler Norris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhnorris/ Rethinking Load Growth (Tyler's paper) https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publications/rethinking-load-growth

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

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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.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

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.