Not Your Father’s Data Center

On this episode of Not Your Fathers Datacenter, Raymond Hawkins sits down with Jerome Soltani, Global Head of Services at Schneider Electric, to explore how predictive maintenance and partnership are transforming data center operations. Jerome Soltani shares his global journey from France to the US, reflecting on his two decades at Schneider, his experiences growing service teams, and the challenges of managing critical infrastructure at ever-increasing scale.

The conversation dives deep into the technological shifts shaping the data center industry—especially the move from traditional, reactive maintenance toward predictive, data-driven strategies that leverage AI and advanced connectivity. Jerome Soltani explains how maintaining at a system level, rather than an asset-by-asset approach, is essential for uptime, efficiency, and ultimately customer satisfaction. The discussion also highlights workforce challenges, the importance of training the next generation through initiatives like the Texas State Technical College partnership, and ongoing efforts to drive sustainability and community impact.

Through candid insights and real-world examples—including managing more than 1200 power centers across multiple US sites—Raymond Hawkins and Jerome Soltani showcase how collaborative innovation is enabling the data center industry to scale, adapt, and thrive. 

Whether you’re on the operations floor or in the boardroom, this episode offers valuable perspectives on the future of digital infrastructure.

00:00 Intro & Welcome
04:29 Rising Through the Ranks to SVP
09:02 Epic Haleakala Climb Adventure
12:14 The Untold Challenges of Liquid Cooling in AI
14:16 Embracing Predictive Maintenance Revolution
18:24 Predictive Maintenance Revolutionizes Data Centers
20:24 Unlocking Massive Opex Savings
26:15 Addressing Industry Workforce Crisis
29:26 Reno Campus' Game-Changing Donation
33:57 Streamlining Systems to Boost Satisfaction
36:33 Schneider's Bold Sustainability Mission
39:40 Behind-the-Scenes Partnership Secrets

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass Datacenters, is joined by David Porter, Vice President of Electrification and Sustainable Energy Strategy at EPRI—formerly known as the Electric Power Research Institute. With a career spanning mechanical engineering at Duke Energy, stints across the US energy landscape, and over 17 years at EPRI, David Porter brings deep industry insight into the intersection of energy and data infrastructure.

Their discussion explores the rapid evolution of data center power demand, shifting from kilowatt to gigawatt requirements within a decade. The conversation unpacks the unique challenges this poses for power utilities, such as mismatched development timelines, grid transmission constraints, and the need for adaptable grid-responsive infrastructure. Key topics include EPRI’s nonprofit, science-based research mission; the rise of grid-interactive data centers; the DC Flex initiative for flexible load management; and the critical impact of load growth on grid affordability and efficiency. The episode offers a detailed look at how collaboration between data centers and utilities can enhance grid resilience and lower costs for everyone.

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Intro
03:25 EPRI's public benefit mission
09:50 Data centers and electric transport
13:02 Energy demand forecasting for developers
15:00 Challenges with data center power constraints
17:49 Transmission vs. distribution systems
21:45 Improving energy transmission efficiency
23:35 Bridging data centers and utilities
28:06 Evolution of the Data Center Industry
31:42 Explaining the Flex Mosaic framework
35:30 Planning for grid capacity challenges
38:31 Importance of Frequency in Power Grids
41:05 Energy demand and frequency issues
45:56 Golfing chat

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Customer Officer at Compass Data Centers, sits down with Dan Cook, founder and Managing Director of Solar Stone. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Dan Cook brings a diverse background rooted in commodities and metals trading before moving into utility-scale solar and battery development, overseeing projects totaling approximately 2 gigawatts.

The conversation spans the dramatic growth in data center power demand, including how this surge has challenged both generation and transmission infrastructure. Dan Cook provides context from his energy brokerage and commodity experience, discussing supply chain constraints, queue backlogs for new generation assets, and the complexities of interconnection.

Key themes include the impact of speculative projects on development timelines, the evolving landscape of long-duration storage technologies, and the role of federal incentives in renewable energy. The discussion also covers PR challenges for data centers, grid-connected versus behind-the-meter solutions, and the nuanced relationship between data center developers, utilities, and end users.

Timestamped Overview:
00:00 Rising demand for copper mining
06:11 Challenges in energy transmission
09:50 Challenges with data center power needs
11:04 Challenges for Data Center Development
16:12 Land strategy for renewable projects
18:24 Challenges in grid development collaboration
22:14 Rise of renewable energy in data centers
25:09 Discussing project site opportunities
27:58 Focusing on regional solar projects
32:53 Utility procurement and renewable energy trends
36:28 Long duration energy storage
38:27 Federal tax credits discussion
43:33 Discussing solar energy basics

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass Datacenters, sits down with Matt Loszak, co-founder and CEO of Aalo Atomics. Matt Loszak shares his personal journey from growing up with severe asthma in Ontario—an experience that inspired his fascination with nuclear energy after coal plant closures led to both cleaner air and the end of his symptoms. His career spans from nuclear engineering studies to successful tech entrepreneurship, and eventually back to his roots in the energy sector with Aalo Atomics.

The discussion explores the current and future challenges of powering rapidly scaling data centers, focusing on the unprecedented demand for clean, scalable electricity. Topics include the limitations of the current grid, the viability of modular and “extra modular” reactor technologies, and the promise of vertically integrated nuclear solutions. Matt Loszak offers deep insights into Aalo’s business model, the economics of on-site power generation, and the transformative potential of fast, factory-built nuclear power for the data center industry.

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Intro & Matt’s Background
03:55 From software to nuclear impact
07:16 Engineering Leader in Nuclear Innovation
11:16 Nuclear Power The Future Answer
16:28 Revolutionizing SMRs Lessons from SpaceX
17:19 Vertical integration to solve delays
21:15 Smaller plants over gigawatt nuclear
24:50 Configurable real-time power solutions
28:50 Pipeline vs power grid infrastructure
31:37 Energy challenges in industry operations
35:27 Nuclear the big picture solution
39:56 Optimal small nuclear innovation
40:35 Aalo’s customer-focused design approach

In this episode, host Raymond Hawkins, Chief Customer Officer at Compass Datacenters, sits down with Miranda Gardiner, leader of the iMasons Climate Accord. Miranda Gardiner brings a rich international background—having lived and worked across Iowa, Germany, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, and more—with deep expertise in sustainability, architecture, and green building initiatives. Her journey includes significant work at the U.S. Green Building Council and hands-on involvement with sustainable projects worldwide.

The conversation explores the rapidly evolving role of data centers in a world increasingly focused on power demand, decarbonization, and environmental responsibility. Topics span the exponential growth in data center energy needs, nuclear and renewable energy’s place in the power mix, and the critical importance of sustainable materials and supply chains. Raymond and Miranda discuss the collaborative structure of the Climate Accord—including governing bodies and working groups—addressing how the industry is innovating toward measurable climate goals, equipment standards, and new ways to balance digital growth with planetary stewardship.

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Sustainable Design and Global Impact
06:20 Solo hike in Austria
09:48 Capturing Energy from Lightning
10:49 Fortuitous Career Transition Story
13:52 Collaborative Leadership in Decarbonization
17:55 Strategic Alliances for Clean Energy
21:50 Powering Digital Interactions at Scale
23:55 Energy challenges and perceptions
29:10 Industry Leaders Drive Climate Action
32:07 Building a Greener Future Together
33:48 Equipment and Environmental Collaboration
38:03 Responsible Digital Infrastructure Insights

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, host of Not Your Father's Datacenter, sits down with Dr Sai Shivareddy, CEO and founder of Niable. Dr Shivareddy shares his fascinating journey from India, through his academic pursuits in physics and nanomaterials at Cambridge, to founding Niable with a focus on revolutionary battery technology.

The discussion centers around the dramatic rise in power density within data centers, the historical shift from lead acid to lithium-ion batteries, and their respective challenges—especially in the face of rapidly spiking AI and GPU workloads. Sai explains Niable’s breakthrough material, enabling batteries to recharge in minutes while maintaining safety and high power density.

The pair explore the urgent industry need for new solutions to manage dynamic, unpredictable power loads and introduce Niable’s dynamic response power systems as a novel bridge between supercapacitors and batteries. The episode offers practical insights on how innovative materials science can redefine power management in the next-generation data center.

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Intro & Dr Shivareddy’s background 
04:51 From lab to real world
06:38 Data centers growing power demand
10:23 Energy Storage Capacitors vs Batteries
15:22 UPS vs BBU power comparison
17:27 Battery stress at full capacity
20:13 GPU power surge trends
25:33 Voltage conversion in power systems
27:56 Dynamic Power Regulation System
30:17 Power System Design and Optimization
34:43 Optimizing GPU power efficiency
36:06 Power solutions for dynamic workloads

The video is an episode of "Not Your Father's Data Center" hosted by Raymond Hawkins, who is joined by David Liot, CEO and founder of Data Center Hawk, and the company's global leadership team at the PTC conference in Hawaii. Data Center Hawk is a subscription-based platform providing data and analytics on supply, demand, pricing, and trends for over 115 global data center markets on a quarterly basis.

The discussion focuses on the challenges and trends in the global data center business, particularly regarding power and the impact of the AI boom, with a regional breakdown provided by the Data Center Hawk team.

Key Regional Insights on Power and Trends:

• APAC (Asia-Pacific), led by Daddy Escandar:
• Power situations are unevenly distributed.
• Tier one markets like Japan, Singapore, and Australia face similar issues to the US, with power delivery timelines extending to 8–10 years or as fast as 1–2 years.
• Grid quality is also unequal, leading to the use of non-traditional power sources in tier two markets like Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and India.
• A significant project is Google's announced 5-gigawatt data center in India, which requires massive grid upgrades in the Chennai region.
• AI is viewed differently across the region, and many new deployments (45-50%) are being designed as "AI ready," giving the region the luxury of time to prepare before the customers arrive.
• Nuclear energy is not yet popular, though SMR (Small Modular Reactor) technology is being assessed in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia as a fast option for energy where grid quality is poor.

Latin America (LATAM), led by Steve Sass:

• Brazil is the largest market, accounting for 40-45% of the region. It is well-set up for power, with growth spreading from São Paulo and Rio to tier two markets.
• The region benefits from submarine cable capacity and interconnection, which draws development to coastal areas.
• Mexico faces power constraints, specifically transmission issues, in areas like Querétaro, with some large data center companies unable to sell space due to expected power delays of one or two years.
• Transmission is the biggest constraint.
• Private companies may charge high interconnection fees ($800–$1,000 KVA) for connecting to a substation in an industrial park.
• Argentina may see investments due to the discovery of the second-largest natural gas reserve in the south, potentially mirroring the growth in West Texas.
• Most countries in LATAM (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay) have 80-95% renewable energy, primarily from hydro (50-70%).
• LATAM is waiting for the AI "wave" to hit, as connectivity is needed first; Chinese cloud companies are growing capacity rapidly in the region.

North America, led by Ed Soja:

• Power constraints are regional; Texas has exploded with projects in West Texas (Abilene, Amarillo) and South Dallas, due to the adoption of natural gas as a power source.
• Projects are moving to tertiary, non-traditional markets due to power availability, such as P Washington, Wisconsin, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
• Large-scale gigawatt developments are still occurring, but there's a return to 20–50 megawatt deployments following a hub-and-spoke model.
• Natural gas is currently used in the US as a "bridging power solution" to get projects running quickly in constrained markets until utility power is available. Its adoption is shaping development locations.
• There is a shift toward nuclear power, with hyperscalers acquiring and talking about building reactors. The host predicts significant nuclear data center projects in the US by 2030.

EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), led by David Saunders:

• The main challenge is finding available land and power in suitable locations.
• Data center operators are partnering with power companies to solve generation, transmission, and distribution challenges.
• Europe has a lot of planned capacity, but the timeline for power delivery is uncertain.
• The planning and regulatory framework is complex, and a shortage of skilled labor is also a factor.
• The legacy FLAP-D markets (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin) are slowing down, particularly Dublin due to a political moratorium. Emerging markets like Nordic and Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece) are gaining momentum.
• The UK government has dedicated data centers as critical national infrastructure, which could speed up the regulatory process.
• The Irish government recently announced that large energy users can apply to develop gas power plants to support their businesses.
• The Middle East is an emerging market with exceptional growth. Saudi Arabia and UAE are the two major markets, with plans for multi-gigawatt campuses. The region aims to become the AI hub connecting Asia and Europe.

Outlook on the AI Boom:.
David Liot (CEO, Data Center Hawk) predicts a 3-to-5-year window for the current "straight up" AI boom, constrained by supply and alternative energy pathways.

The key factors to track globally are: who has the power, who has the money (for billion-dollar projects), and who has the chips.

• Data Center Hawk tracked 3 gigawatts of absorption in the US in 2023, 6.8 gigawatts in 2024, and 15.6 gigawatts in 2025, which the speaker notes represents roughly $2 trillion in transactional value.
• Other speakers believe the runway is much longer, as large-scale enterprise adoption of AI in sectors like finance and healthcare is still in its infancy.

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass Datacenters, sits down with Brad Meissner, Director of Product Management at Generac and proud Milwaukee native. Brad shares his journey from growing up as a farm kid in southeast Wisconsin to earning a mechanical engineering degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and ultimately leading Generac’s industrial stationary generator line.

The discussion explores Generac’s bold entrance into the data center market with the recent launch of high-capacity (2.25–3.25 MW) generator sets—addressing pressing supply chain and lead time challenges within mission-critical power. Brad delves into Generac’s evolution from primarily consumer backup power solutions into a fully-fledged energy technology company, including strategic acquisitions in smart controls and microgrid systems. The conversation also highlights Generac’s agility in manufacturing, its commitment to local production in Wisconsin, advances in monitoring and managed services, and the growing role of sustainable fuels like HVO.

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Intro & Brad’s Generac Career Journey
04:38 Celebrating Generact at Summer Fest
07:58 Evolving into an Energy Tech Company
10:42 Generac's Rapid Strategic Entry
14:08 Streamlining Standby Power Lead Time
18:35 UK's Leading Generator Control Supplier
19:44 HVO: A Versatile Fuel Alternative
23:20 Exciting North American Expansion Strategy

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass Datacenters, sits down with Mark Spieler, Senior Managing Director of Global Energy Industry at NVIDIA. Mark shares his unique background, from growing up in Minnesota and working at Cray Research and Silicon Graphics, to a 13-year tenure at Halliburton across commercial, finance, and mergers and acquisitions roles, before joining NVIDIA in 2019 to lead their global energy business.

The conversation explores the rising impact of AI on energy consumption, positioning data centers as the new “AI factories”—manufacturing knowledge with data and electrons as raw materials. Mark discusses Nvidia’s evolution from gaming hardware to high-performance computing and AI platforms, unlocking efficiencies and new capabilities.
Key topics include energy efficiency gains in AI workloads, the future of nuclear power and SMRs for data centers, grid optimization, and the transformative economic and social potential of AI. The episode offers deep insights into the intersection of technology, energy, and the data center industry’s future.

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Intro & Marc’s Background
03:44 Corporate Transition to SGI
08:26 Career Transition: Halliburton to NVIDIA
12:04 From Gaming to AI Platform Leader
16:03 AI Empowering Industries, Not Replacing
17:47 AI Enhancing Legal Profession Tasks
22:44 AI Cost Decline and Adoption Shift
23:33 Data Center Consolidation and AI Efficiency
27:53 NVIDIA’s Energy Solutions Collaboration
30:36 Nuclear Energy: Safe and Underappreciated
34:21 How NVIDIA is Innovating Energy Solutions

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins welcomes back Bill (Vitaly) Kleyman—CEO and founder of Apolo, industry thought leader, and data center prognosticator extraordinaire. Bill shares his personal journey, from immigrating to the U.S. as a Ukrainian refugee fleeing the Soviet Union, to becoming a leading voice in tech innovation and AI. The conversation opens with reflections on Ukraine’s ongoing conflict and its impact on Bill’s family.

The discussion pivots to the explosive growth and renaissance in the data center sector, driven by surging AI demand. Raymond and Bill cover topics such as power constraints, rack density, the rise of liquid cooling, and the shift toward AI-powered solutions for enterprise and public sector challenges. Bill also explores practical AI use cases Apollo is delivering, from improved municipal services and sentiment analysis to cutting-edge applications in agriculture and finance. The episode offers an energetic, forward-looking perspective on the future of data center infrastructure and AI.

Note: This conversation was recorded in June; references to the Ukraine–Russia conflict reflect the situation at that time and may not fully reflect the present moment.

Timestamped Overview
00:00 Intro & Bill’s Background
07:10 Ukraine/Russia: Defending Against Constant Assaults
12:54 Honor Ukraine's Security Guarantees
14:02 Ukraine Conflict Outcome Scenarios
22:23 Military Concerns Over Peace Deal
25:14 Untapped Potential of Generative AI
26:38 Exploring AI's Practical Applications
31:26 AI & Data Centers' Power Demand
33:27 Powerful Shift in Data Centers
36:45 Leveling the Corporate Tech Playing Field
42:09 Reaching Next-Level Data Center Efficiency
45:12 AI Usecases 
54:55 Scalable, Meaningful Infrastructure Partnership
56:21 Democratizing AI: Expanding Possibilities