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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