On-Site Generation and the Future of AI Power

There's been Gigawatts of on-site power procured for data centers this year. And there's likely much more to come as the rise of AI boosts demand for data center capacity.

Today on Data Center Richness our topic is on-site power and the new energy landscape. Our guest is KC Mares of Megawatt Consulting, who has worked with many of the most consequential companies and projects in the history of the data center industry.

At a time when site selection and power availability are evolving rapidly, KC is helping data center operators adapt to this new world, especially in deploying on-site generation. Mares believes on-site power is not just a bridge solution, but a key strategy for the future as data centers diversify their power resources.

Today on Data Center Richness, KC shares his insights on the energy landscape, the growth of on-site power, and the road ahead for digital infrastructure. Here's an overview of our conversation:

00:00 - The Rise of On-Site Power at Data Centers

01:02 - About KC Mares and his Data Center Journey

04:00 - The State of Data Center Site Selection

08:50 - How AI Has Changed The Equation

18:12 - Turbine Availability & Scaling On-Site Power

27:20 - Energy Storage as an Enabler for Solar and Wind

38:50 - Community Relations and Data Centers in the Headlines

45:15 - The Road Ahead: How AI Can Be A Force for A Better 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

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

Megawatt Consulting
https://megawattconsulting.com/

KC Mares on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kcmares/

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

RELATED VIDEOS:

Why Every Data Center Pro is Talking About Power (Dan Crosby)
https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU?si=PyyLwfBINXWtI8oo

Unlocking Power for AI Growth (Tyler Norris)
https://youtu.be/D6-1QxRRxoA?si=VHUbBdImjKbqAs4g

Why Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy
https://youtu.be/Z-udNWq2bAg?si=vHOizsz7AqT5M7eQ

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