Bring Your Own Energy: 5 Insights On Data Center Deployment

An article by John Werner in Forbes highlights the escalating energy demands of modern data centers in the US, noting that the current power supply is struggling to keep pace. The piece references a New Jersey Senate bill that would mandate new data centers to generate their own power, alleviating strain on local grids. Major tech companies like Google and Meta are proactively addressing this challenge by planning significant energy sourcing, with Google securing 1.2 GW and Meta 6.6 GW. The article draws insights from an "Imagination in Action" event in Davos, Switzerland, where Tod Hynes, CEO of Maigent, interviewed energy company executives. Jake Jurewicz of Blue Energy, a small modular nuclear power plant developer, discussed leveraging existing industrial supply chains and skilled labor from the oil and gas sector to overcome craft labor shortages in construction. Shiv Bhakta, CEO of Active Surfaces, focused on developing lightweight, rapidly deployable solar technology. Peter Godart, founder of Found Energy, presented an innovative approach using aluminum as a portable, carbon-free energy source. These strategies are crucial for ensuring the future deployment and operation of data centers amidst growing power constraints.