Read more at source.
Read more at source.
Amanda Peterson Corio, global head of data center energy at Google, believes the scale of AI presents an opportunity to completely rethink data center development. To realize AI's potential, the growth in electricity demand must be met with new, clean power sources. The exact details of the partnership, including the number of data centers and renewable energy power plants to be built, are yet to be determined.
Intersect Power CEO Sheldon Kimber suggests that tech companies should consider bringing data centers to areas where renewable energy is plentiful. This could lead to a shift away from traditional data center hubs like Virginia's 'data center alley', where approximately 70% of internet traffic passes through. Kimber advocates for a 'power-first' mentality, focusing on renewables and high solar and wind areas of the country.
Historically, affordable energy costs have attracted tech companies to data center hubs like Virginia. However, land availability for renewables is limited in these areas. Proximity to densely populated regions, another reason for the original concentration of data centers, also complicates the construction of new energy infrastructure.
It's time for the industry to really develop with more of a power-first mentality, Kimber says. And when you start with power first, you start with renewables, and you start with the high solar and wind areas of the country.
