Here are five notable links from the data center sector. This isn’t an exhaustive look at last week’s news links - there are other good sources for that.
Instead, I’ve curated 5 links that I find particularly interesting, with my commentary on why they merit your attention. Sound interesting? Subscribe and get them each week.
5 Notable Links
Why Data Centers Matter Far More Than You Think - This is a really good read from Juan Font, the President and CEO of CoreSite, who shares how conversations can reframe how people understand data centers. “Despite their prevalence and importance to daily life, data centers remain misunderstood,” Font writes. “The services housed in data centers make us more connected and more productive in ways we can hardly imagine doing without.”
How AWS is Connecting the Cloud - This is a deep dive into the innards of hyperscale networking, in this case from Amazon Web Services. Lots of detail for my fellow data center nerds. The piece is from SDxCentral, a network-centric publication which was recently acquired by DCD. Good stuff.
How Much Energy Does Google’s AI Use? - The Google team shares a detailed analysis of the energy usage of its AI inference. Every disclosure like this is met with debate and skepticism. But that misses the key point: There’s been rapid improvement in efficiency. “Over a recent 12 month period, the energy and total carbon footprint of the median Gemini Apps text prompt dropped by 33x and 44x, respectively, all while delivering higher quality responses.”
The Data Center Coalition on Utility Cost Sharing - The DCC, the primary lobbying group for the data center sector, commissioned a study on the best ways for utilities and data centers to share the cost of bringing large loads onto the grid. Despite its unexciting title (“Balancing Risk and Growth: Best Practices for Utility Credit and Collateral Requirements for Large Load Customers”) the study offers worthwhile ideas for stakeholders seeking to strike the right balance, especially on collateral requirements.
Data Centers and Grid Stress Management - Arushi Sharma Frank offers really smart takes on data centers and the energy grid, working off her advocacy for microgrids and distributed energy resources (DERs). In this piece for Utility Dive, she outlines principles for a workable future for data centers and the power grid. “Allow AI data centers to participate in grid stress management, and the capital will flow to the solutions that enable flexible, grid-supportive outcomes,” she writes. Arushi writes here on Substack, and is a great person to follow to understand the complexities and opportunities of our current moment.
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