How to reshape the grid for AI electricity demand

summary

In episode 368 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas talks to Brian Janous. Brian is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Cloverleaf Infrastructure. With over 20 years of experience in the electric power and data center industries, Brian is the ideal person to talk to about the growth in electricity demand forecast by grid planners across North America as they look to stay ahead of several converging trends in the energy space, including the rapid building AI data centers, deploying new production capacity, and bringing more intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar onto the grid.

The first hour begins with a conversation about electricity and what we mean when we talk about “The Grid”. What important elements – both operationally, such as private utilities and regulators, and physical systems, such as power plants, electrical substations, and transmission lines – make up the electric grid? How do all these elements come together to support the functioning of a modern economy, and what are the challenges of trying to update and expand such a complex and interconnected system?

In the second part of the conversation, Kofinas and Janous discuss what the process of planning and purchasing new data centers looks like from the perspective of technology companies and what investment opportunities may exist due to the expected boom in the development and operation of data centers. We also discuss how a surge in electricity demand resulting from booming data center usage without a concomitant increase in new capacity to support it could lead to significant increases in costs for households and a series of difficult choices for policymakers and politicians facing angry voters in the years to come .

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Producer and host: Demetri Kofinas

Editor and engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou

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Episode recorded on June 17, 2024

curriculum vitae

Brian Janous has over 20 years of experience in the electrical and data center industries. He is the co-founder of Cloverleaf, a sustainability-focused consulting firm dedicated to helping companies navigate the complexities of implementing renewable energy strategies. Previously, Brian served as Vice President of Energy at Microsoft, overseeing the company’s global data center energy footprint. At Microsoft, he managed the implementation of over 15 GW of renewable energy purchase agreements (PPAs) with a team of over 100 employees. He also played a key role in developing location and development strategies for over 4 GW of data center capacity in over 40 countries. Brian led power planning and helped develop the overall strategy for Microsoft’s cloud and AI infrastructure. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2011, Brian spent 12 years in the energy industry where he worked as a senior consultant at Brubaker & Associates, advising Fortune 500 companies on energy purchasing, policy and sustainability strategies. Brian holds an MBA from Webster University, a BA in Finance, and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Missouri. Brian also served on the board of the American Wind Energy Association (now the American Clean Power Association) and currently serves on the board of the Institute for Energy Studies at Western Washington University. Brian appeared in the 2018 climate change documentary “Paris to Pittsburgh” produced by National Geographic and Bloomberg Philanthropies