The Grid Mod Pod | Episode 51: The Growth and Impact of Data Centers with Andy Wendell

Описание: Welcome to the Grid Mod Pod, brought to you by AEIC. In this podcast, you’ll hear from the utility industry’s top operations leaders on how their companies are working to modernize and improve our ever-evolving power grid. Thank you for joining us.

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In this episode, we’re excited to be joined by Andy Wendell, Senior Manager of Large Power Solutions for the Grant County Public Utility District. Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen in:

-How data centers evolved to make up such a large portion of our energy load
-An overview of the challenges utilities face in meeting rapid data center demands, including infrastructure limitations.
-Why financial commitments can help filter serious developers from speculative ones.
-How data centers contribute to local economic growth and job creation.
-Why the industry needs to focus on grid optimization, not just expansion.

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This podcast is brought to you by AEIC, the place where operations leaders come together to share knowledge and provide guidance to the electric utility industry. We'll be back with a new episode next week. Until then, keep powering on!

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Data Centers and Energy Needs
03:04 Challenges in Meeting Data Center Demands
05:39 The Evolution of Utility-Data Center Relationships
08:44 Infrastructure Limitations and Future Planning
11:20 Understanding Different Types of Data Centers
14:05 The Importance of Trust and Partnership
17:14 Financial Commitments and Speculative Loads
19:58 The Ecosystem of Data Centers
22:43 Advice for Future Generations in the Industry