Data Centers and Renewable Energy — Assuring the Future of Data is Clean

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A recent project for carbon capture using renewable energy was kiboshed after years of exploration and development. It was called Project Bison, and it was set to be built in Wyoming, where there is a ton of renewable energy. The idea was that this plentiful, cheap, clean energy could be used on an ongoing basis to lock carbon out of the atmosphere and help us reduce the challenges of climate change. Bison’s clients would have included many companies that have committed to being carbon neutral, allowing them to offset their emissions elsewhere. Many companies have made this commitment, and Bison would have had no issue making money.

So, why was the project cancelled?

Cat videos. iPhone live photos that include a video clip and also can be blown up to the size of a billboard without losing resolution. And some actually important things. The trick was that the cheap, abundant, renewable energy was just too attractive for a much more profitable outlet — data centers. Project Bison was simply outcompeted.

In this webinar, I sit down with Ben Valley, Director of Energy Markets for LandGate*, a clean energy company focusing on accelerating clean energy development through data analytics and assistance to landowners and renewable energy developers. Valley goes into the three types of data centers (Hyperscale, Edge, and AI), and dives into the $99 billion (and growing fast) market for data center development. According to Valley, every data center conference he goes to seems to revolve around energy needs and how to supply them.

In this webinar, we dive into all of this in detail and explore how the situation may evolve. Enjoy, and please remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel!