Data Center Richness

The AI boom is creating a massive business opportunity at the intersection of the data center and energy sectors. But these are both complex industries with lots of specialized knowledge. How can these two crucial industries work together effectively to build the future? We explore this questions today with the help of Arushi Sharma Frank, who is an expert in energy market economics, regulation, and technology. Her work spans the intersection of policy, markets, and infrastructure, shaping how complex energy systems evolve under structural change. With industry background at Constellation Energy and Tesla, she is now a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies,  Arushi has been a fantastic source of information about power and policy, the energy markets, and the workings of utilities and power grids. I first encountered her work on energy podcasts, and asked her to share her insights with my audience here at Data Center Richness. Our conversations looks at the AI power crunch, why solving it is so challenging, and how better communications can help. And Arushi shares her insights on recent efforts to address power constraints on the PJM and ERCOT grids.  We cover a lot of ground, and share lots of insights and educational resources along the way. Here's an overview of our conversation: 00:00 -  The AI Boom Energizes Two Key Sectors 02:30 - Arushi Sharma Frank's career journey and current work in the energy sector. 08:45 - How the AI Boom Has Disrupted Energy 13:15 - Flexibility: What it Means for Energy and Data Centers 22:00 - Educating the Energy Sector About Data Centers 24:00 - Hyperscale Secrecy as a Barrier to Progress 30:30 - How Policy and Regulation are Positioned to Help 35:40 - The PJM Dilemma: The White House Gets Involved 50:20 - How Batteries Can Aid Data Centers (and the Grid) 55:00 - The Road Ahead: Opportunities for Change --------------------------------------------------------------------- At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years. Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1 NOW ON SUBSTACK! Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:  https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/  On the Web: Data Center Richness https://datacenterrichness.com/ LINKS FROM THIS SHOW Arushi Sharma Frank on Substack https://arushisharmafrank.substack.com/ Arushi Sharma Frank at CSIS https://www.csis.org/people/arushi-sharma-frank Upcoming "Ted Talk" on ERCOT  https://arushisharmafrank.substack.com/p/grid-positive-people-positive-where   ERCOT PGRR 134 Issue https://www.ercot.com/mktrules/issues/PGRR134#keydocs Rich Miller on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/ RELATED VIDEOS: Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=x60ed4yWu46gt3fV Why Every Data Center Pro is Talking About Power https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU Flexibility: The Key to Unlocking Data Center Power https://youtu.be/D6-1QxRRxoA?si=OUgglh2wSJ0abOhF All video by Data Center Richness. Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx