News & Insights
VIDEO: Overcoming power challenges with data centers
Why this matters now
Power has become the first question on most data center projects. Utility timelines for new service can stretch years, large interconnects are competing for the same substations, and load growth across the grid is outpacing infrastructure. Owners cannot count on traditional procurement paths to keep up. The result is a sharper conversation about siting, on-site generation, energy storage, and partnerships with utilities and developers.
What leaders are weighing
Owners are weighing speed against certainty. Some sites can move faster with on-site generation or bridge power, but operating cost and emissions implications follow. Others wait for utility upgrades that may slip. Leaders are also weighing the appeal of greenfield sites against the constraints of existing campuses, and the case for hyperscale-style strategies against more distributed approaches. Sustainability commitments add complexity. The right answer often combines short-term and long-term moves carefully sequenced.
How Salas O’Brien is helping clients respond
Our data center and energy teams help owners think through power strategy as a system, not a single decision. We support site evaluation, utility coordination, and the engineering of on-site generation, storage, and switching. We help leaders sequence decisions, manage risk, and frame conversations with utilities, regulators, and developers.
KR Smith, PE
KR brings 40 years of energy industry expertise spanning engineering design, project and O&M management, and petrochemical and power generation. He has led design/bid/build and EPC projects at Exxon, Energy Nuclear, IC Thomasson Associates, and GE. A multiple award-winning engineer, he earned honors from EPRI and ACEC for power plant design and technology application. KR is also a published author with work for the Electric Power Research Institute. KR serves as a Senior Vice President for Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected] .
Vello Ehvert, P.Eng., PE, LEED AP, Uptime Accredited Tier Designer
Vello Ehvert has a global reputation for delivering innovative data center solutions by employing a manufacturing approach to engineering and advanced mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. With over four decades of engineering, construction, and project management experience in the mission-critical sector, Vello continues to lead industry advancements in data center design and construction. Vello serves as Managing Principal, Mission Critical for Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Karoline Derse, NCARB, AIA
Karoline Derse is a registered Architect with extensive experience in architecture and project management for data centers, critical environments, office tenant improvements, and retail. She enjoys leading multi-disciplinary design teams and working together to develop creative, cost-effective solutions to address the most challenging design situations. Karoline serves as a Managing Principal for Salas O’Brien. Contact her at [email protected].