News & Insights
GUIDE: Power options for data centers
Salas O'Brien's at-a-glance guide compares the onsite and grid-connected power strategies shaping today’s data center projects.
Power availability has become one of the largest constraints in data center development. In many regions, utility interconnection timelines now extend several years due to rapid demand growth from cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Developers are increasingly evaluating hybrid power strategies that combine grid connections with onsite generation, storage, and renewable energy resources to accelerate deployment timelines while managing long-term goals.
Salas O’Brien’s comparison guide examines the power options data center developers are actively evaluating today, highlights which technologies are realistically deployable in the near term, and explores the tradeoffs that matter most during early planning. Power solutions for data centers have to be layered to meet timelines. This guide creates a framework to facilitate the conversation.
Jamie Landers, PE
Jamie Landers is a market leader in energy and utility systems and helps clients identify opportunities to reduce operation costs, improve reliability, and deliver new services. He is well-known in the industry for his ability to drive progress and resolve problems. Jamie serves as a Senior Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Alan Watson, PE
Alan Watson is a senior electrical engineer and subject matter expert with 20 years of experience in electrical power and SCADA systems. He brings deep expertise across power generation, renewable energy, and microgrids, utility interconnection, and medium-voltage system design. Alan’s background includes commissioning and field start-up for system integration, switchgear installation, and communications networks, and he is known for providing trusted technical leadership on complex, large-scale electrical systems. Alan serves as a Principal at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Fred Miller
Fred Miller leads at the intersection of commercial strategy and technical delivery in mission-critical environments, focusing on resilient, sustainable, and cost-optimized infrastructure across AI/HPC, hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and edge data centers. Fred serves as a Project Executive for Mission Critical Business Development at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].