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Nathan Kamphuis and KR Smith present at Data Center Energy Infrastructure Forum
As data center demand continues to rise, operators are looking beyond traditional power strategies to make better use of every available energy resource.
With power availability at a premium, data center operators are looking beyond traditional energy strategies to support growth. At the Data Center Energy Infrastructure Forum in Washington, D.C., on October 14, Nathan Kamphuis, Ph.D., advanced systems & commissioning lead, and KR Smith, senior vice president of power generation, will share perspectives on making energy resources work harder for data center growth. As a keynote speaker, Nathan will explore how a more effective approach to energy can turn power constraints into opportunities for stronger performance and reliability.
At 11:35 a.m. ET, Nathan will lead the session Data Center Energy Effectiveness: An Adventure in Profit Maximization, examining how operators can balance growing electrical loads, grid challenges, and efficiency while planning for future expansion. Drawing on experience across utility systems and energy optimization, he will share practical strategies for making energy infrastructure work harder and supporting long-term growth.
KR will bring his power generation expertise to the stage with Nathan for the panel discussion at 5:35 p.m. ET: Self-Generation, Grid Participation, Waste Heat: Challenges Are Profit Generating Opportunities in Disguise.
Together, the conversations reflect Salas O’Brien’s approach to helping data center clients address complex energy challenges with solutions that consider performance, resilience, efficiency, and responsible growth. As power availability continues to be a main factor in data center growth, organizations that treat energy strategy as a business strategy may be better positioned to expand reliably and responsibly.
About TBM Group
TBM Group strives to create meaningful and salient events, which address the most pressing issues of various industries. Each event is based on data carefully drawn from in-depth market analysis, detailed interviews with top industry professionals, as well as various business intelligence tools. Learn more about the event here.
About Salas O’Brien
Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering, science, and technical services firm focused on advancing the human experience through the built environment. Our team is engineered for impact®, helping clients solve complex engineering challenges with a focus on efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability, while advancing our team members through growth and opportunity. We are a top firm as ranked by Engineering News-Record and Consulting-Specifying Engineer, and we have appeared for over a decade on the Inc. 5000 list of North America’s fastest-growing private companies.
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Nathan Kamphuis, Ph.D.
Nathan Kamphuis, Ph.D., brings a resilience perspective to the rapidly evolving data center industry. Drawn to the sector by the opportunity to reduce its environmental impact, he focuses on translating complex energy and infrastructure challenges into practical, business-focused solutions that improve performance, efficiency, and collaboration across teams. Nate serves as Lead, Advanced Systems & Commissioning. Contact him at [email protected].
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] .