How outdated industrial development frameworks governing data center infrastructure is failing the U.S. with profound implications for both communities and accountability.
Thanks for a really great dive, Dee! We have data centres in NZ that serve the Pacific region but I have never heard the same controversy around them that you have in the USA (which just sounds horrendous!). I realise we are probably operating at a much smaller scale but also wondering if we might be doing something differently in the approach? I did a quick google and nothing surfaced beyond claims NZ is one of the best positioned countries to host low-impact digital infrastructure due to the use of renewable energy and closed loop cooling systems, solar farms etc. I really hope this is true as there seems to be no chance of avoiding them!
Thanks for your comment, Dallas! You're raising exactly the right question about whether NZ's approach might offer a different model.
Yes, we certainly have our challenges in the U.S. There are some innovators surfacing in this space: Fleet Data Centers launched in January 2025 (headquartered in Denver, Colorado) but it's too early to measure their effectiveness, although their positioning is interesting: "Pioneering responsible data center growth for a connected and sustainable future". They're focusing on mega-scale campuses (500MW+), which could provide economies of scale that support more sustainable operations. 🌀
If NZ genuinely has found a way to govern data center infrastructure that creates reciprocal benefit: transparency, accountability, and reconnecting costs with benefits--now that would be a powerful counter-example to the pattern I document. But if it's the same story at smaller scale, that's equally important to understand before the industry scales up. 💡
DM me if you'd be interested in digging into this for a TAIIP guest post. I think the outside/in perspective from someone in NZ, combined with the inside/out view from my semiconductor manufacturing experience, could produce really valuable analysis. 🔍
I'd be happy to collaborate on framing the research questions. :)
Thanks for a really great dive, Dee! We have data centres in NZ that serve the Pacific region but I have never heard the same controversy around them that you have in the USA (which just sounds horrendous!). I realise we are probably operating at a much smaller scale but also wondering if we might be doing something differently in the approach? I did a quick google and nothing surfaced beyond claims NZ is one of the best positioned countries to host low-impact digital infrastructure due to the use of renewable energy and closed loop cooling systems, solar farms etc. I really hope this is true as there seems to be no chance of avoiding them!
Thanks for your comment, Dallas! You're raising exactly the right question about whether NZ's approach might offer a different model.
Yes, we certainly have our challenges in the U.S. There are some innovators surfacing in this space: Fleet Data Centers launched in January 2025 (headquartered in Denver, Colorado) but it's too early to measure their effectiveness, although their positioning is interesting: "Pioneering responsible data center growth for a connected and sustainable future". They're focusing on mega-scale campuses (500MW+), which could provide economies of scale that support more sustainable operations. 🌀
If NZ genuinely has found a way to govern data center infrastructure that creates reciprocal benefit: transparency, accountability, and reconnecting costs with benefits--now that would be a powerful counter-example to the pattern I document. But if it's the same story at smaller scale, that's equally important to understand before the industry scales up. 💡
DM me if you'd be interested in digging into this for a TAIIP guest post. I think the outside/in perspective from someone in NZ, combined with the inside/out view from my semiconductor manufacturing experience, could produce really valuable analysis. 🔍
I'd be happy to collaborate on framing the research questions. :)