Ishan Jaithwa, Vice President of Data Centre and Utility at Cypress Creek Renewables on AI-Driven Demand, Grid Readiness & Building Energy Infrastructure at Speed | Season Nine, Episode Nine

Welcome to Season Nine of Conversations in Cleantech!

 

This season, we’re going behind the scenes of transition infrastructure - speaking with the investors shaping how, where and why climate capital flows. From decarbonisation and energy security to technology maturity and policy gaps, we’re unpacking what it really takes to fund the systems that underpin a net-zero future.

In this episode, our host Jenny Gladman is joined by co-host Chloe England to speak with Ishan Jaithwa, Vice President of Data Centre and Utility at Cypress Creek Renewables - a leader at the crossroads of clean energy, AI and infrastructure innovation.

 

From building gigawatt-scale capacity at Amazon Web Services to now bridging the gap between AI growth and grid readiness at Cypress Creek (backed by EQT), Ishan offers a rare inside view of how digital demand is reshaping the energy landscape.

 

In this conversation, they explore what it takes to deliver real capacity at real speed - from firming strategies and flexible partnerships with utilities, to the rise of private equity-backed developers as key enablers of the digital transition. They also discuss how technology mix, timing, and transparency are redefining what’s possible in power markets.

 

Expect a fast-paced, future-focused discussion about urgency, ownership and innovation, and why the next frontier of the energy transition may well be powered by data as much as by electrons.

 

01:16 - Introduction to Ishan
02:27 - Can you share your journey into energy and digital infrastructure and how it led you to Cypress Creek?
07:10 - What are the pivotal moments that have shaped the career you have today?
10:36 - During your time at Amazon, you were tasked with delivering gigawatts of capacity almost overnight - what was that experience like, and how did it shape your perspective on AI power strategy and execution speed?
15:16 - Where does a PE-backed developer add the most value in bridging AI growth and utility readiness?
20:23 - How are you approaching firm capacity across renewables, storage, and emerging technologies, and what factors are driving those decisions?
25:45 - What’s the one thing AI customers most often underestimate about transmission and market structure?
30:04 - What's your advice for somebody looking to make that leap into data centres?
33:10 - What’s next on the horizon for you?
37:00 - What advice would you give your 2023 self?

 

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Ishan Jaithwa, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

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