Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy Ep 443: Alan Howard - Nuclear Nexus: Data Centers, Episode 4
Apr 9, 2024
Alan Howard, Principal Analyst at Omdia, dives into the booming data center industry and its intricate relationship with power supply. He discusses the critical power consumption patterns within data centers and the factors influencing their siting decisions. The conversation also explores the role of nuclear energy in supporting these infrastructures amidst rising energy demands. Howard highlights the importance of collaboration between data center developers and energy sectors to achieve sustainability and addresses the public's perception of nuclear energy for future solutions.
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Cloud Surge Fueled Data Center Boom
- Cloud adoption and hyperscale growth drove unprecedented data center demand over the last decade.
- The cloud boom transformed demand from enterprise-driven to massive hyperscale construction.
AI Caused A Step-Change In Power Demand
- AI (sparked by ChatGPT) produced a rapid, visible jump in demand and hardware spending.
- NVIDIA's success and higher-power chips signal sustained, larger power needs for data centers.
Per-Rack Power Density Is Soaring
- Average rack power rose from ~3–5 kW historically to ~7–8 kW industry-wide today.
- Hyperscalers often run ~15 kW per rack while AI hardware can demand 40–100 kW per rack.