The Weekly Take from CBRE Powerhouse: The Future of Data Centers
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Aug 18, 2025 Gordon Dolven, Director of America's Data Center Research at CBRE, and Maja Rosenquist, EVP at Mortenson with decades of construction experience, dive into the booming data center sector. They discuss how AI is reshaping site selection strategies and the crucial need for scalable power. The shift in lease structures focusing on power usage reflects the surging market demands, while rising investment from infrastructure funds signals robust growth ahead. They also tackle construction challenges and innovative approaches to meet the needs of this dynamic industry.
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Data Centers As Critical Infrastructure
- Digital services have made data centers infrastructure rather than simple landlord-tenant buildings.
- This permanency underpins rising long-term demand for data center capacity.
AI Requires Gigawatt Sites
- AI is driving demand for gigawatt-scale hyperscale campuses requiring vast land, power, and water.
- Site selection now prioritizes scalable power and resource availability over traditional clustering.
Three Distinct Data Center Types
- Data centers vary from carrier hotels in CBDs to suburban wholesale colo and large hyperscale campuses.
- Each type targets different customers and tradeoffs of latency, land, and power.