The QTS Experience

Brent Trenga joins me to spill on why construction is stuck in the Stone Age while we run space-age data centers. We geek out on circular economies, ethical capitalism, and why data centers should be built like Legos—easy to snap together, just as easy to snap apart—so growth and reuse don’t come with carbon regret. Tune in for laughs and lightbulb moments! References to Studies, Reports, Data, or External Agencies Katerra (failed mass timber company) – Company history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katerra  Sidewalk Labs – Alphabet project https://www.sidewalklabs.com/  Guest Links Brent Trenga's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-trenga-a077278 Company Website: Kingspan Insulated Panels North America https://www.kingspan.com/us/en-us/product-groups/insulated-panels

I've got Luke Saladyga sharing his wild ride from nukes on subs to hyperscale data centers at Google and now Oracle. We dive into operational maturity, high availability nines, and why curiosity beats repetition every time – because who wants boring when you can automate the chaos? Studies, References, and External Mentions Myers-Briggs personality test (referenced in leadership course): https://www.myersbriggs.org/ Open Compute Project (initiated by Meta): https://www.opencompute.org/ Nvidia GTC conference and GB200 GPUs: https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/ IEC 61850 standard (substation protocol): https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/6028 Guest Links Luke Saladyga's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saladyga/ Oracle Company Website: https://www.oracle.com/

Sustainability in data centers boils down to slashing carbon footprints and waste—think Lean Six Sigma magic and robotic automation. I geek out with Joel Chakkalakal on decommissioning hacks, circular economies, and why ops folks deserve a seat at the design table. Let's make our industry greener, one velcro trace at a time! Studies, References, Data, or External Agencies Lean Six Sigma: https://www.asq.org/quality-resources/six-sigma Open Compute Project (OCP): https://www.opencompute.org/ IEEE Working Group on Data Sanitization (IEEE P2883): https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/2883/10711/ Nomad Futurist: https://nomadfuturist.com/ Pegasus Logistics: https://www.pegasuslogistics.com/  Guest Links Joel Chakkalakal's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chakkalakal  Company Website (Critical Risk Solution): https://www.criticalrisksolution.com/ 

I'm diving into the grid's growing pains with Raiford Smith! Raiford says the grid is a balloon dog—squeeze it here, make it an anteater there. We unpack the stress on aging infrastructure and explore innovative fixes.  Join us for a charged QTS Experience!

He went from pouring pints to powering platforms—and once dreamed of being the next great Irish basketball star (don’t we all). Cathal Quinn and I discuss big builds, mental health, and why Ireland is still punching above its digital weight class. Referenced Reports / Concepts FLAP-D: Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin as major European DC hubs Compound growth of the EU data center market: Estimated 15–20% YoY over 3–5 years (no direct link, summary from guest) The concept of Ireland missing the “first wave of AI” due to energy constraints Guest Links Cathal Quinn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathal-quinn-15099837/ MOY Group Company Website

Sean James spills on sustainable tech, smart designs, and why flops spark wins. Plus, how to hired by a Hyperscale in 3 easy steps—proof nice guys finish first! Join me for a hilarious, eye-opening chat! References Duke University Study: Duke University's Energy Initiative. https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/sites/default/files/publications/rethinking-load-growth.pdf Don Saddaway (MIT): TED Talk. https://youtu.be/Sddb0Khx0yA?si=NMTm50HkE-WmovR5  Guest Information LinkedIn Profile: Sean James https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-james-6592524/  Company Website: Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ 

What do you get when you mix solar panels, shipping containers, and sheer willpower? A data center in the wild. Dagi Berhane joins me to talk trust, technology, and why availability should come before sustainability. Also, what happens when your cloud has no internet? (Spoiler: Dagi builds one.) Guest Links Dagi Berhane’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagi-berhane/ Salesforce Website: https://www.salesforce.com/ References & Studies Mentioned Salesforce 1-1-1 Philanthropic Model: https://www.salesforce.com/company/philanthropy/ Red Fox Data Center Initiative: https://redfoxsolutionsgroup.com/ The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=46 Habitat for Humanity: https://www.habitat.org/

What do AI, energy, and rural America have in common? Everything. Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak joins me to talk about working together—across communities, industries, and the aisle—to tackle tough challenges with common sense and shared purpose, from Wahpeton to Washington. Guest Info Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak – U.S. House of Representatives: https://fedorchak.house.gov References & Mentions  National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC): https://www.naruc.org  U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee: https://energycommerce.house.gov Applied Digital (Ellendale, ND): https://applieddigital.com David Wright – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/commission/wright.html

What if we stopped asking “what’s left?” and started asking “what’s possible?” In this episode, JP Buzzell helps us shake off the doom and gloom with a fresh take on what’s next for power, AI, and the people building the future. He’s all about big ideas, smart grids, and working together to get things done. If you’re tired of hearing “that’ll never work,” this one’s for you. Optimism is on the table—and it might just power the next generation of data centers.. #QTSExperience #JPBuzzell #QTS #Eaton #SmartGrid #PowerInnovation #DigitalInfrastructure #NextGenDataCenters References Eaton: https://www.eaton.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabuzzell/ Data Center Value Chain: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7267080936431751168/ ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy): https://arpa-e.energy.gov/ National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): https://www.nrel.gov/

David McCall sits down with John Coster, the master electrician turned systems thinker, to explore why AI might break your systems — and why your best defense is a little philosophy, a lot of collaboration, and maybe a good spreadsheet. Expect humor, reflection, and big questions about human flourishing.