What's it like to work on the front lines of data center innovation? Google has been a pioneer in the digital economy, and developed many of the innovations that define hyperscale data centers.

Today on Data Center Richness, we discuss what it's like to be building at the leading edge of a massive technology transformation. Our guest is Joe Kava, who led the Google data center team through an amazing phase of growth, both for the company and the data center industry.

Joe retired from Google in 2025, and at the Data Center World 2026 conference, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Today, he's here to share his thoughts on his journey at Google, and what's next for the data center sector.

Here's an overview of my talk with Joe Kava:

00:00 - The Innovation That Defined Hyperscale Computing

01:30 - Joe Kava's Data Center Journey, and How it Led to Google

10:22 - The RagingWire Factor

11:20 - Google Scale - Where No Data Center Had Gone Before

21:00 - The New Economy Rises in the Footprint of the Old

22:20 - Rethinking Everything: Optimizing from Chip to Cloud

30:20 - How PUE Drove Massive Efficiency Gains

31:30 - Google's Leadership on Sustainability

32:50 - DCW and the Lifetime Achievement Award

41:00 - What's Next for the Data Center Industry?

48:30 - The Challenge Ahead - Navigating Amid Community Resistance

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

How A 'Leap of Faith' Sparked Joe Kava's Data Center Career
https://datacenterworld.com/article/how-a-leap-of-faith-sparked-joseph-kavas-storied-google-data-center-career/

Google Data Centers
https://datacenters.google/

Joe Kava on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billkleyman/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

The State of the Data Center 2026
https://youtu.be/NxqFYbuJduY?si=YH2MgxhM7cpREsyV

Verrus is Rethinking The Data Center
https://youtu.be/x9OoLh8UEoc?si=YMkPOqgisOGdWrYw

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Few people know liquid cooling as well as Rich Whitmore. He is the CEO of Motivair by Schneider Electric, which has cooled the world's most powerful supercomputers.

After years of working with the HPC and data center communities, Motivair was acquired last year by global equipment giant Schneider Electric to prepare for surging adoption of liquid cooling for AI workloads.

The rise of AI and extreme rack density was a key focus at the recent Schneider Electirc Innovation Summit in Buffalo, N.Y., where I sat down with Rich for a discussion of where liquid cooling has been and where it's going from here.

Here's a guide to our discussion with Rich Whitmore:

00:00 - The Trajectory of Liquid Cooling

02:00 - Motivair's History and Rich Whitmore's Data Center Journey

03:45 - The Rise of High-Density Cooling

06:20 - The Motivair "Cooling Door"

08:45 - The Latest Trends in Coolant DIstribution Units (CDUs)

12:45 - CDU Sizing in the Hyperscale Age

15:35 - Managing Cooling for Dynamic AI Workloads

17:10 - The Role of Software in Holistic Cooling

20:35 - Grappling With the Megawatt Rack

22:15 - The Road Ahead - What's Next for Motivair by Schneider?

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

Motivair by Schneider
https://www.motivaircorp.com/

Rich Whitmore on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-whitmore-2167284/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Inside Schneider's Liquid Cooling Push With Motivair
https://youtu.be/_uPj295skyQ?si=HmuAYGHCanJ69w-a

Liquid Cooling Has Finally Arrived
https://youtu.be/sZM6MZBOeho?si=HrDgXB345zn51-XL

A Closer Look at Two-Phase Liquid Cooling
https://youtu.be/w_Us94JgYzc?si=wMd1TUS7bMJjqjew

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

There's big change coming to power distribution in data centers. Today on Data Center Center Richness, we look at the planned transition to 800 volt DC power distribution, and a new technology - Solid-State Transformers - could play a key role in these upgrades to AI infrastructure.

Our guest is Dafna Granot, the Senior Manager for Strategy & Innovation at SolarEdge, which specializes in DC power technology to support solar energy in both consumer and utility settings. The company is expanding into the data center market, with a vision for how Solid-State Transformers can bring extreme efficiency to the 800 volt DC transition.

Here's an overview of my conversation with Dafna Granot of SolarEdge:

00:00 - Why Big Change is Coming to Data Center Power.

01:16 - About SolarEdge and Dafna's background

03:20 - Solid-State Transformers and Why They Matter

07:10 - The 800 VDC Roadmap for Data Centers

12:50 - Timelines for 800 VDC Implementation

15:40 - The Challenges Accompanying Solid-State Transformers (SSTs)

18:40 - The Future Supply Chain for 800 VDC

20:20 - NVIDIA's Role in Shaping the DC Power Chain

23:00 - The Road Ahead: Staffing and Expertise

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

SolarEdge (Residential site)
https://www.solaredge.com/us/

SolarEdge, Infineon Partner on SSTs for AI Data Centers
https://investors.solaredge.com/news-releases/news-release-details/solaredge-and-infineon-collaborate-advance-high-efficiency-power

Dafna Granot on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dafna-granot-b17099156/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Fixing the AI Power Grid
https://youtu.be/uwNa5dZfo90?si=DrOgnZv6ymKUHzd-

The Solar Startup Aiming to Transform Data Centers
https://youtu.be/KPdI5OW-TUw?si=8a10IaGZGQAcbWEF

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power
https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=u6kDairimGUARt3b

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound
https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

We've all seen the headlines about AI data centers using up grid capacity and raising power prices. What you may not know is that AI can also find more power and help lower consumer bills.

In this video we profile a startup called GridCARE, which is using AI tools and software to unlock more existing electricity for utilities and power grids. CEO Amit Narayan shares how this technology located 400 megawatts of capacity in one of the nation's busiest data center markets, enabling enough power for 5 new data center projects.

What's even better is that if a utility can serve more data centers without having to build new transmission lines, it can actually lower power bills for consumers, and utilities can use the savings to improve their infrastructure.

Yes, AI data centers use a lot of power. But there's much more to the story. Here's an overview of my conversation with GridCARE's Amit Narayan.

00:00 - Same Grid, Only With More Capacity

01:50 - Amit Narayan's Entrepreneurial Journey

05:30 - How GridCARE Works with Utilities and Data Centers

10:20 - Managing Peaks to Unlock Power

15:00 - Grid Optimization and Site Selection

17:45 - Finding 400 Megawatts for PGE in Oregon

24:00 - The Road Ahead: A Grid-Optimized Future

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

GridCARE
https://www.gridcare.ai/

PGE and GridCARE Accelerate Hundreds of Megawatts of Data Center Power
https://www.gridcare.ai/post/pge-and-gridcare-accelerate-hundreds-of-megawatts

Amu Narayan on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitnarayan/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Fixing the AI Power Grid
https://youtu.be/uwNa5dZfo90?si=DrOgnZv6ymKUHzd-

The Solar Startup Aiming to Transform Data Centers
https://youtu.be/KPdI5OW-TUw?si=8a10IaGZGQAcbWEF

Data Centers in Space?
https://youtu.be/huBe4mbycZc?si=bGX7vopdGpTAqRyG

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

These are boom times for conferences about data centers and AI. In a time of Big, Fast, Change, industry events provide essential education and networking for the many folks who are new to the data center sector.

One of the largest events on the conference schedule is Data Center World, which gets underway next week in Washington, D.C. We sat down with Bill Kleyman, the Executive Chairman of Data Center World, to talk about the growth of conferences, and their important role in the industry.

Bill has LOTS to share about the scope and agenda for Data Center World, and shares highlights from the AFCOM State of the Data Center Report. Bill is an old friend and colleague, and you'll appreciate the energy and insight he brings to our discussion.

Here's an overview of my talk with Bill Kleyman:

00:00 - The Data Center Conference Boom

02:25 - Meet Bill Kleyman, Data Center World Goes Global

08:30 - Building an Event Agenda Amid a Firehose of Change

12:00 - The State of the Data Center 2026 Report Highlights

22:00 - Rich's Take on the Report's Top Trends

28:30 - Hot Sessions for DCW Attendees

32:20 - A New Era for Data Center Security Concerns

------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

Data Center World 2026
https://datacenterworld.com/

The New Front Line: Securing Data Centers in the AI Era
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/security-and-risk-management/the-new-front-line-securing-data-centers-in-the-ai-era

State of the Data Center 2026 Executive Summary https://afcom.com/news/720973/WHITEPAPER--State-of-the-Data-Center-2026-Executive-Summary.htm

Apolo - Bill's day job ... he is the CEO
https://www.apolo.us/

Bill Kleyman on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billkleyman/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Power, Bravery and Nuclear Data Centers
https://youtu.be/STr3FHuBhok?si=XBJLbKW3BkfCqNG5

Why AI Will be a Paradigm Shift for Tech
https://youtu.be/u-Lv9MwS7x8?si=2O0qDYz_Fc4XVJGi

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Let's talk about solar-powered data centers. A lot of the recent discussion of data center power has focused on strategies supported by natural gas, or perhaps small modular nuclear reactors.

But what about renewable energy?

Today my guest is Nic Bustamante, who has held data center leadership positions at several hyperscale players. Nic is the Chief Data Center Officer at Exowatt, a renewable energy company with an innovative approach to delivering clean power around the clock for data center campuses. It combines several existing technologies - thermal solar, Fresnel concentrating lenses, and the Stirling engine - to create a module that provides solar power and energy storage without lithium batteries.

We talk about the current state of data center energy, Exowatt's thermal solar technology, and the opportunity for solar in the AI boom. Here's an overview of our conversation:

00:00 - The Solar Opportunity for AI Data Centers

01:20 - Nic Bustamante and his Data Center Journey

03:15 - A Box of Hot Rocks: What's Different About Exowatt?

09:30 - How Much Land Does Solar Need (at AI Scale)

18:00 - The Geography of Solar Data Centers

25:00 - Community Relations and Solar

32:00 - How Inference Could Shape Solar Deployments

------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

Exowatt
https://www.exowatt.com/

ExoRise Powered Land
https://www.exowatt.com/exorise

Nic Bustamante on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbustamante/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Why AI Data Centers Are Building Their Own Power
https://youtu.be/Yx7QGNQsJaQ?si=5KI-IgaaZU7GAtwL

Decoding Data Center Power (Dan Crosby)
https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU?si=OP8wPhevaZnyY8xL

Why Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy
https://youtu.be/Z-udNWq2bAg?si=E1a0OPEgdM9Dz_jT

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

One of the biggest growth stories of 2026 is the rise of on-site powers for data centers. The AI boom is driving huge growth in demand for electricity to support AI factories, as well as traditional cloud workloads.

But many major markets have limited availability of utility power, as electric grids are struggling to keep pace with the growth of digital infrastructure.

Today on Data Center Richness, we are talking on-site power for data centers. Our guest is Scott Yappen, a business development specialist with Wartsila, a Finnish company that has been a major player in the global power market. Over the past year, Wartsila has signed several deals to provide generation capacity for U.S. utilities and and developers to support data center growth.

Our topics include the growth of data demand, options for onsite power, the supply of engines, and the key role of energy storage in future data center campuses. Here's an overview:

00:00 - Onsite Power, and Why it Matters

1:00 - Meet Scott Yappen of Wartsila.

5:00 - About Wartsila and Its Energy Offerings

8:00 - The Power Squeeze and the Rise of Onsite Generation

11:30 - Supply, Demand and Equipment Timelines

18:30 - Criteria for Onsite Power Development

21:00 - Bridging Power Vs Permanent Power

27:00 - The Road Ahead

------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:

Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

Wartsila Data Center Power Solutions
https://www.wartsila.com/energy/engine-power-plant-solutions/flexible-baseload-power-plants/data-center-power-solutions

Wartsila Chosen for Major U.S. Data Center Project
https://www.wartsila.com/media/news/29-01-2026-wartsila-chosen-for-a-major-u-s-power-plant-project-addressing-critical-energy-demand-driven-by-data-center-development-3711601

Scott Yappen on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottyappen/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Why AI Data Centers Are Building Their Own Power
https://youtu.be/Yx7QGNQsJaQ

Why Every Data Center Pro is Talking About Power (Dan Crosby)
https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU?si=PyyLwfBINXWtI8oo

Why Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy
https://youtu.be/Z-udNWq2bAg?si=vHOizsz7AqT5M7eQ

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Solving the Speed to Power Problem

Speed to power is the hot topic these days, as data center operators race to deploy new capacity for AI services. Many of the leading players in the AI sector say they are capacity constrained - meaning they can't get new compute fast enough.

Meanwhile, many utilities are also constrained, and have limited power availabel for new data center builds. Bridging this power gap is one of the most critical issues for the AI ecosystem.

That's our topic today on Data Center Richness, and our guest is Ned Buschelman, the director of engineering at APR Energy. APR has lengthy experience providing g power bridging solutions to major industrial users.

Ned shares how power constraints have created an opportunity for APR Energy and other providers of on-site energy solutions, how APR works with data center customers, and the future out look for on-site power.

Here's an overview of our discussion:

00:00 - Solving Capacity Constraints for AI

02:00 - About Ned Buschelman's Data Center Journey and APR Energy

04:30 - The Data Center Opportunity for Power Providers

07:20 - The Geography of Onsite Power for Data Centers

09:00 - What Customers Need to Know When Considering Onsite Power

10:45 - Bridging Power or Long-Term Generation?

13:15 - Timelines for Turbines and Engine Equipment

17:00 - The Road Ahead for Onsite Power

------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

APR Energy
https://www.aprenergy.com/

APR Energy Expands Power Generation Capacity to 1.1 GW
https://www.aprenergy.com/apr-energy-expands-power-generation-capacity-to-over-1-1-gw-as-data-center-power-demand-soars/

Ned Buschelman on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbuschelman/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Why AI Data Centers Are Building Their Own Power
https://youtu.be/Yx7QGNQsJaQ

Why Every Data Center Pro is Talking About Power (Dan Crosby)
https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU?si=PyyLwfBINXWtI8oo

Why Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy
https://youtu.be/Z-udNWq2bAg?si=vHOizsz7AqT5M7eQ

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx