The demand for AI compute is exploding, but is growth truly exponential? Dillon breaks down why power generation — not construction — is the real bottleneck holding back data center expansion, and how that ripple effect hits memory production, GPUs, and fab manufacturing (Micron, TSMC, NVIDIA). He also explores how legislative gridlock in the U.S. could push data centers overseas to the Middle East, or even into orbit, as SpaceX's Starship makes space-based compute a surprisingly viable option.

In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, Dillon dives deep into the AI-driven data center boom and what's really holding it back. He argues that while demand for electrical engineers and construction is set to grow significantly, the true bottleneck isn't chip supply or capital — it's power generation and transmission, tangled up in legislative and utility delays. Along the way, he unpacks how memory shortages, fab construction (like Micron's long-stalled New York facility), and hyperscaler CapEx spending from the "Mag Seven" all ripple through the supply chain together.

The conversation then takes a turn toward the future: could data centers eventually move off-planet? Dillon walks through how SpaceX's Starship and V3 satellites are multiplying available bandwidth, how NVIDIA has already tested GPUs in space, and why space-based or off-shore data centers might become the answer once terrestrial power and jurisdictional constraints become too limiting — pointing to alternatives like the Middle East as jurisdictions more willing to host this infrastructure.

In this episode of the Construction Corner podcast, host Dillon shares a candid look at his own engineering career path — from two internships and full-time work at a small electrical safety firm, to transitioning into the A&E industry and eventually earning his PE license. He breaks down the typical four-year journey toward licensure, why company size and culture matter early on, and how attrition can accelerate your career if you stick around long enough.

Dillon also offers practical advice for engineering students and young professionals: talk to upperclassmen and alumni about their real experiences, understand how a good (or bad) manager shapes your day-to-day, and don't sleep on taking your FE exam early. He touches on which disciplines most need a PE (civil, structural, electrical, some mechanical and chemical), the freedom a PE license provides for consulting or starting your own firm, and wraps up with a discussion on construction's outsized role in the economy — including the massive data center CapEx spending driving growth into 2026.