About this episode

The episode discusses how data centers can support the grid amidst evolving power demands and challenges.

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass Datacenters, is joined by David Porter, Vice President of Electrification and Sustainable Energy Strategy at EPRI—formerly known as the Electric Power Research Institute. With a career spanning mechanical engineering at Duke Energy, stints across the US energy landscape, and over 17 years at EPRI, David Porter brings deep industry insight into the intersection of energy and data infrastructure. Their discussion explores the rapid evolution of data center power demand, shifting from kilowatt to gigawatt requirements within a decade. The conversation unpacks the unique challenges this poses for power utilities, such as mismatched development timelines, grid transmission constraints, and the need for adaptable grid-responsive infrastructure. Key topics include EPRI’s nonprofit, science-based research mission; the rise of grid-interactive data centers; the DC Flex initiative for flexible load management; and the critical impact of load growth on grid affordability and efficiency. The episode offers a detailed look at how collaboration between data centers and utilities can enhance grid resilience and lower costs for…

People in this episode

Host: Raymond Hawkins

Guest: David Porter

Topics covered

• data centers
• energy infrastructure
• grid resilience
• power demand
• sustainable energy
• collaboration between utilities and data centers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: EPRI, Duke Energy

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