From Inertia to Innovation: What Data Centers Need to Know About Grid Health

From Inertia to Innovation: What Data Centers Need to Know About Grid Health

From Not Your Father’s Data Center by Compass Datacenters

July 29, 2025 · 40 min · Episode 43

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and innovations in grid health and management as the energy sector transitions to renewable sources.

In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass Datacenters, sits down with Marc Borrett, co-founder and CEO of Reactive Technologies. Marc brings a fascinating background spanning electronics innovation, telecom engineering, and the energy sector. Having launched technology ventures from battery chargers to Star Wars toys, Marc’s journey led him from semiconductors to tackling the evolving challenges of modern power grids. The conversation explores the global energy transition, focusing on how the shift from traditional, fossil-fuel-based generation to renewables has transformed grid dynamics. Marc explains the increasing complexity of grid management, the need for real-time data, and the importance of measuring and maintaining grid stability in a world of distributed, less predictable energy sources. The dialogue delves into Reactive’s unique approach—leveraging grid physics to both communicate with and monitor assets at the grid’s edge—and how understanding grid strength and stability can shape smarter investments, operational decisions, and data center siting in an energy-constrained world. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Entrepreneurial Journey in Electronics…

People in this episode

Host: Raymond Hawkins

Guest: Marc Borrett

Topics covered

  • grid health
  • energy transition
  • data centers
  • renewable energy
  • grid management
  • real-time data

Keywords

  • grid stability
  • energy management
  • data center siting
  • real-time measurement
  • distributed energy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Compass Datacenters, Reactive Technologies

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