Happy Tuesday all, and welcome to Data Center Digest.
We’re covering the business and technology of data centers and digital infrastructure.

Here’s what we’re looking at today:

• Digital Realty is going straight to the source to find young talent in Europe

• Vantage gets $300 million for green initiatives at one of its data centers

• Some experts think Phoenix, the data center upstart, is running out of power

• Big Deals: Stack announces two more for the crowded Atlanta market, PowerHouse to demolish iconic site

• Hot Links: Great portal for data center opportunities, a discussion on power with DataCenterHawk.

Est. read time: 5mins 02secs

Digital Realty partners with Dutch trade school to train young talent.

A trade school in Amsterdam is partnering with DC giant Digital Realty to teach students data center skills.

Demonstration data center

The Dutch vocational college, MBO College Zuidoost, announced last week that it had opened its "demo data center" for students enrolled in the Cloud and Infrastructure Technician course.

The fully-functional demonstration data center is completely assembled and managed by students and serves to teach students skills like server and cable installation.

Included with the data center is a neighboring sustainability room that demonstrates the connection between the power consumption of the data center and the impact on the environment.

Take notes…

As we discussed last week, the data center staffing problem is only going to exacerbate over the next decade as finding young talent has proven to be a durable challenge.

Novel steps like this educational partnership in Amerstadam are exactly what domestic data center firms need to explore to meet this challenge.

Melissa Scholten for Digital Realty says, "The importance of investing in young talent and the digital future is great. We see and experience this on a daily basis. That is why Digital Realty is happy to provide a complete mini data center to give students from the ROC of Amsterdam a realistic picture of a possible career in the data center industry."

Vantage wins massive green loan with new Virginia data center

Vantage Data Centers, a global hyperscale data center powerhouse, has secured a $300 million green loan for its VA13 data center in Northern Virginia.

Vantage VA13

VA13, set to operate this autumn, is a 44MW data center part of Vantage’s massive 146MW Data Center Alley campus.
Once complete, the campus will span over a million square feet across five centers.

The site showcases sustainable elements like efficient cooling, solar-powered lighting electric vehicle stations, and water-saving landscaping.

Green big deal

Acknowledging its eco-friendly features, the loan is facilitated by Societe Generale, a top European bank known for green financing solutions.

Green loans require recipients to uphold environmental standards, like conserving water and cutting carbon emissions. This loan not only boosts Vantage’s sustainable efforts but diversifies their funding, enabling them to balance swift development and eco-friendliness. "This loan aids our quick response to customer needs without compromising sustainability," stated Sharif Metwalli, Vantage's CFO.

(It’s also a huge marketing piece for a company that's raised over $3 billion over the last several years.)

Vantage aims for zero carbon emissions by 2030. "This loan brings us closer to that commitment," said Amanda Sutton, Vantage's Senior Director of Sustainability.

This is Vantage's second green loan, having previously secured a $68 million loan for a facility in Quebec City.

Valtin Gallani of Societe Generale emphasized their enthusiasm to back Vantage's sustainable data center projects, noting this might be North America's first such green loan based on its use.

Is the Phoenix market running out of power?

Phoenix is on fire - becoming a global hotspot for data centers - thanks to its closeness to Southern California and budget-friendly power. But there's a storm brewing: power supplies are feeling the pressure and connection times have skyrocketed.

Industry leaders see challenges coming

Over the past three years, the city's experienced a data center boom, fueled by tech giants like Google and Amazon.
These hyperscalers love Phoenix's cheap power and its closeness to major cities like LA.

With around 587 megawatts of capacity and 267 MW under construction, Phoenix is now the world’s fifth-largest data center market. And it ticks all the boxes developers are looking for like tax incentives, fiber connects, no natural disaster risk, and proximity to major hubs like LA.

However, challenges loom. Power rates are surging, and hooking up new centers to the grid is taking ages.
Layer 9 Datacenters' CEO, Michael Ortiz, warns that Phoenix might soon face power shortages seen in places like Silicon Valley.

The situation mirrors global trends where the growth of data centers is outpacing power supplies. Virginia's Dominion Energy and Silicon Valley Power are feeling the pinch, with unexpected demands and infrastructure woes causing long wait times.

And it's not just a U.S. issue - Europe's facing similar challenges with Ireland and Holland halting new data center projects.

But Phoenix has a unique challenge: competition with other industries, like semiconductor manufacturing, for power. Companies like Intel are setting up shop there, further straining resources.

DCX CEO George Slessman points out that manufacturing companies are often prioritized because they bring more jobs. If the tech giants continue to consume power at the current rate, smaller operators might struggle to keep up.

In short, Phoenix needs to think ahead about power distribution to ensure a thriving data center ecosystem. Otherwise, the tech giants might just pack up and find a new playground.

- Big Deals -

Stack plans two more data centers in exploding Atlanta market

Stack Infrastructure is expanding aggressively, with plans to construct two massive three-story data centers just outside Atlanta. This Lithia Springs Data Center project has a projected completion date set for May 2026 and a price tag of $380.9 million.

Spread across 39 acres of greenfield land, this facility offers a substantial 48MW of capacity. It's a clear statement of Stack's commitment to the Atlanta market, joining a crowded field of data center operators, including Digital Realty, CoreSite, Switch, Google, Microsoft, Flexential, H5, QTS, and more.

 Read more here

Changing of the guard: PowerHouse to demolish iconic headquarters

PowerHouse Data Centers is set to redefine an iconic landmark as they begin the demolition process at the former AOL headquarters in Sterling, Virginia.

This historic transformation along Pacific Boulevard in Loudoun County is slated to conclude by early 2024, paving the way for a groundbreaking collaboration with Dominion Energy to construct a new power substation through the summer of 2024.

Upon completion, the sprawling 43-acre PowerHouse Pacific campus will encompass three high-performance buildings, totaling approximately 1.2 million square feet, and a state-of-the-art power substation. The campus will boast a 265MW capacity spread across 24 data halls.

Once part of the AOL legacy, this site is set to leave its mark on the digital landscape. PowerHouse Data Centers is making a bold statement as they repurpose and rejuvenate this location, aligning with sustainability objectives while shaping the way we live, work, and play.

Read more here

Hot Links

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- Taylor