Loudoun County is poised to restrict new data center development

Plus, new tech breakthroughs from Intel and AWS, and utility prices are soaring

July 11, 2024

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Here’s what you should know today:

  • COOLING, TECH, AND POWER: Both AWS and Intel release groundbreaking new chips, and domestic utilities are spiking

  • CHECK THIS OUT: 📆 Full list of data center and networking events

  • BIG DEALS: Loudon County poised to restrict new DCs, CyrusOne gets a huge landfall, and DCK’s colocation trends

- Cooling, tech, and power -

AWS Raises the Bar with New Graviton4

The Graviton4, part of the Arm-based Graviton family, offers 30% better computing power, 50% more cores, and 75% more memory bandwidth compared to its predecessor, the Graviton3.

 “With each passing generation, we have broadened the scope of applicable workloads that fit on Graviton,” said Rahul Kulkarni, director of EC2 product management for AWS.

The Graviton series, introduced in 2018, has steadily evolved, expanding its capabilities from web applications to machine learning and high-performance computing. Kulkarni noted that Graviton processors are now used by over 50,000 customers and are available in more than 150 instance types on Amazon EC2. He emphasized that “we have all of our top 100 customers running production workloads in Graviton.”

The evolution of the AWS Graviton. aboutamazon.com 

At launch, the Graviton4 will be available in the EC2 R8g instance, optimized for high-performance databases, in-memory caches, and big-data analytics workloads.

The R8g instance supports 8 gigabytes of memory per virtual processor and can accommodate up to 192 processors. Companies like SAP, Epic Games, and SmugMug have already reported significant gains using R8g instances with Graviton4. Kulkarni highlighted that Graviton4 will eventually be rolled out to every x86 instance family.

AWS has produced custom silicon at a rate of one chip every 1.5 years since 2018. Kulkarni confirmed the company's commitment to this rapid development pace, stating, “It’s an absolute, resonating, resounding yes,” based on their proven track record and the maturity of their silicon team.

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More in Cooling, Tech, and Power

  1. Intel announces a new milestone with its new OCI Chiplet. Intel has introduced the industry's first fully integrated optical compute interconnect chiplet, co-packaged with an Intel CPU, at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference 2024.

    This breakthrough in silicon photonics promises higher-bandwidth data transfers, reduced power consumption, and greater reach, essential for advancing AI infrastructure. The OCI chiplet can support up to 64 channels of 32 gigabytes-per-second data transmission over 100 meters, significantly outperforming traditional electrical I/O interconnects.

  2. Domestic power prices are on the rise again. U.S. electricity prices increased by 5.9%, according to Bank of America Institute. Early 2024 saw a 1.4% decline in utility payments, but analysts warn that this relief may be short-lived due to the growing need for generation capacity and infrastructure investment. 
    The electricity demand is expected to continue rising, with AI computing alone requiring an additional 18 to 28 GW of generation capacity by 2026.

🔎 Check this out:

Network World recently compiled a great list of data center and networking events throughout the end of the year. Check out the full list HERE.

July 2024

August 2024

- Big Deals -

loudouncountytimes.com. Times-Mirror/Jess Kirby

Will Loudoun County Pump the Breaks on DC Development?

At the most recent Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Transportation and Land Use Committee meeting, Supervisor Mike Turner presented a white paper that focused on the strain that data centers place on the power grid. He also suggested that all new developments include proposals for microgrids or onsite power generation.

Supervisor Turner has long been a staunch critic of data center development in the Northern VA area, and this is not his first attempt to drastically curb new data center construction.

Apparently, the reception of the group to Turner’s presentation was mixed.

The move by Turner comes on the heels of a recent decision by the board to consider a proposal that would restrict data center development by making changes to the current zoning ordinances.

Per the July 2 proposal, all data center development would be conditional and require the explicit approval of the board of supervisors. The proposed changes would also reduce the number of locations where permitting for data centers is available.

To this proposal too, reactions have been mixed. Several members of the supervisory committee say that the proposed changes to the process would mark a “death knell” for new data center construction.

But according to those who support the restrictions, the county has become overly reliant on the data center industry, which has squeezed out other commercial operators.

The final decision on these proposed changes remains pending. However, pressure is certainly growing for reform in the world’s most significant data center market.

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CyrusOne secures a $7.9 billion investment windfall

The move comes just months after the KKR-owned data center developer raised $1.8 billion in revolving credit financing. The new funds will expand existing facilities and build new ones in the United States.

CyrusOne CEO Eric Schwartz said, “We are extremely grateful to our financial partners for their continued support of CyrusOne.”

I bet they are…

Morgan Stanley, TD Securities, Wells Fargo, and Global Infrastructure partners were all part of the massive credit deal.

CyrusOne operates numerous data centers across 13 U.S. markets. In 2024, the company has been particularly active, submitting plans for new campuses in Chicago, Illinois, and New Albany, Ohio, and starting construction on new facilities in San Antonio, Texas.

More Big Deals

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- Taylor