Here’s what you should know today:

• COOLING, TECH, AND POWER: The Nuclear Co. unmasks and announces bold plans and Flexential releases its AI report

• 🎥 WATCH THIS: Cooling pioneer Submer showcases a full rack

• BIG DEALS: Cloverleaf’s the new player power infrastructure, Nvidia invests in Arrcus, and HUGE Atlanta deals coming soon

- Cooling, tech, and power -

‘The Nuclear Co.’ Unveils Bold Plan to Power the Future

The Nuclear Co. has come out of stealth with its ambitious plan to develop a series of nuclear plants. By using proven, licensed technology and a “design-once, build-many” approach, the company aims to revolutionize clean power generation.

Chief Development Officer Juliann Edwards revealed that the company is focused on sites with some level of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing, aiming to generate 6 GW of power by the mid-2030s.

“We are hyper-focused on delivering clean power as soon as possible [by replicating] what happened in the 1970s and 80s,” Edwards stated, referencing the period of rapid nuclear expansion in the U.S.

Why Nuclear?

Nuclear power stands out for data center providers for several reasons:

• Reliability: Provides a stable power supply over long periods.

• Environmental Benefits: Delivers low-carbon energy.

• Cost Efficiency: Proven technology reduces risks of delays and overruns.

Following nearly two decades of flat or falling power demand, U.S. load growth is expected to rise by 4.7% over the next five years, largely driven by reshoring of manufacturing, transportation electrification, and data center growth.

The Electric Power Research Institute estimates data centers alone could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity by 2030.

Addressing Industry Challenges

Despite the potential, recent nuclear projects in the U.S. have faced significant challenges, including delays and cost overruns.

Edwards acknowledges these issues but emphasizes The Nuclear Co.'s unique approach, which includes plans to collaborate with utilities, independent power producers, nuclear technology suppliers, and private equity firms.
This consortium aims to spread risk and make nuclear power an attractive investment. Current investors include CIV, True Ventures, Wonder Ventures, Goldcrest Capital, and MCJ Collective.

Strategic Locations and Future Prospects

The Nuclear Co. is looking at locations in the southeastern U.S., PJM Interconnection, and Midcontinent Independent System Operator territories. Preferred sites include those with active combined operating licenses, early site permits, or limited work authorizations from the NRC.

The Nuclear Co. also sees potential in former coal-fired power plant sites, which could be adapted for nuclear reactors. The company is actively working to grow its supply chains and skilled workforce to meet its ambitious expansion goals. Nuclear Co hopes to play a pivotal role in the future of clean energy in the U.S. “Decisions have to be made now,” Edwards asserted.

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Flexential Releases ‘State of AI’ Report

Ambitious AI roadmaps are challenging existing infrastructure.

Flexential recently surveyed IT leaders, revealing that many cloud or on-prem data centers are not equipped to handle high-density AI workloads or latency-sensitive AI applications.

As the generative AI trend drives significant investments, IT leaders must rapidly adapt infrastructure to meet evolving AI requirements.
Here are key findings from the Flexential 2024 State of AI Infrastructure Report:

• Infrastructure Investments: 59% of organizations with AI roadmaps are increasing IT infrastructure investments.

• Skills Gaps: 53% reported skills gaps or staffing shortages in managing specialized computing infrastructure.

• Data Privacy and Security: 42% of organizations have pulled an AI workload back from the public cloud due to data privacy and security concerns.

• Third-Party Colocation: 51% are using third-party colocation data centers to address performance issues and process data closer to the edge.

• Innovation at Risk: 45% of organizations with AI roadmaps say failing to meet goals would affect their ability to innovate.

• Sustainability Willingness: 94% would pay more for data centers or third-party cloud vendors using clean or renewable energy and/or buying credits to offset carbon footprints.

Flexential's report highlights the critical need for IT leaders to enhance their infrastructure to support ambitious AI roadmaps.
Key challenges include addressing skills gaps, improving data privacy and security, and ensuring infrastructure sustainability. As AI continues to drive innovation, adapting existing infrastructure is essential for organizations to stay competitive and achieve their strategic goals.

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More in Cooling, Tech, and Power

1. Omdia: Data center cooling market will hit $17B by 2028. 

   According to Omdia, the data center cooling market has soared to $7.67 billion, surpassing previous predictions.

   The research firm indicated that this "unprecedented growth" is expected to persist, with an annual growth rate of 18.4% through 2028. 

🔎 Watch This:

Interested in liquid cooling? This is cool.

- Big Deals -

Nvidia's $15M Bet on Arrcus: Pioneering the Next-Gen Network Fabric

Networking software company Arrcus has secured a significant investment, with Nvidia leading a $30 million funding round by contributing $15 million.
Arcus has bold aspirations with the funding: to replace incumbents like Cisco, Juniper and Arista to become the “universal network fabric for the future.”

Arrcus CEO Shekar Ayyar revealed plans to leverage Nvidia’s expertise to enhance AI networking capabilities, moving from centralized model training to connecting data centers and edge locations using low-latency technologies.

As widespread AI inferencing proliferates, there will be a need to connect not just racks but also data centers and edge locations using low-latency technologies like ethernet and 5G.

Arrcus: Hyperscale, Multi-Cloud Networking Software

Founded in 2016, Arrcus has raised a total of $157 million, attracting major investors such as SoftBank, Samsung Next, and Hitachi Ventures.
The company's software networking layer, ArcOS, operates independently of the underlying hardware, allowing flexibility and broad applicability.

The collaboration with Nvidia is non-exclusive; Arrcus is also working alongside hardware partners like Broadcom. The company is actively demonstrating the potential of 5G and its network operating system (NOS) solution in proof-of-concept projects with Nvidia and SoftBank, showing how data can be efficiently managed by shifting the data path from a CPU to a DPU.

What’s More

Nvidia’s SVP of Networking, Kevin Deierling, noted: “We’re collaborating with Arrcus to provide high-performance, secure, and cost-efficient data center networking for a variety of accelerated computing applications.”

Arrcus’ focus on platform success over profit, coupled with the growing importance of AI, positions the company to challenge traditional networking paradigms and capture significant market share in the evolving landscape.

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Cloverleaf Lands $300M for Low-Carbon Data Center Power

Cloverleaf Infrastructure has announced over $300 million in capital commitments from private equity investors NGP and Sandbrook Capital, with additional contributions from its management team. The newly-formed company focuses on developing large-scale digital infrastructure powered by low-carbon electricity.

The company’s vision is to leverage the gigantic energy demand of digital infrastructure to “catalyze the modernization of the US grid and the transition to a smarter more sustainable energy system.”

Cloverleaf's leadership includes seasoned executives from Pattern Energy, ConnectGen, and Microsoft, bringing expertise in:

• Power and data center sectors: Leveraging knowledge from renowned companies to drive innovation

• Collaboration: Working with regional utilities and data center operators in the US

• Strategic investments: Focusing on transmission, grid interconnection, land acquisition, onsite power generation, and electricity storage

CEO David Berry highlighted the company's commitment to sustainable energy solutions, while Chief Commercial Officer Brian Janous emphasized the tech industry's role in reducing emissions. Investors from Sandbrook and NGP praised Cloverleaf's innovative approach and experienced team.

Berry says this about the company’s vision:
“The large tech companies have become dominant players in the electricity sector, and they are genuinely determined to power their growth with the lowest possible emissions. Achieving this objective doesn’t depend on disruptive new technologies as much as it does on dedicated teams working hand in hand with utility partners to maximize the use of the clean generation, storage, and other technologies we already have.”

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More Big Deals

• Burr Computer Environments, Inc’s massive 2.1 million sq ft data center campus: ATL11 in Fulton County, Georgia is set to break ground in 2026. Speculated to be a potential Microsoft site, this development adds to Atlanta's growing reputation as a major data center hub. 
  BCE is a design/build firm specializing in data centers for some of the largest dc providers in the county.

• Speaking of Atlanta: Microsoft’s $1.8 billion Atlanta Data Center to move forward: The approval comes with $75 million in controversial tax breaks over a decade.  The project, involving three data centers with a total power capacity of 324 MW. The development has faced further criticism due to concerns over environmental impacts and the financial burden on local resources.

  

  Site plan. Datacenterfrontier.com 

• Blackstone has $70B in data center pipeline: The investment giant and digital infrastructure juggernaut, Blackstone, announced this week they have more than $70 billion in current data center projects in the works. (And another $55 billion in current DC assets.)

  Speaking of its investment in data centers, CEO Stephen Schwarzman asserted that "the consequences of AI are as profound as what occurred in 1880 when Thomas Edison patented the electric light bulb."

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- Love, Taylor