Let's talk about solar-powered data centers. A lot of the recent discussion of data center power has focused on strategies supported by natural gas, or perhaps small modular nuclear reactors.

But what about renewable energy?

Today my guest is Nic Bustamante, who has held data center leadership positions at several hyperscale players. Nic is the Chief Data Center Officer at ExoWatt, a renewable energy company with an innovative approach to delivering clean power around the clock for data center campuses. It combines several existing technologies - thermal solar, Fresnel concentrating lenses, and the Stirling engine - to create a module that provides solar power and energy storage without lithium batteries.

We talk about the current state of data center energy, ExoWatt's thermal solar technology, and the opportunity for solar in the AI boom. Here's an overview of our conversation:

00:00 - The Solar Opportunity for AI Data Centers

01:20 - Nic Bustamente and his Data Center Journey

03:15 - A Box of Hot Rocks: What's Different About ExoWatt?

09:30 - How Much Land Does Solar Need (at AI Scale)

18:00 - The Geography of Solar Data Centers

25:00 - Community Relations and Solar

32:00 - How Inference Could Shape Solar Deployments

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

Exowatt
https://www.exowatt.com/

ExoRise Powered Land
https://www.exowatt.com/exorise

Nic Bustamante on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbustamante/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Why AI Data Centers Are Building Their Own Power
https://youtu.be/Yx7QGNQsJaQ?si=5KI-IgaaZU7GAtwL

Decoding Data Center Power (Dan Crosby)
https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU?si=OP8wPhevaZnyY8xL

Why Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy
https://youtu.be/Z-udNWq2bAg?si=E1a0OPEgdM9Dz_jT

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

One of the biggest growth stories of 2026 is the rise of on-site powers for data centers. The AI boom is driving huge growth in demand for electricity to support AI factories, as well as traditional cloud workloads.

But many major markets have limited availability of utility power, as electric grids are struggling to keep pace with the growth of digital infrastructure.

Today on Data Center Richness, we are talking on-site power for data centers. Our guest is Scott Yappen, a business development specialist with Wartsila, a Finnish company that has been a major player in the global power market. Over the past year, Wartsila has signed several deals to provide generation capacity for U.S. utilities and and developers to support data center growth.

Our topics include the growth of data demand, options for onsite power, the supply of engines, and the key role of energy storage in future data center campuses. Here's an overview:

00:00 - Onsite Power, and Why it Matters

1:00 - Meet Scott Yappen of Wartsila.

5:00 - About Wartsila and Its Energy Offerings

8:00 - The Power Squeeze and the Rise of Onsite Generation

11:30 - Supply, Demand and Equipment Timelines

18:30 - Criteria for Onsite Power Development

21:00 - Bridging Power Vs Permanent Power

27:00 - The Road Ahead

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:

Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

Wartsila Data Center Power Solutions
https://www.wartsila.com/energy/engine-power-plant-solutions/flexible-baseload-power-plants/data-center-power-solutions

Wartsila Chosen for Major U.S. Data Center Project
https://www.wartsila.com/media/news/29-01-2026-wartsila-chosen-for-a-major-u-s-power-plant-project-addressing-critical-energy-demand-driven-by-data-center-development-3711601

Scott Yappen on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottyappen/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Why AI Data Centers Are Building Their Own Power
https://youtu.be/Yx7QGNQsJaQ

Why Every Data Center Pro is Talking About Power (Dan Crosby)
https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU?si=PyyLwfBINXWtI8oo

Why Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy
https://youtu.be/Z-udNWq2bAg?si=vHOizsz7AqT5M7eQ

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Solving the Speed to Power Problem

Speed to power is the hot topic these days, as data center operators race to deploy new capacity for AI services. Many of the leading players in the AI sector say they are capacity constrained - meaning they can't get new compute fast enough.

Meanwhile, many utilities are also constrained, and have limited power availabel for new data center builds. Bridging this power gap is one of the most critical issues for the AI ecosystem.

That's our topic today on Data Center Richness, and our guest is Ned Buschelman, the director of engineering at APR Energy. APR has lengthy experience providing g power bridging solutions to major industrial users.

Ned shares how power constraints have created an opportunity for APR Energy and other providers of on-site energy solutions, how APR works with data center customers, and the future out look for on-site power.

Here's an overview of our discussion:

00:00 - Solving Capacity Constraints for AI

02:00 - About Ned Buschelman's Data Center Journey and APR Energy

04:30 - The Data Center Opportunity for Power Providers

07:20 - The Geography of Onsite Power for Data Centers

09:00 - What Customers Need to Know When Considering Onsite Power

10:45 - Bridging Power or Long-Term Generation?

13:15 - Timelines for Turbines and Engine Equipment

17:00 - The Road Ahead for Onsite Power

------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

APR Energy
https://www.aprenergy.com/

APR Energy Expands Power Generation Capacity to 1.1 GW
https://www.aprenergy.com/apr-energy-expands-power-generation-capacity-to-over-1-1-gw-as-data-center-power-demand-soars/

Ned Buschelman on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbuschelman/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Why AI Data Centers Are Building Their Own Power
https://youtu.be/Yx7QGNQsJaQ

Why Every Data Center Pro is Talking About Power (Dan Crosby)
https://youtu.be/GJiBqvUl5rU?si=PyyLwfBINXWtI8oo

Why Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy
https://youtu.be/Z-udNWq2bAg?si=vHOizsz7AqT5M7eQ

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx