back
Get SIGNAL/NOISE in your inbox daily

Surging AI industry demand for additional data center capacity is prompting major tech companies to seek innovative solutions for sustainable power generation.

Strategic partnership unveiled: Google, Intersect Power, and TPG Rise Climate have formed a groundbreaking alliance to develop data centers powered by co-located clean energy facilities across the United States.

  • The collaboration aims to synchronize data center development with renewable power generation, creating industrial parks with gigawatts of capacity
  • The first phase of the initial co-located clean energy project is scheduled to begin operations in 2026, with full completion expected in 2027
  • A funding round of over $800 million, led by TPG Rise Climate and Google, will support the initiative

Operational framework: The partnership introduces a novel approach to data center development by integrating clean energy generation directly at the facility sites.

  • Intersect Power will construct new clean energy assets while Google serves as an anchor tenant in the co-located industrial parks
  • The model ensures that Google’s data centers come online simultaneously with their dedicated clean power sources
  • This approach adds new generation capacity to the grid while meeting specific load requirements

Industry perspective: Key executives emphasize the transformative nature of this collaboration and its potential impact on AI development.

  • Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, highlights the partnership’s role in enabling US leadership in AI development
  • Sheldon Kimber, CEO of Intersect Power, describes it as an evolution in how hyperscalers and power providers collaborate
  • Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s Global Head of Data Center Energy, emphasizes the importance of synchronizing load growth with new power generation

Economic implications: The initiative aligns with significant projected economic benefits and sustainability goals.

  • Economists project that AI could contribute over $1 trillion annually to US GDP by 2030
  • The partnership addresses the dual challenges of meeting growing electricity demand while maintaining environmental responsibility
  • The model is designed to be replicated across multiple markets in the US and globally

Looking ahead: This innovative approach to data center development could establish a new industry standard for sustainable AI infrastructure, though success will depend on the partners’ ability to execute their vision while managing the complex integration of power generation and computing facilities.

Recent Stories

Oct 17, 2025

DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment

The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...

Oct 17, 2025

Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom

Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...

Oct 17, 2025

Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development

The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...