Conference Day One
Tuesday May 7, 2024

7:00 am Breakfast & Morning Networking

8:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

  • Tony Keyser Business Development Manager, Turner Construction Co

Overcoming Power Restraints

8:10 am Case Study: Exploring the Rise of Nuclear Power: Is It an Attractive Alternative or Cause for Concern?

  • Dave Buckner Vice President of Engineering and Development, Sabey Data Centers
  • Jimmy Sneed Managing Director Critical Facilites, WB Engineers+Consultants

Synopsis

  • Understanding if and where nuclear power is gaining ground to vet potential use on future projects and understand the realistic timelines for adoption
  • Addressing concerns about safety and potential risks associated with nuclear such as waste, accidents, and security to alleviate worries and approach problems head on
  • Comparing the use of micro reactors as an alternative to large nuclear reactors as a cleaner and more feasible solutions for powering data centers

8:50 am Panel: Assessing Regional Energy Landscapes to Identify Capacity & Evaluate Where Investment in Construction Is Worthwhile

Synopsis

  • Exploring how utilities are innovating to meet the power needs of data centers: what new technologies, energy generation methods or strategies are utilities adopting?
  • Finding ways utilities, municipalities and project partners can work together during the planning phase to expedite approval processes
  • Understanding current and future projections and long-term plans for power availability to ensure there will be sufficient power to keep up with the growing data center demand

9:30 am Fireside Chat: Evaluating Current & Future Regional Power Constraints During Site Selection to Inform Your Decision-Making on Where Data Centers Can Be Built & Scaled

  • Travis Wright Vice President - Energy and Sustainability, QTS Realty Trust Inc.

Synopsis

  • Strategically selecting sites with readily available power and fiber resources: what must be considered to minimize delays and operational costs?
  • Supporting the responsible use of data center resources: addressing local community concerns around lack of power and creating a plan to give back to the grid
  • Understanding permitting challenges in western states to inform site selection decisions based on regulatory factors
  • Integrating new and diverse energy sources to power your data center to meet growing demand while reducing operational carbon

10:10 am Morning Refreshments & Speed Networking

Safeguarding Data Center Operations in Different Regional Jurisdictions

10:50 am Audience Discussion: Navigating Evolving Regulations to Identify Potential Roadblocks & Opportunities for Construction Continuity

Synopsis

  • Understanding what factors are driving changing codes and regulations to get ahead of future changes
  • Looking at regional requirements of states and jurisdictions to help customers make the best design and construction decisions
  • Analyzing how architecture, engineering and contracting firms can work together with clients to help standardize regulations faster

11:30 am Region Specific Audience Breakouts:

Synopsis

This networking session will be a time for all attendees to split into groups based on specific western regions, as well as those interested in meeting and networking with those in specific locations, to discuss the biggest challenges, innovations, and latest developments being made to overcome challenges such as seismicity, water constraints and power:

Coastal:
California

Pacific Northwest:
Oregon & Washington

Mountain West:
Idaho & Nevada

Southwest:
Utah & Arizona

12:10 pm Networking Lunch

Effectively Resourcing Projects

1:10 pm Exploring Labor Availability in Different Western Regions: How Is the Current Labor Shortage Impacting Where to Build & Scale Data Centers?

Synopsis

  • Assessing the current availability of labor in specific regions to decide whether to approach pursuing projects in these areas
  • Revealing labor forecasts in the next 12-18 months to help project partners determine where to focus their construction efforts
  • Considering how to sequence schedules to reduce peak labor, optimizing workforce utilization, minimizing labor shortfalls and enhancing overall project efficiency

1:50 pm Panel: Investigating Strategies for Attaining & Retaining Qualified, Skilled Labor to Accelerate Speed to Market Within a Hyper-Competitive Market

  • William Ellis Vice President of Business Development, Suffolk Construction
  • Kyle Anthony Vice President, Suffolk Construction
  • Jody Jenkins Vice President Operations, Data Center, Cupertino Electric Inc.
  • Jordon Gillman Preconstruction Executive, RK Mechanical

Synopsis

  • Engaging with schools, universities and mentorship programs to secure and develop new talent
  • Understanding what measures are being made to attract labor to different geographies: are there standardized practices or incentives from region to region?
  • Going beyond monetary incentives to implement retention programs focused on building morale to retain employees, especially within the fast-paced data center environment

2:30 pm Afternoon Refreshments

Promoting Sustainable Design & Construction

3:00 pm Panel: Addressing Net Zero Goals Across the AEC Supply Chain to Collectively Adhere to Sustainability Goals

Synopsis

  • Understanding state standards on sustainability measures and how all project partners can adhere to them: how do some states differ from others and how does that change construction across projects?
  • Calling for more detailed sustainability targets from owners to provide clarity to project partners and enable better planning for sustainable construction practices
  • Evolving sustainability strategies for different projects/portfolios to continuously make ongoing enhancements in data center efficiency

3:40 pm Assessing the Shift to Liquid Cooling to Analyze the Impact on Data Center Design, Efficiency & Investment Within an Environment of Constrained Water Sources

  • Seth Davis Principal Engineer - Mechanical, McKinstry Corp LLC

Synopsis

  • Understanding how designs are changing in the face of climate pressures and water reduction: how does it differ regionally and where is it gaining ground?
  • Analyzing the cost implications of different types of liquid cooling e.g., direct to chip vs immersion cooling, to understand which is more economically viable for your projects
  • Driving a mass move to liquid cooling to increase its overall impact on the data center industry

4:20 pm Identifying, Measuring & Managing Materials & Processes to Reduce the Carbon Footprint Across Your Portfolio

Synopsis

  • Exploring low carbon materials to minimize the embodied carbon of data centers and risks associated with them
  • Comparing different construction methodologies such as stick built vs modular to make informed decisions regarding low-carbon construction techniques •
  • Emphasizing accurate and meaningful measurement of sustainability efforts to ensure practices are effective, aligned beyond just surface-level statistics and meet your client’s sustainability goals

5:00 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

  • Tony Keyser Business Development Manager, Turner Construction Co

5:10 pm End of Conference Day One