How backlash and red tape continue to slow data centers post-Blue Wave
The data center boom is running into serious real-world obstacles, from widespread local opposition and permitting delays to a scramble for electricity . Before those challenges even come into play, though, there’s a more basic problem: A lot of the projects being announced may never get built in the first place. With billions of dollars in AI infrastructure investment at stake, separating realistic projects from speculative ones is becoming increasingly important.
On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Rebecca Bellan and Tim De Chant are joined by Brent Nelson , senior managing director of markets and strategy at Ascend Analytics , to separate the data center projects that are likely to get built from the ones that may never get off the ground.
Listen to the full episode to hear about:
Why Brent thinks the data center pipeline is wildly inflated, and why only a fraction of the proposed projects will actually get built.
What happens to all that AI infrastructure if the bubble bursts, and why the data center developers with the wrong tenants could be in serious trouble.
Why Brent thinks Democrats should take their shot at permitting reform now, rather than wait for a more favorable political moment.
How energy projects get stuck in a permitting loop, how administrations of both parties have contributed to the problem, and what it would take to get them moving again.
Why natural gas isn’t necessarily the reliable fallback developers think it is, particularly during extreme winter weather.
What a less obvious alternative to gas could look like: pairing battery storage with a grid connection that can be temporarily curtailed during periods of high demand.
Subscribe to Equity on YouTube , Apple Podcasts , Overcast , Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads , at @EquityPod.
Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of 2 producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and engineered live performances and interviews from guests like lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Monmouth University. You can contact or verify outreach from Theresa by emailing [email protected] . View Bio Rebecca Bellan Senior Reporter
Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch where she covers the business, policy, and emerging trends shaping artificial intelligence. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and other publications.
You can contact or verify outreach from Rebecca by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at rebeccabellan.491 on Signal.
Tim De Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He has written for a wide range of publications, including Wired magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica, The Wire China, and NOVA Next, where he was founding editor.
De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and he was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his BA degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College.
You can contact or verify outreach from Tim by emailing [email protected] .
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