AI scaling pathways: on grid, on edge, off grid, off planet

As demand for data center power skyrockets, available options to provide that power have dwindled. And cohesive frameworks for finding sustainable generation remain few and far between. In this episode, Shayle speaks with Jake Elder, senior vice president of research and innovation at Energy Impact Partners. The two colleagues dig into the four main generation solutions — on grid, off grid, on edge, and off planet – and consider the viability of each in the years to come. Shayle and Jake explore topics like: A ten year forecast: Jake’s prediction for how the global "compute pie" will get split up between these four pathways Jake’s skepticism around whether a shift towards on-device compute can scale effectively The worsening bottleneck facing on-grid connection Building “shock absorbers” into the infrastructure of off-grid data centers that enable them to maintain “five nines[a][b][c]” of reliability The feasibility of making orbital data centers affordable The logistics behind creating radiators “the size of a small town” to dissipate heat from orbital data centers Resources: Catalyst: PJM and ERCOT are navigating a capacity rollercoaster Catalyst: Will inference move to the edge? Catalyst: Who benefits from the AI power bottleneck? Open Circuit: Are investors losing faith in the AI infrastructure frenzy? Open Circuit: The White House AI power pledge: Political theater or policy? Latitude Media: The data center boom is a diesel generator boom Latitude Media: How Hitachi became a speed-to-power company Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson, Anne Bailey, and Sean Marquand. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by Uplight. Uplight activates energy customers and their connected devices to generate, shift, and save energy—improving grid resilience and energy affordability while accelerating decarbonization. Learn how Uplight is helping utilities unlock flexible load at scale at uplight.com. Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the public relations and strategic marketing agency of choice for climate, energy, and infrastructure leaders. If you're a startup, investor, or global corporation that's looking to tell your climate story, demonstrate your impact, or accelerate your growth, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help. Learn more at antennagroup.com. Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform, by visiting energyhub.com.