The State of Data Center Construction

Inside the Future of Data Center Construction

Demand for data center capacity has never been higher. But building a data center is a complex undertaking, involving global supply chains and local contractors. As the industry seeks to build super-sized data center campuses, there are reports that a growing number of projects are falling behind schedule.

So what's the state of data center construction? To find out, we speak with Doug Mouton, who for many years worked with construction teams building data centers for Microsoft and Meta. Doug and host Rich Miller discuss the complexities of building at AI scale, and the supply chain and staffing challenges faced by large campus projects.

Doug is particularly focused on worker safety on job sites. Although data center construction teams have reduced the number of safety incidents, there is more work to do, especially on mental health and wellness for a workforce facing constant pressure on delivery schedules.

Doug is also deeply connected as an advisor and board member in the sector, and shares his takes on capital, the risks of geography and silicon, how inference may guide where projects get built, and how power influences the entire market.

Here's an overview of our discussion:

00:00 - Data Center Construction in the Spotlight

02:30 - Doug Mouton's Data Center Journey

06:40 - Data Center Delivery at AI Scale

10:24 - Data Center Safety: Stats and Solutions

18:40 - The Role of Capital in Data Center Development

23:40 - Training and Inference, and How it Shapes Digital Geography