"In the span of a decade and a half, from 2010 to the end of 2024, the number of data centers in the US quadrupled. The trend is similar worldwide: more data centers, bigger, now or soon. The number of the construction projects of centers over 100 megawatts announced over the last four years total 377, according to data center certification and research agency Uptime Institute."
"But before we allow Big Tech's feverish race toward more compute, which environmentalists would not like us to allow, let us pause and consider another option: making do with what we have. Can we retrofit our current data centers to match the needs of our newest technology? Perhaps the building frenzy is not merited; perhaps we have all the facilities we need."
"I took this idea to data center experts, who told me, in so many words, that no, our current data centers cannot readily be retrofitted to become AI superhouses. The problem is as physical as the ground you're standing on: Legacy data centers cannot bear the weight of the latest AI technology. The racks that house computer chips or AI chips are simply too damn heavy for the floors, and they would crack under the weight."
From 2010 to the end of 2024 the number of data centers in the US quadrupled, and 377 construction projects for centers over 100 megawatts were announced in the last four years, per Uptime Institute. Retrofitting existing facilities is presented as an alternative to large-scale new construction. Structural and physical constraints prevent most legacy data centers from supporting modern AI hardware because floor load capacities and related infrastructure cannot bear the much heavier racks and supporting systems. Limited retrofits can enable small AI workloads in portions of some centers, but cannot meet the requirements of large AI “factories,” driving continued new construction.
Read at The Verge
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