Energy security is a hot buzzword in Washington, D.C., these days according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Data Center czar Andrew Fanara. There are risks associated with the traditional sources from which we get our energy — geopolitical unrest, dwindling fossil fuel reserves and climate change are adding up to exponential costs for the power we rely on to run our data centers.

And we’re stuck with those traditional sources in the near term. Data centers are tethered to the grid — and there is risk for any business that depends on the grid as energy issues become more challenging. In this podcast from the Uptime Institute’s Data Center Design Charrette (see link below), Fanara says data center managers need to consider the rising costs of power and dampen the potential impacts of high prices.

 

 EPA: Data centers and energy security: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download