Google’s new data center model signals a massive market shift

Google's partnership with Intersect Power and TPG Rise Climate signals a major shift in data center development: building facilities where clean energy is abundant rather than near existing fiber networks, with up to $20 billion in renewables and battery investment by 2030. The 'energy-first' model reflects growing grid capacity constraints as AI drives unprecedented power demand, potentially reshaping where and how data centers get built across the country. The article also notes Exxon's competing plan to build behind-the-meter gas plants with carbon capture for data centers, highlighting tensions between clean energy and fossil fuel approaches.