Can data centers actually support and stabilize the electric grid instead of just draining it?
Episode Summary: In the debut episode of Beyond the Grid, host Beth Rattner sits down with Chris Ellis, CEO of Edged Infrastructure and a pioneer in microgrids. They rethink the traditional relationship between data centers and the electric grid, discussing how strategic shifts and decentralization can dramatically reduce peak demand and accelerate the global energy transition.
In this episode, we cover:
- Redefining the Data Center Model: Moving away from energy-intensive drains toward systems that actively support and stabilize the local grid.
- Microgrids & Decentralization: Why local, decentralized energy hubs are the key to a decarbonized future.
- Reducing Peak Demand: The strategic shifts and infrastructure designs required to ease the burden on our aging power systems.
- People and Planet First: Why human needs must be placed at the absolute center of the infrastructure we build for tomorrow.
About the Podcast: Beyond the Grid is a podcast for bold thinkers reimagining infrastructure, energy, and the future of our shared systems. Hosted by Beth Rattner, Senior Director at Endeavour Impact, each episode explores what’s next, what’s possible, and who is bold enough to make it happen.
What is Beyond the Grid?
Hosted by Beth Rattner of Endeavour, Beyond the Grid is a podcast dedicated to reimagining the critical infrastructure that powers our rapidly changing digital world. As exponential AI growth pushes conventional power grids and finite resources to their limits, we sit down with the bold thinkers, engineers, and leaders building the solutions of tomorrow. From multi-gigawatt data centers and waterless cooling to decentralized energy hubs and digital twins, each episode cuts through the noise to explore how we can build resilient, community-first ecosystems. If you are ready to ask what’s next, what’s possible, and how we actually build it, you are in the right place.