In the coming world, Data Center set for AI would be one of the biggest part for power consummer, how to optimize the power supply to data center would be debatable, in order to protect traditional power supply frame and integrity, renewables and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) would be considered first handly, expecially the regional solar microgrid which works independently from main grid.
Law firm Foley & Lardner LLP released today its 2026 Data Center Development Report, focusing on the growth and challenges in the data center boom that aims to sustain the growth in AI and LLM usage.
A major focus was on energy, with 54% of respondents citing "energy availability and redundancy" as the single greatest obstacle to successful data center development between now and 2030.
In terms of the right energy mix for data centers, 55% of respondents agreeing that the ideal energy mix to meet the growing power demand of data centers is largely renewables (41%), followed by natural gas (17%), nuclear (16%), and BESS (14%).
Nearly half (48%) of industry participants named advances in energy efficiency (which often includes storage optimization) as the greatest opportunity for development through the end of the decade, and nearly three in four respondents (74%) said advanced energy storage systems like batteries, hybrid solutions, and solar microgrids are the best way to ensure energy resilience.
Only 14% of developers are actually pursuing modular and small modular nuclear reactors as a viable energy opportunity.
Intriguingly, 63% anticipate a "strategic correction" in the market by 2030, driven by the intense competition for power, with one unnamed banking executive in the report saying, "Once power runs out in 2027 or 2028, that's where we think deal flow will start to slow down."
105 U.S.-based respondents were qualified to participate in the survey, including those who had direct experience in data center development, energy procurement, technology delivery, or operations within the past 24 months.
