Power, Planning and the Future of Digital Infrastructure, with Amy Polvado

In this episode of Watt Matters, Ana sits down with Amy Polvado, a seasoned real estate developer turned tech founder and data center strategist, to explore the intricate world of data center development and what it means for energy infrastructure and the broader energy transition. Amy shares how her journey from commercial real estate to launching Facilimax, a digital twin platform for complex built environments, informed her unique perspective on site selection, power challenges, and the pressing need for accurate infrastructure data.

The conversation dives into the multifaceted challenges data center developers face today — from navigating power grid constraints and understanding on‑site generation requirements to deciphering regulatory efforts and sustainability considerations in a rapidly evolving market. Amy also discusses future trends, including AI workloads, retrofitting smaller sites for edge computing, and the evolving role of digital tools in shaping the next generation of digital infrastructure. PVcase is proud to bring you insights that bridge energy, infrastructure, and digital growth. Visit pvcase.com to learn more.

Takeaways

• Data center site selection requires deep understanding of power access, grid headroom, floodplain, fiber, and mineral rights.
• Just having utility infrastructure nearby (e.g., gas pipelines) does not guarantee usable capacity.
• On‑site power generation and interconnection complexities are central to speed to delivery for data centers.
• Vacancy rates in data centers are extremely low, and new capacity is often pre‑leased before construction begins.
• AI demand is driving seismic shifts in compute needs, grid interactions, and site planning.
• Sustainability goals and resource usage must be balanced with reliability and uptime requirements.
• Smaller, edge, and repurposed sites are likely to grow in importance alongside mega‑scale campuses.
• Regulatory efforts like Texas’s SB6 are attempts to manage explosive interconnection demand.
• Better real‑time infrastructure data would dramatically improve site decision‑making.
• Digital twin platforms are emerging as critical tools for planning, simulation, and risk reduction.

Chapters

• 00:00 Intro and Guest Background
• 01:35 Journey from Real Estate to Data Centers
• 04:45 Site Selection Complexities: Power, Fiber, and Mineral Rights
• 7:30 Power Interconnection and On‑Site Generation Realities
• 11:50 Data Center Demand and Market Dynamics
• 15:15 Regulatory Landscape and Infrastructure Data Gaps
• 18:00 Sustainability, Resilience, and Grid Support
• 21:30 Future Trends: AI, Edge, and Retrofitting Sites
• 25:00 Closing Insights and Listener Takeaways

To learn more about building the future of large-scale solar and how PVcase can help, head to www.pvcase.com