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Research, analysis, and perspectives on the built world.
How to Plan a Meet-Me Room in a Data Center
A meet-me room is the secure interconnection point that lets carriers and tenants exchange traffic inside a data center. This guide explains how to plan one, what route diversity really means and what to lock before the shell closes.
June 28, 2026 ·4 min read
Data Center Commissioning: The Level-by-Level Sequence Developers Need to Own
A practitioner guide to the five-level data center commissioning sequence (L1 through L5), covering what each level requires and where developer oversight actually matters. From factory acceptance testing through integrated systems testing, this post explains why developers cannot delegate commissioning decisions to the contractor or CxA.
June 27, 2026 ·5 min read
Crypto Mining to AI Data Center Conversion: The Workflow Developers Need
Bitcoin mining facilities with contracted power interconnections are being repositioned as AI and HPC data centers. This post covers the six-stage conversion workflow, where mining sites fall short, and what AI can and cannot do in the diligence and delivery process.
June 25, 2026 ·5 min read
MEP Trade Sequencing in Data Center Construction: How AI Reduces the Most Expensive Schedule Risk
MEP coordination failures are the most common source of construction delay on data center projects. This post breaks down where AI can move conflict detection earlier -- clash detection, submittal compliance, sequencing logic validation, RFI pattern monitoring -- and where human engineering judgment is still required.
June 24, 2026 ·5 min read
Data Center Power Delivery Schedule Tracking with AI: How Developers Stop Underestimating the Critical Path
Most data center development schedules fail between load study submission and energization -- a gap that can exceed four years in constrained markets. This post breaks down the five-stage power delivery workflow, what AI can monitor at each stage, and how leading developers are tracking utility milestones as financial risk management rather than construction coordination.
June 23, 2026 ·5 min read
Data Center Electrical Procurement: Why the Order Has to Come Before the Design
Power transformer lead times from major manufacturers have reached 48-60 months in 2026, with Tier 1 suppliers booked through 2030. This post explains the five-stage electrical procurement workflow that works in today's market, from pre-LOI utility confirmation through continuous schedule monitoring, and the budget implications developers must model now.
June 22, 2026 ·5 min read
Data Center Punch List Management with AI: How Developers Close Out Without Losing Control
Commissioning punch lists on large data center projects generate hundreds to thousands of items across mechanical, electrical, controls, and fire protection scopes. This post explains how AI can automate capture, deduplication, tracking, and documentation completeness while identifying where human engineering judgment is required for closure decisions.
June 21, 2026 ·5 min read
FERC RM26-4 Is About to Change Data Center Interconnection. Here Is What Developers Should Do Before It Does.
FERC will issue the first standardized national framework for large-load interconnection before June 30, 2026, covering any data center project above 20 MW connecting to interstate transmission. This piece explains what the rule is expected to contain -- 100% caused-cost assignment, curtailability options, hybrid facility treatment -- and the five actions developers should take before the order changes the baseline.
June 19, 2026 ·6 min read
Power Purchase Agreements for Data Centers: How Developers Structure the Deal That Now Leads the Deal
Power purchase agreements now determine whether a data center project can be financed at all. This piece explains the three PPA structures (physical, virtual, utility service), why nuclear has become the preferred baseline for hyperscale power, the key PPA terms that drive construction financing, and where AI compresses the diligence and monitoring workflow without replacing the negotiation.
June 19, 2026 ·7 min read