Research, analysis, and perspectives on the built world.
Energization schedule tracking is now a core data center development workflow. This post breaks down the milestones, failure modes and AI-assisted controls that reduce power delivery risk.
May 8, 2026 ·5 min read
This post breaks down utility coordination as a critical data center delivery workflow. It covers power delivery mapping, milestone extraction, procurement dependencies, risk reporting and where AI helps teams keep utility work on schedule.
May 7, 2026 ·5 min read
This workflow guide explains how developers should diligence water risk for data center projects. It covers cooling choices, water rights, utility capacity, WUE, permitting, community opposition and how AI can monitor the evidence base in real time.
May 6, 2026 ·5 min read
Power demand modeling is one of the most consequential early-stage tasks in data center development, and AI compute workloads have made it harder. This piece walks through the five-step load forecasting workflow, covering where AI compresses the process and where licensed engineers and utility relationships remain essential.
May 2, 2026 ·5 min read
Data center development returns are fundamentally lease-driven, and the economic impact of individual terms -- power cost structure, SLA provisions, expansion rights -- can run into tens of millions of dollars on a single campus deal. This piece covers the three main lease structures, the highest-stakes terms developers should prioritize, and where AI accelerates term extraction, benchmarking, and IRR sensitivity analysis.
May 1, 2026 ·4 min read
Transformer and switchgear lead times now define the data center development critical path. This post breaks down the three procurement layers, how AI monitors interconnection milestones and models change order impact, and what still requires direct utility relationships and engineering sign-off.
April 30, 2026 ·5 min read
Data center construction is the most schedule-sensitive build type in commercial real estate, with 60-90 week equipment lead times and rigid commissioning sequences that create avoidable delays. This post breaks down exactly where AI monitoring, procurement tracking, and change order analysis are compressing DC delivery timelines and what still requires human judgment.
April 29, 2026 ·5 min read
Data center commissioning -- the final phase before a facility goes live -- is where most project schedules fall apart. This post breaks down the four commissioning phases, where AI has real traction (test script generation, punch list automation, Cx report drafting, schedule optimization), and where human judgment remains essential. A practical guide for development teams managing large-scale DC delivery.
April 28, 2026 ·4 min read
Change orders are among the most common sources of construction cost overruns, adding 5-15% to project budgets when poorly managed. AI automates the extraction, price benchmarking, duplicate detection, and exposure tracking layers of change order management, compressing review cycles and catching pricing errors before they are approved. This post breaks down what AI handles at each stage and where human judgment remains the controlling factor.
April 27, 2026 ·4 min read