When a data center project comes to town, a question often asked by residents and local officials is “what’s in it for us?” What if there was a guide that could help local officials understand the upside of how digital services can transform their work and their community?

Today we continue our series on data centers and community controversies. Our guest is Ilissa Miller, the CEO of iMiller Public Relations, who has deep experience communicating the benefits of digital infrastructure. Iliisa has also held local office in her community, a role that informs her current work with the OIX Digital Infrastructure Framework, which provides guidance for community planners and economic development officials.

The goal is to empower community leaders to understand the infrastructure they have, what they need, and how to plan for what’s coming. Ilissa has also has insights into the current challenges for data centers in community relations.

Here's an overview of the conversation between host RIch Miller and Ilissa Miller of iMiller PR:

00:00 - A Framework for Better Community Conversations

02:20 - From Opera to Digital Infrastructure: Ilissa Miller's Data Center Journey

05:20 - iMiller PR and its Mission and Services

07:40 - The History of Data Centers and Secrecy

13:50 - How to Improve the Media Narrative

17:30 - Introducing the Digital Infrastructure Framework

21:00 - Digital Infrastructure as a Tool for Master Planning

22:00 - Getting the Word Out

24:30 -Helping Communities Understand the Benefits of Digital Services

26:40 - Where to Learn More

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years. Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

The OIX Digital Infrastructure Framework
https://www.oix.org/standards-and-certifications/oix-dif-standard/

iMiller Public Relations
https://www.imillerpr.com/

Follow Ilissa Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilissamiller/

Follow Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:
Data Centers and Community Controversies
https://youtu.be/syRpAj9aCSg?si=aYveuysL-DGCfC5O

We've seen a lot of headlines about data centers lately, especially controversies in communities considering large new data center campuses to support AI.

Community resistance to data centers is not new, but has escalated rapidly in recent months, with a number of projects being canceled or delayed amid community outcry, including some that represented billions of dollars in local investment.

Adam Waitkunas of Milldam Public Relations publishes a newsletter tracking data center controversies and how local communities are shaping the future of data center growth. Adam and host Rich Miller discuss why we're seeing more of these controversies, some of the key factors in community resistance, and what data centers can do to change the narrative and address some of the concerns about AI development.

It's an important topic, and one we need to talk more about. Digital services are a growing part of our entertainment, business and social lives, and that trend will continue. Data centers are the engines of this digital economy.

Here's an overview of the conversation:

00:00 - Overview: Community controversies are on the rise.

01:48 - About Adam Waitkunas of Milldam PR and the Zoning In newsletter.

05:45 - How We Got Here: The evolution of community controversies.

10:12 - Community Awareness and Data Center Development

15:00 - Transparency and Why It Matters

19:18 - Best Practices for Communicating With the Community

20:56 - Public Officials on the Hot Seat.

24:40 - Localizing the Community Conversation

27:00 - NDAs and Community Relations

29:15 - A Legacy of Secrecy. Time for a change?

35:00 - How Media Coverage Shapes the Narratives

39:00 - Could the data center industry be doing more?

41:10 - Building Bridges and Expertise

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years. Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Milldam Public Relations
https://milldampr.com/

Follow Adam Waitkunas on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/awaitkunas/

Follow Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

What's Next for Data Center Real Estate?
https://youtu.be/H2FFJfm5wug?si=NLKTZmDMDm5bS6Sx

Mastering High-Density Cooling
https://youtu.be/_zeLScBMDxk?si=432CIwTrRQjgw3_q

Why AI Will Be A Paradigm Shift
https://youtu.be/u-Lv9MwS7x8?si=TCP_HUMfghSktAP0

All video by Data Center Richness.
Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound
https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

It’s been a big year for Bloom Energy, a fuel cell manufacturer which has been winning large deals to provide power for data centers.

Our guest on Data Center Richness is Jeff Barber, the Vice President of Data Center Sales for Bloom Energy. Jeff discusses why Bloom is providing on-site power for large data centers AND their utility providers, and how fuel cells can address some of the community concerns about noise and emissions from data center projects.

Here’s a guide to our discussion:

00:00 - Intro: A Big Year for Bloom Energy

00:55 - Jeff Barber’s Data Center Journey, and an overview of Bloom Energy

03:35 - Data Centers, Fuel Cells and Bloom Energy’s Strategy

08:58 - Where Bloom Fits in the Shift to On-Site Power

13:30 - Data Centers, Utilities and Power Pricing

15:30 - Bringing Fuel Cells to Internet Scale

17:30 - AI Workloads, Power Fluctuations and Stability

20:48 - CoreWeave and Bloom - Densification and Faster Time to Power

22:45 - Bloom Energy and AEP - On-Site Power Through a Utility Partnership

25:45 - Bloom’s Deal with Oracle - Power at Scale, Within 90 Days

29:00 - The Future of Power, and Bloom’s Opportunity

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years. Subscribe to our channel for more insights:

On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

On the Web: Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Bloom Energy
https://www.bloomenergy.com/industries/data-center-power/

Follow Jeff Barber on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jabarber1/

Follow Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Flexibility: The Key to Unlocking More Data Center Power
https://youtu.be/D6-1QxRRxoA

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power
https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=hc4pFlJ68jPSuP61

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx