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The network upgrade bill is usually what decides whether a generation project gets built. It is also, uncomfortably, not really a property of the project. Same turbines, same point of interconnection, same base model. Put that project in a different clust

Every multi-tenant application makes a promise: Tenant A will never see Tenant B's data. And in every multi-tenant application, something is responsible for keeping that promise. My question is one I think every team should be able to answer quickly and o

Originally published on Feb 2, 2023 The power grid is the largest, most complex, and most important machine ever constructed. It is the network that enables everything we have in modern society, and yet we are scarcely aware of it until it stops working.

If you boil down all of the reasons that I love what I do it all comes down to one thing. I like solving puzzles. This is the one profession that I have found that not only allows me to do that, but actually handcrafts bespoke puzzles for my enjoyment alm

JULY ISSUE OF THE CURRENT The data-center power story keeps getting told as an exit from the grid. The hyperscalers building their own generation in northern Nevada, West Texas, and Memphis are not walking away, though. They are trying to get online befor

Cultivating Creativity Where does creativity originate? Is it a skill we can sharpen, or an external force we must wait for? Two of my favorite thinkers on this subject are John Cleese and Elizabeth Gilbert who arrive at a similar conclusion: Creativity i

I recently saw a post about someone who had converted their entire basement into a complex system that would make it easier for them to manage their laundry. It really got me thinking about the ways I've modified my own environment to support my needs. I

"Move Fast and Break Things" Doesn't Work on the Grid In the tech world, the standard advice is to "move fast and break things." But if you manage critical energy infrastructure, that is terrible advice. If a consumer app glitches, it's annoying. If a pow

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Data Center Summit hosted by Virginia Tech (VT). The event brought together a diverse group of academic researchers, policy officials, and industry executives to discuss trends and structural shifts occurring in

JUNE ISSUE OF THE CURRENT ERCOT's planned transmission outage restriction period opened four weeks ago. Through September 15, no 345kV line can come offline during peak hours. NYISO's baseline reserve margin this summer is 417 MW, against a reserve requir