# Frontier Forum: An energy-first approach to data centers

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2024-10-22
- Length: 27m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers

## Summary

Chase Lochmiller, co-founder and CEO of Crusoe Energy Systems, discusses the company's shift from mitigating gas flaring to building gigawatt-scale, energy-first data centers for AI. He explains how Crusoe leverages stranded renewable energy in locations like West Texas and Iceland to power its 'climate-aligned cloud' and GPU clusters. Lochmiller identifies power availability, not chip supply, as the primary bottleneck for AI scaling, citing the immense energy demands of Nvidia's H100 and Blackwell chips. He highlights engineering challenges in cooling, labor shortages, and the potential for data centers to become net carbon-negative through innovations like direct air capture.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=0) Introduction: Chase Lochmiller and Crusoe's Energy-First Mission
- [1:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=62) Crusoe's Evolution from Flare Gas to AI Infrastructure
- [3:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=211) Siting Data Centers for Clean, Abundant Energy
- [5:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=305) AI Energy Demand Projections and Underestimation
- [11:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=708) Power Supply as the Primary AI Bottleneck
- [13:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=806) The Climate-Aligned Cloud and Iceland Deployment
- [15:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=930) Engineering Challenges: Labor, Cooling, and Power Density
- [21:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-10-22-frontier-forum-an-energy-first-approach-to-data-centers#t=1266) Future Innovations: Modularity and Carbon Capture

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Crusoe Energy Systems (company)
- Nvidia (company)
- H100 (chip)
- Blackwell (chip)
- A100 (chip)
- SES (company)
- Orbital Materials (company)
- Deep Mine (company)
- IEA (company)
- Goldman Sachs (company)
- Morgan Stanley (company)
- Pollychain Capital (company)
- Alcoa (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Powering the AI Era Sustainably: Breakthrough Climate Hardware Tech from 8 Innovators](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-12-04-powering-the-ai-era-sustainably-breakthrough-climate-hardware-tech-from-8-innova) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [All Heat, No Useful Work](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-05-25-all-heat-no-useful-work) (The Amp Hour)
- [Smart Air, Smarter Cooling: Actasys's Innovation in Data Center Technology](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-02-10-smart-air-smarter-cooling-actasyss-innovation-in-data-center-technology) (Over the Air)
- [EP 186: Mobile Bottlenecks, Skyrocketing AI CapEx, and the Compute Crunch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-08-03-ep-186-mobile-bottlenecks-skyrocketing-ai-capex-and-the-compute-crunch) (The Circuit)
- [Ep 160: More good News for Intel, AI Model Trends, Future of Datacenter](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-04-13-ep-160-more-good-news-for-intel-ai-model-trends-future-of-datacenter) (The Circuit)

## Citing this page

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