Bill Meaney, President and CEO of Iron Mountain, believes a strong partnership between government and the private sector will propel the United States to develop the digital infrastructure it needs to compete effectively in the AI race.
Iron Mountain operates 30 data center sites in seven countries, with a total platform of approximately 1.3 gigawatts making us a major global data center company.
It was an honor for me to represent Iron Mountain in a critical roundtable discussion hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the White House last week. I want to thank Administrator Zeldin for bringing businesses together to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and the digital infrastructure needed to power it. Our conversation demonstrated a shared desire to ensure the United States continues to lead the world in innovation.
Seizing the AI opportunity
AI is redefining our world, with national security, economic competitiveness and global influence all critical considerations. As such, the United States is at a pivotal moment – and Iron Mountain is proud to be at the forefront of building the digital infrastructure that will power the nation’s AI leadership.
We applaud the US government for recognizing the significance of this moment and for taking decisive steps to foster American innovation and growth. We welcome the Administration’s AI Action Plan, and the EPA’s efforts to streamline permitting while ensuring environmental protections remain in place, as crucial first steps to reducing regulation and unlocking the full potential of the digital economy.
The power challenge: a growing roadblock to innovation
There is unprecedented demand for the digital, cloud-based services that are housed and powered through American data centers. With an average of 21 connected devices in US households, these services have become integral in our everyday lives. We now rely on them to communicate, engage in commerce and banking, and access basic services such as medical care or interaction with the government.
As we accelerate into this new frontier, the US grid and power infrastructure requires unprecedented investment to keep pace with these digital conveniences that are fast becoming essential for Americans, and to continue to drive AI innovation. However, utility companies are increasingly asking for substantial financial guarantees from data center developers before building out capacity for large customers. The data center industry is ready to partner with utilities and the US government to solve these challenges, while developing solutions that do not stifle innovation and slow the growth of AI innovation.
Innovating beyond the grid
Iron Mountain is not standing still in our approach to power generation in the US. In collaboration with the Department of Energy, we are developing battery energy storage systems to enhance load flexibility and support local grids. Our first system will feature a battery equal in size to the facility’s load, enabling it to “disappear” from the grid for hours during times of stress, and recharge when energy is abundant.
We are also collaborating with power generators on behind-the-meter solutions to bridge the gap until new generation can be integrated into the grid. Data centers are poised to bring grid-level solutions faster, and we see this in the growing support for accelerating technologies like nuclear power generation.
A new frontier for partnership
As we move forward with speed and urgency, the US government can play a unique and pivotal role in addressing these issues. We encourage the Administration to explore new ways to support utilities so they have more confidence to build the power infrastructure needed to keep pace with digital advancements, and we ask utilities to seize the entrepreneurial opportunity that AI offers all our citizens and the companies that serve them.
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