Built to Scale: Data Center Industry Insights – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Built To Scale, Paul Koetke sits down with Kevin Fuller, Critical Environment Operations Manager at Microsoft, to unpack the hidden infrastructure powering the AI boom and why data centers are being pushed to their limits.

Kevin shares his journey from the US Navy’s nuclear submarine program to leading mission-critical operations in a modern data center. The conversation breaks down the surprising overlap between nuclear systems and data infrastructure, the challenges of maintaining uptime, and how AI is forcing the entire industry to rethink power, cooling, and scalability.

From water usage myths to real-world infrastructure constraints, this episode offers a grounded look at what it actually takes to keep the digital world running.

• AI is rapidly increasing demand for power, cooling, and compute infrastructure.
• Data centers operate with strict, mission-critical safety and uptime procedures.
• Power availability and cooling capacity are the main infrastructure bottlenecks.
• Water is used mainly for efficient cooling and modern facilities are more efficient.
• Data centers deliver high economic value relative to their energy and water use.
• Skilled people remain the most critical factor in data center operations, even with AI.

• [0:03] - Introduction to Kevin Fuller
• [3:21] - Lessons from Nuclear Submarine Operations
• [4:15] - Mission-Critical Systems
• [7:20] - Maintaining vs Building Data Center
• [10:19] - Legacy Systems vs Standardised Designs
• [12:37] - AI’s Impact on Data Centre Growth
• [14:25] - Water Usage in Data Center Explained
• [17:14] - Comparing Industrial Water Usage
• [19:36] - Economic Output of Data Center
• [21:13] - Scaling Teams and Operations
• [24:10] - Where the Industry Should Invest Next

Connect with the Host Paul Koetke:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulkoetke/

Connect with the Guest Kevin Fuller:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fullerkevinj/

More from Koetke Consulting:

• Website: https://www.koetkeconsulting.com/
• LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/koetke-consulting/

In this episode of Built To Scale, host Paul Koetke speaks with three leaders from AGP-Jay, Peter, and David about how data centers are being built at the intersection of land, power, and AI driven demand. The conversation explores how AGP is expanding from renewable energy and real estate into large-scale data center development, and what it takes to deliver sites in a market increasingly constrained by power availability and regulatory complexity.

Jay Reinke, Vice President of Real Estate & Acquisitions at AGP. Formerly at AWS, he spent five years leading data center expansion and has extensive experience in large-scale site acquisition and development.

Peter Mahony ,Vice President of Investments at AGP. Previously at Jefferies, he focused on power and infrastructure and developed deep insight into how data center growth is reshaping energy markets.

David Ameneyro, Director of Real Estate and Acquisitions at AGP. He brings experience across real estate finance, colocation, business development, and data center development.

• Why power availability has become the biggest driver of modern data center development
• How AGP expanded from renewables and real estate into large-scale data center projects
• The growing role of AI in driving compute demand and reshaping infrastructure planning
• How developers evaluate sites using power access, zoning, community support, and buildability
• Why battery storage and behind-the-meter power solutions are becoming increasingly important
• The biggest challenges, delays, and future trends shaping data center growth through 2026

• [00:00] - Introduction to Koetke Consulting and the AGP leadership team

• [01:49] - How AGP expanded from renewables into data center development

• [04:40] - Why land and power must work together in modern site selection

• [05:40] - Why “time to power” matters more than the cost of power

• [08:10] - Behind-the-meter power and the growth of deregulated markets like Texas

• [09:14] - Key site selection factors beyond power and fiber infrastructure

• [11:11] - Misconceptions around data centers, including water use and noise concerns

• [18:21] - How renewable energy and battery storage support data center operations

• [23:21] - How AI is improving data center site analysis and operational efficiency

• [28:59] - Major trends shaping the future of data center growth through 2026

Connect with Guest, Peter Mahony:

• LinkedIn: //www.linkedin.com/in/peter-mahony-780950160/
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agp-sustainable-real-assets/

Connect with Guest, Jay Reinke:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayreinke/
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agp-sustainable-real-assets/

Connect with Guest, David Ameneyro:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidameneyro/
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agp-sustainable-real-assets/

Connect with Host, Paul Koetke:

• LinkedIn: https: //www.linkedin.com/in/paulkoetke/
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/koetke-consulting/

In this episode of the Built to Scale podcast, Paul Koetke shares his perspective on the growing operational challenges within the data center industry as AI demand accelerates infrastructure expansion. Drawing from his experience working with hyperscale and colocation operators, Paul explains how many organizations are being pushed to scale delivery far beyond what their existing systems and processes were designed to handle.

He highlights the growing importance of organizational throughput, real time visibility, and scalable work management systems, arguing that success in the AI era will depend not only on securing land and power, but also on building repeatable and reliable operational processes. Through real world examples and leadership insights, Paul explores why outdated reporting structures, fragmented workflows, and reactive decision-making are becoming major obstacles to sustainable growth in the data center sector.

• Why the data center industry is facing a major scalability inflection point
• How AI growth is exposing weaknesses in traditional delivery systems
• The hidden operational bottlenecks slowing large-scale infrastructure growth
• Why organizational throughput matters as much as power and land acquisition
• The importance of scalable work management infrastructure
• Common pain points data center leaders face during rapid expansion
• Why confidence and real-time visibility are critical for operators
• How standardized processes improve delivery consistency at scale

• [00:00] - Introduction to the Built to Scale podcast and its mission
• [01:48] - Why AI growth will reward operational execution, not just land and power
• [02:41] - Building standardized visibility and scalable reporting processes
• [03:23] - Discovering that scalability challenges exist across the entire industry
• [04:28] - Paul’s background in scalable systems and Smartsheet solutions
• [05:00] - The deeper organizational throughput problem in data centers
• [08:10] - The importance of confidence, visibility, and repeatable processes
• [10:14] - Closing thoughts on scaling data center delivery in the AI era

Connect with Host, Paul Koetke:

• LinkedIn: //www.linkedin.com/in/paulkoetke/
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/koetke-consulting/
• Company’s Website: https://www.koetkeconsulting.com/

Sixty-six percent of project leaders are flying blind. In the high-stakes world of data centers, critical information is often buried in siloed systems and scattered spreadsheets. When change happens, you don't just need data—you need clarity. Welcome to Built to Scale: Data Center Industry Insights.

I’m Paul Koetke. I’ve spent my career helping Fortune 500 organizations turn chaotic capital portfolios into streamlined, real-time engines for growth. I’ve seen what happens when million-dollar decisions are made without visibility, and I’ve seen the massive ROI that comes when you finally see the full picture.

This podcast is for the leaders building the world’s digital infrastructure. We’re moving past the surface-level talk to look at the mechanical, electrical, and data-driven realities of scaling at a hyperscale level.

Each week, we sit down with the experts managing the world’s most critical environments—from nuclear propulsion veterans to senior program managers at the biggest names in tech. No handoffs. No confusion. Just actionable insights on how to build to scale.

Follow "Built to Scale" right now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your shows. Let’s turn your scattered data into clear decisions.