Cool Vector covers the rise of data centers and the digital infrastructure investment asset class. Through interviews and panel discussion with leaders in operations, capital, energy, real estate and technology, Cool Vector offers in-depth, lively conversations with the entire ecosystem of the booming digital infrastructure world. Cool Vector is produced by financial journalist David Snow in partnership with long-time data center operators Phillip Koblence and Nabeel Mahmood.
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The Era of Nuclear-Powered Data Centers Is Approaching
Demand for nuclear power within the digital infrastructure industry is so great that the director of America's most important nuclear research complex has to remind people that he doesn't actually sell reactors.
Cool Vector's David Snow caught up with Brian Smith, Chief Technology Officer of Nuclear Science and Technology at Idaho National Laboratory, at the recent Yotta conference in Las Vegas. Smith described exciting advances specifically in small modular reactors (SMRs) that will transform the way data centers are powered.
In the meantime, Smith says interest in nuclear remains high, furthered by the general scarcity of power for compute and concerns about environment damage. The promise of nuclear in digital infrastructure is that reactors of all sizes will supply ample baseline energy to power massive data centers, and do so with zero-emission technology.
Among the key takeaways of this conversation:
• Advanced reactors are proving their value. Five new reactor designs have achieved criticality this year in partnership with private industry, a first for this class of technology and a key step toward full-scale demonstrations.• Most small modular reactors will likely stay grid-facing, but smaller micro-reactors create opportunity for behind-the-meter deployments for data centers, remote communities, and district heating.• Nuclear has already made great headway in the data center industry. Smith mentions Google's deal with Kairos, Amazon's with X-energy, and Microsoft's agreement with Constellation to restart Three Mile Island as proof the market is moving.• The nuclear industry's long experience with community engagement offers a lesson for data center developers facing local pushback. The best way to work with communities is by meeting them where they are rather than bombarding them with facts.
Access the full transcript and a searchable library of content at the Cool Vector Substack
#coolvector #nuclear #datacenters #digitalinfrastructure #cleanenergy #nuclearenergy
29 Sept 2026
How to Build Two Gigawatts in West Texas
A planned two-gigawatt data center campus in West Texas will rely on behind-the-meter generation powered by abundant local natural gas, according to the CEOs of PowerBridge and Liberty Energy, the two companies partnering on the project.
In an extensive interview with Cool Vector, Alex Hernandez, CEO of PowerBridge, and Ron Gusek, CEO of Liberty Energy, explained the scope of the project and the natural advantages that West Texas enjoys as a location for digital infrastructure, including pre-existing energy infrastructure, "produced" fracking water and a relatively sparse population. Hernandez argues the West Texas Permian Basin is positioned to become the most important digital hub in the world.
Alpha Digital Campus will be built on 300,000 acres of strategically positioned land, and connected to the national fiber network by a 2,000-mile conduit.
Hernandez tells Cool Vector's David Snow and Cloud2Ground's Hadassa Lutz: "When good projects and good sites begin to cluster with one another, there is an exponential growth effect that ultimately leaves the area with the conditions precedent around abundance, energy, and network to become a very important market."
Among the key takeaways of this Cool Vector episode:
• Behind-the-meter power is now a long-term grid asset. What was once conceived as a short-term fix while waiting for grid connection has evolved into a permanent part of grid infrastructure, contributing power to the community rather than drawing from it.• The Permian Basin has a structural cost advantage. Alpha Digital sits roughly ten miles from the Waha gas hub with access to four pipeline interconnections, giving customers the most advantaged natural gas supply in North America and a significantly lower total cost of ownership, according to Hernandez.• Liberty Energy's oilfield services background is a direct competitive advantage. The company already operates thousands of pieces of rotating heavy equipment, runs mobile gas-fired generation in remote locations, and employs roughly a thousand mechanics and electronics technicians who can migrate directly into the power generation business.• Capital markets are wide open for the right projects. Liberty raised $1.3 billion in the convert market earlier this year and found abundant investor appetite, with project-level debt backstopped by energy services agreements with investment-grade hyperscaler counterparties keeping the cost of capital competitive.
Access the full transcript and a searchable library of content at the Cool Vector Substack
#coolvector #datacenters #digitalinfrastructure #westtexas #permianbasin #behindthemeter #hyperscaler
28 Sept 2026
PTC and Nomad Futurist Unite for Golf and Next-Gen Development
A two-day charity golf tournament - the Nomad Ho'ohui Invitational - will now kick off the annual Pacific Telecommunications Council, according to Brian Moon, CEO of PTC, and Nabeel Mahmood, co-founder of the non-profit Nomad Futurist Foundation.
The Nomad Ho'ohui, an invitation-only Ryder Cup-style matched play competition, will take place January 15 and 16 at the Kapolei Golf Club, blending industry networking with a mission to grow the next generation of digital infrastructure talent.
The golf tournament collaboration between Nomad Futurist and PTC grew out of a shared mission: advancing digital infrastructure by widening who gets to build it.
Nomad Futurist was born at PTC seven years ago, when Mahmood and co-founder Phillip Koblence noticed a dearth of younger professionals at the event, and decided to launch a platform to demystify digital infrastructure through storytelling and, eventually, a free educational academy for the next generation of workers.
"Ho'ohui" is a Hawaiian word meaning to unite or bring together, reflecting Nomad Futurists and the PTC's broader goal of turning industry connections into a lasting community rather than one-off networking.
The Nomad Ho'ohui Invitational will raise money for regional, national, and global philanthropic initiatives chosen by team captains.
To learn more about the event and how to sign up, click here: https://www.nomadhoohui.com/
Access the full transcript and a searchable library of content at the Cool Vector Substack
#coolvector #ptc #nomadfuturist #digitalinfrastructure #workforcedevelopment #tournament #hawaii #golf
Who has been a guest on Cool Vector
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Chris Sutton
Obinna Isiadinso
Ken Sullivan
Brent Burnett
Eli Scher
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
44,681
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 30 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
18
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
32
Contact Cool Vector
Guest appearances
Books guests
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