Exowatt, a renewable energy developer, has launched a new business arm called ExoRise, which will provide land and energy infrastructure to support large-scale data centers. The company’s innovative P3 solar and battery technology will be used to store energy in the form of heat and convert it to electricity on demand, providing reliable power around the clock. ExoRise will focus on developing projects in areas with high solar exposure across the US Southwest, such as New Mexico, west Texas, Arizona, and Nevada.
The region offers ample land and solar resources, allowing for faster deployment and minimal impact on local communities. ExoRise will provide infrastructure that supports “behind-the-meter and off-grid deployment” based on remote land, which can deliver large-scale power without increasing electricity costs for local ratepayers. This approach will also encourage domestic growth of artificial intelligence and boost energy resilience.
The launch of ExoRise comes as data centers are consuming increasing amounts of power, driven by the growing demand for artificial intelligence. According to a recent report from BloombergNEF, US data center power demand could reach 106 gigawatts in 2035, a 36% increase from the previous estimate. Exowatt’s Chief Data Center Officer, Nic Bustamante, noted that the growth of AI is colliding with real limits on grid capacity, and ExoRise is designed to solve this problem by delivering dependable power at the speed AI requires.
Exowatt has raised $70 million to commercialize its P3 solar technology, which is marketed as a modular, always-on clean energy solution for data centers and other large industrial loads. The company expects its first ExoRise pilot project to come online by the end of the year, which will serve as a launchpad for its over 90 gigawatt-hours backlog of signed customer demand. With the support of prominent investors, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Exowatt is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for reliable and sustainable energy solutions for data centers.