Your mission is simple: keep the lights on. A data center cannot go down. Choose the strategy that best balances 24/7 reliability, speed-to-power, low-carbon supply, bankability and risk management.
Do not ask for a pitch. Participants answer individually and generate a code.
| Phase | Duration | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | 2 min | Explain the individual mission and the scoring criteria. |
| Questions 1–7 | 9–11 min | Participants choose site, energy model, grid route, redundancy, firming, contract and ESG plan. |
| Questions 8–9 | 3–4 min | Participants choose a crisis and response package. |
| Code collection | 3 min | Participants generate and send their code. |
| Leaderboard & debrief | 5 min | Display ranking and discuss the logic behind the strongest strategies. |
| Criterion | Points | What drives the score |
|---|---|---|
| 24/7 Reliability | 30 | Energy model + redundancy design + low-carbon firming package. |
| Speed to Power | 20 | Site choice + grid connection route. |
| Low-Carbon Strategy | 20 | Renewable potential + energy model + firming approach. |
| Risk Management | 20 | Contract package + ESG/local acceptance + crisis response. |
| Strategic consistency | ± adjustments | Automatic bonuses and penalties based on coherent or weak combinations. |
| Crisis | Scenario | Best response package |
|---|---|---|
| Grid Connection Delay | The grid operator announces that the full grid connection will take several years. | Use existing substation capacity, phase the project, explore private wire, add BESS/backup and secure a second route. |
| No Redundancy | The site has one grid connection, but the data center requires a second connection for redundancy. | Secure a second grid connection, add UPS/BESS/backup generation, include failover design and contractual redundancy obligations. |
| Solar Intermittency | The client refuses a solar-only PPA because it does not provide 24/7 baseload. | Add wind, BESS, grid supply and emergency biofuel-ready backup to structure clean firm power. |
| Water Stress | The local community opposes the project because of water consumption. | Use low-water cooling, reuse water where possible, evaluate a less water-stressed site, engage stakeholders and report transparently. |
| Single-Buyer Risk | The renewable asset depends on one data center customer. If the client leaves, the asset is exposed. | Use take-or-pay, parent guarantee, step-in rights, alternative grid export and diversified offtake options. |
| Local Opposition | The local community challenges the project due to land use, visual impact, noise or pressure on local infrastructure. | Start early engagement, build a community benefit plan, mitigate impacts, keep permitting transparent and explain local jobs. |
Reliability: Which choices best secured 24/7 supply and redundancy?
Risk: Which choices best managed grid, contract, water and local acceptance risk?
Low carbon: Which choices avoided a simple annual renewable match and moved toward clean firm power?
The strongest answer is not the cheapest power. It is the strategy that understands what data centers really need: speed, reliability, redundancy, clean firm power and risk management.