Prof. Billington co-leads a workshop on data center development
Prof. Billington co-led a workshop at the Sustainable Data Centers Symposium at Stanford
The day-long symposium was co-hosted by the Precourt Institute for Energy and Palo Alto Mayor Vicki Veenker. The workshop, titled “Balancing Growth and Sustainability” was co-hosted by Prof. Billington and David Burns, Assistant Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors. After hearing from numerous panels throughout the day, including mayors around the country and U.S. House Representative Sam Liccardo, the workshop allowed participants to reflect on what the benefits and challenges are surrounding data centers. The group also collaboratively contemplated what data and tools are needed for mayors and city governments to make sound decisions around data center development.
A graphical artist took “notes” during the conversation in the form of a large, artistic billboard (image above). As noted there, the conversation explored broader themes of sustainability, trust building, equitable growth, and the importance of community engagement in shaping AI infrastructure development.