Currents Ep330: Using Curtailed Power for Data Centers
Jan 15, 2026
John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Holdings, builds data centers next to renewable plants to consume curtailed energy. He discusses renewable computing, moving batchable workloads to remote, renewable-rich sites, and using flexible compute as a grid resource. The conversation covers stranded power, keeping 24/7 operations via substations, and financing models for scaling this approach.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Compute Co-Located With Curtailed Renewables
- Soluna builds data centers co-located with curtailed renewable plants to consume otherwise wasted power.
- They call this integrated approach "renewable computing" to pair energy and compute at the source.
Curtailment Is A Massive Unused Resource
- Curtailment can reach 30–40% at some renewable projects, creating large amounts of stranded energy.
- Soluna estimates roughly 250 TWh is wasted globally each year that could power compute.
Use Behind-The-Plant Interconnection
- Interconnect data centers into the same substation as the renewable plant to access curtailed power and grid power.
- This behind-the-plant approach shortens time-to-power to 12–18 months versus 3–5 years.