Sunrun in Talks to Supply Solar to Data Centers, CEO Says

(Bloomberg) -- Sunrun Inc. is in discussions with data center developers to supply distributed solar power generation for their facilities, Chief Executive Officer Mary Powell said. 

The San Francisco company, which specializes in residential solar and battery systems, is looking at “a couple different really cool models,” she said Friday at the Dervos 2024 conference. Those models could include working with electric utilities to provide bespoke solar systems for new data centers or leveraging existing Sunrun systems in nearby communities, Powell said. She declined to say more, due to non-disclosure agreements with the developers. 

“It’s just a radical collaboration that has incredible benefits for everyone,” Powell said at the conference, held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Sunrun shares briefly rose more than 5% in late trading, following the news. 

The potential collaboration illustrates the race among developers and energy companies to find new power supplies for a wave of data center construction driven by artificial intelligence. Many at the Dervos conference — which is inspired by the annual Davos economic forum and focused on distributed energy resources — see the growth in electricity demand as an opportunity to reconfigure and upgrade the US power grid.  

But there are many roadblocks to building infrastructure, and the electricity industry isn’t used to moving quickly, Powell said. “I think it’s the force of 100-plus years way of thinking,” she said, urging participants to be open to new ways to supply power.  

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