​​PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
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Ohio—long celebrated as the birthplace of aviation—continues to demonstrate its leadership in American innovation by ushering in a new era of AI‑infrastructure development. Our inaugural Center of Excellence (COE) not only launches a planned 30‑site national expansion but also establishes a new benchmark for responsible, community‑centered, and future‑ready data‑center design. This first COE embodies our commitment to sustainability, technological advancement, and meaningful local impact.
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Key Differentiators of the COE Model
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Reduced Noise Emissions
Through the use of advanced liquid‑immersion cooling, our COEs operate with significantly lower acoustic output than traditional air‑cooled facilities. This technology eliminates the need for large mechanical chillers and high‑velocity fans, resulting in a quieter environment that is more compatible with surrounding neighborhoods and industrial zones.
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Minimal Water Consumption
Because liquid‑immersion cooling is a closed‑loop system, our COEs do not rely on continuous water intake from municipal or natural sources. This approach dramatically reduces strain on local water infrastructure and ensures long‑term operational sustainability, even in regions facing water‑resource constraints.
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Power Autonomy and On‑Site Generation
Each COE is designed to operate independently of the local electrical grid. By integrating on‑site power generation and multiple layers of redundancy, we ensure uninterrupted availability for mission‑critical AI workloads. This autonomy also reduces the burden on local utilities and enhances overall regional energy resilience.
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Strengthening the Local Grid
While our COEs do not draw power from the grid, they are interconnected with local utilities to provide supplemental capacity when needed. This bidirectional capability allows us to support municipalities during peak demand or emergency events, contributing to a more stable and resilient energy ecosystem.
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Economic Advancement Through High‑Value AI Customers
Our COEs are purpose‑built for organizations requiring the highest levels of reliability, security, and performance. These customers—often leaders in AI research, advanced manufacturing, and digital services—tend to make substantial long‑term investments in the communities where they operate, driving job creation, local spending, and broader economic growth.
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Revitalization of Underutilized Land
We intentionally site COEs on land that is no longer viable for traditional commercial or industrial use. By transforming dormant or distressed properties into high‑value technology assets, we restore economic purpose, increase tax revenue, and catalyze additional development in surrounding areas.
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Enhanced Communications Infrastructure
Each COE is equipped with state‑of‑the‑art fiber and wireless systems, designed not only to support AI workloads but also to strengthen regional connectivity. This investment provides additional network redundancy for local businesses, improves broadband reliability, and expands the digital capacity of the broader community.
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The Ironton COE, the first of many to follow, exemplifies these principles in action. It generates revenue for local contractors, supports a prevailing‑wage workforce to ensure equitable compensation and safe working conditions, and contributes to workforce development by training the next generation of operators, technicians, and construction professionals.
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Our commitment to innovation extends further through strategic partnerships focused on hydrogen production, storage, and conversion—collaborating with leaders such as Millennium Reign Energy, Hyperion, and PH Matter. These efforts position the COE as a catalyst for clean‑energy advancement and next‑generation power solutions.
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Ultimately, the Ironton COE serves as the first innovation and validation hub within our national network. It provides enterprises, public‑sector organizations, and research institutions with a turnkey environment to test, optimize, and scale AI workloads—setting a new standard for sustainable, community‑aligned, and technologically advanced infrastructure.