Michael Thomas: Inside America's Off-Grid Data Center Boom

Michael Thomas is the founder and CEO of Cleanview, a data and research platform tracking more than 10,000 clean energy projects and thousands of data center projects across the country. Back for his third appearance on Inevitable, Thomas has spent the past year investigating the explosive growth of AI infrastructure and the increasingly extreme measures companies are taking to get power online.In this episode of Inevitable, Thomas explains how the AI boom has transformed the data center market and why companies are increasingly building their own power generation rather than waiting years for grid interconnection. He breaks down the rise of off-grid and “behind-the-meter” data centers, including xAI’s Colossus, Meta’s rapid-deployment data centers, and Amazon’s massive natural gas project in Texas.The conversation also explores the economics driving the race to power, the environmental and political backlash against data centers, and whether building gas generation today will accelerate or undermine the transition to cleaner energy. Thomas shares what his research reveals about electricity prices, water use, local pollution, and the growing public distrust of Big Tech.Finally, Thomas discusses the tension between AI growth, U.S. competitiveness, and climate goals—and why he sees providing objective information about these projects as one of the most important roles he can play.Episode recorded on September 2, 2026 (Published on September 16, 2026) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant