For years, data center conversations have focused on performance, scale and speed. Today, a different question is increasingly shaping those discussions: Is there enough power to support what comes next?
Across the U.S., data center expansion and high-density workloads—particularly those tied to AI—are putting unprecedented strain on power and cooling infrastructure. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data centers accounted for roughly four percent of U.S. electricity consumption in 2023.
That figure is projected to triple by the end of the decade, with peak demand in some regions expected to meet or exceed available supply by 2028. In energy-constrained markets, grid connection timelines can stretch three to five years, creating delays that ripple across IT modernization plans.
At the same time, modern AI deployments are pushing rack densities beyond 100 kilowatts—levels most legacy facilities were never designed to support. As a result, energy availability is no longer a background consideration. It has become a critical planning metric.
Why Energy Planning Is Now Central to Data Center Strategy
This shift is changing how partners should approach infrastructure projects. While many solution providers are well versed in compute, storage and networking, fewer have deep experience navigating the complexities of data center power beyond the rack, cooling capacity and grid readiness. As an added complexity, the expansion of data centers in the U.S. has now increased lead times on power capacity expansion, addition of liquid cooling, or adding new swithchgear. That gap is becoming harder to ignore.
Recognizing this challenge, TD SYNNEX recently introduced its Hybrid IT Energy Initiative in North America, designed to help partners and their customers assess, plan and modernize data center environments with energy constraints in mind. The program brings structure and clarity to conversations that increasingly determine whether projects move forward—or stall before they begin.
Rather than treating energy as a downstream concern, the initiative helps partners evaluate it early alongside infrastructure decisions. The goal is simple: enable more confident planning and execution in an environment where power and cooling can be the gating factors for growth.
Expanding the Partner Opportunity
By helping partners move beyond traditional infrastructure conversations, TD SYNNEX sees a significant opportunity taking shape. Power, cooling and infrastructure modernization projects represent an incremental annual market opportunity for the channel. But realizing that opportunity requires new skills, new partnerships and better access to expertise.
Through the Hybrid IT Energy Initiative, partners gain access to end-to-end resources designed to support that evolution. These include energy-focused line cards, enablement training and assessment tools that help frame more informed discussions with end customers. TD SYNNEX Power Suppliers such as Vertiv and Schneider Electric, as well as multiple Infrastructure OEMs offer Hybrid IT Energy Assessments—available both online and onsite—to help evaluate readiness and next steps.
Connecting Energy Optimization and Sustainability
Energy planning is also closely tied to sustainability goals, an area of growing importance for many organizations. Backed by TD SYNNEX’s broader corporate citizenship and sustainability efforts, the initiative helps partners address efficiency and environmental considerations alongside performance and cost.
“Optimizing energy usage in data centers not only improves efficiency but directly advances sustainability by minimizing carbon intensity and resource consumption,” said Adam Rutstein, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability at TD SYNNEX. “As more partners support customers through these projects,” he noted, “education and enablement around sustainability are becoming increasingly essential.”
Looking Ahead
TD SYNNEX shared details of the Hybrid IT Energy Initiative with partners during its annual High Growth Conference in Puerto Rico and is already exploring ways to expand the program. Future considerations include energy-neutral approaches and next-generation options such as small modular reactors as the market and regulatory landscape continue to evolve.
For partners on the front lines, the need for clarity is immediate.
“As power and cooling constraints become a gating factor for data center upgrades and AI deployments, companies need a clear path to assess site readiness, navigate complex requirements and deliver solutions with confidence,” said Michael Sheil, President of Whalley Computer Associates, Inc. and a TD SYNNEX PartnerLINK member.
Energy may not have been the headline issue in data center planning a few years ago. Today, it is shaping what’s possible—and when. Helping partners navigate that reality is quickly becoming one of the most important roles TD SYNNEX can play.
To learn more about the Hybrid IT Energy Initiative, contact HybridITEnergy@tdsynnex.com.
