DCFlex Deliverables: Workstream 1

This report provides a primer on data center cooling equipment, offering both a foundational background and a current state-of-the-art review. It examines the cooling requirements and thermal standards that govern cooling system design, details modern cooling technologies, equipment configurations, industry best practices, and water use, and provides a high-level comparison across technology types. Perspectives from two major cooling equipment manufacturers are incorporated to ground the technical discussion in real-world design drivers and market context.

This report outlines the rapidly evolving permitting landscape for on-site backup and primary power at U.S. data centers, where multi-jurisdictional air, noise, water, and land-use requirements increasingly shape project feasibility and timelines. Federal emergency-use limits, state and local modeling and emissions rules, and growing community scrutiny constrain operational flexibility and drive early strategic decisions on generator classification, fleet design, siting, and fuel commitments.

This brief outlines the potential grid impacts of AI-DCs, their susceptibility to power quality disturbances, and touches on mitigation and monitoring strategies to ensure grid compatibility and operational resilience as computational demands continue to scale.

This report provides a summary of engine types for DC power generation, reviews RICE use for both primary power and emergency backup applications, and then details information gathered on RICE use for DCs from multiple engine vendors and a provider of engine units.

This publicly-accessible white paper takes a first step toward developing a common understanding of flexibility between power providers, grid operators, and data center stakeholders