Data Centers

IT hardware evolves rapidly. It’s critical to design and build data centers that are flexible. We offer hyperscalers the services needed to quickly design and build a powered shell design, which can be customized to match users’ needs immediately and in the future. We also design retrofits to existing data centers, equipping them with the power and architecture to handle today’s AI-driven workloads and adapt to emerging technologies. For both new and retrofitted campuses, our high quality, robust solutions offer clients the speed to market they require.

Our team has the expertise to fast-track engineering and design processes for data centers connected to the grid or powered behind the meter. Our transmission planning professionals work with large load task groups across independent service operators (ISOs) to provide realistic and reliable interconnection plans, and we help our clients work with local utilities to determine the energy available to support data centers’ power needs.

We prepare data center campus designs and layouts that help size interconnection load applications, develop medium voltage systems, size cooling systems, and size backup generation systems. Our layouts range from conceptual designs through 30% design, depending on client needs. We also identify qualified contractors and provide construction management and oversight services for project execution.

Demand for data center capacity is soaring, and operators increasingly turn to on-site generation to meet their needs for power volume, reliability, cost control, and sustainability.

As the premier architect engineer for power generation projects, we’re well-positioned to bring on-site generation to data centers. Sargent & Lundy has designed approximately 1,000 individual power plants during its history. We help clients develop and integrate on-site power solutions that provide energy security in areas with constrained grid capacity, hedge against volatile electricity markets, and contribute to decarbonization targets.

Our consulting services begin with feasibility studies that evaluate the technical, regulatory, and economic viability of on-site generation at a specific site. We assess interconnection complexity, emissions permitting, fuel availability, technology fit, and lifecycle cost.

We then coordinate closely with site engineers, utility planners, and operations teams to provide on-site generation solutions that are not only technically sound but aligned with data center business models; load profiles; permitting requirements; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments.

For “islanded” sites that are completely independent from the grid, we leverage our history of power generation experience to develop robust plans for scheduled maintenance and accommodate forced outage scenarios to achieve reliability goals.

We also support microgrid integration for seamless transition between behind-the-meter and grid-tied operation modes. Where renewable systems are viable complements, we model solar and wind yield and storage dispatch strategies to maximize carbon savings while designing for critical loads and IT uptime. Our strategies incorporate redundancy, intelligent controls, and the ability to restore the grid after a complete shutdown or black start.

Our qualifications in on-site nuclear generation are incomparable. We have designed 34 utility-scale new reactors, performed development work with several small modular reactor (SMR) and advanced reactor (AR) suppliers, completed numerous phase 1 planning and siting studies for clients, and performed site-specific design for developing SMR sites. Sargent & Lundy’s U.S. operating nuclear fleet experience far exceeds any other firm’s — we are the engineer of choice for nearly all operating U.S. nuclear power plants.

We perform evaluations that help our clients manage risk in a volatile power and data infrastructure landscape, moving projects from conception through merger and acquisition due diligence.

The pace of innovation in data center design and the increasing demand on the power grid makes developing, operating, and investing in data centers challenging. We specialize in navigating this complex landscape by performing in-depth evaluations of technical feasibility and long-term revenue opportunities, helping our clients manage technical and financial uncertainty.

We perform reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) studies and create comprehensive models to evaluate the financial implications of technology selection, redundancy configurations, and power supply strategies. RAM studies help planners optimize the combination of component redundancy, maintenance, and energy conservation and efficiency, maximizing power availability at a given cost.

We perform detailed scenario analyses, risk-adjusted cash flow modeling, and sensitivity testing across fuel prices, utility tariffs, and outage probabilities. We help clients understand how reliability metrics, such as mean time between failure (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR), impact uptime guarantees and service level agreement (SLA) compliance. We use Monte Carlo simulations and other risk assessment tools to quantify the likelihood and potential cost of service disruptions or equipment failure.

Our evaluations also identify opportunities for cost optimization and emissions reduction. We explore integrating on-site generation, incorporating novel cooling technologies via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses, and participating in demand response power markets.

We provide clients clear data they can use to make decisions. This creates better planning for capital deployment, clearer conversations with lenders and insurers, and a stronger foundation for project success.

One of our greatest strengths is the ability to integrate our broad regulatory and environmental expertise with our long experience in power plant engineering, design, and operation to achieve a balance among the sometimes-conflicting engineering, economic, and environmental demands of a data center project. From siting some of the world’s first transmission lines to planned small modular reactors in eastern Europe, we have over 130 years’ experience placing emerging technologies in new landscapes.

Our project teams combine environmental and regulatory specialists who understand the engineering and economics of power plant projects and engineers who are sensitive to the environmental constraints. We collaborate across disciplines to identify sites and technologies aligned with reliability demands, business conditions, and market opportunities.

We have conducted hundreds of site evaluations for more than 50 clients throughout the United States, including siting evaluations for data centers, nuclear and natural gas-fired simple-cycle and combined-cycle units, and battery energy storage systems. We integrate engineering, regulatory, biological, ecological, and economic disciplines to ensure plant sites worthy of consideration are optimized.

Overall, we have provided environmental services to more than 150 clients in over 40 states and 25 countries on six continents. We have experience with seven U.S. EPA Regions, 12 U.S. Army Corp of Engineers districts, numerous state and federal agencies, and several international institutions.

On our clients’ behalf, we have obtained every major type of permit and license necessary to site, construct, and operate a power plant, substation, or electric transmission line. Our focus on the power industry provides us with a broad knowledge of federal, state, and local permitting agencies’ concerns and requirements. Data centers face an increasingly varied regulatory environment, and conclusively defining evolving regulations is key to successful project execution.

We have helped our U.S. clients comply with major federal laws including:

• Clean Air Act (CAA).
• Clean Water Act (CWA).
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Endangered Species Act (ESA).
• National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
• Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).

We have successfully completed projects under the following major regulatory agencies and programs:

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE).
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS).
• Department of Natural Resources (DNS).
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

We have considerable expertise in the air quality, water, and wastewater issues facing large data center projects and in successfully reaching technical and regulatory solutions.

Data centers require large volumes of reliable power. Grid access can limit data center development and frequently dictates project feasibility, cost, and timing.

We have the experience to power data centers by connecting them reliably to the grid, creating behind the meter solutions, or both. We support our clients through every phase of the grid interconnection process, from early-stage load prospecting and transmission capacity analysis to formal application submission and utility negotiations.

We begin the grid interconnection process at project start, performing grid prospecting studies to identify locations with available transmission capacity and favorable pricing. We perform mock system impact studies to evaluate grid capacity and quantify expected network upgrade costs, using utility industry standard power system modeling and dispatching tools. Our system impact studies enable clients to submit load and interconnect requests at economically viable points of interconnection rather than waiting for opaque and costly study results, which may ultimately be unfavorable.

Our team is skilled in locating project substations and identifying cost effective transmission line routes that minimize right-of-way challenges. We prepare layouts ranging from conceptual to 30% design, as required by local utilities to proceed with the interconnection process.

After site selection, we prepare and submit detailed load interconnection applications tailored to the requirements of the applicable utility or independent service operator (ISO). This includes project general arrangement layouts, single-line diagrams, and detailed electrical infrastructure specifications.

Throughout the process, we act as the client’s technical advisor during engagement with the utility, managing milestone schedules, responding to technical queries, and negotiating interconnection agreements. We also identify potential cost-sharing mechanisms for required transmission upgrades and advise on strategies to avoid or reduce interconnection delays.

For data centers with on-site generation or microgrids, we coordinate behind-the-meter integration, tariff incentives, and power import/export limitations. We also support compliance with evolving interconnection standards based on our participation in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Large Loads Task Force (LLTF). Our involvement accelerates grid access while minimizing risks tied to curtailment, congestion, and capital overruns.

The interconnection application process is a key milestone for data center projects. Our transmission planning engineers assist clients through every step of the application planning and preparation process. We leverage our experience across the various ISOs and transmission system operators to support application preparation in all U.S. regions. From mock system impact studies to dynamic models, our teams use industry leading tools to help clients develop interconnection plans that can be executed in a timely and cost-effective manner.

As data center development grows more power focused, capital-intensive, and technically complex, the owner’s engineer (OE) role becomes essential to project execution. As OE, we bring independent oversight, engineering rigor, and proactive problem-solving to complex data center energy projects, empowering owners with confidence in their assets’ long-term performance and reliability.

Our team provides comprehensive OE services that align the owner’s interests across engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning phases. We bring deep knowledge in mission-critical systems and utility-scale infrastructure to support quality control, risk management, and strategic decision-making throughout the project life cycle.

We often begin work at project inception, defining functional requirements and developing a project design basis and equipment specifications. We develop conceptual project designs (e.g., 10%, 30%) to provide a basis for contracting and project advancement.

During detailed design, we perform in-depth design reviews, validating alignment with functional specifications, power and cooling performance requirements, and local code compliance. During procurement, we assess vendor qualifications, equipment specifications, and delivery timelines, helping owners avoid overdesign, scope gaps, or incompatible systems. We also monitor factory acceptance tests (FATs) and oversee critical commissioning procedures.

Throughout construction, we review contractor submittals, track schedule performance, and identify deviations from scope or quality standards. We facilitate communication between the owner; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors; technology vendors; and utility partners to resolve issues quickly and keep the project on track. Our reporting systems give real-time data about progress, risks, and budget adherence.

During commissioning and turnover, we verify that systems have been tested to perform under load conditions, adhere to redundancy design, and comply with all operational metrics — all with an objective to deliver solutions that are ready to meet reliability requirements and service-level agreements from day one.

We help developers and owners plan operation and maintenance (O&M) strategies for their assets. For clients who contract O&M services, we prepare and administer solicitations and negotiate turnkey solutions. For clients that perform their own O&M, we help develop staffing plans, operating procedures, and quality programs.