Haynes Boone Chair of Data Center and Digital Infrastructure Jeffrey Moerdler joined a panel at Metro Connect USA 2026 in Ft. Lauderdale examining the crossroads the data center industry faces as demand accelerates and financing surges.
His comments were later highlighted in articles by Capacity Global and PeakLoad, both of which underscored how power availability has become the defining factor in data center development.
Read an excerpt from the articles below.
Capacity Global
Power continues to be the one consistent issue that cuts across every part of the market, the panelists agreed. Jeffrey Moerdler, partner at Haynes Boone, said he has watched the industry’s relationship with energy transform almost entirely in three years.
"The dynamic has changed," he said. "Lock up the power first, figure out the specific location second."
He said his team is currently working on roughly 40 power-related deals, with one client describing their approach as being a “truffle hunter” – searching for areas of excess utility capacity, mapping transmission capability and only then identifying the property.
PeakLoad
Successful data center developers have flipped the old real estate mantra of "location, location, location" to "power, power, power", Jeffrey Moerdler, chair of the data center & digital infrastructure practice at Haynes Boone in New York, said during a panel discussion.
"There are good times ahead, if you can find the power", he added.
Read the full article from Capacity Global here.
