Sean James

Distinguished Engineer - Energy Systems at NVIDIA

Speaker

Sean James is a Navy veteran and Distinguished Engineer - Energy Systems for NVIDIA, where he's pioneering sustainable data centers and energy solutions. He previously worked in energy and data center research at Microsoft, with over two decades pioneering advanced cloud infrastructure. He led research on data center architecture, power systems, and scaling innovations, including groundbreaking projects like Project Natick (underwater data centers) and integrations of fuel cells, microgrids, and high-density computing.

His work emphasizes rapid deployment, efficiency, and overcoming bottlenecks in hyperscale environments, drawing from hands-on experience in submarine operations to cutting-edge R&D. He frequently speaks on emerging technologies shaping data center futures.

Latest Relevant White Paper: From chip to grid: what we need to modernize for the next generation of compute (2025, LinkedIn Pulse). This article outlines modernization needs for scaling data centers efficiently amid rising AI-driven demands, focusing on high-density racks (from under 30 kW to hundreds per rack). Key points include advancing power distribution and backup systems for faster handling of loads, innovative cooling like two- phase liquids for efficiency, streamlining energy interconnections to cut delays from years to months, and adopting modular construction to reduce build times and enable quicker compute deployment.