Powering the AI Revolution: Retrofitting and Upgrading Existing Data Centers

Join Stanford IEEE PES on seeing how artificial intelligence continues to drive unprecedented demand for computing power, and how existing data centers face a major challenge. The Challenge? How can we upgrade infrastructure originally designed for traditional workloads to support the next generation of AI? This session explores the engineering and practical challenges of retrofitting and modernizing operational data centers, with a focus on electrical power distribution, cooling technologies, capacity expansion, and infrastructure reliability. Drawing on real-world hyperscale data center experience, we’ll discuss how to plan and execute complex infrastructure upgrades while maintaining operations, managing risks, and minimizing downtime. We’ll also explore the evolving role of engineers in supporting the rapid growth of AI infrastructure. Speaker Bio:

Dr. Elyas Jazayeri is a Technical Program Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), specializing in hyperscale data center infrastructure, capital project delivery, and capacity expansion. He has over 10 years of experience in construction and data center development, overseeing large-scale infrastructure programs across the United States. He holds a PhD in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Kentucky, with expertise in electrical and mechanical infrastructure, liquid cooling, and complex project delivery.