By Moe Hanifi, Head of Revenue & Commodities, MN8 Energy
If you work anywhere near cloud or AI infrastructure, you know access to power is the lifeblood of the modern economy. Compute is surging—and so is the need for reliable power delivered exactly where growth is happening.
That’s why I’m excited to share MN8’s latest project: our first long-term agreement with Meta to purchase 100% of the offtake generated by our 80-megawatt Walker Solar Project in Juniata County, Pennsylvania—delivering clean, domestic power into the PJM grid. Walker is under development and targeted to begin operations by the end of 2026.
For us, this isn’t about one transaction. It’s about what we do day in and day out: solve power problems for hyperscalers. Today, the vast majority of our work serves data center customers with solutions that deliver power fast and at scale. That can mean building a solar facility (like Walker), pairing assets with storage, or structuring portfolios that deliver real-world reliability. The technology mix matters, but the outcome matters more: time to power.
Why this matters now
The market has changed. Just a few years ago, many corporate buyers were “virtual,” meaning projects could settle on paper, and the grid handled the rest. That era is over. Load growth is now structural, driven in no small part by AI-ready data centers, read: large, concentrated, always-on operations. In more places, large loads are expected to bring solutions alongside demand. Interconnection alone doesn’t guarantee project certainty, and timelines are increasingly the critical path for our customers’ business plans.
For top brands, sustainability remains part of the equation but in many cases, AI has reordered energy priorities. Those customers prioritize available megawatts on a bankable timeline and seek partners who can move beyond talking points to real assets and tight delivery schedules. That’s where we come in.
The AI power reality check—available, fast, scalable
Speed to power is the new currency—but “fast” without project certainty is a false promise, and certainty without scale won’t meet today’s demands. What matters now:
- Certainty over intent. Interconnection ≠ delivery. Transmission can bind, so projects must be system-relevant—sited for the ISO/RTO where they interconnect, structured to deliver energy where the load is, and backed by clear interconnection milestones and availability-backed profiles.
- Time to power, not some day to power. AI data centers bring large, concentrated, 24/7 demand. Buyers need time-certain CODs and schedule-anchored execution that syncs capacity additions with product roadmaps.
- Scale where it counts. MN8 specializes in transactions that directly serve hyperscalers—enabled by our multi-market platform (~4 GW of solar and battery storage projects across 29 states).
- Outcome > technology. Start with utility-scale solar—the most scalable, readily deployed source of new domestic generation. Where the load profile requires more, layer storage to shape delivery to demand—shifting midday generation to evening peaks, smoothing ramps, and aligning contracts to real operating needs.
- Partnerships make it work. Hyperscalers, grid operators, utilities, and independent power producers each play a role. Additional, long-term projects—like Walker with Meta—add supply, bolster reliability, and build grid resilience together.
Looking ahead
Walker Solar is one project. But it reflects what the grid and our customers need at scale: real assets, in real locations, on real timelines. As AI reshapes demand curves, we’ll keep building the enduring energy infrastructure that lets innovation move forward—and brings communities along with it.
— Moe