Data Center Partner Selection

1. Data Center Partner Selection Town Hall Discussions 31 January 2007 Al Kellie Tim Killeen Krista Laursen Jeff Reaves

2. NCAR’s Fundamental Responsibility • Provide the greatest possible computational capability to the national community, at the lowest possible cost, with realistic options for further expansions • The faster we add capability, the greater the scientific benefits we provide The Wyoming offer provides more computing, sooner, and at lower cost

3. Path to the Partnership • Exploration of several options to secure a new facility (including leasing space, re-fitting an existing data center, pursuing new construction) initiated by a team of NCAR and UCAR personnel roughly two years ago • New construction with the involvement of a partner identified as the most viable – and cost effective – option; discussions initiated with a variety of potential Front Range partners (CSU, CSM, IBM, CU, and Wyoming) • NSF, a Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP), and the UCAR Board of Trustees (BOT) engaged throughout the project discovery phase to ensure appropriate community guidance and support for the endeavor • Project vision broadened approximately one year ago to focus not just on the construction of a new NCAR supercomputing facility but on the development of a larger geosciences cyber-collaboratory framework • With NSF and community support, decision made in Fall 2006 to pursue construction of a new NCAR supercomputing facility and the development of a geosciences cyber-collaboratory in parallel • Negotiations with two final partner candidates (CU and Wyoming) completed in early January

4. Partnership Highlights • As the facility partner, Wyoming agrees to: • Provide a “shovel-ready” site in the North Range Business Park (Cheyenne LEADS) • Provide additional required physical infrastructure (e.g., site connection to fiber optics network) • Utilize State Treasurer Industrial Revenue Bond program for funding of the construction effort (community issues bonds, Treasurer purchases them, paid off by NCAR) • Provide necessary electrical infrastructure to guarantee transmission level power of 24 MW to the facility (Cheyenne Light Fuel and Power) • Provide $20M from Univ. of Wyoming endowment fund for construction • Provide $1M annually for facility operations (Univ. of Wyoming) • Additional partnerships with Wyoming, CU, CSU, CSM, NREL, and others will be explored as part of effort to develop a Front Range Cyber-Collaboratory • NCAR is continuing discussions with CU to identify a meaningful, founding partnership role for CU in the initial build-out of the data center and creation of the FRCC

5. Opportunities Challenges • Strong NCAR/UCAR ownership – land, facility, and project management • Optimization of early science, with significantly larger initial computer purchase allowing NCAR to return to leadership class computing in 2010 • Significant flexibility: Cheyenne site ideally suited for straightforward facility expansion in the future, 5 initial faculty joint appointments • Lower cost of construction • Long-term financial savings, lower annual debt service – approx. $8M over 20 years • Unique and transformative partnership • Lack of proximity to other NCAR facilities • Impact of moving a major NCAR facility to another state • Requirement for staff relocation • Complexity of splitting off and moving some NCAR/CISL staff to Wyoming and managing personnel in two locations • Increased staffing costs – additional staff needed and relocation costs • Fewer options for “showcasing” the new facility • Project management complications – overseeing construction activities in a more removed location

6. Selected site covers 24 acres in the North Range Business Park (see below) Modular facility design to be implemented, with initial size to be 108,000 sq. ft. with 15,000-25,000 sq. ft. of raised floor Initial power build-out to 8 MW, with 4-5 MW for computing and 3-4 MW for cooling Facility power to primarily come from “clean” coal NCAR is working aggressively to secure the provision of wind energy as well Design, construction, and operation of the data center as a high performance green building will be pursued via LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification Facility Basics

7. Next Steps • Establishment of Data Center Project Office as quickly as possible; fund in 2007 in order to pursue an aggressive project start-up • Assist Wyoming with preparation and presentation of required legislative materials (process currently underway) • Proceed with partnership formalization and NSF approval steps (preparation of MOU, NSF approval package, etc.) • Pending approval of funding by Wyoming legislature, initiate architecture and engineering (design) work Targeted milestones: Construction initiation (“shovels in the ground”) – Within one year Facility open for operation – Late 2010/early 2011

8. Thank You To Lawrence Buja and Peter Fox for leading the data center project over the past year To the many people who have helped bring about this exciting new partnership: Aaron Andersen, Rick Anthes, Peter Backlund, Tom Bettge, Rena Brasher-Alleva, Guy Brasseur, Frank Bryan, Lawrence Buja, Peter Fox, Al Kellie, Janice Kauvar, Krista Laursen, Rich Loft, Gary New, Annick Pouquet, Jeff Reaves, Katy Schmoll, Henry Tufo, Olga Wilhelmi, Mike Wiltberger, Larry Winter and the many other people throughout CISL, NCAR, and UCAR who have provided critical support

9. Questions? Krista Laursen (krista@ucar.edu, x2003) – Data Center Project Office Director Please refer inquiries from the media to Krista, Jeff Reaves (jreaves@ucar.edu), or David Hosansky (UCAR Head of Media Relations, hosansky@ucar.edu)