US colocation data center firm Digital Realty has appointed Jim Collins as senior vice president and global head of energy. Collins joins from Microsoft, where he spent 13 years in various leadership roles, most recently as general manager of global energy markets. Before Microsoft, he spent a decade as an energy consultant at Brubaker & Associates.
Reflecting on the news on LinkedIn, Collins said: “The opportunity to help advance Digital Realty's global energy strategy at a time of extraordinary growth in data centers, cloud, and AI infrastructure is both exciting and humbling. I look forward to learning from the outstanding leadership team and collaborating with colleagues, customers, utilities, policymakers, and industry partners around the world.”
Digital Realty has launched several clean energy initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. These include rooftop solar at its Swiss data centers, 24/7 renewable energy matching programs in Sweden, and a 500GWh hydropower deal covering three projects along the Ohio River.
