SolarBank Taps Data Center Expert Jonathan Martone to Power Its Next Big Move
Disseminated on behalf of SolarBank Corporation.
SolarBank Corporation (NASDAQ: SUUN; Cboe CA: SUNN, FSE: GY2) is stepping into the fast-growing data center world, and it’s bringing in one of the best to lead the way. On April 9, 2025, SolarBank announced it had brought in data center expert Jonathan Martone to help guide its plans to enter the data center market. Martone has over 25 years of experience in the field, working with companies big and small across North America.
This move comes as data centers — the buildings that store and power the internet — are becoming more important than ever. With AI, cloud services, and digital tools growing fast, the world needs more places to process data. That also means a lot more energy is needed to power these centers.
SolarBank’s Smart Step into Data Centers
SolarBank is known for developing solar and battery energy storage projects. The company now aims to bring clean energy into the world of data.
Back in November 2024, the company shared its plans to expand into this new market. Since then, it has been looking at different opportunities to build or partner on new data center projects.
Adding Martone as a strategic advisor is a big step in that direction. Dr. Richard Lu, President and CEO of SolarBank, said,
“I am honoured that Jonathan Martone has agreed to join SolarBank as an advisor. An industry leader like Jonathan will bring significant value to SolarBank as he will help support SolarBank’s strategic expansion into the rapidly growing data center market. Jonathan has significant contacts and is one of the leaders in North America in understanding site selection and the components to ensure a successful operation. The growth of data hungry artificial intelligence deployments continues and SolarBank is seeking to help support this demand.”
Even though this is a new area, SolarBank has years of experience in renewable energy.
The company has built over 100 megawatts of solar and battery storage systems and has a development pipeline of more than 1 gigawatt. It focuses on community and distributed solar projects across Canada and the United States.
These projects provide clean power to homes, businesses, and utilities.
Who is Jonathan Martone?
Jonathan Martone, a seasoned expert in data centers and telecommunications, has helped plan and design hundreds of data centers across North America. He now works as an independent advisor, supporting companies as they build, plan, and grow their digital infrastructure.
He works closely with private equity firms, developers, and operators to find good sites for new data centers. This means looking at things like:
- Does the land have enough power?
- Are there strong Internet connections nearby?
- Can clean energy be used for operations?
- Are the right transformers and grid systems available?
Martone also understands how to make sure data centers can serve big tech companies like AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. He’s worked with major clients, including EdgeConnex, Overwatch Capital, and Form8tion Data Centers. His specialties include cloud services, fiber networks, high-voltage systems, and energy-efficient designs.
Why This Deal Matters
Data centers are the heart of the internet. Every time we stream a video, use AI, or save files to the cloud, we’re using data center power. But running these centers takes a huge amount of electricity. Their rapid expansion has led to a significant surge in electricity consumption.
In the third quarter of 2024, U.S. data centers used 46,000 megawatts (MW) of power. This rise was mainly due to the growing need for AI applications and cryptocurrency mining.
AI models, particularly large-scale ones like GPT-4, require substantial computational power for training and operation. Training such models can consume up to 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity each.
As companies increasingly adopt AI-driven solutions, this energy demand is expected to rise further. S&P Global expects this demand to rise to 59,000 megawatts by 2029.
This escalating energy consumption poses challenges for utility companies striving to meet the growing demand. Dominion Energy Virginia, for instance, has 40.2 gigawatts (GW) of contracted capacity waiting to connect to the grid. That’s almost double its capacity from July 2024.
Similarly, Southern Co. has increased its five-year capital plan by $14 billion to enhance electricity generation and transmission infrastructure.
The environmental impact is also a concern. Tech giants like Microsoft and Google plan to run carbon-free data centers by 2030. However, the fast growth of these centers might outstrip the rise of renewable energy. This could lead to a greater dependence on fossil fuels.
That’s where SolarBank comes in. By evaluating the build out of data centers that use solar power and batteries, the company hopes to reduce carbon emissions while still meeting rising energy needs.
This is also a big business opportunity. The data center market is growing quickly, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence. SolarBank’s entry into the space could help provide for cleaner, greener data storage.
By combining its clean energy expertise with data center planning, SolarBank is hoping to build a powerful new business model — one that supports the digital world with less impact on the planet.
What Happens Next?
Right now, SolarBank is still exploring different data center projects. It hasn’t signed any final deals yet, but the company is in talks with several groups. With Martone’s help, SolarBank will be able to:
- Evaluate potential sites
- Understand energy and utility needs
- Connect with new partners
- Create smart and scalable designs
While this new direction is exciting, SolarBank also warns that there are risks involved.
Building a data center isn’t easy. It requires finding the right land, getting permits, hiring contractors, and securing enough financing. On top of that, energy rules and government incentives could change, making some future projects harder or more expensive to complete.
SolarBank also reminds investors that they don’t currently own or operate any data centers. These plans are still in the early stages.
As more companies look to reduce their carbon footprint, clean energy data centers are likely to grow in demand. By partnering with Martone, SolarBank is preparing to meet that demand head-on.
This report contains forward-looking information. Please refer to the SolarBank press release entitled “Data Center Expert Jonathan Martone Retained by SolarBank Corporation to Power Strategic Expansion” for details of the information, risks and assumptions.
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