It is Day 3 of a 7-day heatwave. Overnight temperatures have not dropped below 34°C. Your data centre is experiencing the following conditions:
Cooling system inlet temperature: 42°C (target ≤35°C)
Electricity price: $310/MWh (normal ~$95)
Grid alert level: Level 2 of 3 (40% blackout risk)
Backup generator fuel: 54 hours remaining
Non-essential compute load: 100% active (30% deferrable)
Your Task
Rank the five risks from highest to lowest priority and explain your reasoning.
You can take two actions. Choose and justify:
Defer non-essential compute workloads
Procure additional generator fuel
Negotiate emergency grid contract
Brief leadership on shutdown protocol
Identify the single most important metric to monitor over the next 12 hours.
