Pranava Raparla
I'm a Senior Program Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy, where I lead our Data Center Engagement Team, build AI tools for environmental reviews and infrastructure permitting, and support AI policy initiatives for science and in international engagements. Before that, I worked on performance, battery life, sustainability, and fundamentals for apps and silicon on laptop/edge devices. Below are a few side quests, some related to my work, others just for fun.
The views expressed here are my own and don't represent my employer or any affiliated organization.
Projects and Questions
Tools, dashboards, and side quests... (Sorted by Last Updated)
| Project / Policy Question | Links | Status | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Center Community BenefitsWhat specific community benefits are major data centers actually delivering? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-27 |
| Vibe Coding SecurityTracks supply-chain attacks, malicious MCP servers, and prompt-injection campaigns aimed at AI "vibe coders" — with dated advisories and recovery playbooks. | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-27 |
| Robotics Industry & Policy TrackerWhat's the current state of robotics across startups, federal and state policy, and market signals? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-27 |
| Fantasy GMAn AI GM for an ESPN fantasy WNBA league that surfaces waiver targets and each team's biggest positional need. | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-27 |
| FERC Large Load OrdersHow are FERC's June 2026 show cause orders reforming large-load interconnection across the six RTOs and ISOs? | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-26 |
| Data Center Water UsageHow much water are modern data centers consuming and what is their environmental footprint? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-26 |
| Brownfield OpportunitiesWhere are the prime brownfield sites for redevelopment and new power? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-25 |
| DC Elections TrackerWho is running in local DC elections and how is the race evolving? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-25 |
| FERC Form 1 Audit ExplorerWhat recurring findings of noncompliance surface across FERC's audits of electric utilities? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-23 |
| Vision Zero DC Crash MapWhere are DC's traffic crashes concentrated and what do the city's official safety datasets reveal? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-23 |
| FirstPassRxFind the preferred inhaler for each major Massachusetts insurance plan and skip the prior-authorization round-trip, with a cited source on every result. | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-22 |
| PPA HelperHow do US power purchase agreements work, and how do you originate, negotiate, and settle one? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-22 |
| ShirtPostPrint-on-demand fast-fashion for family-friendly internet trends: a trend radar, a human-approval studio, and an automated Printful + X factory. | Website | Code | In Progress | 2026-06-22 |
| USGS Mineral Commodity SummariesWhat do the latest USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries reveal about U.S. mineral supply and import reliance? | Dive in | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-06-02 |
| DryDockA lightweight infrastructure deployment framework. Think of it as a shipyard for containerized apps. | Code | In Progress | 2026-05-24 |
| Days Since Last BlunderA brutally honest, zero-dependency tracker of consecutive days without a catastrophic mistake. | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-05-22 |
| Rate My PupusaThe definitive crowdsourced rating platform for local pupusas. A serious culinary endeavor. | Website | Code | Live* | 2026-05-12 |
| Taco Bell DC 50KThe official tracker for the completely unofficial Taco Bell DC 50k ultra-marathon. | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-04-15 |
| Iran Infrastructure TrackerWhat is the current state and progression of critical infrastructure in Iran? | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-04-07 |
| USCBP Trade TrackerHow are trade volumes and enforcement actions trending at U.S. borders? | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-03-25 |
| SettleAn app that ends group chat arguments once and for all. No appeals allowed. | Website | Code | Live* | 2026-03-20 |
| KeeperA collaborative, low-friction tool designed to help families organize elder care and daily check-ins. | Code | Active | 2026-03-18 |
| US Tech Prosperity Deals TrackerWhat is the scope, status, and impact of U.S. Tech Prosperity Deals? | Website | Code | LIVE | 2026-02-24 |
* Rate My Pupusa and Settle run on free Vercel deploys, so the live demos may be offline. The code is always on GitHub.
Selected Writings / Publications / Media
General Press Releases
- Energy Department Seeks Proposals for AI Data Centers, Energy Projects at Oak Ridge (Department of Energy, May 14, 2026)
- Energy Department Seeks Proposals for AI Data Centers, Energy Projects at Paducah Site (Department of Energy, May 14, 2026)
- NNSA Seeks Proposals for AI Data Centers, Energy Projects at Savannah River Site (Department of Energy, May 14, 2026)
- Energy Department Seeks Proposals for AI Data Centers, Energy Projects at Idaho National Laboratory (Department of Energy, May 14, 2026)
- DOE Announces Site Selection for AI Data Center and Energy Infrastructure Development on Federal Lands (Department of Energy, May 14, 2026)
- Faster, Better Permitting with PermitAI (Department of Energy, May 14, 2026)
- PNNL PermitAI NEPATECv2 Public Release (PNNL Report, August 20, 2025)
- Presidential Innovation Fellow Announcement (GSA.gov, 2023)
Media (Featured, Quoted, or Speaker) & Publications
- How a national lab is using data and AI to try to speed up permitting (Nextgov/FCW, August 2025)
- Local Environmental Impacts of Data Center Proliferation (Co-Author, Environmental Law Review, April 2025)
- Data Center Proliferation in the US (ERIS Information, January 2025)
- DOE Uses AI to Streamline Permitting Processes (Featured, Route Fifty, 2025)
- How can Load Growth Supercharge the Energy Transformation? (Deploy Together, 2025)
- Using NEPA-Customized AI Tools for More Efficient Environmental Permitting (PNNL Event, 2025)
- Sustainable Infrastructure and AI (Speaker, Energize 2025 Conference, 2025)
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