Crusoe Energy Systems ranked No. 3 on the 2025 Real Leaders Top Impact Companies list in recognition of its efforts to sync tech and climate to future-proof our world.
Crusoe Energy Systems is a vertically integrated AI infrastructure company dedicated to sustainably powering computing. Here, Crusoe CEO and Co-Founder Chase Lochmiller shares his knowledge and experience with Real Leaders.
Real Leaders: How do you thrive in the impact space?
Chase Lochmiller: To minimize the environmental impacts of computing-led innovation, Crusoe takes an energy-first approach to providing a sustainable and cost-effective AI cloud platform. Since our inception in 2018, we’ve dedicated ourselves to driving change in advanced computing by utilizing wasted, stranded, and clean energy sources to sustainably power our data centers and AI-focused cloud computing infrastructure. Crusoe leverages cutting-edge technology to catalyze human progress across the globe while mitigating the ecological consequences typically associated with large-scale data processing.
RL: What milestones have you achieved this year?
Lochmiller: Crusoe avoided over 680,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by scaling Digital Flare Mitigation® (DFM) technology in the U.S. We expanded to 33 sites across six states, including 12 new deployments. Our company prevented over 5.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas from being flared and avoided over 8,500 metric tons of methane emissions. We generated over 635,000 megawatt-hours of electricity by harnessing stranded energy. We expanded internationally through a partnership with Unblock Computing. Lastly, Crusoe licensed our technology to enable a reduction in flaring by over 85 million cubic feet across two sites in Argentina.
RL: What is your best strategy for finding investors?
Lochmiller: None of this would be possible without the lasting commitment and dedication of our employees, investors, energy partners, cloud customers, and other key stakeholders — many of whom have been with us from the beginning. We cannot begin to express our appreciation enough for the many people working tirelessly to bring our mission to life. The key is finding the right people, partners, employees, and stakeholders who not only believe in our mission but can help us grow and succeed.
RL: What is your long-term, mission-oriented dream?
Lochmiller: Crusoe is working to transform the system of computing infrastructure — from the energy that powers it, to the data centers that serve it, to our purpose-built AI computing stack that supports the work of innovators using our technology. Through our vertically integrated approach, we are reimagining how large-scale AI computing should operate from the ground up. Our mission is to align the future of computing with the future of the climate, and that drives us day in and day out.
RL: What is your best advice for fellow impact CEOs?
Lochmiller: We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue to shape and scale the computing industry as we strive to always do more and do better, and that is the advice we would pass on: Strive to always do more and do better.
