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Last Update: 11/01/2026 at 11:33 PM EST
Data Centers Face Cooling and Permit Pressure
Coverage from Nature, WIRED, and others
Data center projects are facing growing scrutiny over cooling reliability, water consumption, onsite emissions, and public participation in permitting.
Research indicates that warming and humidity are reducing the operating window for free-air cooling, while operators are testing liquid cooling and other designs that balance water use against electricity demand. In Texas and at the federal level, disputes over minor permits for generator fleets show how air pollution and limited public review can affect project timelines, community acceptance, and operating costs.
Looking Back
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07/23/2026
The story now places more emphasis on permitting and community-process disputes, not just technical cooling and emissions concerns. It also adds a new Texas stakeholder and highlights local opposition drivers beyond pollution alone.
07/23/2026
The story sharpens from a broad discussion of data center constraints into a more specific Texas permitting controversy, adding concrete evidence that onsite power systems are proliferating under minor permits. It also introduces a clearer policy dispute over EPA changes that could further narrow public review.
All Articles123 articles
Additional
A climate study projects reduced operability of air free cooling in data centers through mid-century, with the strongest increases in the tropics and the southeastern United States.
6/13/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Floodlight reported that Stargate in Abilene, Texas began construction before expanded air-permitting review, raising concerns about limited public oversight for onsite turbines and backup diesel generators.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
U.S. EPA proposed changes to minor-source air permitting for generator emissions used by Texas data centers, with a July 22, 2026 hearing.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Amazon reported 75% progress toward a 2030 community water replenishment goal for data centers, citing improved cooling water efficiency and a Northern Virginia 2025 water-use reduction.
6/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed removing public feedback requirements for some new industrial facilities, including data centers, while AI-related construction accelerates.
7/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
DC E-WISE ranks cooling configurations for a 54 MW Phoenix colocation data center, showing energy versus onsite water priorities can change preferred designs.
6/12/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne, Wyoming imposed new wastewater disposal safety rules in 2026 after routine testing during Meta's Project Cosmo construction found Cupriavidus gilardii in sewer-discharge effluent.
7/8/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
EPA WRAP 2.0 and state-by-state reuse rules are increasingly shaping data center cooling and water recycling plans in multiple U.S. states.
6/5/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Governor Jared Polis and Colorado drought planning authorities respond to rising AI data center water demand amid worsening Colorado water stress.
5/14/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Microsoft hosted a neighbor meeting in Person County on Tuesday to discuss its Mega Park data center plan in Woodsdale Township near the Virginia border amid water and power concerns.
6/30/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Tressie Kamp at UW-Milwaukee Center for Water Policy recommends Wisconsin legislative conditions for hyperscale data-center cooling water transparency and efficiency.
5/21/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
In Cheyenne, Evanston, and Casper, Wyoming, residents and officials debate proposed hyperscale data center projects amid concerns over drought-stressed water and electricity needs.
5/23/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
Evanston recommended approval of Prometheus Hyperscale’s 1.25-gigawatt data center conditional use permit on May 27, 2026 while Cheyenne residents seek a 12-month moratorium over water and power impacts.
5/30/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
Cheyenne residents and Wyoming officials debate impact funds and mitigation for large data center projects amid concerns about water use, noise, and infrastructure impacts.
6/13/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
Amazon reported 2025 global data center water use of 2.5 billion gallons and outlined reclaimed-water and community return investments as local opposition grows in US communities.
6/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Wyoming Sen. Cheri Steinmetz says the Site Layer 4 data center and power complex near Wheatland was fast-tracked without statewide planning or sufficient public transparency.
7/25/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Land Use Conflicts
Cheyenne, Wyoming officials held public panels and a Related Digital construction tour in east Cheyenne to address data center siting, water use, power services, and community impacts.
6/14/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Yukon, Oklahoma residents launched a recall effort against Mayor Brian Pillmore over Beltline Energy's proposed $1 billion data center requiring permits and a water use agreement.
7/1/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
Microsoft officials met Cheyenne residents after a proposed development pause was defeated to explain safeguards for a planned 3,200-acre data center expansion and additional nearby sites.
5/29/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Community & Local Opposition: Community Benefits & Jobs
Cheyenne, Wyoming officials and utility staff held a resident Q and A on Saturday to address data center siting, water use, permitting, and utility planning.
6/7/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Vantage Data Centers held a Cheyenne, Wyoming community meeting to address Laramie County data center concerns about water, noise, and on-site power plans.
6/28/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
Cheyenne, Wyoming, officials linked reclaimed-water contamination of Cupriavidus gilardii in February to Meta AI data center commissioning wastewater and issued temporary system shutdowns for remediation.
7/9/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Cheyenne, Wyoming considered Iron Guard Housing's temporary workforce complex for up to 5,600 data-center construction workers in 2024, after resident protests and planning commission reconsideration.
6/9/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Community & Local Opposition: Community Benefits & Jobs
Cheyenne, Wyoming, adopted stricter wastewater disposal regulations after February testing found Cupriavidus gilardii in wastewater discharges tied to Meta's Project Cosmo construction.
7/8/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne, Wyoming, adopted new restrictions on datacenter wastewater disposal after bacteria-contaminated construction runoff was found from Meta Project Cosmo in High Plains Business Park.
7/8/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne, Wyoming imposed new wastewater discharge restrictions on Meta's Project Cosmo after routine testing during construction found bacteria-contaminated sewer discharge.
7/8/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
North Carolina communities and lawmakers debated hyperscale data center projects in 2024 as Senate Bill 730 advanced, targeting evaporative cooling limits amid water uncertainty.
6/15/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Amazon disclosed 2025 global data center water use in 2026 while Seattle enforced a one-year data center moratorium tied to AI-driven expansion debates.
6/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne, Wyoming officials in 2025 linked bacteria detected in wastewater testing to Meta data center construction, prompting reclaimed-water irrigation suspension and discharge termination.
7/10/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Cheyenne, Wyoming utilities revoked fill-and-flush discharge privileges in response to Cupriavidus gilardii found in wastewater tied to a Meta-affiliated data center campus.
7/6/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
EPA proposed reducing public participation for minor air permits affecting data center backup diesel generators, with a July 22 hearing and August 21, 2026 comment deadline.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
EPA proposed changes to minor air pollution permits for July 22, 2026, undercutting public participation for Texas data center diesel generator sources.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
EPA proposed changes to minor source air permits affecting data center diesel generator backup power, after Sierra Club comments to Georgia EPD in September 2024.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Google self-reported 2025 Nebraska data center water use of about 732 million gallons, amid evolving state disclosure rules and local concerns across Omaha, Sarpy County, Papillion, Lincoln, and Adams.
7/9/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Officials in Texas and Wyoming assess AI data center projects sited above the Ogallala Aquifer amid concerns about long-term water availability and cooling technology choices.
6/28/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne, Wyoming, said Meta contractor Goat Systems introduced Cupriavidus gilardii into the city reuse irrigation system via data center fill-and-flush discharge during construction.
7/7/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Wyoming Select Water Committee members discussed water sourcing, closed-loop cooling, and water-right permitting for expanding Cheyenne-area data centers.
5/8/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne, Wyoming data center campus phase-1 approaches completion with closed-loop direct-to-chip cooling, backup power, and substation expansion ahead of late-2026 delivery.
6/14/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Katherine Graham at Georgia Tech is studying microbial risks from treated wastewater reuse for data center cooling towers in Georgia to support community health as AI-driven hyperscale growth accelerates.
5/27/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
The Northeast-Midwest Institute briefed policymakers on Great Lakes data center buildout impacts for water use, citing utility planning needs and Great Lakes Compact reporting rules.
6/3/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Researchers Andrew Chien and Wedan Emmanuel Gnigba modeled Cold UTES for data centers in Virginia, Arizona, and Texas, finding up to 11 percent more IT power capacity.
6/24/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Amazon reported 2025 data center water intensity at 0.12 L/kWh, linking the figure to cooling choices and reclaimed water after Seattle’s one-year new-build freeze.
6/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Google reported about 732 million gallons of Nebraska data-center water use in 2025, as Nebraska enacted a 2026 annual reporting requirement to aid planning amid constrained regional supplies.
7/8/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
District energy heat recovery is highlighted for data centers as interconnection queues remain long and liquid cooling enables waste heat reuse in the U.S.
6/9/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Harvard researchers estimate large U.S. data centers use 300 billion liters of water yearly, mostly from electricity generation rather than facility cooling.
7/13/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Use Efficiency
Google and Meta water-use reporting in Nebraska is driving drought- and allocation-aware planning, with new statewide data-collection starting in 2026.
7/14/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
U.S. water utilities face capacity and planning challenges as hyperscale data centers depend on public water and cooling-related design choices.
6/26/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Cheyenne, Wyoming, utilities fined a data center developer in response to detected Cupriavidus gilardii tied to fill-and-flush wastewater during closed-loop cooling commissioning.
7/20/2026 • Water & Cooling • Reuse & Recycling
Marquette University and WEC Energy Group discussed closed-loop cooling, indirect power-sector water use, and Wisconsin public opposition at the Wisconsin Tech Summit in Oshkosh.
5/6/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
UIC hosted a Chicago conference where speakers evaluated treated wastewater effluent reuse for data center cooling amid ecosystem, permitting, and brine-disposal tradeoffs.
5/13/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
On May 13, Senators Ben Ray Luján and Katie Britt introduced the Advancing Water Reuse Act, proposing federal tax incentives for onsite water recycling, including at data center facilities.
5/21/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
UMN Morris and Institute on the Environment funded AI's Hidden Thirst in 2024 to build a facility-level dashboard for predicting AI data center water quantity and quality impacts in Minnesota.
6/30/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Cheyenne, Wyoming officials report Cupriavidus gilardii detected in wastewater sewers linked to a Meta AI data center cooling system during February construction.
7/9/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities identified Cupriavidus gilardii in wastewater tied to Meta data center campus construction in February and changed reclaimed-water discharge policy.
7/4/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne water officials tied Cupriavidus gilardii contamination to a contractor connected to Meta data center operations, prompting remediation and renewed scrutiny of Wyoming data center water and cooling claims.
7/17/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Illinois residents and advocates question water impacts of data centers as Joliet transitions to Lake Michigan supplies and plans closed-loop cooling.
5/18/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Alliance for Water Efficiency and partners released a data center water service provider primer in response to growing concerns about local data center water use and missed coordination opportunities.
6/27/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Wyoming lawmakers and Cheyenne officials reviewed testimony on data-center water impacts after planned capacity expansions raised projected acre-feet increases.
5/19/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Beltline Energy’s proposed 1,000 MW Oklahoma City and Yukon data center campus faces scrutiny over water plans after Senate Bill 259 tightened groundwater-permit conditions.
7/24/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
EPA published guidance for data center water planning in the United States, focusing on cooling-driven water demand, permitting pathways, and reclaimed-water reuse.
5/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Columbus Water & Power reported data center water use of about 1.26 billion gallons over 12 months and outlined treatment-plant upgrades and recycled-water planning through 2032.
7/6/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Columbus, Ohio released cooling-water figures for local data centers, reporting about 1.26 billion gallons annually and projected Intel demand through 2031-2032.
7/10/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Use Efficiency
Columbus Water & Power, with plans for spring 2027 procurement, explored using recycled water from the Southerly Treatment Plant for nearby data center cooling instead of potable water.
7/13/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities halted data-center wastewater acceptance during Meta's Cheyenne, Wyoming AI campus buildout after rare bacterium Cupriavidus gilardii was traced to a project-linked industrial user.
7/7/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Cheyenne, Wyoming restricted reclaimed-water use for Meta's Project Cosmo after routine testing detected Cupriavidus gilardii linked to construction pipe-flushing discharges.
7/9/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Cheyenne, Wyoming officials traced Cupriavidus gilardii contamination to a Meta data center contractor in June, prompting remediation and renewed zoning scrutiny for Site Layer 4.
7/17/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Texas regulators allow minor air permits for AI data-center power sources, limiting public notice and environmental review as Stargate expands in Abilene.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Data center cooling remains dominated by evaporative systems, while liquid cooling adoption grows as water and power constraints shape design choices.
6/19/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Joliet approved the Joliet Technology Center in Illinois, using capped water limits and closed-loop cooling assumptions amid evolving gray-water regulations.
5/18/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities suspended data center fill-and-flush wastewater acceptance after Cupriavidus gilardii detection tied to Meta-linked Goat Systems operations disrupted reuse plants.
7/4/2026 • Water & Cooling • Reuse & Recycling
Vertiv researchers published a climate-mapped assessment showing compressor-less data center cooling options are constrained by outdoor temperatures and thermal differential in most major North American markets.
5/14/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Satya Nadella told Microsoft Build 2026 audiences that Fairwater AI data centers in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin use near-zero ongoing water via closed-loop liquid cooling.
6/4/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Amazon reported 2.5 billion gallons of water use across global data centers and linked cooling-efficiency steps to permitting pressure in water-stressed areas.
6/14/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Rachel Havrelock and Andrea Densham say Chicago-area data centers using millions of gallons daily for cooling require wastewater reuse planning in Illinois.
5/22/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Freshwater Lab and Great Lakes advocates warn Illinois data-center cooling water demand will strain Lake Michigan supplies and call for wastewater reuse planning.
5/22/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Ohio Chamber Research Foundation released a report on data center water use in Columbus and Cincinnati-Dayton, projecting 2030 cooling demand and identifying stormwater and infrastructure readiness as primary constraints.
6/9/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
About Amazon / Alex DaviesAmazon reported 2025 improvements to data-center water efficiency, driven by reclaimed-water expansion and cooling system changes in Northern Virginia and other global locations.
6/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Microsoft, Equinix, Google, Nebius, AWS, and Fortum expand data center waste-heat recovery in Finland, Sweden, and Ireland under EU monitoring rules.
5/23/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Wyoming Select Water Committee members met in Cheyenne to assess data-center water use, focusing on closed-loop cooling efficiency, replenishment risk, and power-demand tradeoffs.
5/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water & Cooling: Cooling System Design
Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities traced Cupriavidus gilardii in reclaimed irrigation water in February to Meta's Project Cosmo construction in Wyoming and imposed wastewater discharge restrictions.
7/9/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Vantage Data Centers requested a federal operating permit through Texas Commission on Environmental Quality after planned diesel generator additions in Westover Hills, San Antonio.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Safety & Compliance
On July 13, 2026, Senator Edward J. Markey released a discussion draft requiring federal certification before data center permitting and construction and offering community monitoring grants.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Safety & Compliance
EPA proposed a rule altering Texas minor-source air permit challenge procedures for data-center power systems, with a July 22 hearing and Aug. 21 comment deadline.
7/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
EPA proposes July 22 minor-air permitting rule changes that could shift public participation control to Texas, affecting challenges to data-center backup generator permits.
7/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Senior environmental engineer Adam Driscoll highlights Clean Air Act New Source Review and source aggregation as key air permitting risks for data center power plans.
7/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Safety & Compliance
EPA proposed July 7 to remove federal public notice and comment minimums for minor New Source Review decisions, with written comments open through August 21.
7/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
EPA proposes changes to minor air pollution permitting in the U.S., potentially reducing public participation for Texas minor permits used by AI-driven data centers.
7/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
EPA proposed a July 7 Federal Register rule changing minor source air permit public participation, with comments due August 21, affecting AI data center generator approvals nationwide.
7/25/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Wyoming guidance advises residents to monitor county permitting, Wyoming DEQ air quality and water-related permits, and NEPA federal comment routes for data center projects.
5/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
EPA proposed changes to minor air permit public participation rules, potentially affecting TCEQ permitting for data-center backup generators in Texas ahead of a July 22 hearing.
7/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Water sourcing and cooling wastewater disposal decisions for data centers determine which CWA, SDWA, NPDES, and state reuse approvals apply and affect project timelines.
5/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Environmental groups sent a notice-of-intent-to-sue to Vantage Data Centers and VoltaGrid on Wednesday over alleged minor-source air permitting for San Antonio-area gas and diesel generation.
7/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Cheyenne City Planning Commission on June 1 failed to recommend Microsoft land-use amendments, sending a denial recommendation to Cheyenne City Council for consideration.
6/5/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
EPA proposed minor air permitting rule changes in the U.S., with July 22 hearing and Aug. 21 comments, raising concerns in Texas about reduced public input for data center related permits.
7/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
EPA proposed a Clean Air Act rule change on minor air polluter permitting for data centers in East Tennessee, drawing public participation concerns from Vonore resident Amber Bright.
7/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
EPA Clean Air Act rules for diesel emergency generators require PSD permitting and NAAQS dispersion modeling for many data centers.
6/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Health and environmental organizations submitted comments in Washington, D.C. on June 30, 2026 urging the EPA to withdraw an NSR proposal allowing construction of data centers before Clean Air Act air permits are issued.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Markey and McClellan led lawmakers in urging EPA in 2026 to withdraw an NSR proposal that would allow data centers to start construction without required air-quality permits.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Environmental Review
Senator Cynthia Lummis and Wyoming regulators address interconnection and upgrade needs for Project Jade's projected 2.7 to 10 gigawatts starting in Cheyenne.
6/18/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • Substation & Transmission
Generac in Waukesha, Wisconsin, announced hyperscale data center backup generation supply and disclosed multiyear market momentum alongside a Modine cooling systems contract.
6/12/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • Market Demand & Investment: Hyperscaler Demand
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed Executive Order 26-17 in Lincoln ending ImagiNE Nebraska Act tax incentives for data centers while requiring agency review of land, water, and electricity impacts.
7/21/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Incentive Policy Design
Blockmate Ventures Inc. plans Wyoming AI data center development near a substation with up to 200MW potential power capacity.
5/30/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • Infrastructure & Site Development: Land Acquisition & Site Selection
Vantage Data Centers hosted a Cheyenne open house for a proposed Laramie County 480-megawatt campus, with permitting expected to start late 2026 amid local noise and water concerns.
7/2/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • Infrastructure & Site Development: Land Acquisition & Site Selection
Wyoming maintains a sales tax exemption for large data center equipment after a 2021 repeal attempt by Rep. Clark Stith was killed in committee.
6/12/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • Tax Incentives & Abatements
Wyoming officials assess incoming data centers in 2026, weighing electricity, water, land use, housing, and sales-tax incentives.
7/6/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed an executive order in Nebraska on Monday to stop ImagiNE Act tax credits for new data centers and to create a water and electricity protection task force.
7/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Incentive Policy Design
Wyoming Public Service Commission voted 2-1 against Anschutz’s Carbon County request to treat customer-dedicated generation as non-utility while non-utility-generator rules are still under development.
7/23/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
WEDA supported Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon’s 2026-03 executive order in Wyoming to guide responsible data center siting with water and grid stewardship.
6/12/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy
Alliance for Water Efficiency released a Data Center Primer for Water Service Providers with Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District to guide early utility involvement in data center planning.
6/23/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a data center development framework on June 3, 2025, as Mountain West communities weigh moratoriums and water-related conditions.
6/4/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy
Mark Gordon issued Wyoming Executive Order 2026-03 on data center growth on protecting ratepayers and water supplies, with Cheyenne local concerns tied to Microsoft and Meta development.
6/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy
Nebraska legislative proposals LB1111 and LB1064 on electricity cost allocation and LB1026 and LB1172 on generation planning could shape data center expansion and electricity demand management by 2035.
7/17/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
NTU criticized Nebraska Governor Pillen's ImagiNE Act executive order denying data center tax treatment, saying the action could reduce investment starting immediately.
7/21/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Incentive Policy Design
Wyoming Public Service Commission voted 2-1 against Anschutzs declaratory judgment for customer-dedicated data-center generation in Carbon County, while non-utility generator rules are pending.
7/24/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Gov. Mark Gordon signed a Wyoming executive order creating a statewide framework for data center growth, including power cost protections and water conservation guidance, after local moratorium and industrial-park disputes.
6/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Wyoming legislators weigh a draft bill to exempt qualifying generators from public utility rules to serve industrial and data-center demand, drawing utility opposition over ratepayer costs.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy
Wyoming regulators scheduled an Aug. 5 hearing on non-utility generator rules after a 2-1 denial involving Anschutz generation plans for data centers.
7/24/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy
Wyoming HB0067 sales tax exemptions are discussed in relation to data-center investments in critical hardware, power supply, backup generation, and specialized HVAC.
7/25/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • Tax Incentives & Abatements
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen plans an executive order Monday to suspend tax incentives and create a task force for natural-resource safeguards for large-scale data centers.
7/17/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Incentive Policy Design
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed an executive order on Monday suspending Imagine Nebraska Act approvals for new large-scale data centers and creating a natural-resources task force.
7/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued an executive order in 2026 blocking large-scale data centers from state business tax incentives and forming a task force.
7/20/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • Tax Incentives & Abatements
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a June 3 executive order directing state agencies to propose policy changes for new data centers within 60 days amid local moratoriums.
6/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy
Open Compute Project heat reuse guidance focuses on local policy and end-user connections needed to scale data center waste heat in Paris, Stockholm, Colorado, and Stavanger.
5/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Infrastructure Siting Policy