Data Centers News

Indian data centre operators are being urged to reduce water demand and use treated non-potable sources, as water-stressed facilities across India face growing resource constraints.

U.S. developers are expanding hyperscale data center campuses into rural land in the 2020s, as AI computing demand drives larger sites and on-site power generation.

Landscape designers Zhimin Ma and Minghao Zhao argue that Ashburn, Virginia, should coordinate data center landscapes across parcels.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore established a data center task force as local moratoriums and opposition reshape development decisions across Maryland.

In June 2026, OpenSpace said its construction-tracking platform had been used on more than 1,000 data center projects worldwide.

During a Siemens Grid Software webinar, Siemens, NVIDIA, Dominion Energy, and utility experts discussed how AI data center loads are straining grid planning, including lessons from Northern Virginia.

In 2026, U.S. data center developers faced power, permitting, equipment and community obstacles across projects nationwide, prompting more direct-generation and flexible-load plans.

On August 3, 2026, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the PUCT and ERCOT to audit data center interconnection projects in Texas as large-load requests strain grid planning.

At the Sept. 21-23 Data Center World Power conference in Dallas, industry leaders discussed scaling data center electricity supply while protecting grid reliability and ratepayers.

Bain says developers, utilities, governments, and communities must coordinate to address constraints on data center expansion worldwide by 2030.

A regional policy brief sets out 18 options, with milestones extending from 2027 through 2030, to address data-center growth and related constraints in Virginia's 10th congressional district.

U.S. data center developers are increasing orders for small behind-the-meter gas turbines through 2030 to secure power despite grid connection delays and shortages of larger units.

In May 2026, Wharton Equity Partners terminated its proposed data center project on city-owned land in Hamilton, Ohio, after studies found the municipal power system could not reliably support the requested capacity.

IDTechEx forecast in September 2026 that the global data center supercapacitor market could reach $950 million by 2037, as operators test the technology for AI power spikes.

Frank Pallone urged FERC in Washington, D.C., today to strengthen PJM's proposed data-center power reforms amid rising capacity costs and projected demand growth.

As data center electricity demand rises, US state regulators and utilities are revising cost-allocation and planning rules in Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other markets.

In 2026, Georgia gubernatorial candidates Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson proposed opposing approaches to data center development across Georgia, with Bottoms favoring a temporary statewide pause and Jackson emphasizing local control.

In 2026, German residents and officials debated data center expansion, resource demands and disclosure rules across Dietzenbach and the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region.

During an interim study in Oklahoma, state lawmakers heard from data center operators, residents, utilities and local officials about development impacts and regulation.

ZincFive announced nickel-zinc in-rack power systems for AI data center racks, separating battery backup from rapid load-transient mitigation.

At the 2026 Fort Bend Infrastructure Conference in Texas, the Texas Association of Business promoted predictable data center rules and Senate Bill 6's requirement that large loads cover grid interconnection costs.

During Florida's gubernatorial campaign, David Jolly and Byron Donalds presented competing data-center policies, debating statewide restrictions, local siting authority, infrastructure costs, and environmental effects in Florida.

During planning and operations, data center designers and operators coordinate utility service, UPS, generators, and monitored distribution systems at data center facilities to sustain critical loads as rack density grows.

Natural Resources Council of Maine is urging strict data center standards in Maine as the state advisory council develops recommendations ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

In 2025, UCLA professor Megan Mullin said community opposition across the United States is reshaping data center siting through local bans, impact reviews, and negotiations.

Walker County's Data Center Development Standards Study Committee reviewed draft data center siting and operating rules at its third meeting in Walker County, Georgia, ahead of recommendations due December 4.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed TCEQ on September 21, 2026, to pause data-center-related permit issuance across Texas pending ERCOT's review of large-load developer information.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed seven data center laws on September 21 in California, setting electricity, water, and CEQA requirements for project development.

After Governor Greg Abbott ordered tighter enforcement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton began investigating data centers across 18 Texas counties for missing required water-use reports.

The Carroll County Ethics Commission heard complaints and opened a formal investigation on September 17 over a proposed data-center land deal in Carroll County, Kentucky.

Upper Burrell Township supervisors are drafting rules for TECfusions' proposed data center ahead of a November 2 deadline in Upper Burrell Township, Pennsylvania, amid residents' concerns about local impacts.

Loudoun County accepted Amazon's data center application for review on Sept. 23 at George Washington University's Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Lancaster County municipalities adopted and considered data-center zoning rules in 2026 across Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, imposing varied siting, hearing, noise, and water requirements.

Jared Bernstein and Ron Bloom propose labor, community-benefit, and domestic-production agreements for data center development in the United States.

Ohio candidates and residents are contesting rapid data-center expansion and its local costs in 2025, particularly around New Albany and proposed rural sites.

Faith-based advocates and residents in Indiana, North Carolina and Texas challenged data center expansion in 2026 over resource costs and local impacts, while Texas paused new permits pending an audit.

Upper Mount Bethel Township supervisors tabled a Monday decision on hiring Paul Soult to negotiate a community benefits agreement for Slate Belt Holdings' proposed data center campus in Pennsylvania.

In 2026, U.S. surveys and project tracking documented widespread local opposition to data center construction, while experts disputed claims that foreign influence explains the resistance.

Researchers found in a fall 2025 survey across Northern Virginia and the Richmond metropolitan area that residents favored data center safeguards alongside continued development.

During U.S. midterm campaigns, Senate candidates are confronting voter concerns about data-center development, electricity costs, and water use in communities across the United States.

In September 2025, Salem officials banned data-center nondisclosure agreements and paused development in Salem, Oregon, after residents objected to a proposed Verrus project.

Aligned Data Centers presented plans for a multi-building data center development at an August community meeting near Amber, Oklahoma, amid resident concerns and limited local oversight.

Researchers Garrison Schlauch and Simon Greenhill found that data center announcements were followed by nearby home value declines across the United States.

Denton City Council is scheduled to vote Oct. 13 on tighter data center zoning rules in Denton, Texas, with a separate moratorium hearing set for Oct. 27.

Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde vetoed a proposed data center siting ordinance Friday in Pulaski County, Arkansas, prompting supporters to pursue an override.

Bucksport Town Council members considered a temporary data center moratorium Thursday in Bucksport, Maine, after a company reportedly visited the former Verso mill site.

We Make Indiana is pressing Microsoft for a binding community-benefits fund for its Granger data center in St. Joseph County, Indiana, as construction is expected to begin this fall.

At a Climate Week NYC event in New York City, environmental advocates and community leaders discussed how Southern data center expansion is straining local planning and called for stronger disclosure, zoning, and community protections.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller criticized data center development and called for a one-year permitting moratorium, citing farmland, resource, incentive, and rural opposition concerns in Texas.

European data center association leaders cautiously welcomed the European Commission's efficiency-label proposal at a recent summit in Zagreb, Croatia, while urging fair metrics and protections for competitiveness and confidential information.

The American Public Works Association developed a Data Center Development Toolbox for public works professionals across North America to help communities assess proposed facilities before local decisions.

Residents near data centers in Ohio and Michigan raised health and noise concerns as a February 2026 report assessed emissions from a proposed Hilliard facility.

As xAI expands its Colossus supercomputing operation in Memphis, the text calls for community investment, local workforce opportunities, and completion of a wastewater recycling plant.

During his campaign in West Virginia, Ace Parsi proposed a two-year pause on large data center construction and a federal review of impacts.

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors extended its data center moratorium and adopted a separate opposition position on Sept. 22 in Tulare County, California.

Republican lawmakers and candidates have proposed ratepayer protections, construction pauses, and zoning safeguards in recent U.S. debates over data center expansion.

Republican lawmakers and candidates across the United States called for data-center limits during midterm campaigns, citing electricity costs, grid strain, and local zoning concerns.

During a gubernatorial debate in South Dakota ahead of the Nov. 3 election, Dan Ahlers and Larry Rhoden addressed local control and state requirements for data center power costs and water use.

During the North Dakota agriculture commissioner campaign, Vern Thompson challenged state backing for energy projects tied to potential data center growth, citing community concerns about land, power, and water.

Datacenter operators face growing local opposition in the 2020s as communities question energy use and environmental impacts, including around xAI's Colossus clusters in the Deep South.

In 2026, Ohio added 25 data centers, bringing its total to 91 across 14 counties, while the state adopted an AEP Ohio tariff covering qualifying large facilities.

Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, a New York Times/Siena poll found that 61% of surveyed voters opposed building AI data centers in the United States.

In July 2026, Microsoft and Alphabet reported rapid cloud growth and large AI data center investment in their quarterly earnings disclosures, with cash generation and backlog conversion emerging as key differences.

AI-driven data center growth is expanding manufacturing and skilled-trade employment across the United States, including Virginia, as communities debate energy, water use and construction limits.

IREN is converting mining capacity into GPU-based AI cloud services, with the March quarter expected to test deployment execution at its data-center operations.

Flex president Chris Butler outlines integrated power, cooling, compute, and operations design for AI data centers as U.S. development expands.

Facility managers at data centers should verify staff credentials and compliance records before audits covering safety, security, redundancy, cooling, and privacy.

Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta reported rising depreciation-related deferred tax liabilities as US bonus depreciation expanded for qualifying data-center equipment under the 2025 tax law.

Vistra, Constellation Energy, and Marvell outlined power and chip supply opportunities for AI data centers in U.S. markets through fiscal updates and September 28 trading data.

Amazon expects to double AWS data-center and power capacity by the end of 2027, with most planned capacity already reserved by customers; specific locations were not identified.

The Global Electronics Association urged European Union policymakers in a report on Europe's datacenter supply chain to attract investment and expand local production of chips, servers, and cloud infrastructure.

U.S. hyperscalers faced increased financing risk for AI data-center expansion on Monday as credit spreads widened in debt markets.

SpaceX plans to expand its data center capacity for AI workloads in orbit, with a major hosting agreement scheduled to begin December 1, 2026.

Schneider Electric's Secure Power and Data Center business leader says AI is increasing European data center scale and making power access, delivery coordination, and workforce planning more consequential.

In the second quarter, Tulsa-based Williams Companies reported a $15.5 billion project backlog and pipeline expansions intended to supply gas-backed power to U.S. utilities and high-demand customers.

Nokia reported Q2 2026 growth in optical networking and IP Networks, while expanding photonics manufacturing at sites in California, Pennsylvania, and Arizona to support data-center connectivity.

Anthropic disclosed $518 billion in planned cloud and infrastructure obligations in its IPO prospectus, while reports raised power-supply concerns about Oracle's New Mexico data center.

SpaceX is developing the StarMind orbital-computing system for possible deployment as early as 2027, with satellite manufacturing planned in Bastrop, Texas.

Seligman Ventures doubled its deployable capital to $1 billion on September 28, 2026, as the Silicon Valley investment firm targeted companies addressing AI data center infrastructure needs.