Lest you think we might be putting too much emphasize on the spread of data centers in Oklahoma and other states, consider the following list of stories across the nation—-stories that focus just on data centers.
It’s obvious that data centers are grabbing not only headlines, but the attention of regulators, power grids and consumers.
- Microsoft plans to build a $4 billion data center in southeastern Wisconsin to accompany a neighboring planned $3.3 billion data center. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- St. Louis officials will craft regulations to incorporate future data centers into local zoning rules instead of issuing a moratorium in an attempt to address community concerns. (FOX 2)
- Omaha, Nebraska, could be more attractive to data centers and advanced manufacturing by investing in power infrastructure, industry and business leaders say. (Flatwater Free Press)
- An NV Energy official says proposed data centers are projected to triple the Nevada utility’s 9,000 MW peak demand in coming years and that his company is “excited to serve this load.”
- The ever-growing concentration of data centers in Northern Virginia is testing the grid, stretching utilities, pushing power bills higher, and shifting state politics. (Fauquier Times/Prince William Times)
- Environmental groups challenge West Virginia regulators’ award of a permit for a data center and accompanying gas-fired power plant. (WV Metro News)
- Many southwestern Virginia residents are skeptical about officials’ push to build gas-fired power plants and eventually small modular nuclear reactors to power data centers, especially given a lack of transparency and community involvement, writes a local activist. (Cardinal News)
- Wisconsin environmental groups raise concerns about the amount of energy and water use expected from data centers in the southern part of the state and others in the pipeline. (Wisconsin Examiner)
- An environmental group sues the city of Racine, Wisconsin, for failing to disclose anticipated water use from a Microsoft data center. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- A new PJM policy proposes to cut off power to data centers that are not using power they have developed or acquired during emergencies to avoid rolling blackouts. (E&E News)
- Doña Ana County, New Mexico’s commissioners approve a tax incentive package for a proposed $165 billion data center, raising concerns about the facilities’ water and energy use. (KVIA)
- ** West Virginia residents tell state regulators they’re concerned about TransGas’ plans to build two methane- and diesel-fired gas power plants to operate as microgrids powering new data centers. (West Virginia Watch)
- ** A Virginia planning commission recommends that county supervisors reject a proposed 1-million-square-foot data center campus, the first to go through its new application process. (Richmond BizSense)
- ** Microsoft’s president addresses concerns over a major Wisconsin data center, noting that the facility will have a 250 MW solar project to reduce grid strain and pay higher rates to avoid cost-shifting to other customers. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
