Datacenters

The UK's energy regulator Ofgem is proposing a Datacenter Commitment Fee to discourage speculative grid connection applications from datacenter developers, which have surged from 41 GW to 125 GW in under a year. The fee would be refunded if a facility draws power or forfeited if the project withdraws, aiming to prioritize credible projects and reduce grid capacity delays.

The UK government's plan to become an AI superpower overlooks the significant water demands of datacenters, risking competition with residential and commercial water needs, especially in drought-prone regions. Water UK warns that current forecasts exclude datacenter usage, hindering infrastructure planning and potentially blocking housing and business projects. The organization calls for new water infrastructure, efficiency standards, and non-potable water use to address growing consumption.

Fujitsu Australia sold five datacenters to private equity firm Next Capital, shifting focus to technology services like AI and quantum computing. The datacenters range from 2MW to 92MW in capacity, with Next Capital acquiring them for AUD$200 million. Fujitsu aims to reinvest in areas such as sovereign AI and high-performance computing.

The Kettle podcast episode discusses the environmental impact of AI-driven datacenters, particularly xAI's projects in Memphis, Tennessee, which use gas turbines contributing to climate change. Host Brandon Vigliarolo links recent wildfire smoke from Canada to climate issues exacerbated by such infrastructure.

Thousands of Americans are expected to protest across the US this weekend focusing on ICE-related violence, voter suppression, and datacenter construction, issues central to the midterm elections. Demonstrations will occur in urban and rural areas, including conservative regions.

Demonstrations planned across the US this weekend will focus on issues including ICE violence, voter suppression, and datacenter construction. The protests will occur in various locations, including big cities, rural areas, and red states.

Australia's AI policy, outlined by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, requires datacenters to generate more energy than they consume and mandates agreements with local artists and media before using their content. The policy aims to ensure Australian creators retain ownership of their work and position the country as a secure, attractive destination for AI investment.

The article discusses how energy constraints, not semiconductor availability, now limit AI development, with datacenters projected to consume 3% of global electricity by 2030. Envision CEO Lei Zhang highlights the need for an energy revolution to power AI sustainably, proposing Mission Gobi to build 5 GW of green AI computing capacity in arid regions by 2030.

The NashVillager Podcast discusses efforts by tech firms to expand datacenters in Tennessee, including hiring influential advocates to support regulatory changes. The episode includes local news for July 13, 2026, and credits production staff from Nashville Public Radio.

Datacenters in Ireland now consume 23% of the country's electricity, up 10% in 2025 despite a moratorium on new Dublin grid connections. The Central Statistics Office reports their usage tripled between 2019 and 2025, prompting stricter regulations requiring backup power systems. Protests against datacenters have emerged due to their high energy demands.

Senator Ed Markey has proposed legislation to address AI-related harms, including energy-intensive datacenters, biased algorithms, and harmful effects on children. The package targets workplace surveillance, economic inequality, and other risks from unregulated artificial intelligence.

Senator Ed Markey has proposed a legislative package targeting AI-related issues, including energy-intensive datacenters, biased hiring systems, and risks to children. The bills aim to address concerns about workplace surveillance, algorithmic discrimination, and economic inequality exacerbated by AI advancements.

US Senator Ed Markey has introduced a package of bills aimed at addressing the harms of unregulated artificial intelligence, including energy-intensive datacenters, biased algorithms in hiring, and risks to children. The legislation targets issues like workplace surveillance, economic inequality, and AI's impact on workers.

The UK's Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 aims to reduce approval times for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) by up to 12 months, with datacenters now included in this category. The reforms, effective later this month, eliminate pre-application consultations for major projects like power stations and datacenters, streamlining approvals through central oversight instead of local councils.

The bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, intended to shield consumers from rising electricity costs linked to datacenters, is criticized for being largely voluntary and ineffective. Consumer advocates argue the bill, supported by Microsoft, fails to address the true costs of datacenters and may increase prices for working people.

US residents are protesting datacenters being built in their communities, leading to recalls of officials who approve such projects. A proposed data center in Michigan, promoted by Lenoxdatacenter.com, has sparked controversy as local officials denied any formal applications, despite emails showing developers sought township support.

Datacenters are driving growth in the US clean energy industry by boosting wind and solar power, but they remain a significant climate threat. Big tech companies are investing in their own power sources due to grid connection issues, paradoxically supporting clean energy while creating environmental challenges.

Datacenters are accelerating US clean energy growth by investing in wind, solar, and other renewables, but their expansion also poses significant climate risks. While the sector is revitalizing a previously struggling clean energy industry, observers warn that datacenters remain a major environmental threat due to their energy demands.

Residents in rural Coweta County, Georgia, are pushing for a referendum to challenge a datacenter project called Project Sail and prohibit other datacenters and cryptocurrency mining operations. They have collected 6,500 signatures toward a 14,000-signature goal to enable a vote, with Coweta County located southwest of Atlanta and having 160,000 residents.

The EU's proposed datacenter efficiency rating system, aimed at promoting sustainability, faces delays and criticism for not accounting for regional climate differences. Moody's warns the system could create credit risks for operators, while Europe's fragmented financing and infrastructure challenges hinder large-scale datacenter expansion.

A majority of the US's new AI datacenters are set to be built in drought-affected areas, according to a Guardian analysis. Two-thirds of upcoming datacenters, which require significant water to operate, are planned for some of the driest regions in the country.

A Guardian analysis reveals that most of the US's new AI datacenters are planned for drought-affected regions, raising concerns over water usage. About two-thirds of upcoming datacenters, which require significant water, will be built in the country's driest areas.

The AI boom is marked by rapid expenditure growth and accelerating consumer adoption, with companies like SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI seeking massive valuations or IPOs. Infrastructure spending on datacenters is surging, but concerns about hypothetical returns are emerging.

New York lawmakers approved a bill imposing labor, energy, and environmental requirements on datacenters, including a one-year moratorium on permits for facilities using 20 MW or more. The bill awaits Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision and includes provisions for renewable energy transitions, cost allocations, and community benefits, though business leaders oppose it as rushed.

Seattle, home to Amazon and Microsoft, is set to pass a year-long moratorium on new datacenters, marking a major rebuke to big tech as local concerns over AI's energy demands grow. Four companies planned to build five large datacenters that would consume approximately a third of the city’s current daily electricity demand.

Seattle, home to Amazon and Microsoft, is poised to pass a year-long moratorium on new datacenters, marking a significant rebuke to big tech as local disquiet over the AI boom grows. Four companies sought to build five large datacenters in areas serviced by Seattle’s public utility, which would have consumed approximately a third of the city’s current daily electricity demand.

Seattle, home to Amazon and Microsoft, is set to pass a year-long moratorium on new datacenter construction, marking a significant challenge for big tech as local concerns about the AI boom's energy demands grow. Four companies had planned to build five large datacenters that would consume a third of the city’s current daily electricity demand.

Residents in Monterey Park, California, voted to permanently ban datacenters, making it the first US city to do so through a ballot initiative. Early results show strong support for the prohibition, distinguishing it from temporary moratoriums enacted by other cities.

Residents in Monterey Park, California, became the first in the US to vote on a permanent ban on datacenters, with early results indicating strong support. The measure was enacted through a ballot initiative, making it the first such ban approved directly by voters rather than through a government moratorium.

Residents in Monterey Park, California, became the first in the US to vote on a permanent ban on datacenters, with early results indicating strong support. The ban was implemented through a ballot initiative, making it the first such measure approved directly by voters rather than through local government action.

Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens began opposing a planned datacenter in his community after discovering its local impact, using comedy as activism through a viral video. He has since become a frontline advocate against datacenters, leveraging his platform to highlight community concerns.

Ohio has paused tax breaks for datacenters, citing a $1.5 billion revenue loss in 2025, with Governor Mike DeWine halting new sales tax exemption requests. The state joins Virginia, Texas, and Georgia in facing significant financial strain from datacenter subsidies, as nonprofit Good Jobs First highlights transparency concerns.

The global expansion of datacenters faces energy and infrastructure challenges, with communities debating economic benefits against environmental impacts. AI-driven datacenters consume 1.5% of global electricity, projected to double by 2030. Enterprises aim to integrate AI, data, and energy strategies as costs and demand rise.

Europe needs a policy framework integrating water and energy efficiency to sustain datacenter growth for AI and cloud computing, as rising energy and water demands threaten infrastructure. A report by Grundfos highlights datacenters' growing electricity consumption (expected to reach 7-9% of EU usage by 2030) and water-intensive cooling systems, urging standardized environmental reporting and incentives for efficient technologies.

Nvidia exceeded Wall Street expectations with strong revenue growth, driven by accelerating AI infrastructure buildout and datacenter expansion. CEO Jensen Huang highlighted that agentic AI is now delivering productive work and scaling rapidly across industries.

Australia's electricity demand reached a record 25GW in Q1 2026 due to increased datacenter activity and warmer weather, but growth was offset by record rooftop solar output and battery usage, which helped stabilize wholesale prices.

CEOs of US top energy firms received a 16% pay raise in 2025, averaging $12.3 million, as utility bills rose up to 40% in some regions and 13 million power shut-offs occurred nationwide. The pay increases occurred amid consumer struggles linked to inflation, the Iran war, and datacenter-driven energy demands.

Meta is developing a space-based solar power system to supply energy to its datacenters and has partnered with an energy storage company to maintain a 100-hour power reserve. This initiative aims to address growing AI demand and ensure uninterrupted operations during grid overloads or outages.

Maine's Democratic Governor Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have made the state the first in the US to impose a moratorium on new large datacenters. She argued the moratorium would hinder an ongoing datacenter project, highlighting the tension between environmental concerns and economic benefits from such facilities.

A YouTuber is attempting to build functional DRAM in their backyard to address rising memory prices driven by AI demand. High memory costs, caused by manufacturers prioritizing datacenter needs, have led some to seek unconventional solutions like DIY hardware.