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Recent news

• Sep 9, 2026

  DTE wants approval for Google data center power contracts: What’s at stake with 1-gigawatt Van Buren Township project?

  Michigan regulators are considering whether to approve DTE Energy’s contracts for Google’s planned 1-gigawatt data center in Van Buren Township.

  • The Michigan Public Service Commission may decide as soon as Thursday, Sept. 10 on the contested case; it is the first contested rate case for a hyperscale data center in the state.
  • Dana Nessel is seeking stronger ratepayer protections, including a 90% minimum billing demand and a higher termination payment standard for the 20-year contracts.
  • DTE said the project will be served by 1.6 GW of renewables, up to 480 MW of energy storage, and demand response capability, while also saying its contracts are expected to provide nearly $1.7 billion in positive affordability benefits.
  • Environmental groups say DTE may still need additional generation and question whether the utility will build the full renewable and storage resources promised, while DTE plans to seek approval for 1.4 GW and 700 MW natural gas plants in its upcoming resource plan.
• Sep 9, 2026

  Google to buy energy from solar-storage project at former coal mine

  Google has announced that it will purchase the energy, capacity and clean energy attributes from MN8 Energy’s Mammoth Solar project in West Virginia, with Eos Energy Enterprises supplying zinc-based long-duration storage.

  • The project includes 86 MW of utility-scale solar, 10 MW/100 MWh of zinc-based storage, and 70 MW/280 MWh of lithium-ion storage; solar is expected online in 2028, with storage in 2029 and 2030.
  • The release says the project is designed to match clean energy capacity with Google’s regional data center load profiles and add capacity in the PJM region; it also references a separate Google-backed 300 MW/30 GWh iron-air battery project in Minnesota.
• Sep 9, 2026 · Carbon Pulse

  Google to invest in clean energy, nature restoration in Finland as part of $13 bln AI push

  Google has announced a new plan to ringfence $13 billion for data centre development in Finland, alongside support for clean energy and nature restoration projects.

  • The announcement ties the investment to data centre development in Finland and includes commitments toward clean energy and nature restoration.
  • The text appears to be a short news-style announcement, not a transcript or opinion piece, and it references a newly announced plan rather than reporting on an older deal.
• Sep 9, 2026

  If you lost your LLM tomorrow, would you still have a business?

  The article argues that European AI companies need sovereign fallback infrastructure and should plan for model outages, supplier changes, and regulatory restrictions rather than rely entirely on foreign API providers.

  • It cites a recent Anthropic incident in which the US Department of Commerce allegedly required access restrictions on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5, leading Anthropic to switch off the models for all customers and restore them 17 days later.
  • It says Europe should retain the ability to run models on internal infrastructure, use open-weight models such as Mistral, Gemma, DeepSeek, and Qwen, and it highlights constraints around funding, grid connections/data centres, and talent retention; it also references the EU’s 19 AI Factories and 13 Antennas attached to EuroHPC supercomputers.
• Sep 9, 2026

  Data centres: it’s complicated, and it’s not a left/right issue

  This article is a commentary arguing that AI data centres create a cross-party political issue in the UK and that greater public discussion is needed.

  • It uses Google’s Waltham Cross data centre as the main example, citing concerns over noise, light pollution, planning consultation, and 16,549 tonnes of CO2 per year despite local construction benefits.
  • It also references LGA, GDSA, Labour MP Toby Perkins, Conservative MP Joy Morrissey, and the APPG for Data Centres to illustrate differing political views, along with a YouGov 2025 poll showing 69% UK support for data centres dropping to 56% when they are local.
• Sep 8, 2026

  Verizon, Corning Ink Multibillion-Dollar Fiber Deal

  Corning has announced a multibillion-dollar fiber supply deal with Verizon running from 2027 through 2032.

  • Verizon said the agreement will support its plan to expand its fiber footprint to 40-50 million passings and to access more than 80 million miles of fiber.
  • The companies did not disclose the exact dollar amount or other terms; the article also notes similar fiber deals involving Amazon, Meta ($6 billion in January), and NVIDIA ($500 million in May), plus a supply crunch tied to BEAD domestic manufacturing rules.
• Sep 8, 2026

  DOE Closes $1.9-Billion Loan to Restart Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant

  The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that it closed a loan of up to $1.9 billion to NextEra Energy to support restarting the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa.

  • The 615-MW plant in Palo, Linn County shut down in August 2020 after a derecho wind event and is targeted to resume commercial operation in Q1 2029, pending U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval.
  • The restart is tied in part to rising electricity demand from data centers; NextEra also has a 25-year power purchase agreement with Google and has agreed to acquire CIPCO and Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s combined 30% interest in the plant.
• Sep 8, 2026

  NextEra Secures $1.9 Billion US DOE Loan For Duane Arnold Restart

  NextEra Energy has announced it finalised a DOE loan agreement of up to $1.9bn to support the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear power station in Iowa.

  • The loan was agreed through the DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing and is aimed at restarting Iowa’s only nuclear plant, the 601-MW Duane Arnold boiling water reactor in Linn County, shut down in 2020.
  • NextEra said it plans to restart the plant by Q1 2029, subject to approvals from the Iowa Utilities Commission, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other agencies; an economic study estimated $9bn+ in benefits, 400+ permanent jobs, and $75m in tax revenue over the project life.
• Sep 8, 2026

  Microsoft inks long-term PPA for Washington solar project

  Microsoft has become the long-term offtaker for electricity and environmental attributes from Cypress Creek Energy’s Ostrea Solar project in Washington, which has reached commercial operation.

  • The Ostrea Solar project in Yakima County, Washington adds 104 MWdc / 80 MWac and is owned and operated by Cypress Creek for up to 40 years; the terms of Microsoft’s agreement were not disclosed.
  • Cypress Creek said the project reflects approximately $180 million in private investment, will generate an estimated $13.3 million in state and local tax revenues, and helped conserve about 275 acres of shrubsteppe habitat; Microsoft’s involvement comes as it expands its AI/data center footprint and reported higher emissions in 2025.
• Sep 8, 2026

  Behind Google's Contract for Geothermal Instead of Solar Is the Premium Available For Firm Power

  Google has announced a 396 MW geothermal power deal with Fervo Energy, with an option to expand to nearly 1 GW by June 2030.

  • The deal was signed on August 26 and sources enhanced geothermal power from Cape Station, Utah, United States; delivery is planned in four tranches of 99 MW starting in Q3 2028 under a 15-year term with parent guarantees from Fervo and Alphabet.
  • The article is an analysis/commentary on why hyperscalers are paying for firm, 24/7 power; it references Google’s broader contracted portfolio, India’s data-centre power demand estimates, and the potential role of solar + BESS, hybrid wind-solar-storage, and RTC tenders.
  • It does not present a new India-specific project announcement; instead, it argues that data-centre buyers may favor round-the-clock clean power over the cheapest intermittent renewable supply.
• Sep 7, 2026

  Sovereign cloud, managed services: how French providers are rewriting the rules for European mid-market IT

  The article argues that cloud sovereignty has become a procurement criterion for European mid-market CIOs, while highlighting Jiliti as an example of a provider expanding its sovereign managed cloud footprint.

  • The piece says NIS2, DORA, and the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) are changing cloud purchasing decisions in Europe, with requirements around auditability, data location, and reversibility.
  • It highlights Jiliti as a French provider that integrated Naitways in 2025 and opened points of presence in Frankfurt and Milan in March 2026; it also cites market figures of €61 billion in European cloud infrastructure revenues in 2024 and over €75 billion expected in 2025.
• Sep 5, 2026

  Global bond sell-off exposes the cost of high debt

  Policy Circle has published an analysis of how rising oil prices, inflation, and heavy borrowing are driving a global government bond sell-off.

  • The article argues that Brent crude above $95 and renewed US-Iran fighting are lifting inflation expectations, pushing US, Japanese, British, and German yields higher, and forcing markets to price in further central bank tightening.
  • It also highlights larger structural pressures: higher sovereign debt, rising defence and pension costs, and competition from technology firms issuing debt for AI/data centres, including about $220 billion from five large tech companies this year.
  • For India, the piece says near 89% crude import dependence makes the economy vulnerable to oil shocks, while the 2036 bond yield was around 6.95% and the RBI’s buffers can only soften volatility, not eliminate imported-energy costs.
• Sep 3, 2026

  Google partners with MN8 Energy and Eos on West Virginia solar-plus-LDES project

  Google, MN8 Energy, and Eos Energy Enterprises have announced the Mammoth Solar project in Kanawha County, West Virginia, combining solar, long-duration energy storage, and lithium-ion storage. The announcement also includes a separate Google PPA with Fervo Energy in Utah.

  • Mammoth Solar will combine 86MW solar, 10MW/100MWh Eos Z3 LDES, and 70MW/280MWh Li-ion BESS on the PJM grid; commercial operation is expected in 2028, with storage follow-on in 2029 and 2030.
  • MN8 says the project could involve up to US$350 million of capital investment and about US$4 million in property tax revenue over the first 20 years; construction is projected to create roughly 200 jobs.
  • Google will buy the project’s energy, capacity, and clean energy attributes; MN8 says it is the first commercial-scale LDES deployment in West Virginia and the first project under the previously announced 750MWh MN8-Eos master supply agreement from October 2025.
  • Separately, Google announced a 396MW PPA with Fervo Energy for the Cape Station enhanced geothermal project in Utah, with an option to expand by about 600MW by June 2030.
• Sep 2, 2026

  ONE Nuclear Energy executes LOI for 2.88GWh BESS and gas plant co-located with Louisiana data centre

  ONE Nuclear Energy has announced a binding letter of intent to develop Project Cayman, a 2.88GW natural gas plant and 700MW/2.88GWh battery energy storage system co-located with a high-capacity data centre campus in Louisiana.

  • The LOI was executed on 31 August with an unnamed prominent Louisiana landowner group for the Project Cayman site near RiverPlex MegaPark and northeast of SpaceX’s recently announced infrastructure development.
  • ONE Nuclear said the project supports Entergy’s transmission expansion, and that community outreach will run from September through December with public information meetings involving local parishes, agencies, and other stakeholders.