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• Aug 11, 2026

  IBM, Together AI team to offer open-source AI inference in the cloud

  IBM has announced a multi-year, $240 million agreement with Together AI to scale open-source AI inference on IBM Cloud.

  • The service will run on a large cluster of Nvidia HGX B300 systems using Spectrum-X Ethernet networking in IBM Cloud, with Together AI providing open-source model inference services for enterprise customers.
  • Together AI said the setup supports open models such as DeepSeek, Nemotron, MiniMax, Kimi, and GLM; IBM said the collaboration builds on its work with Nvidia to help customers move AI from pilot to production.
  • The article also cites Gartner forecasts for AI-optimized IaaS spending, including $42 billion in 2026 and $66 billion in 2027, and notes inference spending is expected to exceed training in 2026.
• Aug 10, 2026

  Out of band, out of mind: DEF CON research calls IPMI a ‘sanctioned backdoor’ into enterprise networks

  HD Moore, co-founder of runZero, disclosed new BMC and IPMI vulnerabilities at DEF CON 34, along with an open-source scanning tool called OOBscan.

  • Moore said his research found 123 confirmed vulnerabilities across 35 draft advisories affecting eight vendors, including HPE iLO, Supermicro IPMI, Dell iDRAC 10, and OpenBMC.
  • The presentation said about 51,000 devices responded to IPMI on an internet-wide scan, with roughly 23,000 to 25,000 exposing crackable password hashes; the article also says runZero released OOBscan on GitHub.
  • Context: this is a conference disclosure / security research presentation, not a product launch or financial announcement.
• Aug 10, 2026

  More Data Center Operators Commit to Abbott’s Texas Standards as Power Companies Endorse ERCOT Batch Framework

  Texas data center operators and power companies have responded to Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive by publicly endorsing tighter standards for grid access, water use, and transparency.

  • First coordinated corporate response: Skybox Datacenters, MARA, Digital Realty, QTS, Compass, Montera, and others said they will comply with Abbott’s standards and disclosure expectations tied to the ERCOT large-load queue review.
  • Policy and project details: Abbott’s Aug. 3 order follows a June 10 directive and could lead to legislation on cost allocation, water-efficient cooling, annual reporting, and incentive changes; ERCOT’s Batch Zero groups projects of 75 MW and greater for a single study.
  • Company examples: MARA said it curtailed about 550 MW during Winter Storm Fern; Hut 8 described 1.5 GW of Texas capacity and its 1-GW Beacon Point campus; NRG said its Texas BYOP project centers on a 1.2-GW plant and $3.2 billion investment.
• Aug 7, 2026

  US Big Tech’s AI race is becoming a race for monopoly

  Policy Circle has published an opinion article arguing that Big Tech’s AI spending could entrench control over cloud computing, models, and digital markets as US regulation eases.

  • The article says Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft are spending heavily on AI infrastructure, with combined capital expenditure of about $170 billion in Q2 2026 and FactSet estimating roughly $1.5 trillion of combined spending on data centres and chips during 2026-2027.
  • It adds that Alphabet spent $44.9 billion in the June quarter, Meta expects $130-145 billion in 2026, Microsoft added 31 data centres across five continents, and Amazon expects about $220 billion of capex this year; the piece is commentary rather than a new corporate announcement.
• Aug 7, 2026

  As Data Centers Chase Solar Direct, India's Hyperscaler Pipeline Is Quietly Filling Up

  The article argues that hyperscalers and data centers are increasingly driving renewable power contracts, using Google’s Oklahoma solar deal and related global transactions as examples, while highlighting a similar trend emerging in India.

  • Google and RWE signed a 15-year PPA for the full output of the planned 155 MW Crooked Creek Solar project in McCurtain County, Oklahoma; construction starts later this year and commercial operation is targeted for 2028.
  • The article also cites Vattenfall securing two Danish offshore wind projects totaling 1,800 MW and Sonnedix closing €730 million in financing for a 540 MW solar-plus-storage portfolio across France, Italy, Portugal and Spain; in India, it points to ACME Solar’s 25-year PPA with SECI for a 300 MW wind-solar hybrid project and says CleanMax’s data center client portfolio now accounts for 42% of its contracted capacity.
• Aug 6, 2026

  Texas Audit Could Delay 49.8 GW of Data Center Load, Cost Projects Up to $15 Billion, BNEF Warns

  BloombergNEF said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Aug. 3 directive pausing new ERCOT data center connections could delay major data center load growth while the state audits the interconnection queue.

  • Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT to verify and audit every data center project in the queue before additional projects advance; ERCOT then suspended Batch Zero timelines and said it would seek a good-cause exception before the Aug. 20, 2026 PUCT meeting.
  • BNEF estimated 49.8 GW of exposed data center demand on ERCOT, with possible revenue at risk of just over $8 billion in a 60% AI mix and roughly $15 billion in a 100% AI mix; the report also noted Texas SB 6 rulemaking, a $50,000/MW financial security requirement, and that ERCOT’s queue totals 474 GW of pending large-load requests.
• Aug 6, 2026

  From Firefly To Honeybee: How India’s Pixxel Is Widening What Satellites Can See

  Pixxel has announced its next-generation Honeybee satellite platform and is expanding its commercial satellite constellation while continuing government and enterprise work globally.

  • Pixxel said Honeybee will raise spectral bands to around 250 and extend coverage into short-wave infrared (SWIR); the first demonstrator, Honeybee Zero, is slated for launch later this year.
  • The company said it has six Firefly satellites in orbit, serves customers across multiple regions, and is working on India’s National Earth Observation Constellation; it also referenced prior selection under NASA’s $476 Mn Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program and current partnerships including Sarvam AI for an orbital data centre.
• Aug 6, 2026

  Govt cites nuclear power law, BIS standards to address AI data centre strains

  India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has responded to a Lok Sabha question by outlining measures on AI data centre sustainability and power supply.

  • Minister of State Jitin Prasada said India’s data centre capacity rose from 375 MW in 2020 to about 1,575 MW, and the government is using renewable energy initiatives, technical standards, and the new SHANTI Act to address environmental impacts.
  • The reply cited BIS efficiency metrics for data centres, ECBC 2017 and ECSBC 2024 building codes, and cooling methods such as direct-to-chip liquid cooling, adiabatic cooling, immersion cooling, and closed-loop liquid systems; it did not provide mandatory compliance rules, future projections, or dedicated funding.
• Aug 4, 2026

  New Data Center Developments: August 2026

  This article is a curated monthly roundup of data center news, summarizing multiple announcements, reported deals, and policy actions across regions.

  • It highlights several new project announcements and construction updates, including Meta’s 5 GW Hyperion expansion, OpenAI’s Project Camellia in Georgia, Iron Mountain’s 48 MW RCH-1 break ground, and Meta’s 1 GW Canadian campus in Alberta.
  • It also covers policy and market developments such as New York’s permit pause for sites over 50 MW, Texas’s ERCOT queue audit, North Carolina’s tax change, Nebraska’s incentive block, plus large capital figures including €1.5 billion, $38.4 billion, $500 million, $400 million, and $10 billion across various projects.
• Aug 4, 2026

  Why Hyperscalers Have Become CleanMax's Biggest Renewable Energy Growth Bet

  CleanMax has said its hyperscaler relationships and data-centre focused renewable energy offerings are driving a larger share of its India business.

  • During its latest investor call, CleanMax said it has secured an estimated 35%+ share of India’s hyperscaler renewable energy market, with 2026 renewable energy deals announced with Meta, Apple, Google and Amazon.
  • The company said Data & AI contributes 42% of contracted capacity, has 2.5 GW under construction, and estimates each 1 GW of data-centre IT load requires about 6 GW of renewable capacity and roughly ₹40,000 crore of investment.
  • CleanMax also said its existing data-centre customer base includes NTT, STT, L&T Data Centres, Equinix and Iron Mountain; CTU-route hyperscaler projects average 200–250 MW and are structured as VPPAs before direct supply begins once data centres are operational.
• Aug 3, 2026

  Is the Power Project Crunch Upending the Owner—EPC Model?

  The POWER article reports that developers, utilities, EPC contractors, hyperscale data-center buyers, and grid operators discussed how the current generation buildout is forcing earlier EPC involvement, more repeatable designs, deeper supply-chain tracking, and tighter coordination across plant construction, fuel supply, and grid access.

  • At the Energy Projects Conference & Expo (EPC Show) in Houston, Texas, speakers said owners are engaging EPCs earlier, locking in turbine and equipment slots sooner, and dealing with long lead times for transformers, switchgear, breakers, and other electrical gear.
  • Entergy Louisiana said it is using a repeatable combined-cycle design for about 26 turbines; Google described 20- to 30-year infrastructure commitments and a bifurcated energy strategy; QTS Data Centers said it keeps about $18 billion in materials and builds the same 3-MW chunk repeatedly; NRG Wholesale said it is building three plants in Houston backed by the Texas Energy Fund; NRG also noted 20% to 30% of critical craft roles may retire within five years.
• Aug 2, 2026

  China’s AI strategy is built for the world beyond America

  Policy Circle has published an analysis arguing that China is pursuing a low-cost, open-weight AI strategy to expand industrial adoption and diplomatic influence.

  • China is backing capable, inexpensive, modifiable AI systems such as Qwen, DeepSeek, Kimi, and Z.ai, while the State Council’s “AI Plus” programme aims to direct AI into scientific research, manufacturing, consumer products, public services, and government.
  • The article says the 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026–30 adds AI agents, multimodal systems, embodied AI, and swarm intelligence, and cites an official ambition for AI-related industries to exceed 10 trillion yuan by 2030.
  • It also says Xi Jinping offered 5,000 AI training and seminar places to developing countries over five years at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, alongside proposed cooperation centres with BRICS, ASEAN, the African Union, and Latin American countries.
• Aug 2, 2026

  Sarvam’s AI Arsenal

  Sarvam AI is expanding from Indian-language models into a full-stack enterprise AI platform spanning infrastructure, models, and applications.

  • The startup unveiled Sarvam Epoch and said it now wants to provide everything Indian enterprises need to build, deploy and scale AI, including foundation models, infrastructure, coding copilots, voice agents, document intelligence and workplace applications.
  • Sarvam said Sarvam Inference runs open-weight models on India-hosted infrastructure; it is building a trillion-parameter model, scaling compute to 10,000 accelerators, and has opened a San Francisco office while appointing Devendra Singh Chaplot.
  • The article also reports prior funding and valuation context: Sarvam entered India’s unicorn club after raising $234 Mn in a $300 Mn Series B at a $1.5 Bn valuation; the company’s total funding is listed as $275.0 Mn+.
• Jul 31, 2026

  Nuclear Momentum Meets the Megawatt Test

  The article is a news analysis of recent U.S. nuclear industry announcements and their links to AI and data center demand.

  • Constellation Energy advanced the Crane Clean Energy Center restart in Pennsylvania after a FERC waiver and NRC draft environmental review, supported by a 20-year agreement with Microsoft for all electricity, capacity and clean-energy attributes.
  • The piece also covers Kairos Power’s Hermes 2, four criticality demonstrations, the Savannah River Site data center proposal, DOE’s $17.5 billion conditional financing for AP1000 reactors, Walmart’s nuclear PPA, Palisades restart progress, and NRC/DOE fuel and licensing reforms.