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Recent news

• Sep 25, 2026

  Google’s Grid-Interactive AI Data Centers: From Backup to Grid Partner

  Google outlined its AI data center scaling and grid-integration strategy during a keynote by Tom Garvens, vice president of advanced technology innovation, at Data Center World Power 2026 in Houston (Sept. 21-23). This is a conference presentation and commentary, not a first-time product or project launch.

  • Garvens said Google is reviewing and redesigning its AI data center ecosystem from chip to utility, including liquid cooling, LVDC, 54 VDC rack-level battery backup, and a gradual move toward 800 VDC distribution.
  • He said Google is using BESS, demand-response agreements, workload shifting, closed-loop cooling, and site selection for remote locations with ample land and power; he also noted Google processes more than 3 quadrillion AI tokens per month and that compute demand rose sevenfold from May 2025 to May 2026.
• Sep 24, 2026

  Roundup: Workforce demands / 3-D printed turbines / US jobless claims

  Parallax has announced a $117 million funding round to develop smaller natural gas turbines for data center on-site power.

  • The California startup says it will use 3-D printing to simplify turbine manufacturing and target units producing about 10 megawatts.
  • Parallax plans to build its first prototype by the end of this year, test it next year, and begin delivering turbines in 2028 as demand for data center power equipment grows.
• Sep 22, 2026

  Meta, Apex Clean Energy agree to 144-MW Texas solar PPA

  Apex Clean Energy and Meta have announced an expansion of their joint clean energy portfolio to 1.2 GW through a new power purchase agreement for Apex’s 144-MW Starling Solar project in Texas.

  • The Starling Solar project will be developed in Gonzales County, Texas and is expected to begin commercial operations in 2027; ERCOT’s August queue report lists an anticipated COD of Jan. 28, 2028 and says it has completed the security screening study and entered the full interconnection study phase.
  • Meta will receive exclusive rights to all environmental attributes from the project, including all renewable energy credits; Apex said the agreement structure is confidential. The companies said their combined portfolio now includes seven projects across Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Kansas and Iowa.
• Sep 22, 2026

  Helsinki’s Verda becomes Europe’s latest unicorn after raising €164.8 million to scale its full-stack AI cloud

  Verda has announced a fresh €164.8 million funding round to scale its full-stack AI cloud and says the financing makes it Europe’s latest unicorn.

  • The round was an oversubscribed Series B led by Emergence Capital, with participation from MUFG Innovation Partners, Supermicro, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Lifeline Ventures, 6 Degrees Capital, byFounders, Tesi, and angel investors including Ola Tørudbakken and Mark Saroufim.
  • Verda said it will use the capital to accelerate product development, expand compute capacity, invest in inference, and grow across Europe, the United States, and Asia; it also noted its Finland data centres run on 100% renewable energy. The article also references earlier financing and milestones, including a €22 million NIB loan, a €102 million equity round in April, a €55 million Series A in September 2025, and a €12 million seed round in 2024.
• Sep 21, 2026

  Capex to Consume Nearly All Hyperscaler Operating Cash Flow in 2026

  A technology equity analyst said at the AI Infra Summit in Santa Clara that the four largest hyperscalers are expected to spend $1.8 trillion on capital investments through 2028.

  • The analyst said this is about $600 billion more than the companies’ underlying businesses generate in cash over the same period.
  • The hyperscalers were identified as Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, with single sites drawing 300 megawatts to more than a gigawatt; the article is commentary/reporting from an event, not a company announcement.
• Sep 17, 2026

  The amount of e-waste caused by AI is underestimated: we can’t only include the servers

  Basel Action Network has published a report arguing that AI data center equipment replacement is generating far more e-waste than enterprise calculations typically capture.

  • BAN says prior AI e-waste estimates focused mainly on servers and accelerators, which it says are only 13% of a data center’s electromechanical infrastructure; it estimates about 70,000 metric tonnes per GW across five equipment categories including networking, power distribution, storage/backup, and cooling.
  • The report projects 196–211 million metric tonnes of global e-waste per year by 2050, with 31Mt–46Mt attributed to AI waste alone; analysts quoted in the article say some assumptions, especially the 2.5-year accelerator retirement cycle and long-term growth forecasts, may be overstated.
• 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

  The AI Data Center Boom Is Here. Can Contractor Safety Keep Pace?

  This article is an opinion and analysis piece about safety practices in AI data center construction, not a first-time company announcement.

  • It argues that contractor qualification, leading indicators, and human oversight of AI should be continuous throughout data center projects, from groundbreaking through commissioning.
  • It references McKinsey estimates that global data center spending could reach $7 trillion by 2030, Brookings research on an 11% construction employment increase from new data center developments, and notes that Meta recently launched America’s Workforce Academy.
  • The piece does not announce a new project, contract, or investment by the article’s author; it provides recommendations for safer data center construction operations.
• 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 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 4, 2026

  Rapid data center buildout can create site risks, property service CEO says

  Facilities Dive reports that the rapid buildout of AI data centers is creating operational and site-management risks, according to Cerv Property Solutions CEO Kade Thomas. This is commentary and analysis based on recent industry data and expert quotes, not a new company announcement.

  • CBRE said data center construction reached a record 7,481.1 MW in the first half of 2026, above the prior peak of 6,350 MW in 2024; Thomas said rushed builds are leaving facilities with site problems and inexperienced management.
  • Allianz said the most frequent claim cause is water damage, and case studies show losses for external cooling-system damage and hot-works fire damage can each reach $50 million to $100 million; the article also cites concerns about rodents, dust, drainage, irrigation leaks, cooling-system monitoring, microbial control, and wastewater management.
• Sep 2, 2026

  One Nuclear Signs Deal for 2.88-GW Gas-Fired Plant, Large BESS for Louisiana Data Center Campus

  ONE Nuclear Energy has announced a binding letter of intent that would provide site control for development of Project Cayman, a 2.88-GW gas-fired power plant and 700-MW/2.88 GWh battery energy storage system alongside a data center complex in Louisiana.

  • The LOI was signed with a prominent Louisiana landowner group; the company said the strategy aligns with Entergy’s regional transmission buildout and that it will hold public information meetings with local parishes and agencies through year-end.
  • Project Cayman is near RiverPlex MegaPark in Ascension Parish, northeast of SpaceX’s announced $100-billion Starbase Louisiana project; ONE Nuclear said details of the data center development were not disclosed and that it has projects in Washington state, Texas, and New Mexico. The article also notes ONE Nuclear’s recently approved business combination with Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII, expected to close by year-end.
• Sep 2, 2026

  Roundup: New chip tariffs / US mortgage rates / AI influencer crackdown

  The Trump administration is considering new tariffs on imported semiconductors, with possible exemptions for chips made in the U.S. and products containing chips.

  • Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said companies manufacturing chips in the U.S. could receive tariff relief, while imported chips could face higher costs; the policy could extend to data center servers and consumer electronics.
  • Lutnick cited about $1.2 trillion in existing U.S. semiconductor investment commitments and said Taiwan is expected to announce another $20 million to $30 billion in investments next week.
  • The article also notes Meta is tightening AI disclosure rules on Instagram, but that is a separate item from the semiconductor tariff discussion.
• Sep 2, 2026

  US calls for hands-off AI regulation at G20 tech meeting

  The US has urged G20 members to avoid creating new AI regulations and adopt the “Carolina Principles” at a G20 Innovation Ministerial meeting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

  • Michael Kratsios said the principles would focus new rules only on novel situations involving AI and that governments should apply existing regulatory frameworks where possible.
  • Kratsios said countries that signed the principles agreed to the approach; he also said China had signed, though he did not provide a copy of the document. The article also cites comments from Demis Hassabis, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk on AI safety, open-weight models, EU regulation, and energy for data centres.