Getting your news
Attempting to reconnect
Finding the latest in Climate
Hang in there while we load your news feed
Alabama Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Alabama — updated daily.
Recent Alabama data center news
-
The top 10 Capital Region business stories of 2025
Business Report published a year-end roundup summarizing Baton Rouge’s major 2025 business, energy and political developments.
- Main announcement/action: The piece catalogs several large, confirmed projects and transactions including CF Industries’ Blue Point low-carbon ammonia complex (a multibillion-dollar, green‑fuel project) supported by Linde’s $400 million air separation unit, the Hut 8 large data center proposal in West Feliciana, and the sale of H&E Equipment Services after a bidding war (accepted offer ~$5.3 billion from Herc). It also reports the Oak View Group tie to a $15 million DOJ settlement and an indictment tied to bid-rigging.
- Background and other details: The roundup lists state policy and fiscal changes including a new 5.5% flat corporate rate and phased elimination of the corporate franchise tax beginning in 2026; retail and real estate transactions such as Towne Center at Cedar Lodge sold for $81 million; and leadership changes at LSU (President William Tate departed, Wade Rousse named system president and Jim Dalton named chancellor).
-
Alabama regulators approve two-year electric rate freeze and two solar projects for a Meta data center
The Alabama Public Service Commission approved a temporary two-year electric rate freeze and authorized two large-scale solar projects tied to Meta’s Montgomery data center.
- Main action: The PSC voted 3-0 to freeze electric rates at 2025 levels through 2027, delaying a rate increase tied to the $622 million purchase of a natural gas plant until 2028; the order also transfers projected excess 2025 profits into Alabama Power’s Natural Disaster Reserve and locks the Rate RSE factor for two years. The PSC approved two solar projects—Stockton I (80 MW) and Stockton II (180 MW)—to be built in Baldwin County by Dotier, LLC (a Meta subsidiary), with completion expected by Dec. 31, 2028, and Alabama Power buying the projects’ power while Dotier retains the RECs.
- Background and implementation details:Alabama Power will keep environmental compliance and fuel cost factors steady through 2027, use nuclear production tax credits to offset lost revenue during the freeze, and rely on internal cost control measures; critics (Energy Alabama) call the freeze a cost-shifting delay and noted limited public input during the shortened adoption period.
-
The Five Types of Electro-Industrial States
Rocky Mountain Institute presents a typology classifying US states into five electro-industrial archetypes.
- Main announcement/action: RMI authors classify states into five archetypes — Momentum Hubs (Arizona, California), Fast‑Track Builders (Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio, Idaho), Policy Champions (New York, Michigan, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania), Open‑Door Starters (Vermont, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa), and Early‑Stage Starters (Missouri, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Maine, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, Arkansas). The typology is based on policy reliability, regulatory ease, economic capacity, physical infrastructure (power and interconnection), and market momentum.
- Background and details: The analysis highlights that market momentum and policy reliability should operate in tandem; low regulatory burdens accelerate short-term investment but may strain local housing and infrastructure without accompanying policy ambition. The authors reference the report GREASE Lightning as a policy playbook for designing investment-led, state-driven electro-industrial strategies.
-
Our first advanced nuclear reactor project with Kairos Power and Tennessee Valley Authority
The Google blog post announces a three-party power purchase agreement (PPA) enabling the first U.S. utility purchase of electricity from an advanced GEN IV reactor: Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Plant in Oak Ridge.
- Agreement specifics:Google will procure clean energy attributes via Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) from Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Plant, enabling 50 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy on TVA’s grid to help power Google data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee and Jackson County, Alabama; the Hermes 2 plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2030.
- Program context and scale-up: Google previously agreed with Kairos Power to unlock up to 500 MW through multiple small modular reactor deployments; the project includes workforce programs with the University of Tennessee and other local universities to grow local talent for plant operators and engineers.
-
Hensel Phelps Builds with Mass Timber at Meta Data Center
Hensel Phelps will provide general contractor services for Meta’s Montgomery, Alabama data center campus, delivering a new data center hub that includes an administrative facility constructed using mass timber, as part of Meta’s effort to achieve net zero by 2030.
- Main announcement/action: Hensel Phelps is the general contractor for Meta’s Montgomery, Alabama data center campus and will deliver a new administrative facility using mass timber (engineered wood) supplied by Binderholz; this is part of a pilot to integrate mass timber into Meta data centers and support Meta’s net zero by 2030 commitment.
- Background and details: The Montgomery site is among the first in a pilot across multiple campuses to adopt mass timber; Hensel Phelps is applying mass timber across its portfolio (e.g., Caltech Resnick Sustainability Center). No contract values or specific construction completion dates were provided in the article.
-
Slow contech adoption could stymie data center projects: report
Revizto released a white paper warning that the construction industry risks failing to deliver data centers unless building methods and technology adoption accelerate.
- Key findings and metrics:27% of global AEC professionals primarily use email, spreadsheets and PDFs; global data center capex expected to surpass $1 trillion annually by 2029 (Dell’Oro Group); tech giants (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta) expected to spend over $300 billion this year on data centers and compute; some projects now move from concept to full design in as little as 10 weeks. (These are confirmed findings from Revizto and Dell’Oro Group.)
- Confirmed industry responses and actions: Contractors are engaging in preconstruction earlier (DPR’s John Arcello — “Preconstruction services and capabilities have become a true differentiator” and “Early engagement is critical to stay on track”); increased use of prefabrication and offsite fabrication for remote sites; cost forecasting adaptation in response to newly adopted tariffs (Caddell’s Ike Keene — “The newly adopted tariffs have become a new variable in cost control”).
-
Southern Telecom secures largest fiber deal in company history with hyperscale customer
Southern Telecom, a subsidiary of Southern Company, announced the signing of its largest fiber contract to date, a 300-mile fiber infrastructure project in Alabama and Georgia. The project connects a major data center in Montgomery, Alabama, to Birmingham and Atlanta, Georgia, with the deployment of high fiber count cables to enhance network connectivity. The deal underscores Southern Telecom’s commitment to expanding its high-quality fiber network across the Southeast, which currently spans nearly 10,000 route miles across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.
-
Construction planning falters
Dodge Construction Network reported a 6.9% decline in the Dodge Momentum Index for March, indicating a slowdown in nonresidential construction planning. This decline was attributed to uncertainties surrounding material prices and potential tariffs from the Trump administration. Major projects in planning included a $400 million data center in Alabama and a $500 million ambulatory care building in California.
-
HD Hyundai and Hyosung Heavy Industries Avoid U.S. Anti-dumping Duties
The U.S. Department of Commerce finalized anti-dumping duties of up to 18% on domestic ultra-high voltage transformer manufacturers, excluding HD Hyundai Electric and Hyosung Heavy Industries, which have production plants in the U.S. The duties apply to exports between August 2022 and July 2023, with Iljin Electric facing the highest rate of 18%. HD Hyundai Electric plans to invest 185 billion won to expand its Alabama facility, while Hyosung Heavy Industries continues to respond to local demand through its Tennessee plant. The duties are lower than those imposed in the previous administration.
-
🌎 CoreWeave IPO’s jolt to power demand #239
CoreWeave, a startup operating AI-tailored data centers, went public on March 29 with a valuation of $20bn after raising $1.5bn at $40/share. The IPO’s performance has raised concerns about the demand for AI infrastructure and its impact on energy needs, particularly as Microsoft reduces its data center investments. This decline in projected energy demand could affect future investments in clean power sources like nuclear and geothermal energy.