California Data Center Intel

Recent California data center news

• Jun 4, 2026

  Google Launches 1-GW-Plus Co-Located Data Center and Generation Complex in Texas Panhandle

  Google and Intersect have launched construction on the Meitner Energy Center, a co-located data center and generation complex in the Texas Panhandle (Gray and Roberts Counties) that will integrate more than 1 GW of wind, solar and battery storage with on-site gas-fired generation for reliability firming.

  • Main announcement: Google and Intersect began construction on the Meitner Energy Center in Gray and Roberts Counties, Texas, a co-located data center + generation complex designed to deliver more than 1 GW of wind/solar/battery with on-site gas firming; the Google data center will use air-cooling (no evaporative cooling) and Google is establishing the Caprock Workforce Hub (an 800-acre managed residential facility intended to house up to 3,500 workers) to support construction. The site’s power is intended to be provided majority from clean energy on Day One, with a minority share firmed by on-site gas; Google referenced its $10 million Texas Water Impact Fund in relation to water stewardship.
  • Background and other details: Alphabet closed its acquisition of Intersect in March 2026 for $4.75 billion in cash plus assumed debt; prior partnerships included a >$800 million funding round led by Google and TPG Rise Climate tied to a targeted $20 billion in renewable infrastructure through the decade. The article also cites Google’s broader $40 billion Texas investment commitment through 2027, prior and new PPAs (e.g., Clearway ~1.17 GW, TotalEnergies 1 GW, Sunraycer ~400 MW, Linea 500 MW), the Quantum project (640 MW solar / 1.3 GWh storage scheduled to start operations June 2026), and Google’s commitments such as training 1,700 electrical apprentices by 2030 and a $30 million Texas Energy Impact Fund (first recipients announced May 2026).
• Jun 4, 2026

  Infocast’s Transmission & Interconnection Summit 2026

  Troutman Pepper Locke has announced it will be a Gold Sponsor of Infocast’s Transmission & Interconnection Summit 2026 and will have partners moderating panels.

  • Main announcement: Troutman Pepper Locke is a Gold Sponsor of Infocast’s Transmission & Interconnection Summit 2026 (June 23–25) at the Hamilton Hotel, Washington, D.C.; the firm will have Partner Chris Jones moderating “Easing Transmission Challenges in the West – Impacts of New Reforms and Regional Collaboration” on June 24 at 11:00 a.m. ET, and Counsel Anne Dailey moderating “Cost Allocation & New Tariff Structures — Avoiding Rate Increases and Customer Blowback” on June 24 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

  • Background & details:Conference focus: grid impacts of unprecedented load growth and regulatory change, including the claim that new data centers alone are driving an estimated $1.1 trillion in transmission investment; agenda topics include CAISO’s EDAM, SPP’s WEIS, WECC-wide planning, WestTEC 10- and 20-year studies, lessons from SunZia, and FERC Order No. 1920 cost allocation processes.

• Jun 4, 2026

  Data center developers ousted from Monterey Park as voters approve permanent ban

  Monterey Park has permanently banned data centers via Measure NDC.

  • Measure NDC approved: More than 86% of voters approved a permanent ban on data centers in Monterey Park, codifying a moratorium in effect since late January; the ban bars any new computing facilities inside city limits and can only be overturned by another citywide vote. Key local facts: city population ~62,000, a proposed 250,000-square-foot data center by HMC Capital had its application withdrawn in April.
  • Context and background: The article documents broader regional and state-level resistance — mentions a massive Box Elder County project backed by investor Kevin O’Leary, states that have introduced moratoriums or bans (Georgia, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont), and notes Maine’s legislature passed a statewide moratorium bill that was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills.
• Jun 4, 2026

  Private Valley Fire Department Builds Response Model for Energy, Data Projects

  Rural Metro Fire Central Arizona has announced expansion into Southern Pinal County and is positioning itself as the specialized fire and EMS partner for utility-scale solar, BESS and hyperscale data centers.

  • Main announcement/action: Rural Metro Fire is expanding into Southern Pinal County in partnership with several Hyperscale Power Infrastructure companies and expects to announce later this year new fire department infrastructure — stations, apparatus and specialized response capability — purpose-built to serve hyperscale campuses and nearby residential communities. The organization is the preferred fire and EMS partner for Hyperscale Power Infrastructure developers in Pinal County, and offers fire suppression, paramedic EMS, vehicle and technical rescue, commercial fire inspections, plan reviews and pre-incident planning; developers can engage Rural Metro at the pre-development stage to integrate fire and EMS coverage into project timelines.

  • Background and supporting details: Arizona now ranks third in the nation in utility-scale energy storage capacity with 19.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of BESS installed as of 2025, while national BESS installations surpassed 57 GWh in 2025 (a 29% year-over-year increase), with Arizona among three states accounting for nearly three-quarters of that capacity. In December 2025, the San Tan Valley Town Council unanimously approved an exclusive fire services agreement covering the newly incorporated municipality’s roughly 100,000 residents. For project inquiries Rural Metro directs developers and operators to https://ruralmetrofire.com/arizona-industrial or phone 480.931.3089.

• Jun 3, 2026

  California City Approves First Voter-Enacted Data Center Ban

  Monterey Park voters approved Measure NDC, enacting a citywide prohibition on data centers by roughly 86% support.

  • Main action: The measure prohibits data centers citywide unless repealed by a subsequent citywide vote; it passed with ~86% support and was placed on the June ballot after the City Council imposed and extended a moratorium. The ballot language cites protection of air quality, drinking water resources, public health, and utility rates. The specific proposed project that sparked the fight was a 247,000-square-foot facility on a 15.8-acre site in Saturn Business Park, backed by Australian firm HMC StratCap, which would have been located less than 500 feet from the nearest home and required about 50 MW of peak power; the developer withdrew the project in March as opposition mounted.

  • Context and background: The council first approved a 45-day moratorium before advancing a permanent ban and opting for a ballot measure (argued to be harder to reverse than an ordinance). Local concerns included power demand, diesel backup generators, noise, air quality, water use, electricity costs, and property values. The vote reflects a broader national trend of organized local opposition to data center and AI infrastructure expansion, noted by commentators and industry representatives such as Schneider Electric, University of Texas law professor David Spence, and J.Gold Associates.

• Jun 3, 2026

  California City Approves First Voter-Enacted Data Center Ban

  Monterey Park has approved a voter-enacted prohibition on data centers (Measure NDC).

  • Measure NDC passed with roughly 86% support, amends the city’s land-use framework to prohibit data centers citywide unless voters later repeal the restriction; the ballot text cites protecting air quality, drinking water resources, public health, and utility rates.
  • Background: The vote followed opposition to a proposed 247,000-square-foot data center backed by Australian firm HMC StratCap planned on a 15.8-acre site in Saturn Business Park that would have required about 50 MW peak power; the developer withdrew the project in March after the city imposed and extended moratoriums and moved the permanent ban to the June ballot.
• Jun 3, 2026

  Alsym Energy partners with Re:Build Manufacturing to scale US Na-ion BESS

  Alsym Energy has announced an MOU with Re:Build Manufacturing to develop commercial-scale Na-ion battery cell manufacturing in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.

  • MOU signed 2 June: combine Alsym’s Na-ion BESS technology with Re:Build’s manufacturing capabilities at Re:Build’s existing facility in New Kensington, Pennsylvania; domestic-first approach to maximise tax benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including the 45X advanced manufacturing production credit, while reducing logistical lead times and shipping costs.
  • Background and related deals: CEO Mukesh Chatter highlighted end markets including AI data centres, utilities, commercial real estate and emphasized a non-FEOC supply chain compliant with tax credit and defense procurement rules. This follows Alsym’s May 500MWh strategic partnership with Juniper Energy and an April LOI with ESS Tech Inc for 8.5GWh; other US Na-ion activity referenced includes Peak Energy’s 3.1MWh pilot at RWE’s Eastern Wisconsin lab and Hithium’s prior BESS announcements at RE+.
• Jun 3, 2026 · Google

  Google’s water stewardship commitments for local communities

  Google is announcing new water stewardship commitments to responsibly manage water at its data centers and to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030.

  • Main announcement: Google commits to replenish more water than it consumes at its sites by 2030, listing five specific commitments (replenishment ambition, infrastructure modernization, air-cooled solutions for at-risk watersheds, transparent annual reporting, and pursuing reclaimed water). In 2025 Google replenished more than 7 billion gallons, currently manages 165 water stewardship projects across 97 watersheds, and states that projects (once fully implemented) are expected to replenish more than 19 billion gallons annually by 2030. Google is also evaluating more than 700 projects submitted to its Water Replenishment RFI.
  • Background and implementation details: Google says it has committed over $500 million to water, wastewater and water reuse infrastructure to date and is announcing $17 million in support of new projects across seven U.S. states (Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas). Example partners/actions include Ducks Unlimited (wetlands enhancement, Flint River WMA), The Great Outdoors Foundation + Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (convert 5,000 acres to perennial systems), Huron River Watershed Council (expand green infrastructure), Trust for Public Land (restore 84 acres of floodplain forest), and local utility programs such as Metropolitan Utilities District’s leak detection; many projects are ongoing and repayment/implementation timelines target completion/increase in replenishment by 2030.
• Jun 3, 2026

  New Data Center Developments: June 2026

  Data Center Knowledge has published a monthly roundup of global data center developments.

  • Highlights include: CloudBurst breaking ground on a 1.2 GW flagship campus in Central Texas; Nvidia partnering with IREN to deploy up to 5 GW of global AI infrastructure with Texas’ Sweetwater as a flagship site; Prime Data Centers breaking ground on SMF02 (150,000 sq.ft, 18 MW IT load) in Sacramento; Applied Digital planning Delta Forge 1 — $3.6 billion, 300-acre AI campus in Boyce, Louisiana; Hive Digital/Buzz HPC planning an ~320 MW AI facility in the Greater Toronto Area.
  • Additional concrete items and timelines: SoftBank plans up to €75 billion to develop 5 GW in France (targeting 3.1 GW by 2031); Ardian & Verne’s €5 billion digital campus (500 MW, with 200+ MW by 2030); TotalEnergies’ €100 million Pangea 5 supercomputer investment; Arcem’s Joroinen site delivering 60 MW by 2027 and 100 MW by 2029; CDC Data Centres’ 555 MW contract to be delivered with operations commencing in FY28 and FY29. All items are factual summaries from the article.
• Jun 1, 2026

  Powering Prosperity: How Santa Clara Turned Data Centers into Civic Infrastructure

  Santa Clara city leadership frames the city as deliberately reorganized to support dense data center growth and ties that growth directly to municipal services and infrastructure funding.

  • Main action: The City of Santa Clara (Mayor Lisa Gillmor and city officials) has restructured municipal policy and utility planning to prioritize and accommodate high‑demand data center facilities, offering municipal power via Silicon Valley Power, streamlined permitting, zoned industrial land, and explicit revenue-sharing mechanisms (e.g., utility transfer tax) to make the city hospitable to data center growth.
  • Background and specifics:Fiscal and infrastructure details include: the utility transfer tax for FY 2025-26 totals $37.3 million, of which data centers contributed $24.6 million (~60%), a 95% increase since FY 2017-18; data centers have contributed >$3.9 million to affordable housing since 2019 with $1.75 million additional pipeline commitments; Silicon Valley Power is investing approximately $425 million in grid infrastructure; the Climate Action Plan requires 100% carbon‑neutral energy for new data centers and recycled water is used at 31 existing data centers (6 more proposed).