California Data Center Intel

Recent California data center news

• May 14, 2026

  Gridlock or Growth? ERCOT Warns Texas AI Power Boom May Not Materialize

  The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) filed a long-term load forecast to the Public Utility Commission of Texas projecting very large future demand but warning much of it may not materialize on schedule.

  • Main announcement: ERCOT submitted an April 2026 long-term load forecast projecting statewide peak demand could reach nearly 368 GW by 2032 (compared with the current record 85.5 GW), while explicitly stating concerns with using preliminary load forecast values and reserving the right to adjust forecasts based on “actual historical realization rates or other independent information.”
  • Background and detail: The filing reports ERCOT applied an internal realization factor (average peak consumption per site = 49.8% of requested MW) to some non-crypto data center additions, projects non-crypto data center load of ~228 GW by 2032, and expects summer 2026 peak between ~90.5 GW and 98 GW (versus a preliminary 112 GW figure). The filing is a regulatory submission (filing) and functions as a capacity/planning signal rather than a confirmation that proposed projects will be energized on forecast timelines.
• May 13, 2026

  Corporate clean energy demand remains ‘extremely strong’: CEBA CEO

  CEBA reports record corporate clean energy procurement and calls for permitting and transmission reform.

  • Main announcement: CEBA (Corporate Energy Buyers Association) said it recorded 27 GW of new contracted clean energy in 2025 and reported an estimated 17 GW procured in Q1 2026 (S&P Global estimate), declaring 2026 on pace to be “by far, the largest year ever in corporate clean energy buying.” CEO Rich Powell made these remarks at DC Climate Week during an April 20 talk and in an interview with ESG Dive.
  • Background and details: CEBA represents over 300 members with more than $38 trillion in market capitalization; members (notably hyperscalers Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft) are driving the market and are expected to spend up to $700 billion in capex in 2026. Powell emphasized permitting and transmission reform (referencing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act / SPEED Act) as a near-term policy priority, and cited market examples including ERCOT/Texas and Georgia’s Customer Identified Resource Program (approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission, voted 5-0).
• May 13, 2026

  Geothermal Developer Fervo Energy Raises $1.9 Billion in Upsized IPO

  Fervo Energy announced the finalized pricing of its initial public offering, selling shares and setting an approximate company valuation.

  • Fervo Energy finalized IPO pricing, sold 70 million shares at $27 per share (IPO was upsized from an initial plan of 55.6 million shares at an expected $21–$24), valuing the company at approximately $7.7 billion.
  • Background & project details: Founded in 2017, Fervo develops enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) using oil-and-gas techniques; it has over 658 MW in contracted offtake with hyperscalers and utilities (including Google, Southern California Edison, NV Energy, Shell). Its first greenfield project, Cape Station (Beaver County, Utah), is expected to deliver first power in 2026, reach ~100 MW by early 2027, and has plans to scale to 500 MW.
• May 13, 2026

  Nextpower Powers On With Entry Into Inverters and Storage With $80.5M Zigor Deal

  Nextpower has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Zigor Corporation’s power conversion business and its US subsidiary Apex Power.

  • Main announcement: Nextpower will acquire Zigor’s power conversion assets (including Apex Power) for approximately $80.5 million in cash (comprised of $46 million at closing and up to $34.5 million in potential earnouts). The deal is subject to foreign direct investment (FDI) approval by the Spanish government and other customary conditions; Nextpower plans an incremental ~$50 million investment for growth initiatives and aims to begin inverter production in 2027. The acquired product portfolio supports 1500V, 1000V, and 600V applications, is 2000V-ready, and modular skid designs can be configured up to 5.2 MVA.

  • Background and details: Nextpower (formerly Nextracker) has expanded via multiple prior acquisitions — Ojjo Inc. (~$119M), Solar Pile International foundations (~$48M), Bentek (~$78M), Origami Solar (~$53M) and invested over $40M across AI/robotics deals (SenseHawk, Amir Robotics, OnSight). The company reported FY26 guidance near $3.5 billion revenue, Q4 FY26 GAAP gross profit revenue $881 million, and Q4 FY26 GAAP net income $151 million. The integration will place inverters within Nextpower’s power electronics platform and support storage and data center market entry.

• May 12, 2026

  Organized Opposition Collides with AI Data Center Growth

  Data Center Opposition has launched a platform to track and connect local anti-data-center groups and provide an open, monthly-updated dataset.

  • Launch details and scope: The site Data Center Opposition (launched by a coalition of community groups and advocacy organizations) publishes an open dataset that tracks 268 local opposition groups across 37 states with roughly 360,000 followers, and the dataset is updated monthly to help communities connect and organize.
  • Background, purpose and limits: The dataset is designed as coordination infrastructure (not a definitive outcomes tracker), compiles entries primarily via Facebook, websites, fundraising pages, media and outreach, and has known limitations including under-counting offline mobilization and not tracking whether opposition changed project outcomes; the article also cites concrete project impacts — e.g., the Prince William County Digital Gateway (a proposed 37-building campus) had approvals voided in 2025, county officials withdrew from litigation, and one developer exited the project.
• May 12, 2026

  Green Street Launches Green Street Infrastructure, Setting a New Standard for Real Assets Intelligence

  Green Street announced the launch of Green Street Infrastructure, a dedicated infrastructure intelligence platform, commercially introduced at IFF Europe in Madrid on May 12, 2026.

  • Launch & availability:Green Street launched Green Street Infrastructure on May 12, 2026, commercially introduced at IFF Europe in Madrid; the product is available today as an add-on to existing Green Street subscriptions. CEO Jeffry Stuek, Jr. provided the company statement announcing the platform.
  • Platform scope & data: The platform combines IJGlobal data with Green Street research, offering time-tested research across 10 sectors (Data Centers, Towers, Airports, Railroads, Toll Roads, Healthcare, Senior Housing, Student Housing, Cold Storage, Contractors); transport coverage is enabled by Green Street’s acquisition of Insight Investment Research (InsightIR). It tracks 70+ data fields per deal, covers 4,500+ infrastructure funds, ~2,000 LP profiles, and 40+ publicly traded infrastructure companies, with real-time league tables and detailed debt analytics.
• May 11, 2026

  Dell Technologies World Through the Eyes of Our Internal Ambassadors

  Dell Internal Ambassadors preview what they’re most excited about for Dell Technologies World.

  • Main announcement: Dell Internal Ambassadors will highlight Dell’s focus on agentic AI, storage-as-backbone for AI, Dell Automation Platform, cyber resilience (PowerProtect), hands-on demos like the Claw Lab (building a self-contained agentic AI bot using a Dell Pro Max with NVIDIA GB10), the Energy Aware Compute area (servers connected to real-time and forecasted grid data to save energy costs and emissions), and hardware reveals including the Dell UltraSharp 52 6K monitor.
  • Background & details: Ambassadors will run Birds of a Feather, Ask the Experts, and Executive Briefing Center sessions; Colm Keegan references Dell’s Cyber Resilience Insights research (57% of organizations couldn’t effectively contain/recover from their last cyber incident) and teases PowerProtect updates; Forrest Sparke notes a timeline detail — biking coast-to-coast since March 2, 2026 while working with Verizon 5G-enabled Dell Rugged devices.
• May 11, 2026

  HVO: The Case for Rethinking Data Center Generator Fuel

  Prime Data Centers has implemented hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a replacement for conventional diesel in its backup generator fleet.

  • Main announcement: Prime Data Centers moved to HVO for its backup generators after a three-year evaluation; the switch leverages operational, financial, and environmental justifications — notably reduced annual fuel polishing costs (the article notes polishing across a multi-site fleet can run into six figures) and cleaner engine combustion that lowers maintenance and vendor touch points.
  • Background and details: The article cites lifecycle GHG reductions (renewable diesel pathways can deliver roughly 70% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions vs conventional diesel per CARB/EIA analyses), explains that HVO is shelf-stable (no water separation or annual polishing), and notes a supply constraint in certain US markets, recommending contingency plans to retain conventional diesel suppliers as fallbacks.
• May 11, 2026

  NTIA to BEAD Winners: ‘Know Your Rights’

  The Commerce Department’s NTIA issued a memo instructing ISPs and state broadband offices not to alter required contract language for BEAD subgrants and telling subgrantees to notify their Federal Program Officer if required language is omitted or changed.

  • Main action: NTIA’s memo (posted by the Benton Institute) warns that altering or omitting required BEAD contract language will put the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) subgrant — and the state’s award — at risk; NTIA told ISPs to notify a Federal Program Officer if a proposed contract attempts to “alter a subgrantee’s rights or fails to include required language.” The agency publicly discussed the guidance at an April 27 NTCA event (Arielle Roth speaking).
  • Background and implementation details: The memo reiterates a June 2026 NTIA rule requiring states to agree not to enforce net neutrality or broadband rate laws on BEAD participants (applies statewide); it mandates states commit to a 90-day permitting approval/denial process including a single point of contact, streamlined permitting processes, tracking and publicly posting unresolved permitting disputes, and exploring use of non-deployment funding (guidance on that funding was due in March but is delayed). The memo followed a April 27 press release from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and references actions by ISPs such as SpaceX (which sought looser performance monitoring).
• May 11, 2026

  Energy Vault reaffirms 2026 guidance, sets sights on AI infrastructure PPA deals

  Energy Vault has released Q1 2026 financial results and announced a strategic shift from an EPC model to operating as an IPP with a targeted data centre/AI infrastructure PPA strategy.

  • Main announcement: Energy Vault reported Q1 2026 revenue of US$21.9 million and net loss of US$32.5 million, and presented a strategic repositioning from EPC to IPP with an accelerated data centre infrastructure play (targeting PPAs with data centres and hyperscalers) and continued geographic expansion in Australia, Japan, and Europe.
  • Background and deal details: The company reaffirmed full-year 2026 revenue guidance of US$225–300 million; noted Asset Vault projects began operations mid-2025 (removing related depreciation/amortisation from adjusted gross profit); announced an April binding agreement to buy an 850MW BESS pipeline from an undisclosed Japanese developer (350MW expected to reach Notice to Proceed in H2 2027 and commence commercial operations in H2 2028, remaining 500MW in early development); acquired the 175MW/350MWh McMurtre Texas project from Belltown Power (expected to reach ready-to-build in Q4 2026); and supplied BESS technology for a 320MWh Australia project scheduled for completion later in 2026.