California Data Center Intel

Recent California data center news

• Jun 18, 2026

  FERC Orders All Six Regional Grid Operators to Justify or Rewrite Large-Load Tariffs

  FERC has voted unanimously to issue tailored show-cause orders under Section 206 directing the six RTO/ISO markets and transmission owners to defend or reform tariff rules governing how data centers and other large energy users access the transmission system.

  • Main action: FERC issued tailored show-cause orders to PJM, MISO, SPP, CAISO, ISO-NE, and NYISO under Section 206, affecting ~200 million Americans across more than 30 states and D.C.; RTOs/ISOs and transmission owners have 60 days to respond, must file resource adequacy reports within 30 days, may request abeyance within 45 days, and interested parties may file responses within 30 days of filings.
  • Background/details: The orders conclude existing tariffs “appear to be unjust and unreasonable” and identify five reform categories (application/study processes including alternative technologies; prevention of cost shifting and transparency; treatment of co-location and behind-the-meter generation; new transmission services for flexible large loads; and study processes for generating facilities serving electrically proximate/co-located large loads); action is FERC’s promised response to the DOE ANOPR and was informed by more than 3,500 pages of comments.
• Jun 18, 2026

  FERC Targets Grid Rules for Data Centers and Large Loads

  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered the nation’s six largest grid operators to justify or rewrite rules governing how large power users connect to the grid.

  • Main action: FERC issued show-cause orders to PJM, MISO, Southwest Power Pool, CAISO, ISO New England, and NYISO, requiring them to explain within 60 days why existing tariffs remain just and reasonable or to propose reforms, and directing each operator and its transmission owners to file a resource adequacy report within 30 days. The orders affect markets serving roughly 200 million Americans across more than 30 states and the District of Columbia and target five reform areas (transmission study processes; cost-allocation; co-location/behind-the-meter generation; new transmission services for flexible large loads; evaluation of proximate generation).
  • Context and details: The action builds on a Department of Energy large-load interconnection proceeding, follows review of more than 3,500 pages of comments, and is prompted by AI-driven data center demand. FERC said reforms should apply prospectively (not disturb finalized large-load arrangements) and left the broader DOE large-load docket open for potential additional action.
• Jun 18, 2026

  How FERC’s Large-Load Interconnection Actions Help Address Grid Stress, Improve Affordability

  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a major national policy to speed and reform large-load interconnection following U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s directive.

  • Main announcement:FERC has established a national framework to accelerate large-load interconnection: customers can fund their own network upgrades, offer flexible load, and in some cases proceed with study periods as short as 60 days per Secretary Wright’s directive. The action is presented as a formal policy change and implementation pathway rather than an historical recap.
  • Details & context: The blog post is a corporate commentary/announcement endorsing the policy and describing industry responses: it cites Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory findings (≈$0.06/kWh reduction correlated with 10% higher state consumption), PG&E forecasts (each new 1 GW of data center load could reduce rates 1–2%), and announces NVIDIA and Emerald AI will begin commercial deployment later this year of flexible AI factories that bring generation and grid-responsive load to the system.
• Jun 18, 2026

  Stony Brook Leads Regional Vision of ‘Silicon Island’

  Stony Brook University highlighted its leadership in Long Island’s push to become a regional tech hub and emphasized New York State investments in quantum and regional manufacturing infrastructure.

  • Main announcement/action:Stony Brook University framed Long Island as “Silicon Island,” citing New York State’s $300 million quantum investment centered at Stony Brook and referencing a $30 million state investment from the Long Island regional economic development competition to support a manufacturing hub for physical technology (defense, aerospace, energy, advanced manufacturing). The announcement was made at the inaugural Long Island Tech & Innovation Summit on June 11 at the Long Island Marriott, hosted by Accelerate Long Island.
  • Event and implementation details / background: The summit (inaugural) convened research, higher education, business and government leaders to discuss quantum information science, AI, biotechnology, energy, workforce development, data centers and regional infrastructure. Sub-bullets:
    • Date: June 11, 2026
    • Location: Long Island Marriott
    • Host: Accelerate Long Island (15th anniversary of the organization)
    • Agenda/subjects: Panels on quantum/quantum networking, AI & biotech applications, infrastructure of innovation, workforce development, and strategies to retain and scale startups on Long Island.

  Context: The article reports on the summit and highlights existing/state-announced investments and institutional plans rather than introducing a single new policy beyond discussion of these investments and Stony Brook-led initiatives.

• Jun 17, 2026

  Edge networks a particular challenge for summer power, IT staffing needs

  Uptime Institute released the 2026 Annual Outage Analysis report showing power failures remain the leading cause of impactful outages, and StorMagic Field CTO Mark Christie commented on recurring edge-site power risks.

  • Main announcement/action: Uptime Institute’s 2026 Annual Outage Analysis reports that power failures account for 45% of impactful outages, down from the previous year but still the largest category; within power incidents the leading root causes are UPS failures, transfer switch failures, and generator failures.
  • Background and details: Mark Christie (Field CTO, StorMagic) highlighted edge-specific issues: many sites deploy battery-backed UPS systems that are poorly maintained or monitored, cost pressures lead to low-cost UPS deployments that may never be checked, and one cited customer with >6,000 sites experiences roughly ten power outages per week; Christie recommends improved documentation and knowledge-sharing (internal wikis) and better maintenance practices.
• Jun 16, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - June 16, 2026

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) released new fact sheets on lithium and cobalt and announced its 29th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO (EXPO 2026).

  • New EESI publications: EESI published fact sheets on Lithium and Cobalt, noting the U.S. relies on imports for >50% of lithium consumed and 76% of cobalt consumed; the newsletter links to a 2025 Critical Minerals Issue Brief for deeper analysis.
  • Event and policy updates: EXPO 2026 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (reception 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) at the Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168) and online; the newsletter also reports House action on the Agriculture Appropriations Act (H.R.8646) providing $22.5 billion to USDA through September 2027, and updates on geothermal permitting bills and the DOMINANCE Act to secure critical mineral supply chains.
• Jun 16, 2026

  Energy Dome, Invinity Energy Systems advance non-lithium LDES projects in the US

  Energy Dome and Invinity have announced new long-duration energy storage projects in the United States.

  • Main announcement: Energy Dome will develop a 19MW/190MWh CO2 Battery project in St. Johns, Arizona, co-located at SRP’s Coronado Generating Station; the project was announced 15 June, will be developed under a 20-year tolling agreement with SRP (Energy Dome owning and operating, SRP dispatching), selected via SRP’s 2024 LDES RFP, partially funded/partnered by Google, will be monitored with EPRI, and is expected online in 2029.
  • Related announcement & context: Invinity Energy Systems announced the sale of a 32MWh VRFB to be installed at Pacific Steel Group’s Mojave Micro Mill in Kern County, California (announced 15 June, expected commissioning in 2027); the California Energy Commission awarded US$14 million in 2025 for deployment, Invinity says the batteries will be manufactured in the US, and the project will integrate with the plant’s on-site microgrid and solar PV system.
• Jun 15, 2026

  Data Centers’ Next Hurdle: Winning Public Trust and Social License

  The article reports that community opposition is emerging as a decisive constraint on U.S. data center development.

  • Main action: Local communities and voters have begun to block or reshape large data center projects: Monterey Park approved a citywide ban on new data centers; opposition in Festus, Missouri helped thwart a proposed $6 billion campus and unseat incumbent council members; the proposed Stratos project in Utah was reduced from 40,000 acres to about 20,000 acres. The piece also cites a seasonally adjusted annual construction rate of $50.7 billion (April 2026, US Census Bureau) as context for the scale of recent growth.
  • Background & policy details: State-level responses include North Carolina lawmakers considering utility cost-recovery changes for major customers and New York’s proposed Responsible Data Center Development Act, which would pause new large data center permits for one year and require public hearings, host-community benefit programs, and separate utility rate classifications. The article is an analytical report summarizing local disputes, polling (Pew, Gallup), expert comments, and cited regulatory proposals.
• Jun 10, 2026

  GM Bets on Sodium-Ion Batteries, Expands Grid Storage and V2G Plans

  General Motors has announced an expansion into grid-scale energy storage, including a partnership with Peak Energy to develop sodium-ion battery systems, imminent LFP cell production with LG Energy Solution, second-life battery deployments, and scaled V2G programmes with utilities.

  • Partnership & production: GM is partnering with Peak Energy to develop sodium-ion grid-scale battery systems with development at its battery R&D centre in Warren, Michigan; GM and LG Energy Solution will begin producing Ultium-branded LFP cells within the next month to support lower-cost storage applications.
  • Deployments & timelines: GM and Redwood Materials have integrated around 10,000 second-life GM battery packs into energy systems (including at Crusoe’s AI data centre in Nevada); GM will install about 100 second-life battery packs at a Michigan manufacturing facility starting next year (providing 7.2 MWh and projected to generate more than USD 3 million in electricity savings over its lifetime). The company is working with PG&E on a programme that could involve 130,000 GM EVs by 2030 and is conducting V2G trials with DTE Energy.
• Jun 10, 2026

  New York Confronts the Data Center Boom: Balancing Growth and Grid Reform

  Democratic legislators introduced a bill for a three-year moratorium on new large data centers, and Governor Kathy Hochul directed the New York State Public Service Commission to open a regulatory proceeding to reform large-load interconnections.

  • Three-year moratorium introduced by Democratic legislators: The bill would freeze state and local approvals for any new data center exceeding 20 MW for three years, require the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to conduct a comprehensive environmental review and issue regulations, and direct the state utility regulator to adopt rules preventing residential ratepayers from shouldering energy cost increases attributable to data centers.
  • Governor Hochul directed PSC to institute a proceeding under “Energize NY Development”: The PSC issued an Order Instituting Proceeding and Soliciting Comments (Case 26-E-0045) noting 11.9 GW of pending large-load projects in the NYISO queue (more than 8.3 GW entered in 2025); the Order lists six core objectives and sets initial comments due May 13, 2026 and reply comments due June 15, 2026, with a technical conference by Dec 31, 2026 and a white paper due Feb 12, 2027.