California Data Center Intel

Recent California data center news

• Jun 10, 2026

  Demand-response programs can lower utility bills, but beware of on-site power restrictions, experts say

  Virginia lawmakers enacted a law directing Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to create demand-response programs for large energy customers and to expand utility procurement of energy storage.

  • Main action: The law requires utilities Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to offer demand-response programs for customers with an electric load of 25 megawatts or more, and directs utilities to procure more than 21,000 megawatts of power from facilities’ energy storage systems by 2045; the Virginia State Corporation Commission will work with an independent auditor to develop procurement criteria and review requests.
  • Background and constraints: The article explains federal EPA limits (100-hour annual use for non-emergency generator operation with a 50-hour cap for non-testing/maintenance) and an EPA interpretive letter that prevents generators in RTO/ISO territories (e.g., PJM Interconnection) from using generators for demand response under the 50-hour cap; retrofitting to Tier 4 emissions can cost $100,000 to $500,000 or more per engine, and EPA enforcement can impose penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars; the piece also notes a lawsuit threat from the Southern Environmental Law Center against xAI for on-site generator emissions (three dozen natural gas generators, capacity 421 MW, potential >2,000 tons NOx/year).
• Jun 10, 2026

  ORNL-developed cybersecurity framework graduates from lab to electric grid

  The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has licensed its Cyber Grid Guard cybersecurity framework to GridForge Energy Solutions.

  • Main announcement: ORNL has licensed the patented Cyber Grid Guard framework to GridForge Energy Solutions, which plans to explore commercial deployments to boost real-time visibility of grid behavior for energy projects, grid management companies, and utilities; the technology was tested in ORNL’s GRID-C substation test bed and proven on commercial hardware against simulated denial-of-service and multi-step data-manipulation attacks.
  • Background/details: The platform uses tamper-resistant blockchain to validate device configuration and operating data, can automatically notify operators of unusual behavior, and was developed with support from the DOE Office of Electricity and ORNL researchers (Raymond Borges Hink, Gary Hahn, Aaron Werth, Emilio Piesciorovsky); GridForge (California-based) was incubated through LabStart. The article cites a concrete capacity point: “over 100 gigawatts of flexible grid capacity underutilized” as context for the technology’s potential.
• Jun 10, 2026

  US ROUNDUP: EDP 800MWh Arizona project, Pathway targets SPP & MISO, Waymo second-life partnership

  EDP Renewables North America announced the completion of the 200MW/800MWh Flatland Energy Storage project in Coolidge, Arizona on 9 June.

  • Project completion: EDPR NA and Salt River Project completed the 200MW / 800MWh Flatland Energy Storage BESS co-located with the 200MW Brittlebush Solar Park in Coolidge, Pinal County, Arizona; the facility uses Tesla lithium-ion technology and can charge from the grid or on-site solar and was commissioned on 9 June.
  • Additional deals and financing:Pathway Power closed a US$150 million senior-secured facility from funds managed by AB CarVal (part of AllianceBernstein) to support late-stage development across a ~3.2GWac pipeline targeting SPP and MISO; B2U Storage Solutions signed a strategic supply agreement with Waymo to repurpose retired EV battery packs into grid-scale BESS (B2U has four operational BESS and three sites due online this year).
• Jun 10, 2026 · GeoExPro

  “Running a company is like having a long-term relationship – you have to give and take, but always carry on”

  Rock Flow Dynamics has opened a new data processing centre in Serbia and previously received a $2M investment from Intel Capital which the company later bought out.

  • Main announcement: Rock Flow Dynamics opened a data processing centre in Serbia, reducing regression-test time from up to three days to eleven hours, and continues to run four major releases per year with about 10 minor releases between them.
  • Background and other details:Intel Capital invested $2 M in the company’s early years (the founders later bought Intel out), the company expanded offices to the USA (Houston) and sold first to an exploration company in Dallas; RFD has ~10 M lines of code, and is diversifying into mining, geothermal and lithium sectors.
• Jun 9, 2026

  AI power efficiency the target of Lotus Microsystems energy advances

  Lotus Microsystems has introduced vStrata, a new power-delivery architecture aimed at improving data center power efficiency.

  • vStrata announcement: Lotus unveiled the vStrata platform built around proprietary Power Interposer Technology (PIT) and a vertical power delivery (VPD) chip/package that delivers power through the package stack; the first module LSC0580 engineering samples are scheduled to ship in Q3 2026. Lotus claims point-of-load efficiencies up to 96% and power-conversion loss reductions of more than 50% versus conventional approaches; vStrata is delivered as power supplies and is not suitable for retrofitting into existing server racks but is compatible with existing power-management controllers and reference designs; Lotus is working with major server vendors and hyperscalers on adoption.
  • Background and technical details: vStrata shortens current paths and integrates thermal management into the power-delivery structure using a silicon substrate to remove heat, which Lotus says can reduce cooling energy and water consumption and may allow retention of air cooling instead of liquid cooling; CEO Hans Hasselby-Andersen provided quoted explanations and noted the lack of an industry standard server power-supply footprint as a barrier to retrofitting. The article is reporting Lotus’s product announcement and technical claims (Network World, authored by Andy Patrizio).
• Jun 9, 2026

  Local Data Center Backlash Signals a Shift in How the Grid Must Evolve

  The article highlights state and local regulators escalating restrictions and mandates on large-scale data center development in response to grid strain.

  • Regulatory actions: Maine lawmakers advanced (then saw a veto) a temporary halt on new data center projects above 20 megawatts; Monterey Park voters approved a permanent citywide ban on data center construction; New Jersey officials unveiled a framework requiring mega-scale data centers to source their own clean energy and directly fund grid upgrades to avoid passing infrastructure costs to residents.
  • Context and evidence:Electricity demand is projected to grow 15%-20% over the next decade (DOE), and an OBM survey found 64% of energy professionals say data center growth is accelerating flexible load management initiatives. The piece is an analytical overview calling for earlier utility coordination, flexible load management, automation, and transparency from developers and operators.
• Jun 9, 2026

  Fuel to Power: What Rising Costs Mean for Data Centers

  Analysis: Energy price surge since March is raising costs for data centers.

  • Main finding: Energy prices have surged by double digits since March, pushing electricity costs higher and directly increasing operating expenditures for data centers; the article cites a projection that U.S. electricity prices are expected to rise by more than 5% in 2026.
  • Background and implications: The piece details four concrete pressure points: higher opex, rising backup/resilience fuel costs (diesel and natural gas for on-site generators), slower or phased grid interconnections in capacity-constrained markets, and increased public scrutiny and permitting friction; it notes no major operator has publicly cancelled or cut capacity to date.
• Jun 9, 2026

  Hydrogen’s Hurdles, Fuel Cells’ Rise in Data Center Power

  DataCenterKnowledge publishes a final installment reviewing less-mature or emerging alternatives to diesel generators for data center backup power, focusing on hydrogen backup, fuel cells, and renewable fuels.

  • Main coverage: The article assesses hydrogen engines and fuel cells and renewable diesel as diesel alternatives, noting concrete deployments and pilots: NorthC Datacenters ordered six Jenbacher hydrogen engines in the Netherlands (dual-gas for short hydrogen outages), Microsoft piloted a 3 MW hydrogen fuel cell in Latham, NY, and Bloom Energy signed a $5 billion strategic partnership with Brookfield to accelerate fuel cell capacity. It highlights the Dutch ~300 km national hydrogen network repurposed from natural gas pipelines and Microsoft’s prior 2030 diesel elimination pledge as context.
  • Background & policy details: The piece notes regulatory movement with the US EPA removing proposed hydrogen co-firing mandates from its NSPS (earlier draft had ramped to 96% by 2038), cites cost and infrastructure constraints for hydrogen (production, transport, storage, permitting), and points out that fuel cells running on natural gas/biogas are identified as the most likely near-term scalable solution for behind-the-meter AI power needs.
• Jun 9, 2026

  From Tail Risk to Design Baseline: How the Grid Is Adapting to Extreme Heat

  POWER (Sonal Patel) reports that system planners and grid operators are now treating extreme heat as an assumed operating condition rather than a tail risk.

  • Main announcement/action: POWER summarizes that system planners and reliability entities (notably NERC and FERC) and operators are treating extreme heat as a design baseline, citing metrics such as EIA projection of ~1,610 CDDs for 2026 (4% above 2025), NERC’s 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment (net internal demand up 1.3% to 790 GW, and >58 GW of new on-peak capacity including 16.4 GW solar, 14.7 GW batteries, 6.7 GW natural gas, 1.6 GW wind), and FERC’s forecast of $46.81/MWh average wholesale price for summer 2026. The piece catalogues operational changes (hourly ambient-adjusted transmission ratings, dynamic line ratings pilots, ADMS/DERMS deployments) and emergency interventions (DOE Section 202(c) orders covering roughly 4,400 MW of extended capacity service).
  • Background and details: The article documents drought risks (FERC: 62% of continental U.S. impacted; Lake Powell inflow forecast at 13% of average), potential loss of up to 4,500 MW of Colorado River hydropower as soon as August 2026, rapid data center load growth (from 44 GW in 2025 to 55 GW in 2026, ~25%), and operational timelines (PJM implemented AAR on March 4, 2026; SPP expects AAR by Sept. 1, 2026; MISO full compliance by Q2 2028).
• Jun 8, 2026

  Data center news: Detroit takes responsible approach to data centers, Benson says

  Detroit City Councilmember Scott Benson announced the council-approved moratorium resolution to build a stronger regulatory framework for data center development in Detroit.

  • Main announcement: The council-approved moratorium resolution created a stakeholder group (labor, business, sustainability advocates) to draft a zoning ordinance by end of 2026; Benson emphasized no increase in utility bills for residents and community-driven local control for development.
  • Additional details/background:GOP state Sen. Jim Runestad introduced bills for a one-year statewide moratorium (may not receive a committee hearing); Erin Brockovich launched a national interactive tracking map for operational/under-construction/proposed facilities; Google granted $250,000 to the Huron River Watershed Council while planning a 1.5-million-square-foot Michigan data center that will draw 2–3.65 million gallons daily from the Great Lakes Water Authority.