California Data Center Intel

Recent California data center news

• Mar 22, 2026

  Environment and climate bills that passed and failed in WA’s legislative session

  The Washington State Legislature passed a package of measures led by Sen. Victoria Hunt including SB6355 to create a state electrical transmission authority and SB5982 to require independent generators serving data centers to comply with the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA).

  • Main action: The Legislature passed SB6355 to establish a state transmission authority (a nine-person board including one tribal representative) to construct and manage grid infrastructure independent of the Bonneville Power Administration; the authority will prioritize financing partnerships and acknowledges permitting/timeline risks (transmission projects can take a decade or longer). SB5982 requires port utility districts and other independent electricity generators that feed data centers to comply with CETA (statewide zero-GHG electricity by 2045).
  • Background and other details: Other passed bills include HB2215 (lowers the Climate Commitment Act threshold from 25,000 to 500 metric tons for fuel suppliers), SB6246 (phases down no-cost allowances through 2035), and HB2416 (allocates no-cost allowances to Spokane’s Waste to Energy facility from 2027 to 2030 — avoiding estimated $4 million to $8 million in carbon allowance costs if it had complied immediately). A sweeping data-center regulatory bill (HB2515) and circular-economy/recycling bills (HB1607, HB1420) stalled and may be reintroduced next session.
• Mar 22, 2026

  Environment and climate bills that passed and failed in Washington state’s legislative session

  The Washington State Legislature passed multiple climate and energy bills, including creation of a state transmission authority and closing a Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) loophole for independent generators feeding data centers.

  • Key actions passed:Senate Bill 6355 will establish a state electrical transmission authority (nine-person board, tribal citizen seat) to plan and finance transmission expansion; Senate Bill 5982 requires port utility districts and independent electricity generators that serve data centers to comply with CETA (zero greenhouse gas electricity by 2045); House Bill 2215 lowers the emissions threshold covered by the Climate Commitment Act from 25,000 metric tons to 500 metric tons.
  • Additional details and timelines:House Bill 2416 directs the Department of Ecology to allocate no-cost allowances to the Spokane Waste to Energy facility from 2027 to 2030 (the facility otherwise faced $4 million to $8 million in carbon allowance costs); transmission projects may take a decade or longer for permitting and construction; a separate sweeping data center regulation bill (House Bill 2515) failed in the Senate Ways and Means committee and sponsors intend to reintroduce it next year.
• Mar 20, 2026

  Trump Releases AI Regulation Framework to Congress

  President Donald Trump released a National AI Policy Framework on March 20, 2026, providing a legislative roadmap and seeking to codify an energy-focused pledge related to data centers.

  • Main announcement: President Donald Trump released a National AI Legislative Framework on March 20, 2026, outlining six priority areas including child safety, intellectual property rights, state law preemption, and technology literacy; the White House framed the framework as a means to “win the AI race.”
  • Background and related actions: House Republican leaders issued a joint statement committing to work to implement the White House vision; House Democrats introduced the GUARDRAILS Act seeking to repeal the Administration’s December executive order on state AI regulation (opposition voiced by Rep. Doris Matsui and Gov. Gavin Newsom). The framework also seeks to codify the Rate Payer Protection Pledge (announced at the State of the Union and discussed at a White House gathering on March 4), under which major tech firms agreed to provide on-site power generation to offset data center capacity usage (context: mid-Atlantic rate increases discussed at a Brookings presentation on March 3).
• Mar 20, 2026

  Experts “bullish” new industrial cycle on way for SoCal

  Industry experts report a recovery in Southern California industrial real estate driven by AI and data-center demand; Dedeaux Properties says capital outreach has recently reversed.

  • Main announcement: Industry observers including Rishi Thakkar (Dedeaux Properties) and Jason Hans (Affinius Capital) say the Southern California industrial market is recovering with sales volume rising and demand for sophisticated, taller industrial space driven by AI and data centers; Dedeaux reported having more than $1.3 billion in assets under management and noted a reversal in capital engagement.
  • Background and details: The article cites Greater Los Angeles Q4 sales volume of $1.2 billion (CBRE), notes a 5.2% vacancy rate in Greater Los Angeles vs 6.7% nationwide, and highlights power capacity as a near-term constraint for new development, with contractors’ hard costs having declined and new deliveries expected late 2027 into 2028.
• Mar 20, 2026

  3 Men Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle U.S. AI to China

  Federal prosecutors charged Super Micro Computer senior vice president Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw and two affiliates with conspiring to smuggle U.S.-assembled servers containing advanced Nvidia chips to China.

  • Charges and timeline: The indictment alleges Liaw, Ruei-Tsang “Steven” Chang, and contractor Ting-Wei “Willy” Sun schemed between 2024 and 2025 to divert server shipments, directing a company in Southeast Asia to place $2.5 billion in orders from Super Micro Computer and diverting at least $510 million worth of assembled servers to China; Chang is identified as a fugitive, Liaw was arrested and released on bail, and Sun was arrested and held for a bail hearing.
  • Mechanics and context: Authorities allege use of fabricated documents, staged bogus equipment to pass audit inventories, and a pass-through company to conceal true clientele; the article notes existing U.S. export controls on Nvidia AI chips (policies under Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump) and includes statements from the FBI, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, Super Micro Computer, and NVIDIA confirming legal and compliance concerns.
• Mar 20, 2026

  Energy Vault continues to diversify as it experiences Q4, full year 2025 growth

  Energy Vault has released its Q4 and full year 2025 financial results, reporting 2025 revenue of US$203.7 million and improved profitability metrics.

  • 2025 financial results and guidance: Energy Vault reported 2025 revenue of US$203.7 million (up 340% YoY from US$46.2 million), GAAP net loss of US$103.6 million (improved from US$135.8 million), Adjusted EBITDA loss of US$21.2 million (improved from a US$58 million loss), adjusted net loss of US$42.1 million (improved from US$65.4 million), and total cash (including restricted cash) of US$103.4 million as of 31 December 2025. The company attributes improvement to entry into AI infrastructure, increased ESS projects in Australia, and initial revenue from its wholly owned Asset Vault operating projects. It expects 2026 revenue of US$225 million to US$300 million, factoring in US battery delivery schedules, third-party project timelines, Asset Vault operating-asset revenue, and initial modular data centre/AI infrastructure income.

  • Background, partnerships and projects:Asset Vault is Energy Vault’s wholly owned subsidiary for developing, constructing, owning, and managing storage assets worldwide; Energy Vault also supplied BESS technology for a 320 MWh Australian project scheduled for completion later in the year. In February, Energy Vault finalised a supply agreement for 1.5 GWh of US-manufactured sodium-ion batteries from Peak Energy and will collaborate to integrate Peak Energy’s Na-ion cells with Energy Vault’s proprietary digital stack to accelerate deployment, enhance safety, and reduce costs by eliminating “complex legacy systems.”

    • Energy Storage Summit USA 2026: 24-25 March 2026, Dallas, TX; agenda/subjects include FEOC challenges, power demand forecasting, and managing the BESS supply chain; ESN Premium subscribers have an exclusive discount on tickets.
• Mar 20, 2026

  How to Build an Affordable Energy Future

  NRDC will develop and release a series of papers called the Build Clean Agenda focused on three areas of reform to speed clean energy and infrastructure deployment.

  • Main action: NRDC will publish a multi-paper Build Clean Agenda to modernize laws and permitting, level the playing field for clean energy, and design projects that benefit communities; it calls for U.S. renewable energy production to roughly quadruple, and for at least tripling grid capacity over the next 25 years, and highlights the Western Solar Plan identifying 31 million acres for siting solar on public lands.
  • Background and specifics: The piece documents concrete barriers and numbers: the oil, gas, and coal industries receive $34 billion in annual federal subsidies; a 2025 partisan tax bill risks an estimated half a trillion dollars of private clean-energy investment and may raise consumer fuel/energy costs $78–$192 per year; it cites projects like the Grain Belt Express facing multi-year delays and supports targeted reforms such as expanding the “One Federal Decision” approach and giving a federal lead (e.g., FERC) authority to coordinate interstate transmission permitting where uniform standards are met.
• Mar 19, 2026

  US Roundup: solar-plus-storage projects advance across the country

  Google and DTE Energy have announced plans to develop a data centre project in Michigan (Project Cannoli) supported by 1,600MW of solar PV and 450MW of energy storage, with Google funding the resources and DTE operating them under a 20-year Clean Capacity Accelerator Agreement (CCAA).

  • Main announcement: Google and DTE will deliver 1,600MW of solar PV paired with 450MW of storage (specified as 400MW/1,600MWh BESS plus 50MW of LDES), under a 20-year CCAA; Google will provide DTE with approximately 300MW of Zonal Resource Credits (ZRCs) at no cost and commit US$10 million to programmes to reduce household energy bills in Michigan.
  • Additional details & background: The filing identifies the site as Project Cannoli (potentially in Van Buren Township); Google recently closed a US$4.75 billion acquisition of TPG Rise Climate’s Intersect Power stake and has announced multi‑billion data centre and AI capital plans (Google cited US$40 billion for three Texas data centres and US$185 billion in AI‑related capex for the year). Related US project announcements in the article include: Sunraycer (620MWdc solar, 477MWh BESS in Texas), Invenergy/SRP SunDog (200MW solar + 200MW/800MWh BESS in Arizona), Idemitsu Azalea (60MW/152MWh operating in California), and Clēnera’s US$304 million financing for the 120MW/400MWh Crimson Orchard project in Idaho.
• Mar 18, 2026

  Jensen Huang After the Keynote: Inside Nvidia’s GTC 2026 Press Briefing

  Nvidia (Jensen Huang) framed the company as building “AI factories,” emphasizing inference, token economics, and ecosystem orchestration.

  • Main announcement: Jensen Huang presented Nvidia’s strategic shift to an inference- and token-centric model, arguing data centers must become “token manufacturing systems”, and confirming Nvidia is helping finance customer data center buildouts with partners including CoreWeave, Nscale, and Nebius. He cited a “trillion-dollar visibility” figure for Blackwell and Vera Rubin through 2027 (figure described as “trillion-dollar visibility” in the briefing).
  • Background and other details: Huang detailed Nvidia’s broader infrastructure role: co-inventing co-packaged optics with TSMC (~100 patents filed across the supply chain), production ramping for co-packaged optics, resumed manufacturing and license activity for H200 systems in China, and noted the complexity of relocating 40% of Taiwan chip capacity to the United States as a longer-term goal.
• Mar 17, 2026

  Suman Kanuganti: Why Telcos, Not Tech Giants, Will Power the AI Grid

  NVIDIA is positioning the “AI Grid” and the piece urges telcos to build identity-bound AI memory using existing telco networks.

  • Main announcement/action: NVIDIA is promoting an “AI Grid” at NVIDIA GTC to move AI workloads onto networks and enable distributed, identity-bound memory; the article asserts telcos are best positioned to deliver this by leveraging identity, authentication, and billing capabilities and placing memory near the tower/device/person.
  • Background and details: The piece is an Expert Opinion by Suman Kanuganti, Co-Founder and CEO of Personal AI (since 2020); it highlights Personal Language Models (PLMs) as memory-first AIs, claims Personal AI is NVIDIA’s top independent software vendor (ISV) for telco and that PLMs deliver 10-30x better cost efficiency versus traditional large language models; it references NVIDIA GTC as the event illuminating this vision.