California Data Center Intel

Recent California data center news

• Jan 5, 2026

  Beyond Energy Use: Strategies for Sustainable Data Center Operations

  The article argues that data center operators must prioritize sustainable operations as rapid US data center growth is straining regional grids and driving a large e-waste burden.

  • Main announcement/action: The piece calls on data center operators to adopt sustainable operations and circular lifecycle practices (modular/repairable systems, component-level upgrades, secure sanitization and certified reuse/resale) to reduce grid strain and e-waste; it cites 1,240 data centers built or approved in the US by end of 2024 and urges adoption of standards such as NIST 800-88 and ISO 27040, and use of R2v3 / e-Stewards certified ITAD partners.
  • Background and details: The article summarizes evidence and policy responses: Virginia data centers consumed about 26% of state electricity in 2023 (with North Dakota 15%, Nebraska 12%), Illinois bills H.B. 3758 / S.B. 2497 target 15 GW of state energy storage and establish a virtual power plant program, California enforces efficiency/carbon rules via Title 24; global e-waste was 62 million tons in 2022 and a study warns generative AI could add 1.2–5 million tons annually; used hardware may retain hundreds of thousands of dollars in residual value.
• Jan 5, 2026

  Google acquires data centre and energy developer Intersect for US$4.75 billion

  Alphabet has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Intersect Power for US$4.75 billion in cash.

  • Deal details and timeline: Alphabet (Google) will acquire Intersect Power for US$4.75 billion in cash, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2026. Intersect will continue to operate as a standalone business under CEO Sheldon Kimber and will work closely with Google’s technical infrastructure team on existing and new joint projects, including a co-located data centre and power site under construction in Haskell County, Texas.
  • Assets and investors excluded / background: Intersect’s operating assets in Texas and its operating and in-development assets in California are excluded from the transaction and will remain under independent ownership, backed by existing investors TPG Rise Climate, Climate Adaptive Infrastructure, and Greenbelt Capital Partners. The announcement was first published on PV Tech (link provided).
• Jan 3, 2026

  5 Nevada environment stories to watch in the new year

  Alan Halaly (Las Vegas Review-Journal) outlines five Nevada environmental issues to watch in 2026.

  • Main announcement: The article highlights five priority issues: Colorado River shortage negotiations among the seven basin states with an Interior Secretary Feb. 14 deadline from Doug Burgum; a permanent state water-rights buyback program signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo that has no state funding allocated (funding suggested from future state action or private donors); rising temperatures and declines in Lake Mead and groundwater aquifers; exploding data center growth raising energy and water supply concerns (noting Southern Nevada’s ban on evaporative cooling and growth at the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center); federal actions stalling utility-scale solar projects (federal cancellation of environmental review for a large Esmeralda County solar farm); and an ongoing fight to block mining in the Amargosa River watershed including concerns about a clinoptilolite mine expansion and a previously lobbied 20-year mining pause.
  • Background and details: At the Colorado River Water Users Conference the seven basin states showed little consensus while facing an unprecedented megadrought; Gov. Lombardo signed the water-rights bill but the program was created without budgeted funds; the Amargosa coalition (environmentalists, Nye County officials and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe) raised groundwater-impact concerns and a lithium mine proposal was later removed from the company’s public materials; federal Interior Department policy changes have caused delays or cancellations of large solar project reviews.
• Jan 2, 2026

  State Broadband Bills of 2025: A Legislative Review

  State legislatures across the United States enacted and considered broadband-related legislation in 2025; fewer than 140 of more than 600 proposed bills became law.

  • Main actions: States enacted laws prioritizing infrastructure and permitting reforms, pole and rights-of-way access, criminal penalties for theft/vandalism, state broadband funding, and data center incentives. Notable enacted measures include Hawaii H 934 (established a state Broadband Office and programs, enacted in June and backed by $400 million in combined funding), West Virginia SB 907 (expanded the Economic Development Project Fund to allow up to $25 million annually for broadband incentives and up to $125 million annually for broadband loan insurance) and West Virginia HB 2014 (signed in April; created microgrid districts with zoning/permitting exemptions and special property tax treatment for qualifying projects).
  • Additional details and timelines: States also raised criminal penalties (e.g., Oklahoma classified willful damage to a critical infrastructure facility as a Class D3 felony with fines up to $100,000 and prison up to 10 years; Louisiana authorized fines up to $50,000 and prison up to 20 years; California AB 476 increased penalties for knowingly buying illegally obtained scrap metal to $5,000). Other enacted programs include California SB 338 (a $2 million telehealth pilot), New Mexico SB 126 (Rural USF increased from $30 million to $40 million), and Oregon’s device support up to $100 in Lifeline-related assistance. At least 37 states passed data center incentives in 2025 and over 1,000 AI-focused bills were introduced nationwide, with ~38 states adopting or enacting roughly 100 AI measures in 2025.
• Jan 2, 2026

  POWER Digest [January 2026]

  Vattenfall announced on Nov. 10 that it and Industrikraft i Sverige AB signed an agreement to co-invest in small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Ringhals site; Industrikraft will take a 20% stake in project company Videberg Kraft AB and invest SEK 400 million (≈ $42.2 million) to finance early-stage development.

  • Main announcement and project details: The agreement moves the Ringhals SMR project into joint development with Industrikraft (20% stake in Videberg Kraft AB) and Vattenfall; Industrikraft will contribute SEK 400 million for early-stage development plus project management and technology selection support. Vattenfall has shortlisted GE Vernova–Hitachi’s BWRX-300 and the Rolls‑Royce SMR for a 1,500 MW configuration (either five BWRX-300s or three Rolls‑Royce units) and will submit an application for state risk-sharing under Sweden’s state-aid act before selecting a final supplier.
  • Additional factual context and other items in the digest: The World Nuclear Association previewed a 2050 scenario of 1,428 GWe global nuclear capacity; California reported 16,942 MW of battery storage (up 1,200 MW in six months) and joined the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge; TotalEnergies signed a 15-year PPA to supply 1.5 TWh from the Montpelier solar farm to Google’s Ohio data centers; China National Nuclear Corp. connected Zhangzhou Unit 2 to the grid (first criticality Nov. 3, 2025; grid connection Nov. 22, 2025).
• Jan 2, 2026

  Meeting the Moment: Industry Leaders Chart the Course for Power in 2026

  POWER’s executive editor Aaron Larson compiles industry leaders’ perspectives on the power sector outlook for 2026, highlighting AI, data‑center demand, solar growth, supply‑chain constraints, and regulatory changes such as FEOC.

  • Main announcement/action: Industry leaders describe 2026 as a pivotal year where AI integration into grid management and data center-driven load growth will force planning for gigawatts of new capacity; examples and concrete figures cited include the Hale Kuawehi Solar and Battery Project reaching commercial operations on March 25, 2025 (30 MW PV + 30 MW/120 MWh storage), the IEA projection of ~3.68 TW of solar capacity added by 2030, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2028 data‑center energy projections of ~325–580 TWh under different scenarios.
  • Background and specific details: The article documents regulatory and supply‑chain constraints including FEOC rules restricting tax credits for projects with covered‑nation links (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran); notable investments and timelines cited include National Grid investing £35 billion over the next six years to strengthen supply chains in England and Wales, Dominion Energy spending $2.1 billion on transmission in the prior year and planning >$2.8 billion annually starting in 2027, and Siemens Energy investing about €220 million (Sept 2025) in Nuremberg and $150 million in 2024 in Charlotte. It also notes the DeepSeek R1 release in 2025 as a pivotal event influencing data‑center power demand forecasts.
• Jan 2, 2026

  Reshaping the Power Grid: Driving Resilience Through DERs

  POWER reports that distributed energy resources (DERs) are advancing a more resilient and reliable power supply for utilities, homes and businesses, based on interviews and analysis with industry experts including Hal Corin (Viridi), Ken Irvin (Sidley Austin), Rex Liu (Generac), Sally Jacquemin (AspenTech), George Koutsonicolis (SOLIC Capital), and Terence Healey (Sidley Austin).

  • Main announcement/action: POWER summarizes that DERs, microgrids, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are being deployed to improve grid reliability and resilience, with utilities and independent power producers using DERs for backup power, peak-shaving, VPPs (virtual power plants), and reduced transmission losses. Concrete examples: San Diego Gas & Electric launched four microgrids (serving schools, fire stations, and other community sites) that include battery storage; the article references the Experience POWER conference where speakers described DER benefits (Experience POWER, October last year, Denver, Colorado).
  • Background and details: Industry experts noted AI-driven optimization for forecasting and VPP creation, and investment trends for storage: the global BESS market is projected to grow to $120 billion–$150 billion by 2030, including more than $30 billion in the U.S.; technologies highlighted include solid-state batteries and non-lithium chemistries, as well as DERMS/REMS for market participation and compliance (e.g., with FERC 901).
• Jan 2, 2026

  Opinion: EPA helping AI industry grow but ignoring technology’s power to protect environment

  The EPA under Administrator Lee Zeldin is prioritizing removal of regulatory barriers to build AI-related infrastructure while failing to deploy AI tools to protect environment and public health.

  • Main action: The article argues the EPA is clearing the regulatory path for rapid growth in data centers and chip factories under Administrator Lee Zeldin, acting as a facilitator for the tech sector and the fossil fuel industry rather than centering environmental protection. The piece is an opinion by Avi Garbow, founder of Fiery Run Environmental Strategies and former EPA general counsel (served 2009–2017).
  • Background and details: The author notes the EPA currently uses AI mainly for basic office functions (e.g., sorting and summarizing public comments) and contrasts that with a proposed modernized Project XL (originally launched roughly three decades ago) to pilot AI-driven environmental safeguards (examples: flagging dangerous chemicals, identifying pollution hotspots, targeting inspections). No specific monetary figures, contracts, or timelines are provided in the article.
• Dec 30, 2025

  Australia $16.1 Billion Data Centre Operator AirTrunk Plans REIT IPO in 2026 to Raise $1 Billion, Blackstone & Canada Pension Fund CPPIB Acquired AirTrunk for $16.1 Billion (AUD 24 Billion) in 2024 from Macquarie Asset Management & Public Sector Pension Investment Board, AirTrunk Founded by Robin Khuda in Australia in 2015 and is in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong & Singapore

  AirTrunk is reported to be planning a REIT IPO in 2026 to raise $1 billion after being acquired in 2024.

  • Main announcement: AirTrunk is planning a REIT IPO in 2026 to raise $1 billion; the company was acquired in September 2024 by funds managed by Blackstone together with CPP Investments for an implied enterprise value of A$24 billion (US$16.1 billion). The transaction is subject to approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board.
  • Background and details:AirTrunk was founded by Robin Khuda in 2015 and operates across Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore; it has more than 800MW committed to customers and land to support over 1GW of future growth. Blackstone (stated ~US$1 trillion AUM) and CPP Investments (stated AUM figures in the release) led the acquisition from Macquarie Asset Management and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board; Blackstone cited AI-driven demand and an existing data-center pipeline (US$55bn in data centers and ~US$70bn prospective pipeline) in its statement.
• Dec 30, 2025

  Credo Releases 2025 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report

  Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd released its 2025 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report.

  • Main announcement: Credo reported advances in energy-efficient connectivity aimed at supporting the energy-efficient growth of AI data centers, highlighted improvements across its product portfolio (targets for 100G, 200G, 400G, 800G and emerging 1.6T port markets), strengthened its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, expanded employee programs, and broadened Credo Cares partnerships in 2025. The company’s CEO, Bill Brennan, is quoted describing product improvements and reduced power consumption efforts in 2025.
  • Background and details: The report emphasizes product families including SerDes and DSP technologies, Integrated Circuits (ICs), Active Electrical Cables (AECs) and SerDes Chiplets; markets noted are optical and electrical Ethernet interconnects (100G–1.6T). The release links to Credo’s ESG page and includes media and investor contacts (diane.vanasse@credosemi.com, dan.oneil@credosemi.com).