California Data Center Intel

Recent California data center news

• Feb 25, 2026

  No end in sight for data center development in SoCal

  Commercial Observer (citing JLL research) reports that Southern California data center capacity is expected to nearly double in the next few years to meet AI-driven demand.

  • Main announcement: JLL-backed reporting indicates SoCal’s existing data center capacity of 335 megawatts is expected to nearly double as new facilities come online to serve AI workloads; developers are deliberately sizing projects under regulatory thresholds (just under 50 MW or 100 MW) to avoid California Energy Commission oversight. Key concrete examples: Goodman Group is planning a 49.5-megawatt facility named LAX01 in Vernon.
  • Background and regulatory details: Under California law, backup generators for data centers are treated as thermal power plants so projects >50 MW fall under the California Energy Commission for full certification; projects 50–100 MW can seek a Small Power Plant Exemption but may face environmental review and formal hearings if denied. State Sen. Steve Padilla has proposed Senate Bill 58, offering partial sales and use tax exemptions for data center projects that incorporate sustainable energy practices. The article also notes California’s average electricity cost of ~$0.18 per kWh compared with ~$0.10 per kWh in the Pacific Northwest.
• Feb 25, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - February 24, 2026

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) released a newsletter highlighting data center impacts, policy developments on Capitol Hill, and upcoming briefings and events.

  • Main announcement: EESI highlighted rising household energy costs driven in part by data center demand, noting electricity prices have risen by up to 267% since 2020 in high-concentration data center areas and that wildfires cost the United States up to $424 billion annually. The newsletter features the article “Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills,” a podcast on wildfire philanthropy, and announces briefings including “Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability” on Thursday, February 26 (3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online).

  • Background and other details: The newsletter summaries recent legislative actions and events: Senate Energy Committee advanced the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025 (S.714); House Committee approved the ACERO Act (H.R.390) to authorize NASA’s ACERO project; Senate Foreign Relations agreed to the Protecting Global Fisheries Act of 2026 (S.1369); House introduced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567). Events listed with dates/times/locations:

    • Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability — Feb 26, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy — Mar 3, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Russell Senate Office Building, Room 385 and online (Reception to follow)
    • Strategies to Lower Utility Bills Now for Households and Small Businesses — Mar 12, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • 2026 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum (EXPO 2026) — Jun 24, 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building Foyer and Gold Room and online
• Feb 25, 2026

  US Roundup: FlexGen updates EMS, LandGate’s BESS site selection tool, ON.Energy-Shoals target data centres, Sunrun’s season of VPP dispatching

  Energy-Storage.news reports a roundup of recent industry announcements from FlexGen, LandGate, ON.energy & Shoals, and Sunrun.

  • FlexGen announced an updated HybridOS EMS with a new user interface, real-time and historical data, integrated market prices, mobile app access, an augmentation prediction and diagnostics dashboard, charge limit handler, and native CAN support; LandGate launched its Battery Storage Analysis tool to produce automated ‘Battery Storage Due Diligence Reports’ and assess interconnection, arbitrage, queue competition and environmental risks; ON.energy and Shoals agreed to deploy multiple GWs of critical power systems pairing ON.energy’s medium-voltage AI UPS with Shoals’ DC Recombiner; Sunrun completed a VPP dispatch season with PG&E totaling more than 1,200 dispatch hours across over 1,000 customers, with participants earning US$150 per battery.

  • Background and supporting details: FlexGen completed its acquisition of most assets and IP from Powin in August 2025 and supports over 25GWh of BESS across 10 countries; FlexGen recently put two utility-scale BESS totalling 700MWh into operation in Wisconsin and Iowa; ON.energy previously announced a 5GW transformer supply agreement with Prolec GE (late 2025); Sunrun’s Local PeakShift Power VPP operated as part of PG&E’s SAVE program (tests April–June 2025; dispatched July–October 2025); the article also references interconnection reform discussions and noise/permitting issues for BESS projects (Idaho Power case, Wärtsilä commentary).

• Feb 24, 2026

  The POWER Interview: Former SpaceX Exec Drives Arbor’s Turbine Innovation

  Arbor Energy announced a funding and deployment plan to commercialize its modular sCO2 turbines.

  • Arbor Energy raised $55-million in a Series A to support deployment and will complete demonstration of its 1-MW pilot ATLAS while furthering the design of its 25-MW HALCYON commercial sCO2 turbine; the company says its first HALCYON turret is on track to come online by 2028 and it aims to manufacture gigawatts’ worth of turbines by 2030.
  • Context and implementation details: The announcement (in an interview with POWER) highlights supply-chain backlogs for traditional large-frame turbines, Arbor’s use of additive manufacturing in Los Angeles to avoid blade/vanes bottlenecks, a modular 25-MW design that can scale to 100 MW–1 GW+ on a site, and plans to scale production to >1 GW/year by 2030; CEO Brad Hartwig (former SpaceX engineer) led the transition from pilot to commercial development.
• Feb 24, 2026

  Soluna CEO on Stranded Renewables, AI Data Centers, and a 'Grid Revolution'

  Soluna Holdings is expanding its co-located renewable-powered data center model from bitcoin mining into AI, announcing a multi-site buildout including Project Kati and Project Dorothy and a 3-gigawatt project pipeline.

  • Main announcement/action: Soluna is transitioning from bitcoin-focused facilities to AI/high-performance computing campuses co-located with utility-scale wind and solar plants; key project details include a 3-gigawatt pipeline, Project Kati (166 MW planned over two phases; Kati 1 initial energization with phased commissioning through 2026; 83 MW bitcoin side; starting with 100 MW AI capacity and planned scale to >300 MW), and Project Dorothy (operational, providing 98 MW for Bitcoin hosting at two Texas sites; expanded partnership with Blockware adding 6 MW to Dorothy 1).
  • Background and implementation details: The model monetizes curtailed/stranded renewable generation by buying excess power from host plants, Soluna claims its builds are 18% cleaner than traditional data centers, targets single-tenant hyperscalers and neo-clouds on long-term contracts, and prioritizes AI training workloads (batchable, remote) rather than low-latency inference; utilities and transmission constraints (e.g., California 3.4 TWh curtailed cited) are central to the rationale.
• Feb 23, 2026

  Sam Altman’s Water Defense: Inside OpenAI’s Battle Over AI’s True Environmental Cost

  OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly pushed back against claims that each ChatGPT query consumes roughly a bottle of water, while acknowledging AI’s substantial energy consumption.

  • Main announcement: Sam Altman denied the viral per-query water statistic, calling it “completely untrue”, but did acknowledge AI’s large energy use; OpenAI did not provide detailed, location- or cooling-method-specific water or energy data in his rebuttal.
  • Background and details: The article cites a UC Riverside study that estimated ~500 milliliters per query on average (and ~700,000 liters for training GPT-3), notes Microsoft’s commitment to spend more than $80 billion on AI-capable data centers in its current fiscal year, records Google’s pledge to operate on “24/7 carbon-free energy across all its data centers by 2030”, and references the IEA’s projection that data center electricity consumption could double by 2026; the Uptime Institute is cited saying average data center lifespans are 20–25 years.
• Feb 23, 2026

  UP govt signs ₹19,877 crore investment MoUs in Singapore across logistics, data centres and green energy

  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced securing investment commitments worth ₹19,877 crore during his Singapore visit.

  • Main announcement: The state secured investment commitments totalling ₹19,877 crore, including Universal Success Group ₹6,650 crore for group housing, logistics parks and data centre projects, Golden State Capital ₹8,000 crore to build a 100-megawatt data centre, PIDG ₹2,500 crore for renewable energy/green hydrogen/Agri-PV, and AVPN Limited ₹2,727 crore for renewable energy and Agri-PV initiatives.
  • Background and implementation details: Several MoUs were signed with global organisations and investors; the state emphasised transparent policy environment and time-bound approvals. A cooperation agreement with ITE Education Services (ITEES) was signed for TVET strengthening (consultancy, academic planning, infrastructure upgradation, leadership and capacity building, ISQ certification, quality assurance).
• Feb 23, 2026

  The Environmental Price of a 15-Minute Essay

  Nathan Morales (Staff Writer, The Mesa Press) calls for awareness of the environmental impact of routine AI use at San Diego Mesa College.

  • Main announcement/action: The author highlights that widespread student and faculty use of AI (e.g., students completing essays in 15 minutes and professors grading via AI) is linked to increased energy demand due to data centers; the piece cites a 2025 Journal of Environmental Management study that found AI activity is significantly associated with greater carbon emissions and identified a “Digital Rebound Effect” where AI efficiency increases overall usage.
  • Background and details: The article documents concrete concerns — data centers run 24/7, use massive electricity and often water-intensive cooling systems, and scaling usage by thousands of students magnifies impacts; the author explicitly states this is not a call to ban AI but a call for digital responsibility and awareness.
• Feb 23, 2026 · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

  Internal Value Chains Remain Dependent on China Even as Multinationals Shift Production to America

  The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) report argues that although advanced manufacturers from East Asia are expanding investment into the United States, many of their internal value chains remain anchored in China, creating strategic vulnerabilities; it recommends U.S. policymakers pursue both defensive monitoring and offensive financial incentives to reduce PRC leverage.

  • Main findings and concrete examples: The report finds many firms follow China-Plus-One/China-Plus-Many patterns—adding U.S. production without relocating high‑value inputs and IP from China. Case studies include Inventec (phase-one U.S. retrofit; board‑approved $85M expansion; phase-two $50M estimated, completion projected June 2026; Texas plant to ship B300 servers by Q1 2026), LS C&S / LS GreenLink (750,000 sq ft subsea cable factory in Chesapeake estimated at $681 million, broken ground April 2025; a proposed additional Chesapeake factory ~$689 million under feasibility review), and Resonac (consortia- and R&D-focused U.S. engagement while maintaining China‑filed patents and production presence). The report also highlights Fortune Electric (Project Stargate contract ~$63 million) as a target firm for U.S. outreach.
  • Policy recommendations and timelines: ITIF recommends incorporating China‑dependency monitoring into Commerce/ITA work (create a NIST-backed Strategic Dependency Index), tie industrial incentives (CHIPS/IRA/states) to reduced PRC supply‑chain dependency or to matching upstream China capabilities, expand supply‑chain stress testing via the NSC and agencies, and evaluate targeted financial interventions (time-limited subsidies or contingent equity) to induce relocation of critical upstream capabilities. Implementation steps and program adjustments are described as near‑term priorities (analytical and reporting changes immediately; project funding and conditional incentives phased through typical federal/state grant and procurement cycles).
• Feb 21, 2026

  The Hidden Cost of America’s AI Boom: How Trump’s Pollution Rollbacks Are Clearing the Way for Coal-Fired Data Centers

  The Environmental Protection Agency finalized the repeal of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) under the Trump administration.

  • Main action: The EPA, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, finalized repeal of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) (originally implemented in 2012) to ease limits on mercury, arsenic and other hazardous pollutants; the administration explicitly framed the rollback as necessary to keep generation capacity online to power AI data centers. The EPA had previously estimated MATS would prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 asthma attacks annually.
  • Legal and political follow-up: A coalition of state attorneys general (New York, California, Illinois) and environmental groups (Sierra Club, Earthjustice) have signaled intent to sue and prepare litigation; Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to codify MATS into law (not expected to pass in the current Congress). The article reports the repeal is part of a broader deregulatory push including relaxed carbon and methane rules and streamlined permitting for fossil fuel infrastructure.