Colorado Data Center News

Mar 11, 2026

EdgeCore Returns With Revised Mesa Data Center Plan

EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure has returned to Mesa’s Planning and Zoning Board to seek approval for a revised, scaled-back Mesa North Campus site plan.

Main action: EdgeCore is seeking approval on March 11, 2026 for a reduced site plan that cuts the previously approved 2.1 million-square-foot expansion down to two buildings totaling 1,236,960 square feet (roughly 800,000 sq ft less). The reduction follows an SRP infrastructure requirement that led to removal of the southernmost planned building and accommodation of an SRP switchyard/substation on the property. The revised plan, if recommended by the Planning and Zoning Board, will advance to the Mesa City Council; construction timing will depend on available power and is expected to be delivered in phases.
Background and details: EdgeCore previously announced the Mesa expansion on Jan. 4, 2024 after securing $1.9 billion in financing (MUFG as administrative agent; led by TD Securities, ING Capital LLC, Scotiabank, Santander and MUFG). EdgeCore later acquired 43.87 acres for $43.95 million (May 2025) to support planned capacity of more than 450 megawatts; the full campus includes an original 180,000-square-foot data center and two buildings under construction (identified as PH02 and PH03). The site is described as a secure technology park with reliable power, dense fiber, and high-efficiency cooling systems designed for low water use.

Mar 5, 2026

U.S. Issues First Commercial Construction Permit for a Nuclear Reactor in Years

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a construction permit for a TerraPower subsidiary to build a sodium-cooled commercial reactor in western Wyoming.

Main announcement: The NRC issued its first construction permit for a commercial reactor in eight years, allowing TerraPower to begin construction within weeks on an up-to $4 billion plant near Kemmerer, Wyoming; completion is targeted for 2030 and the reactor is rated 345 megawatts (up to 500 MW peak).
Background and details: The permit is the NRC’s first for a non-light-water commercial reactor in more than 40 years; the plant will be sited beside a coal-fired plant being converted to natural gas, will use molten sodium as a coolant, and TerraPower says it is lining up sources of highly enriched uranium domestically and in South Africa. In January, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a first step toward modernizing the fuel cycle and invited states to express interest by April 1.

Mar 4, 2026

Data Center Jobs: Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Sales, Field Service and Facility Tech Jobs Available in Major Data Center Hotspots

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Pkaza, has posted the latest roundup of data center career opportunities on the Data Center Frontier jobs board.

Main announcement: Data Center Frontier and Pkaza published 13 current data center job listings across the United States (examples include Electrical Applications Engineer, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Production Architect – Data Center Facilities Design, Director of Construction, and Data Center Facility Operations Director), with many roles offering remote options or multiple city locations (e.g., Pittsburgh, Dallas, New York, Ashburn, Columbus, Boulder, Chesterton, Augusta).
Background and details: Listings are provided by/for mission-critical and colo/hyperscale sectors and emphasize reliability, energy efficiency, sustainable design and LEED expertise; roles cover engineering design & commissioning firms, electrical contracting, general contracting and data center developers, and include positions supporting AI/HPC infrastructure and brownfield conversions.

Mar 3, 2026

Climate research is global — risks and responsibilities should also be distributed

The US National Science Foundation has sought proposals to privatize NCAR’s Mesa Laboratory and announced the transfer of NCAR’s supercomputing centre to a third party.

Main announcement: The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has sought proposals for privatizing NCAR’s Mesa Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, and has announced the transfer of NCAR’s supercomputing centre in Cheyenne, Wyoming to an unnamed third party.
Background/details: The actions are reported as part of broader plans by the administration of US President Donald Trump to dismantle NCAR; the report is published in Nature (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00680-z) and references an earlier DOI link https://doi.org/qsk2 (2025).

Feb 27, 2026 · RMI

Why Communities Can and Must Consider Electricity Affordability and Risk Together

Stephen Abbott of RMI argues that communities should consider electricity affordability and risk together and pursue diverse, distributed energy portfolios rather than relying solely on large centralized fossil-fuel generation.

Main announcement/action: Communities and local governments should adopt portfolio-based energy strategies (energy efficiency, batteries, renewables, virtual power plants, and other flexible resources) to reduce price volatility and operational risk; RMI highlights concrete examples including data center-driven load growth of 32% by 2030, and Burlington’s 59,204 MWh annual reduction from its energy efficiency program.
Background and details: The piece cites recent cost and risk evidence: ComEd provided $277 million (2024) for efficiency programs yielding an estimated $3.2 billion in customer savings; reliance on fossil fuels produced at least $390 million in excess costs for communities around the Prairie State Energy Campus over four years; typical monthly fuel charges in Florida doubled from ~$20 to ~$40 (2020–2023); utilities such as TVA are proposing large new gas facilities as a conventional response.

Feb 26, 2026

$12B Amazon data center build will rely on surplus water

Amazon has announced a $12 billion multi-site data center campus across Caddo and Bossier Parishes in Louisiana.

Project scope & funding: Amazon will invest $12 billion to develop interconnected campuses in Caddo and Bossier Parishes, including $400 million allocated for local water infrastructure (using only verified surplus water) and a $250,000 community fund for STEM and local projects. Construction is expected to start in the coming weeks; STACK Infrastructure will lead development and Southwestern Electric Power Company will be the local utility partner with Amazon paying 100% of new energy infrastructure expenses.
Context & related projects: The announcement follows other multibillion-dollar data center projects in Louisiana, including Jacobs starting phase one of a $10 billion Hut 8 project (Hut 8 expects operations to begin Q2 2027) and a $10 billion Meta data center near Monroe being built by Turner, DPR and Mortenson. The article is an announcement summarizing Amazon’s commitment and situating it within recent regional data center investments.

Feb 24, 2026

How Data Centers Are Transforming Waste Heat Into Efficiency Gains

atNorth has announced integration of its DEN01 data center with Vestforbrænding’s district heating to supply waste heat to local homes and businesses.

Main announcement: atNorth’s DEN01 will provide 22.5 MW of capacity using direct liquid cooling (DLC), target a PUE < 1.2, and will feed excess warm-water (DLC byproduct) via a heat pump installed and operated by Vestforbrændingen / Vestforbrænding to heat over 8,000 homes; atNorth also has sites under construction in Kouvola (Finland) and Ølgod (Denmark) and land secured for a 200-500 MW campus in Sweden.
Background and other details: MSOE’s Rosie uses two Nvidia DGX H100s and integrates waste heat into building HVAC; the National Laboratory of the Rockies’ ESIF pairs a 10 MW supercomputer with warm-water liquid cooling to achieve PUE 1.04 and SmithGroup-designed EMAPS can use up to 3 MW of waste heat; suppliers/technologies mentioned include heat pumps, thermal energy storage (Novacab 5 by TESS Energy Solutions / SPCMs) and ongoing pilot implementations.

Feb 23, 2026

Braemont Capital Invests in Vero

Braemont Capital announced an investment in VFN Holdings, Inc. (Vero Networks) in partnership with Hamilton Lane and Delta-v Capital.

Transaction details: The investment will accelerate Vero’s expansion of FTTP and wholesale fiber networks and support continued strategic M&A across U.S. markets; Brent Burnett and Peter Udbye (Hamilton Lane) and Wali Bacdayan (Braemont) will join Vero’s Board as value-add partners, while Rand Lewis (Delta-v) will remain on the Board.
Background and advisors: Vero is founded in 2017 and based in Boulder, Colorado, serving customers including education, government, hyperscale and data centers; legal and advisory firms on the deal include Hogan Lovells, Cruz-Abrams Seigel, Morgan Lewis, DLA Piper LLP, TVG Consulting LLC, BSP Technical Advisors, Bank Street Group, and Kirkland & Ellis. Hamilton Lane reports $1.0 trillion in assets under management and supervision (with $146.1 billion discretionary and $871.5 billion non-discretionary as of Dec 31, 2025) and Delta-v Capital manages over $1.3B in assets.

Feb 21, 2026

Invenergy Inks Supply Deal for Three New Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants in Arizona

Invenergy has announced an agreement with a subsidiary of Tallgrass to provide natural gas infrastructure supporting development of up to three new natural gas-fired power plants in Arizona (Maricopa and Yuma counties), announced February 20.

Main announcement:Invenergy signed an agreement (announced February 20) with a subsidiary of Tallgrass to supply the natural gas infrastructure needed for development of up to three new natural gas-fired power plants in Maricopa and Yuma counties, Arizona; plant names and exact locations were not disclosed.
Background and details:Tallgrass operates more than 10,000 miles of pipelines and will provide long-term gas supply; Arizona demand is expected to increase by more than 40% over the next five years (drivers cited: population growth, manufacturing, electrification, AI and data centers). Invenergy is also developing the 475-MW Hashknife Solar Energy Center (expected online next year) and Invenergy/affiliates have developed more than 220 projects totaling >36 GW of generation capacity.

Feb 20, 2026

Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

This article analyzes shifting patterns in data center site selection in the United States and is an analytical overview rather than a new corporate or government announcement.

Main finding: Data center site selection is diversifying as power capacity expansion, long-haul fiber, streamlined permitting, and incentives reduce legacy clustering in hubs such as Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, and the greater Chicago area.
Drivers and trade-offs: The piece outlines six selection factors — Infrastructure, Demand Proximity, Economics, Governance, Risk and Resilience, and Community and Social License — and cites emerging markets in parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Mississippi, alongside growing urban hubs like Boston and Denver.

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