Delaware Data Center News

Feb 20, 2026

Episode for February 20, 2026

The Allegheny Front released a podcast episode on Feb 20, 2026 covering an avian flu surge and regional environmental and industrial issues.

Episode details & main stories: The Feb 20, 2026 episode (runtime 29:30, downloadable mp3) focuses on an avian flu surge in Pennsylvania with state agricultural officials and USDA increasing testing and surveillance; it also reviews the aftermath of the Clairton Coke Works explosion (now six months after two deaths) and the transfer of the plant to Nippon (Nippon’s plans have not yet been released).
Additional reporting & concrete details: The episode summarizes a new study on deaths attributable to air pollution in the Pittsburgh region; it highlights growing opposition to dozens of proposed data centers in the region and cites a specific proposal in Delaware City that would use 20 million gallons of water a year. All facts are drawn from linked reporting and the episode content.

Feb 4, 2026

Cipher Mining Inc. Announces Pricing of $2.0 Billion of Senior Secured Notes

Cipher Mining Inc. has announced the pricing of a $2.0 billion secured notes offering by its wholly-owned subsidiary Black Pearl Compute LLC.

$2.0 billion offering priced at 6.125% senior secured notes due 2031, sold in a private offering (Rule 144A and Regulation S), expected to close on February 11, 2026; net proceeds intended primarily to finance the remaining cost of the Black Pearl Facility (a high-performance computing data center in Wink, Texas).
The Issuer will reimburse Cipher approximately $232.5 million for prior equity contributions to fund Black Pearl capital expenditures, fund debt service reserves, and pay fees/expenses; the Notes are guaranteed by Cipher Black Pearl LLC and 11786 Wink LLC, and secured by first-priority liens on substantially all assets of the Issuer and the Guarantors and on all equity interests of the Issuer held by Black Pearl Holdings LLC; Cipher will provide a completion guarantee for timely facility completion.

Feb 3, 2026

Cipher Mining Inc. Announces Proposed Offering of $2.00 Billion of Senior Secured Notes

Cipher Mining Inc. has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Black Pearl Compute LLC intends to offer $2.00 billion of senior secured notes due 2031.

Issuer and offering: Black Pearl Compute LLC intends to offer, subject to market conditions, $2.00 billion aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2031 to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A and to non-U.S. persons under Regulation S; net proceeds are intended to finance the remaining cost of the Black Pearl Facility (a high-performance computing data center in Wink, Texas) and to reimburse Cipher approximately $232.5 million for prior equity contributions.
Security, guarantees, and use of proceeds: The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Cipher Black Pearl and 11786 Wink LLC, secured by first-priority liens on substantially all assets of the Issuer and Guarantors and on the Issuer’s equity held by Black Pearl Holdings LLC; Cipher will provide a customary completion guarantee to fund the Issuer if Note proceeds are insufficient to complete the Black Pearl Facility. The offering is subject to market conditions and may not be completed.

Jan 26, 2026

Laying the Foundation for Low-Emission Cement and Concrete

Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced the Concrete and Asphalt Innovation Act (S.1067) in March 2025; the House reintroduced the IMPACT Act (H.R.1534) to establish a temporary low-emission cement, concrete, and asphalt program at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Main announcement/action: The Senate introduced S.1067 (Concrete and Asphalt Innovation Act) in March 2025 to accelerate the use of low-emission concrete and asphalt; the House reintroduced H.R.1534 (IMPACT Act) to create a temporary low-emission cement, concrete, and asphalt program at the U.S. Department of Energy (legislative actions introduced/reintroduced in 2025).
Background & other details:Market valuation: global green concrete market $39 billion (2024) projected to reach $102 billion (2032); targets to reduce clinker-to-cement ratio include the American Cement Association moving from 0.88 to 0.75 by 2050 and the GCCA projecting a global drop from 0.76 to 0.52 by 2050. Research and industry actions cited: Northwestern University developed a carbon-negative cement from seawater, Qatar University found a concrete mix with treated wastewater + recycled aggregates + 20% fly ash reduced maintenance costs by 60% and life-cycle costs by 19%; tech company partnerships include AWS using low-carbon concrete from American Rock Products for U.S. data centers and Meta partnering with CarbonBuilt.

Jan 22, 2026

South Korea Switchgear Market Outlook 2026–2036: Grid Modernization and Renewables Drive 4.8% CAGR

Future Market Insights has published a market outlook forecasting South Korea’s switchgear market size and drivers through 2036.

Main announcement: FMI projects market expenditure of USD 148.5 million in 2026 growing to USD 238.3 million by 2036 at a 4.8% CAGR (2026–2036); the report highlights grid modernization, renewable integration, industrial electrification, and utility-led T&D investment (KEPCO) as primary demand drivers.
Background and details: The release outlines segment-level drivers such as low-voltage dominance (urbanization, EV charging, rooftop solar), medium/DC switchgear for renewables and storage, regional hotspots (Jeju, South Gyeongsang, South Jeolla, North Jeolla), technology trends (SF6-free alternatives, IoT sensors), and competitive landscape featuring ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric, GE, Eaton and domestic suppliers.

Jan 21, 2026

Virginia proposes 20.78GW storage mandate as Trump, governors call for emergency PJM grid measures

Virginia state delegate Richard C. ‘Rip’ Sullivan, Jr has introduced HB895 to raise mandatory energy storage procurement targets for Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia.

Main announcement: HB895 would require Appalachian Power to add 780MW short-duration by 2040 and 520MW long-duration by 2045, and Dominion Energy to add 16,000MW short-duration and 3,480MW long-duration by 2045; the bill is nearly identical to HB2537 (vetoed May 2025) but raises Dominion’s short-duration target from 5,220MW to 16,000MW within the same timeframe.
Background and related actions: The Trump administration and a bipartisan group of governors urged PJM (16 January) to hold an emergency procurement auction and to build more than US$15 billion of baseload generation; PJM responded by initiating a “Reliability Backstop Procurement” and directed immediate process discussions and deadlines to be considered at the 22 January Members Committee meeting. The bill and procurement push are motivated by rapidly rising demand in Virginia—driven largely by data centres—and recommendations from groups such as MAREC Action, NRDC, and Environment America.

Jan 20, 2026

M&A Predictions and Guidance for 2026

Ethan Klingsberg of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP lays out M&A predictions and guidance for 2026.

Main announcement (2026 M&A outlook): Klingsberg predicts a shift in M&A dynamics in 2026 driven by antitrust uncertainty (DOJ/FTC politics, state antitrust reviews, and Congressional hearings), the data center boom (noting the 2025 build-out’s contribution to U.S. GDP growth) as a short-lived but powerful M&A driver, and increased deal complexity around regulatory risk allocations (higher reverse termination fees, extended outside dates).
Background and supporting details: He highlights Delaware jurisprudence developments (including Tornetta v Musk and Chancery Court practice), potential DExit momentum toward Nevada/Texas incorporation but investor pushback, standardization of M&A agreements (via AI tools and fixed fees), and a resurgence of private equity M&A led by Middle Eastern funds in 2026.

Jan 20, 2026

OpenAI Reports Over $20 Billion Estimated Revenue for 2025 Amidst Wider AI Adoption

OpenAI reported annualised revenue surpassing $20 billion in 2025 and outlined plans toward a potential public listing.

Main announcement: OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar reported annualised revenue of over $20 billion in 2025, with ARR progression from $2 billion (2023) to $6 billion (2024) to > $20 billion (2025), and compute capacity rising from 0.2 GW (2023) to 1.9 GW (2025). The company is preparing for a potential IPO targeting a 2027 debut (possible filing in H2 2026) and has discussed raising ~$60 billion or more in the offering.
Background and concrete details: OpenAI completed a recapitalisation in Oct 2025 structuring the nonprofit (OpenAI Foundation) to hold roughly $130 billion in equity in the for-profit OpenAI Group PBC; Microsoft holds ~27% ownership of the for-profit (valued at ~$135 billion on an as-converted diluted basis) with exclusive IP rights extended through 2032. The company faces estimated compute-contract obligations of $1.4 trillion (reported November 2025) across providers including Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle, and began testing advertisements in ChatGPT free/lower-tier plans in January 2026.

Jan 19, 2026

Constellation Completes Acquisition of Calpine; Groups Have 55 GW of Generation Capacity

Constellation has completed its acquisition of Calpine Corp. from Energy Capital Partners (ECP).

Transaction completed: Constellation completed the announced cash-and-stock acquisition of Calpine (initially announced as a $16.4-billion deal a year earlier); the transaction has a total value of $26.6 billion including debt, and the combined company will have 55 GW of generation capacity and serve 2.5 million retail and business customers. The merged company will maintain headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, with a significant presence in Houston, Texas, and will supply power to data centers, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure.
Regulatory settlement and divestitures: To resolve U.S. antitrust concerns the DOJ Antitrust Division and the Texas Attorney General required the divestiture of six power plants (four serving PJM and two serving ERCOT): Bethlehem Energy Center; York Energy Center (York 1 and York 2); Hay Road Energy Center; Edge Moor Energy Center; Jack A. Fusco Energy Center; Gregory Power Plant. The DOJ filed a proposed consent decree (the Division’s first electricity-merger consent decree in 14 years) to address competition concerns in ERCOT and PJM.

Jan 16, 2026

Evolving Technologies, Outdated Regulations Impact Mid-Atlantic Generation Permitting

Saul Ewing partners Thomas Prevas and Dan Skowronski summarize state-level procedural and permitting reforms in the Mid-Atlantic (Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey) that centralize permitting review and consider expanding regulated utility roles in generation to address reliability and load-growth challenges.

Main announcement/action: States are pursuing centralization of permitting review at state commissions and public utility boards and are exploring regulated utility ownership/sponsorship of generation assets as a policy response in 2026; Maryland overrode a governor veto in December 2025 to study data center/energy co-location, and Pennsylvania created a commission to study data center attraction and co-location of generation assets.
Background and details: The commentary highlights data center campus demands of 500 to 1,000 MW, legal/regulatory gaps for behind-the-meter co-located generation, the emergence of CPCN-like programs for battery storage (Maryland) and proposed classification of storage as an “inherently beneficial use” in New Jersey, and notes unresolved roles for FERC, RTOs (including PJM), and state public service commissions; it is an expert commentary summarizing observed and proposed reforms rather than announcing a single new project.

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