Florida Data Center Intel

Recent Florida data center news

• Apr 29, 2026

  Energy Subcommittee Hearing Focuses on Affordability, Grid Modernization

  The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee questioned utility experts on seven proposed bills about AI and its effects on the energy grid.

  • Main announcement: The Subcommittee reviewed seven bills that would increase agency collaboration, establish a public clearinghouse for “advanced transmission technologies”, and direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to study the real impacts of data centers on utility price hikes; testimony included Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Nick Meyers and other state and business representatives.
  • Background and details: Rep. Bob Latta emphasized the administration’s goal to out-compete China and to “refocus Federal authorities on policies that matter most to the American people: abundant and reliable energy supplies at an affordable price”; Rep. Kathy Castor urged use of modern, fast-emerging tools and cited a Brattle report finding that raising grid utilization above 53 percent could save ratepayers more than $100 billion over the next decade. Meyers warned against overly uniform federal approaches, noting the West’s grid ties to BPA, SRP, WAPA, and cited limiting constraints such as substations, transformers, and interconnection facilities as key issues (also highlighting interconnection queues, supply chain bottlenecks, and permitting reforms).
• Apr 29, 2026

  Light Years Ahead: 123NET’s Amanda Griffith

  The Fiber Broadband Association announced Fiber Connect Conference 2026, a four-day industry conference in Orlando bringing together leaders to discuss fiber broadband technologies, partnerships and policies.

  • Main announcement: Fiber Connect 2026 will be hosted by the Fiber Broadband Association, running May 17–20 as a four-day conference in Orlando with about 5,000 expected attendees; the theme is “Light Years Ahead” and the event focuses on the next wave of connected communities and fiber broadband deployment.
  • Event details and panel announcement: The conference will be held at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida; Amanda Griffith, Director of Fiber Engineering at 123NET, will participate in the panel “Improving Project Efficiency Through Collaboration, Clarity and Proactive Engagement” scheduled for Monday, May 18.
    • Date range: May 17–20, 2026
    • Panel date: Monday, May 18, 2026
    • Location: Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Kissimmee, Florida, United States
    • Panel participants: Amanda Griffith (123NET); Moderator Colby Humphrey (Broadband Access Initiative, Pew Charitable Trusts); Panelists Laura Kocher (Great Plains Communications), Louis Panzer (NC811.org), Colin Rose (DayStarr Communications)

  Context: This is an event announcement describing agenda and participants rather than analysis or commentary. All facts above are stated in the article.

• Apr 27, 2026

  Residents left furious as their picturesque small town surrounded by forests and nature is set to be 'ruined' by sprawling data centers... but they're refusing to back down

  Cornell Realty Management has applied to develop the Wildcat Ridge AI Data Center and multiple developers are preparing to build several large data centres in Archbald, Pennsylvania.

  • Project scope & developer action: Cornell Realty Management applied for the Wildcat Ridge AI Data Center campus (14 centres across 400 acres) and other proposals could see 51 data warehouses built on ~14% of Archbald’s land; developers claim the campus would be at least 1,500 feet from homes, create 1,280 jobs, be as quiet as a ‘normal conversation’, and use about 50,000 gallons of water a day.
  • Permitting, finances & community response: Developers state the project would generate $7 million in annual borough tax revenue and $23 million for the school system; residents and local officials (including Mayor Shirley Barrett) are actively opposing the plans via a Stop Archbald Data Centers Facebook group (~10,000 members) and council meetings. Additional state and local permits are required and construction could still take months to years to begin even if local approvals advance.
• Apr 23, 2026

  FirstNet Showcases Disaster Response Network

  FirstNet showcased expanded deployable emergency communications technologies and AT&T reported delivering over 2,500 deployable solutions last year; the U.S. House voted to extend the FirstNet Authority authorization through September 2037.

  • Showcase announcement: FirstNet (built and operated by AT&T, overseen by the FirstNet Authority) displayed ~1,000 types of technologies and reported 2,500 deployable solutions delivered last year; AT&T highlighted a fleet of 67 deployable trailers staged across five U.S. warehouses and cited a Hartford, Tennessee deployment where 3 trailers were used to recreate a damaged central office, restoring cell sites within three days and full services by the end of the month.
  • Policy and technology updates: The U.S. House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the FirstNet Authority through September 2037 (preventing a 2027 sunset); federal regulators (FCC) approved AST SpaceMobile to expand direct-to-cell service using AT&T and Verizon spectrum; the showcase also featured a 45-foot landing craft (diesel-powered, 400-gallon fuel tank, 40-foot pump and hose), drones, LMR systems, 3D imaging, and direct-to-device satellite technology. Officials reported a 10% year-over-year increase in requests.
• Apr 23, 2026 · Hensel Phelps

  Recent Project Wins: Advancing Domestic Manufacturing Across Critical Sectors

  Hensel Phelps has been selected for multiple U.S. manufacturing projects including Nammo’s rocket motor factory, Jabil’s Project Shine renovation, and SPS Technologies’ Jenkintown 2.0 redevelopment.

  • Main announcement: Hensel Phelps was selected as General Contractor for Nammo’s new rocket motor facility in Perry, Florida (scheduled to be operational by end of 2027), awarded as GC; awarded Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMAR) delivery for Jabil Project Shine in Salisbury, NC and for SPS Technologies Jenkintown 2.0 in Abington, PA. The Jenkintown rebuild covers a 20-acre site with a 335,500-square-foot facility including a central utility plant, substation, plating lines and a wastewater treatment plant.
  • Background and details:Jabil is pursuing a planned multi-year $500 million investment to expand U.S. manufacturing for cloud and AI data-center hardware (link referenced); Nammo’s expansion aims to strengthen U.S.-based solid rocket motor production and transatlantic industrial cooperation; the Jenkintown project is rebuilding after a February 2025 fire and is designed to meet at least LEED Silver certification. Delivery model timelines: Jabil & SPS use CMAR for phased execution and early cost alignment; Nammo site has clearing and groundwork underway with vertical construction to follow.
• Apr 23, 2026

  Region struggling with pollution, annual air quality report shows

  The American Lung Association released its 27th annual “State of the Air” report.

  • Main findings: The report rates counties on ozone and particle pollution for 2022–2024, finding most west-central Illinois counties failed for high-ozone days; Sangamon County recorded 21 orange-status high-ozone days (2022–2024) and the Springfield-Jacksonville-Lincoln area ranked 38th worst nationally for ozone. It also reports Illinois has 229 existing or approved data centers, and cites U.S. data centers consuming ~4.4% of national electricity today with projections to double or triple by 2028 and potentially account for up to 12% of U.S. electricity within the next decade.
  • Context and calls to action: The report criticizes recent EPA actions as weakening protections and states “Hard-fought progress is now at grave risk.” It calls on the EPA to reaffirm public-health protections and urges Illinois policymakers to pass the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance, support state legislation to curb warehouse pollution, and expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. The report notes 33.5 million children live in areas that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution.
• Apr 19, 2026

  Prichard Mayor says she talked to potential new developer about noise, traffic, and environmental impact concerns

  Prichard Mayor Carletta Davis said she met with Edged Energy to review a proposed data center development in the City of Prichard.

  • Main announcement: The City hosted a Community Meeting (April 7, 2026) where Edged Energy introduced plans for a proposed data center representing an estimated $93 million investment, potentially bringing approximately 20 jobs with salaries exceeding $70,000 per year; the Mayor emphasized careful evaluation balancing community impact, economic opportunity, and long-term sustainability.
  • Background and details: Meeting attendees discussed noise, traffic, and environmental impact (especially water usage); Edged Energy said facilities are designed to operate quietly (“comparable to a normal conversation”), are typically sited in industrial areas, use advanced technology to reduce strain on local resources, and committed to transparency and ongoing community engagement.
• Apr 16, 2026

  Energy Officials Pressured to Expand Grid as AI Demand Surges

  The U.S. Department of Energy, through Energy Secretary Chris Wright, told the House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 16, 2026 that surging demand from AI and data centers requires rapid expansion of generation and grid capacity.

  • DOE exploring federal land and existing sites to accelerate deployment of data centers alongside new power generation, citing evaluation of a former federal site in Portsmouth, Ohio; goal is to expand supply while shielding local consumers from price increases (testimony given April 16, 2026 before the House Energy and Commerce Committee).
  • DOE says renewables alone are insufficient for sustained AI growth; advocates permitting reforms to speed construction of generation and transmission, highlights “dispatchable” sources like nuclear as “crucial”, and identifies cybersecurity as a “major” issue while citing partnerships under the Genesis Mission with national laboratories, universities, and private industry.
• Apr 16, 2026

  Industry Leaders Urge Congress to Boost Chip Policy to Win AI Race Against China

  Industry experts urged Congress to adopt policies to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, R&D, permitting reform, and tariff exemptions to better compete with China.

  • Main announcement: During a House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing (reported April 16, 2026), four industry experts testified urging Congress to pass policies to expand chip production, increase semiconductor R&D, extend tax credits, create tariff exemptions for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and enact permitting reform to speed construction of semiconductor fabs and data centers. Key proponents include Jason Oxman (ITI), Jason Grebe (Intel), Asad Ramzanali (Vanderbilt University), and Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Darren Soto, Kathy Castor, and Yvette Clarke.
  • Background and details: The article references the CHIPS and Science Act (2022) which provided more than $50 billion in manufacturing incentives, warns of funding cuts and staff layoffs at the CHIPS program and the National Semiconductor Technology Center, notes the advanced manufacturing tax credit is slated to expire at the end of this year, and cites concerns about reliance on foreign supply chains (notably Taiwan) and slower U.S. approvals for specialty chemicals compared with Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
• Apr 15, 2026

  Energy company wants eminent domain for power lines in SW Pa. for data centers in Virginia

  NextEra Energy Transmission MidAtlantic Inc. is seeking a certificate of public convenience from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to build the 107-mile MidAtlantic Resiliency Link and to obtain eminent domain rights in Pennsylvania.

  • Project details & authority: NextEra plans a 107-mile transmission line (reported as a 500-volt line in the article) from Dunkard Township, Greene County, PA to an endpoint in Northern Virginia; the project was awarded by PJM to meet data center demand and retirements, and NextEra is requesting a PUC certificate that would grant eminent domain authority.
  • Local impacts, economics & schedule: NextEra estimates $33 million in Pennsylvania economic output during construction and 150 construction and related jobs, while its filings state no full-time jobs will remain in-state after completion; opposition noted by the Center for Coalfield Justice cites residents’ fears of losing homes.
    • Prehearing conference: May 6, 10:00 am, before Administrative Law Judge John M. Coogan (Pennsylvania PUC proceeding).