Georgia Data Center Intel

Recent Georgia data center news

• May 13, 2026

  AI Infrastructure’s Next Bottleneck May Be Public Acceptance

  Melissa Farney (Data Center Frontier) argues that AI data center expansion has become a first‑order political and permitting constraint, citing recent legislative and local actions including the “Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act” proposal and Maine’s LD 307 veto.

  • Main point: The article states that AI‑oriented data center growth is now a core political and permitting risk for operators, not just a siting or PR issue, citing industry forecasts such as JLL’s ~$710 billion North America capex projection to 2026 and project‑level impact estimates from Data Center Watch (approximately $18B blocked and $46B delayed, totalling $64B) and a New York Times compilation of $156B across 48 AI projects disrupted in 2025.
  • Key supporting facts & recent actions: Federal and state moves are already concrete: Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez unveiled the “Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act”; Maine’s LD 307 (would have paused data centers >20 MW through Nov 1, 2027) was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills; local utilities like the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) imposed a 12‑month moratorium on new water/sewer hookups in April 2026. The article also highlights New Jersey bill S731/A796 (require 85% of requested service for 10 years for very large loads) as an example of state-level cost‑allocation tools.
• May 13, 2026

  Corporate clean energy demand remains ‘extremely strong’: CEBA CEO

  CEBA reports record corporate clean energy procurement and calls for permitting and transmission reform.

  • Main announcement: CEBA (Corporate Energy Buyers Association) said it recorded 27 GW of new contracted clean energy in 2025 and reported an estimated 17 GW procured in Q1 2026 (S&P Global estimate), declaring 2026 on pace to be “by far, the largest year ever in corporate clean energy buying.” CEO Rich Powell made these remarks at DC Climate Week during an April 20 talk and in an interview with ESG Dive.
  • Background and details: CEBA represents over 300 members with more than $38 trillion in market capitalization; members (notably hyperscalers Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft) are driving the market and are expected to spend up to $700 billion in capex in 2026. Powell emphasized permitting and transmission reform (referencing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act / SPEED Act) as a near-term policy priority, and cited market examples including ERCOT/Texas and Georgia’s Customer Identified Resource Program (approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission, voted 5-0).
• May 12, 2026

  Organized Opposition Collides with AI Data Center Growth

  Data Center Opposition has launched a platform to track and connect local anti-data-center groups and provide an open, monthly-updated dataset.

  • Launch details and scope: The site Data Center Opposition (launched by a coalition of community groups and advocacy organizations) publishes an open dataset that tracks 268 local opposition groups across 37 states with roughly 360,000 followers, and the dataset is updated monthly to help communities connect and organize.
  • Background, purpose and limits: The dataset is designed as coordination infrastructure (not a definitive outcomes tracker), compiles entries primarily via Facebook, websites, fundraising pages, media and outreach, and has known limitations including under-counting offline mobilization and not tracking whether opposition changed project outcomes; the article also cites concrete project impacts — e.g., the Prince William County Digital Gateway (a proposed 37-building campus) had approvals voided in 2025, county officials withdrew from litigation, and one developer exited the project.
• May 6, 2026

  Power Drives the AI Data Center Boom, but Connectivity Cannot be Overlooked

  An analysis argues that data center operators must prioritize power and optical connectivity for AI.

  • Main point: The piece highlights power and optical connectivity as essential prerequisites for AI, citing Omdia’s forecast that global IT load power capacity will reach 314 GW by 2030 and noting the emergence of the “scale across“ concept (coined in 2025 by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang) which requires 800 Gbps+, low-latency optical links to operate multi-site AI clusters and gigawatt-scale training campuses.
  • Background/details: The article is commentary/analysis (not a formal project announcement). It documents current industry pressures: typical large colocation sites support 50–100 MW, hyperscaler clusters are being planned at gigawatt scale, regional power supply wait times of 2–5 years, and a shift toward remote rural builds (examples: Lancaster PA; Memphis; Columbus, Ohio; rural Georgia; New Mexico; Wyoming) that require long-haul fiber links sometimes up to ~1,000 km. It references trade shows and forums including Metro Connect (Florida), Nvidia’s GTC, OFC, and the Optica Executive Forum.
• May 6, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - May 5, 2026

  EESI will host a briefing with American Rivers on May 7 about U.S. water infrastructure challenges and solutions.

  • Briefing with American Rivers on May 7: EESI and American Rivers will hold a briefing titled Policies and Financing Solutions to Modernize U.S. Water Infrastructure on Thursday, May 7, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., at the Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168) and online; agenda includes U.S. water infrastructure challenges, solutions to close the investment gap, and discussion of the January 2026 Potomac River sewer collapse that discharged 200 million gallons of raw sewage.

    • Location: Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168)
    • Time & Date: Thursday, May 7, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    • RSVP: https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/050726water#rsvp

  • Newsletter content and related items: The issue highlights articles on data center waste heat reuse, PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in data center components, a breakdown of 65 climate, energy, and environment hearings on the Hill from March–April 2026, and a podcast interview about environmental justice research in Accra, Ghana. It also notes internship applications open until May 17, 2026, and links to legislative actions such as the enactment of the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.7147) and passage of bills including the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567).

• May 6, 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 data center job listings on its jobs board.

  • Monthly job roundup: The post lists multiple open roles including Power Applications Engineer, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Power Systems Sales Implementation Engineer, Architect Design Manager (CSA), Electrical Project Manager, Commissioning Project Manager, MEP Superintendent, Director of Data Center Facility Operations, Project Executive (Owner’s Rep), EHS Director, Mechanical Commissioning Lead, Mechanical Controls Engineer, Director of Project Deliverables, and Senior Electrical Engineer across numerous U.S. locations (examples: Pittsburgh, PA; New Albany, OH; Raleigh, NC; Dallas, TX; Charlotte, NC; Chesterton, IN; Denver, CO; New York, NY; Totowa, NJ), with many roles offering remote or multi-city travel options.
  • Client and role context: Positions are with mission-critical data center developers, engineering design and commissioning firms, electrical contracting firms, general contractors, and digital infrastructure firms; job descriptions emphasize reliability, energy efficiency, sustainable design, and LEED expertise, and note career-growth opportunities, competitive salaries and benefits. Many listings reference travel requirements and alternative available locations for implementation timelines (immediate hiring/use by clients), but no specific salary or funding amounts are disclosed.
• May 5, 2026

  IQ Fiber Launches Fiber-Optic Internet Service in Pinellas County, Florida

  IQ Fiber has launched 100 percent fiber-optic internet service in Pinellas County, Florida, covering St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo.

  • Launch: IQ Fiber launched 100% fiber-optic internet service in Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo); Investment: marks the beginning of a more than $100 million investment in the region; Jobs: expected to create more than 50 permanent jobs.
  • Background & footprint: Jacksonville-based company founded in 2021 with funding from SDC Capital Partners; current network serves Jacksonville and Gainesville (FL) and areas in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, and South Carolina; public comments quoted IQ Fiber CEO Ted Schremp and Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector.
• Apr 30, 2026

  Switch Announces New Data Center Campus in Beaver County, Pennsylvania

  Switch announced plans to develop a new 382-acre data center campus in Big Beaver Borough, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

  • Main announcement: Switch will develop a 382-acre data center campus in Big Beaver Borough, Beaver County, PA, located in the greater Pittsburgh area at the intersection of key East-West and North-South fiber routes; the campus will serve finance, healthcare, higher education and government organizations concentrated across the Eastern United States. The company will fund the infrastructure required for its power needs and expand its Prime campus portfolio.
  • Details and background: The campus will use Switch’s proprietary closed-loop Switch EVO® design that recycles water and the EVO data centers “consume zero water to cool the servers and GPU’s” while requiring a minimal water connection for office and warehouse; the new campus will join Switch’s Prime portfolio (Las Vegas, Tahoe Reno, Atlanta, Grand Rapids, Austin).
• Apr 27, 2026

  Environmentalist heavy hitters take on SC gas plant, pipeline, data centers

  Savannah Riverkeeper and the Sierra Club have joined local opposition to three proposed projects in the South Carolina Lowcountry: a proposed natural gas power plant (Canadys), a 70-plus mile underground gas pipeline through Hampton and Colleton counties, and an 800+ acre data center in rural Colleton County.

  • Main announcement & actions: The Sierra Club and Savannah Riverkeeper have stepped into local opposition; Savannah Riverkeeper hosted a community meeting in March (hosted by Executive Director Tonya Bonitatibus) and began a series of virtual meetings in April to advise landowners on speaking at public hearings and contacting state/federal agencies. The Public Service Commission (PSC) held public hearings on the Canadys gas project on March 23 and April 7; the Sierra Club issued a public release on April 8 linking the plant to expected AI data centers and urging utilities to pair any approval with commitments to retire the Wateree, Williams, and Winyah coal plants.
  • Project details & background: The contested projects include a proposed natural gas power plant in the Canadys area of Colleton County, a 70-plus mile underground pipeline through Hampton and Colleton counties, and a proposed 800-plus acre data center in rural Colleton County. Local opposition has involved groups such as the Southern Environmental Law Center; Savannah Riverkeeper provided an ArcGIS map of the proposed pipeline route (ArcGIS link referenced).
• Apr 27, 2026

  Small modular reactors and microreactors under development in the United States

  The U.S. Department of Energy announced renewed support for SMR development, including a $900 million funding tender and selection of vendors for the Energy Reactor Pilot Program.

  • DOE actions: In March 2025 DOE reissued a tender for $900 million to promote SMR development and in June 2025 announced the Energy Reactor Pilot Program, selecting vendors (Aalo Atomics Inc.; Antares Nuclear, Inc.; Deep Fission Inc.; Last Energy Inc.; Oklo Inc.; Natura Resources LLC; Radiant Industries Inc.; Terrestrial Energy Inc.; Valar Atomics Inc.). Applicants are responsible for funding individual pilot reactor designs while the program aims to fast-track licensing and attract private funding.
  • Defense and implementation details: The Defense Innovation Unit and military services are advancing microreactor adoption: the Army launched the Janus Program (sites shortlisted at nine bases) and the Air Force plans a commercial microreactor at Eielson Air Force Base with Oklo, Inc. supplying a sodium-cooled Aurora design targeting 1 MW to 5 MW by 2027; the Department of the Navy is soliciting offers for on-site SMRs and microreactors.