Georgia Data Center Intel

Recent Georgia data center news

• Mar 12, 2026

  Why Nuclear Power is Most Viable Option for Data Centers

  Ryan Mallory (CEO, Flexential) argues that SMRs will enable on-site, self-generated nuclear power for data centers.

  • Main announcement/action: Ryan Mallory asserts that SMRs can power data centers on-site and remove dependence on grid interconnection, enabling facilities to run continuously while controlled fission reactions operate adjacent to server racks; he cites expected SMR outputs of 50–300 MW, lead times of about 5–7 years for SMRs versus 10–12 years and ~$10 billion capital for a conventional 1.2-GW plant.
  • Background and details: The commentary notes interconnection wait times of around five years, U.S. data center demand rising from 176 TWh (2023) to a potential 580 TWh by 2028 (up to 12% of national demand); examples include Oklo’s Aurora at Idaho National Laboratory and TerraPower’s Natrium in Wyoming, mentions the cancelled NuScale-UAMPS project (2023) due to cost overruns, and cites nearly $9 billion committed to SMR-related development plus $50–$75 million potential early-site permitting costs.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Valley Data Center to be Acquired with Plans for Major Expansion

  RadiusDC has announced a definitive agreement to acquire phoenixNAP’s Phoenix, Arizona data center and colocation business, with closing expected in Q2 2026.

  • Acquisition details: RadiusDC will acquire the existing Phoenix colocation facility, interconnection infrastructure, and development rights; upon closing RadiusDC will expand DC1 to 8 megawatts of IT power and develop DC2 to add up to 18 megawatts, with initial DC2 phases expected online beginning first half of 2028, positioning the Phoenix I campus to scale to approximately 26 megawatts of total critical IT power capacity; closing is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
  • Background & advisors: Approximately 80% of phoenixNAP’s global business will remain independently owned and operated by phoenixNAP, which will remain a tenant in the Phoenix facility; financial and legal advisors include J.P. Morgan (financial advisor to RadiusDC), BofA Securities (exclusive financial advisor to phoenixNAP), Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Snell & Wilmer LLP, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
• Mar 11, 2026

  General Assembly Budget Conferees Need to Invest in Quality of Life, Not Big Tech

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) has called on Virginia lawmakers to eliminate or substantially limit the sales tax credit on data center equipment to redirect revenue to public services.

  • Main action: PEC submitted a letter to General Assembly leadership and budget conferees requesting elimination or phased reduction of the sales tax exemption on data center equipment, arguing the exemption cost more than $1.9 billion in FY2025 and could have raised state revenue from $31.2 billion to $33.1 billion if collected. The letter identifies priorities for redirected revenue: water supply and wastewater treatment, transportation and transit, schools, childcare, and food security.
  • Background and details: PEC cites Dominion Energy data that it is receiving requests for ~10 additional data center applications monthly totaling 2–3 GW, bringing cumulative demand to 70 GW, while current peak demand is 24 GW with >36% electricity imports. PEC estimates Dominion will need to invest over $100 billion in generation, transmission and substation infrastructure (including nearly $30 billion for transmission) to meet the backlog over the next ten years.
• Mar 8, 2026

  Central Illinois data center policies advance; environmental, utility concerns remain

  Logan County Board advanced local consideration of data-center policy as residents and utilities raised concerns about specific projects (including a proposed 500-megawatt site near Latham).

  • Main action: Logan County held a special meeting (March 6, 2026) where residents opposed a proposed 500-megawatt data center near Latham; counties across Central Illinois are drafting local rules covering construction, noise, environmental impacts and potential utility rate increases.
  • Background and details: The article documents public opposition, references a related Logan County meeting on March 5, 2026 about hiring a data-center consultant, notes concerns over noise, environmental impact and utility rates, and situates the debate within broader interest in data centers driven by the AI race and existing multi-tenant facilities such as Digital Realty in Chicago.
• Mar 5, 2026

  Hyperscalers Sign White House Pledge to Fund Data Center Power, Grid Upgrades

  The White House convened seven major AI/hyperscaler companies on March 4 to sign the non‑regulatory Ratepayer Protection Pledge committing to fund new generation capacity and pay for required grid upgrades so costs are not passed to residential or commercial ratepayers.

  • Main announcement (signatories & commitments): The pledge was signed on March 4, 2026 by Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI, committing to build, bring, or buy new generation resources and cover the cost of all power delivery infrastructure upgrades required for their data centers; companies also agree to pay for contracted power and infrastructure whether or not they ultimately consume the electricity. The White House framed the effort as a policy response to AI-driven load growth and stated companies will negotiate separate rate structures with utilities and state governments to isolate costs from existing ratepayers.
  • Background & implementation details: The article cites EPRI projections (U.S. data center demand ~177–192 TWh in 2024, rising to 9–17% of national demand by 2030, up to 793 TWh in a high scenario). It documents specific company actions and figures: Google >7,800 MW contracted in Texas and a $4.75 billion Intersect Power acquisition pending; Microsoft contracted 7.9 GW in MISO; Amazon-related deals cited ~$1 billion projected customer savings (Indiana) and a $300 million Entergy transformation (Mississippi); OpenAI’s Stargate aims for 10 GW U.S. AI compute by 2029 and committed $175 million for local infrastructure in Wisconsin. The notes also record that the pledge is non‑binding and the White House disclosure does not specify independent auditing, penalties, or a defined enforcement methodology.
• Mar 5, 2026

  AFCOM: Rack Density and Build-Outs Surge as AI Overhauls Data Center Design

  AFCOM has released its 10th annual State of the Data Center report, reporting a structural shift toward larger, higher-density facilities driven by AI demand.

  • Main announcement/action: The report shows average facility size approaching 38 MW (up from 32 MW last year) and average rack density rising to 27 kW per rack (from 16 kW last year, 7 kW in 2021); 72% of respondents expect AI to increase capacity needs and 74% plan to deploy AI-capable solutions. The survey also reports 36% have liquid cooling deployed (another 28% plan adoption in 12–24 months), 25% have on-site power (another 23% plan implementation within 12 months), and 38% use renewable energy today (another 37% plan to adopt within three years).
  • Background and implementation details: The article frames this as a report-backed analysis rather than a new product launch; it highlights a design shift toward planning full halls/pods and integrated systems (power, cooling, networking) as default. Analysts (Dell’Oro Group) and AFCOM emphasize utility-forward, modular planning, with respondents expecting density increases within 12–36 months and staged delivery of large facilities in coordinated phases.
• Mar 5, 2026

  Tech Companies Vow to Cover Electricity Costs of Data Centers in White House Deal

  President Donald Trump invited major technology companies to the White House and touted a voluntary “ratepayer protection” pledge for data center power generation.

  • Main action: The White House secured a voluntary pledge from Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI and Amazon to build or buy new sources of power generation for their data centers, cover infrastructure upgrade costs, possibly sell excess power to utilities, negotiate separate rate structures, provide backup generation for emergencies, and hire locally for data center buildouts. The pledge is voluntary and contains no federal enforcement mechanism.
  • Background and details: The announcement reiterates Trump’s claim that energy demand will triple by 2035 largely because of AI; the article cites a 6.3% rise in electricity prices over the past year (Labor Department CPI) and references analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau on construction spending. Environmental groups (Evergreen Action, Earthjustice) and industry groups (Edison Electric Institute) offered contrasting reactions; experts noted electricity regulation is largely at the state/region level, raising questions about enforceability and verification.
• Mar 4, 2026

  Team 7 Consulting Announces AIDA™, an Autonomous AI System for Monitoring, Securing, and Managing Modern Datacenters

  Team 7 Consulting has announced the official launch of AIDA™, a fully autonomous AI datacenter operator now available for enterprise pilot programs and strategic implementation worldwide.

  • Main announcement: Team 7 Consulting announces AIDA™ (AI Datacenter Administration) as an autonomous AI datacenter operator offering predictive monitoring, autonomous remediation, facilities intelligence (temperature/humidity, PUE, cooling performance), integrated cybersecurity, and executive reporting; available now for enterprise pilot programs and strategic engagements worldwide. Contact provided: Clint Walker, Chief Operating Officer, Email: cwalker@team7consulting.com, Phone: +1 252-776-0937.
  • Background and details: AIDA was developed by Team 7’s AI architects, SAP-certified consultants, cybersecurity engineers, and datacenter specialists; Team 7 is a Gold Partner with SAP America. The platform is described as governance-aware and aligned with enterprise security frameworks and regulatory environments including NERC, FERC, CIP, SIPS, and targets sectors such as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, higher education, aerospace, and government.
• 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 2, 2026

  Land and Expand: Early 2026 Megaprojects Reflect a Power-First Ethos

  Data Center Frontier reports multiple developers advancing power-first, land-and-expand AI-ready data center campuses in early 2026.

  • Main announcement/action: Developers including Applied Digital (Delta Forge 1), Vantage (Lighthouse), AVAIO Digital (Little Rock), Rowan (Project Temple), Crow Holdings (Dallas) and Amazon (northwest Louisiana) are advancing large-scale projects that pair land banking with secured power and infrastructure commitments; examples include Applied Digital’s 430 MW Delta Forge 1 (two 150 MW facilities on 500+ acres, first operations targeted 2027) and Vantage’s $15B+ Lighthouse (four hyperscale data centers delivering nearly 902 MW IT load on ~672 acres, construction through 2028).
  • Background and details: Projects feature explicit infrastructure co-investments and timelines: Amazon’s $12 billion Louisiana buildout includes up to $400 million for regional water improvements and 100% developer-funded electric infrastructure; AVAIO’s $6 billion Little Rock hub has a 150 MW Entergy Arkansas commitment with potential to scale toward 1 GW, and Rowan’s Project Temple (300 MW, ~700 acres) targets initial operations in 2027 with ~$700 million local investment and unanimous local approvals.