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Idaho Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Idaho — updated daily.
Recent Idaho data center news
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Wind and solar power frozen out of Trump permitting push
The Trump administration has frozen approvals for major onshore wind and solar projects, requiring Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to personally sign off on new renewable decisions and effectively stalling new permits since July.
- Main action: The Interior Department’s policy mandates personal sign-off by Secretary Doug Burgum, resulting in only one solar project approved on federal lands since January and no permits since July; Wood Mackenzie identified 18 gigawatts of solar projects on federal lands that were canceled or inactive this year, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) estimates more than 500 solar and storage projects are threatened.
- Background and concrete details: The Bureau of Land Management canceled the environmental review for Esmeralda 7 (seven solar farms across 62,000 acres); Boulder City currently receives $21 million/year from leases and could gain $3 million/year from two projects now stalled; agencies including the Army Corps and US Fish and Wildlife Service have tightened reviews (Army Corps prioritizing projects by energy-per-acre, and Fish and Wildlife restricting access to a planning tool for solar and wind).
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The Five Types of Electro-Industrial States
Rocky Mountain Institute presents a typology classifying US states into five electro-industrial archetypes.
- Main announcement/action: RMI authors classify states into five archetypes — Momentum Hubs (Arizona, California), Fast‑Track Builders (Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio, Idaho), Policy Champions (New York, Michigan, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania), Open‑Door Starters (Vermont, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa), and Early‑Stage Starters (Missouri, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Maine, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, Arkansas). The typology is based on policy reliability, regulatory ease, economic capacity, physical infrastructure (power and interconnection), and market momentum.
- Background and details: The analysis highlights that market momentum and policy reliability should operate in tandem; low regulatory burdens accelerate short-term investment but may strain local housing and infrastructure without accompanying policy ambition. The authors reference the report GREASE Lightning as a policy playbook for designing investment-led, state-driven electro-industrial strategies.
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Our Investment in Aalo
MCJ has joined Aalo’s $100 million Series B led by Valor Equity Partners to back Aalo’s factory-manufactured extra-modular nuclear plants for data centers.
- Primary announcement: MCJ joined Aalo’s $100 million Series B (led by Valor Equity Partners) to support Aalo’s factory-produced 50-megawatt pods (five 10-megawatt reactors, “XMRs”). Aalo operates a vertically integrated factory in Austin, aims for 52-week deployment timelines for data-center sites, and celebrated the Aalo-X groundbreaking beside INL; Aalo is one of 11 companies selected to the DOE President’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program targeting at least three test reactors by July 4, 2026.
- Background and regulatory context: Founders and senior leaders include Matt Loszak (CEO, serial entrepreneur), Yasir Arafat (CTO, led MARVEL and Westinghouse eVinci work, achieved DOE reactor authorization in ~30 months), and Jon Guidroz (SVP, former Director of Energy at Microsoft/Google/AWS). The article cites May 2025 executive orders driving 18-month NRC review timelines, designation of AI data centers as ‘critical defense facilities’, a 400 GW nuclear target by 2050, and references the DOE’s $900M SMR program that benefits Aalo’s commercial pathways.
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Climate Change Solutions - September 9, 2025
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) published a newsletter highlighting recent climate solutions, Congressional activity, briefings, and an upcoming AI-and-energy event.
- Main announcement: EESI summarizes new content and events including articles on passive and sustainable cooling, grid resilience to heat waves, and a new Nature4Communities tool from U.S. Nature4Climate; it also hosted a briefing with the Ohio River Basin Alliance as part of its Resilient and Healthy Rivers series. Key figures and policy items cited include $57.3 billion in FY2026 discretionary funding in H.R.4553 (Energy and Water appropriations), a noted reduction of $766.4 million from 2025 levels, an authorizing proposal of $10 million to DOE under H.R.4490 (Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act), and $30 million annually directed to local officials under H.R.5154 (REACT Act).
- Background and upcoming actions: The newsletter catalogs Congressional bills and hearings, media coverage, and events; it also announces an EESI briefing on AI and energy.
- Event: “Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Energy and the Environment”
- Date: Thursday, September 25
- Time: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online (livecast/RSVP link provided)
- Other details: Highlight notes available for the 28th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Forum and EXPO; a cited statistic: every $1 invested in transit generates $5 in economic returns.
- Event: “Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Energy and the Environment”
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ORNL wins 20 R&D 100 Awards
Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced it set a new lab record by winning 20 R&D 100 Awards in the current global competition (ORNL led 17 winners and co-developed three more, with 29 ORNL finalist technologies).
- Main announcement & highlights: ORNL reports 20 R&D 100 Awards (17 led, 3 co-developed) across energy, materials, manufacturing, computing and emerging technologies; notable technology metrics include rotary transformer motor tested on a 200-kW BorgWarner motor (92–95% efficiency, up to 15% efficiency improvement, up to 25% higher power density, validated over 53,000 cycles ≈ 10 years), LMHE engine with 15% weight reduction and >10% fuel-efficiency improvement, heat pump water heater with 30% improvement in first-hour hot water delivery, and BIPHASICS CO2 capture claiming up to 46% less solvent regeneration energy and 30% lower CO2 capture cost vs MEA.
- Background, partners and technical details: The announcement lists commercial and research partners and commercialization steps (e.g., The Sexton Corporation commercializing the underwater X-ray system; collaboration with BorgWarner, GM, Cummins, Soteria Battery Innovation Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and academic partners). It documents technology specifics such as HyPoCap (surface area >4,000 m2/g; 610 F/g capacitance), E-GRIMS operating at ~800°C with >90% energy savings and completing graphitization in ~2 hours, Next-Gen Polyiso R-value 8.3 per inch (30% better), Future Foundries reducing production cycles by up to 68%, and simulation tools (DR-Weld, ExaDigiT, PRESTO, Simurgh) with stated performance claims and deployment partners. Funding sources and managing organization (UT-Battelle for DOE Office of Science) are also listed.
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Climate Change Solutions - July 29, 2025
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) newsletter highlights recent climate change solutions, legislative updates, and upcoming events.
- Innovative technologies such as AI-driven disaster resilience tools by U.S. National Laboratories and upgraded air filters to reduce wildfire smoke injuries are featured.
- Legislative progress includes the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act passed by the House, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act advancing with job creation and solar capacity details, and the Fire Ready Nation Act advancing in the Senate to enhance wildfire forecasting.
- Upcoming briefings focus on Ohio River restoration and the intersection of AI and climate policy.
- The newsletter also provides links to recordings of the 28th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and related policy forums.
- EESI President Daniel Bresette is quoted on energy and AI topics; contact details and social media links for EESI are provided.
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Nuclear specialist Oklo inks data center partnerships
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In case you missed it: Six big solar stories in the news this week
This summary highlights recent U.S. solar energy policy changes, investments, and market challenges.
- The Texas Senate passed a bill imposing permit restrictions, fees, and regulatory requirements on solar and wind projects.
- Apollo and Summit Ridge Energy launched a $400 million joint venture portfolio of solar assets in Illinois.
- Solar cells remain subject to existing import tariffs, clarifying government policy on trade measures.
- Sunnova, a residential solar company, plans to auction $17 million worth of energy storage equipment.
- Idaho Power grid’s largest solar installation supports a data center and includes community workforce scholarships.
- U.S. solar market experts expressed concerns beyond tariffs, including antidumping investigations and labor prevention acts.
The developments indicate ongoing regulatory, investment, and market dynamics shaping the U.S. solar sector.
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Largest solar installation in Idaho Power grid to support data center
The Pleasant Valley Solar 1 project in Idaho, the largest operational solar facility in the state, was completed on March 2, 2025, and officially commissioned. It is a 200 MW solar project that supplies electricity to Meta’s data center and is part of Idaho’s expanding solar capacity, with a second 200 MW facility expected to be completed in 2026. The project development began in 2021, with groundbreaking in 2023. It involved various stakeholders, including rPlus Energies, Matrix Renewables, Sundt Renewables, EliTe Solar, and Idaho Power. The project was financed by a $283 million construction-to-term loan, a PTC transfer agreement, and supported local educational initiatives.
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Request for Information on Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure on DOE Lands
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to explore opportunities for AI infrastructure development on its lands. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance AI capabilities in the U.S. and maintain leadership in the field. The RFI targets industry input on potential development approaches and operational models for AI data centers at select DOE sites, aiming for operational commencement by the end of 2027. Responses to this RFI are due by May 7, 2025.