Illinois Data Center Intel

Recent Illinois data center news

• Dec 2, 2025 · RMI

  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.
• Dec 1, 2025

  Hurricanes in 2024 led to the most hours without power in the United States in 10 years

  U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that U.S. electricity customers experienced an average of 11 hours of electricity interruptions in 2024, nearly twice the annual average of the previous decade.

  • Main finding: The EIA’s Electric Power Annual 2024 shows U.S. customers averaged 11 hours of interruptions in 2024; Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, and Milton accounted for 80% of hours without electricity, and interruptions attributed to major events averaged nearly 9 hours in 2024 versus nearly 4 hours (2014–2023). The report uses industry metrics SAIDI and SAIFI to characterize outages.
  • Details & state impacts: The report cites South Carolina averaged nearly 53 hours without power in 2024; Hurricane Beryl left 2.6 million Texas customers without power (July), Hurricane Helene left 5.9 million customers across 10 states (with at least 1.2 million in South Carolina), and Hurricane Milton left 3.4 million Florida customers without power; Hawaii averaged 4.4 interruptions, while several states (Arizona, South Dakota, North Dakota, Massachusetts) averaged less than 2 hours of interruptions.
• Nov 7, 2025

  Vistra Corp projects 2026 adjusted core profit surge to $6.8-$7.6 bn amid growing power demand

  Vistra Corp has announced a stronger financial outlook and capacity expansion.

  • Main announcement: Vistra Corp forecasted 2026 adjusted EBITDA between $6.8 billion and $7.6 billion, higher than its 2025 forecast of $5.7 billion to $5.9 billion, and its board approved an additional $1 billion in share buybacks. The company cited demand growth driven by AI and cryptocurrency data centers and electrification, and is advancing solar and storage projects with long-term PPAs with Amazon and Microsoft.
  • Background and details: Vistra signed a 20-year deal to supply 1,200 megawatt from a nuclear plant, acquired seven natural gas facilities totaling 2,600 MW for $1.9 billion, and reported Q3 net income of $652 million with a decline in unrealized derivative gains of $1.67 billion; Q3 operating expenses rose ~6.3% to $655 million.
• Nov 6, 2025

  Metro Communications Announces Agreement to Acquire Clearwave Fiber’s Southern Illinois Operations

  Metro Communications has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Clearwave Fiber’s Southern Illinois assets, including Clearwave’s Southern Illinois fiber network and related backhaul agreements from CableOne, Inc.

  • Transaction details: Metro Communications (MCC Network Services, LLC) will acquire Clearwave Fiber’s Southern Illinois network and CableOne backhaul agreements, with the combined networks set to serve over 1,000 on-net towers, thousands of enterprises, and pass over 250,000 individual locations in Downstate Illinois; the deal is anticipated to close in Q1 2026, pending customary regulatory approval.
  • Background and implementation: Clearwave was formed in 2022 as a joint venture among Cable One, GTCR, The Pritzker Organization, and Stephens Capital Partners; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as financial advisor to Metro and DLA Piper LLP (US) provided legal counsel. Metro plans additional capital deployment for FTTH expansion and will integrate back-office and field operations post-close.
• Nov 6, 2025

  Tech Giants Pour Billions Into Solar Power as Data Centers Strain the Grid

  The article reports that America’s rapid data center expansion is colliding with shifting federal energy policy and mounting obstacles to renewable projects, illustrated by the Trump administration’s October cancellation of the Esmeralda 7 solar project’s environmental review.

  • Main announcement/action: The article documents the cancellation of the Esmeralda 7 Nevada solar project’s environmental review by the Bureau of Land Management in October, and describes how rapid data center growth is stressing grids (PJM warning in May) and increasing demand for fast, local clean energy solutions; Virginia’s Permit By Rule enables projects under 150 MW to move from application to operation within two years or less.
  • Background and key details:Virginia imported more than 50 million MWh in 2023 (EIA); a 2024 state report warns electricity consumption in Virginia could triple by 2040; corporate actions include Microsoft adding 860 MW in 2024, Meta developing >900 MW in Texas, Amazon having 13.6 GW in progress (including a 500-MW Webb County project), and Google’s $20 billion partnership with Intersect Power and operation of 312 MW of battery capacity.
• Nov 4, 2025

  Power, Proximity, Policy: The Legal Landscape of Siting Data Centers Near Natural Gas Resources

  Michelman Robinson partners Warren Koshofer and Seth Leibenstein analyze the legal and regulatory considerations for siting data centers near U.S. natural gas resources.

  • Main announcement/action: The article provides a legal and practical guide on siting data centers adjacent to natural gas infrastructure, noting concrete facts such as data center loads often exceeding 100 megawatts per site and that natural gas supplies more than 40% of U.S. electricity. It identifies regional hubs (Texas/Permian Basin; Appalachian Basin — Marcellus & Utica; Midcontinent/Great Plains; Rockies — DJ and Powder River basins; Gulf South — Louisiana & Mississippi) and highlights relevant regulators like ERCOT and FERC, plus contractual vehicles such as PPAs and gas tolling arrangements.
  • Background and details: The piece outlines regulatory and compliance requirements (Clean Air Act permitting, Section 401 water quality certifications, state environmental reviews), flags evolving ESG and carbon disclosure pressures (SEC proposals, IRA incentives), and lists states considering restrictions on fossil-fueled generation for new data centers (Oregon, Virginia, Illinois). Contact details for the authors are provided: Warren Koshofer (212-730-7700; wkoshofer@mrllp.com) and Seth Leibenstein (212-730-7700; sliebenstein@mrllp.com).
• Nov 4, 2025

  How MEP contractor Comfort Systems USA leveraged Lego-like model to drive 15x growth

  Comfort Systems USA reported 33% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3 2025 (press release published Oct. 23, 2025).

  • Main announcement: Comfort Systems USA released Q3 2025 results on Oct. 23, 2025, reporting 33% year-over-year revenue growth; CEO Brian Lane said, “Our amazing teams … have delivered financial results that far exceed even our recent outcomes.” The company said services account for ~15% of revenue and highlighted expanding volumetric modular construction capacity.
  • Background and details: Growth is primarily driven by data center and manufacturing MEP work tied to an AI infrastructure buildout and reshoring; MEP content is ~20% of cost in typical commercial offices vs 60–70% in data centers. Comfort Systems emphasizes volumetric modular prefabrication (built offsite and assembled onsite); between 2000 and 2020 the company’s share price rose from roughly $50 to $500. Other details: MEP work for schools doubled 2021–2024, office work grew 30–40%, Emcor targets Tier 1 markets while Comfort Systems focuses on Tier 2 markets, and labor availability/unionization affects cost dynamics. This article is an earnings/market analysis piece (Facilities Dive coverage).
• Nov 4, 2025

  Michael Johnson, JD, Returns to Kleinfelder’s Leadership Team as National Power Market Manager

  Kleinfelder has announced the return of Michael Johnson, JD, as Senior Vice President, National Power Market Manager.

  • Announcement details: Michael Johnson will focus on continuous operational improvement, strategic planning, and national market expansion in critical energy infrastructure; he brings more than 25 years of power industry experience and leadership in large-scale electric transmission programs, PMO oversight, corporate strategy, and M&A.
  • Background and company context: Kleinfelder (founded 1961) employs over 3,300 professionals, operates from over 110 office locations in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Johnson commented that growth is being driven by demand from AI and data centers and that grid modernization and major capital expenditures for transmission and renewable integration are central priorities. Contact for this release: Dustin Esposito, Communications Manager, DEsposito@Kleinfelder.com, (617) 498‐4627.
• Oct 29, 2025

  Beyond compute: Infrastructure that powers and cools AI data centers

  McKinsey & Company projects AI-driven demand for data centers and the related capital and design implications.

  • Main announcement/action: McKinsey & Company reports that AI-driven demand will expand data center capacity to 220 gigawatts by 2030 (a CAGR of 22%) and estimates $6.7 trillion in cumulative capital outlays worldwide by 2030 to meet compute demand; the report focuses on advances in power and cooling equipment and the need for codesigned systems.
  • Background and details: The article emphasizes that power, cooling, and IT components must be codesigned, highlights opportunities for equipment manufacturers to pursue vertical integration and provide end-to-end services (repair, maintenance, commissioning), and notes time to market as a key buying preference for data center operators.
• Oct 23, 2025

  Liquid cooling lessons from HPC to AI factories: How to enable next-gen AI data centers

  Motivair applies its exascale liquid-cooling expertise to enable AI factories at scale.

  • Main announcement/action: Motivair is leveraging proven HPC/exascale liquid-cooling systems (used on Frontier, Aurora, El Capitan) to supply modular, repeatable cooling infrastructure for large-scale AI factories, including CDUs, ChilledDoors®, cold plates, and in-rack manifolds, scaling from 100 kW racks to multi-megawatt campuses.
  • Background and technical details: Highlights key thermal variables — pressure drop, ΔT, and flow rate — with concrete figures: rack densities moved from 20–50 kW (air-cooled) to 300–400 kW (liquid-cooled); recommended flow is ~1–1.5 liters per minute per kW at under 3 PSI; Motivair’s engineered loops aim to stabilize ΔT and maintain GPU clock speeds across thousands of racks.