Illinois Data Center Intel

Recent Illinois data center news

• Jan 26, 2026

  Data Center Milestones: From ENIAC to Generative AI

  The article traces the historical evolution of the data center industry from 1946 to the present.

  • The article provides a chronological timeline of milestones: ENIAC (1946) introduced dedicated power and cooling; IBM System/360 (1964) standardized mainframes; Intel 4004 (1971) and the IBM PC (1981) enabled smaller systems and networked demand; the World Wide Web (1989) and dot-com era (2000) expanded server demand; VMware (founded 1998) catalyzed x86 virtualization; AWS EC2 (2006) kicked off the IaaS era and hyperscale buildouts; Docker (2013) popularized containers; edge computing (2017) and COVID-19 (2020) drove distributed demand; ChatGPT (2022) accelerated AI demands; AI data centers (2024) became a distinct class, and neoclouds (2025 onward) target AI-first and specialized cloud services.
  • The article also documents operational and infrastructure trends and concrete examples: it highlights energy efficiency and AI’s staggering energy demands, virtualization’s role in utilization, and a partnership example where Lambda collaborated with Prime Data Centers to deploy high-density NVIDIA AI infrastructure at Prime’s LAX01 AI-ready campus in Vernon, Calif.
• Jan 23, 2026

  Senate Bill to Offset Data Centers' Impact on Energy Costs Introduced

  Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the Power for the People Act to require data centers to supply their own power sources and ensure they pay for grid upgrades rather than shifting costs to ratepayers.

  • Main action: The bill would require data centers to construct on-site power or otherwise supply their own power sources, shift responsibility for increases in local transmission/grid capacity costs to the data center companies themselves, direct states to evaluate a new rate class for data centers, and instruct FERC to ensure any local transmission upgrades needed to support data centers are paid by the centers, according to the text of the bill. The bill was introduced publicly in a Jan. 15 press release and is supported by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
  • Background and supporting details: A UCS study cited by supporters found $4.3 billion in additional costs were passed to consumers in 2024 across 13 states to cover construction of new transmission lines; utilities are forecasting a 30-80% increase in electricity sales over the next 10 years. The bill has backing from seven other Democratic senators and interest groups/scientists including the Consumer Federation of America, National Consumer Law Center, Illinois Citizen Utility Board, and Organ Citizens Utility Board.
• Jan 23, 2026

  Edged US Builds Waterless, High-Density AI Data Center Campuses at Scale

  Edged US has announced recent campus expansions and detailed technical and operational profiles for those campuses.

  • Main announcement: Edged US announced a second 72-MW building at its Chicago/Aurora campus (purpose-built for AI; first facility opened February 2025; second building planned for Q2 2027) and a 24-MW second building in Irving/Dallas (first Dallas facility opened January 2025; second building approved January 15, 2026 and expected to break ground in Q2 2026). The projects emphasize waterless, closed-loop cooling (ThermalWorks; marketed as WUE 0.00), rack-density support (Aurora >200 kW/rack liquid-to-chip; Irving air-cooled >120 kW/rack with liquid-to-chip up to 400 kW/rack), and a portfolio-wide design PUE ~1.15.
  • Background and implementation details: Edged is pursuing a campus-first, repeatable delivery model across U.S. metros (Atlanta, Chicago/Aurora, Columbus/New Albany, Des Moines/Ankeny, Kansas City, Phoenix/Mesa). The company relies on partnerships for electrical and backup generation (notably PowerSecure, subsidiary of Southern Company) and positions ThermalWorks as the technical foundation for waterless cooling; the announcements are presented as executed approvals and planned timelines rather than speculative projections.
• Jan 23, 2026

  Trienens Institute seeks solutions amid renewable energy transition

  The Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern University is described as pursuing multi-pillar, ongoing research into clean hydrogen, ammonia-based transport, reversible electrochemical cells, solar generation, grid-scale storage, and carbon capture; this article reports on existing projects and research directions rather than announcing a one-time new policy or single major deal.

  • Main action: The institute (with more than 120 faculty affiliates) is organized around five research pillars: Generate, Store, Deploy, Transform, Capture, and is advancing projects including clean hydrogen production, ammonia dissociation for transport, reversible electrochemical cells, and plasma-catalyzed ammonia formation (collaboration between Profs. Sossina Haile and Dayne Swearer).
  • Background/details: The article cites specific research activities and figures: the U.S. data center electricity use is cited as roughly 120 terawatt-hours per year, the Dunand group is investigating a high-temperature fuel cell for hydrogen/electricity generation, and cross-disciplinary work (engineering, chemistry, sociology, policy) is emphasized as ongoing rather than newly launched.
• Jan 22, 2026

  Your Guide to the Most Important Broadband Conferences of 2026

  Broadband Breakfast has assembled a list of the most important broadband conversations for 2026, with a focus on the first half of the year.

  • Main announcement: Broadband Breakfast published a curated events calendar highlighting major industry conferences (dates and locations) such as NTCA AI Summit (Jan. 30, Online), Net Inclusion (Feb. 3-5, Chicago), INCOMPAS Policy Summit (Feb. 4-5, Washington, D.C.) — including a Broadband Breakfast livestream on Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. ET — and the BEAD Implementation Summit (March 18, Washington, D.C.), noting “billions of dollars now being awarded with BEAD” and a focus on deployment, funding and technology decisions.
  • Background and details: The listing also references recurring and partner activities such as Broadband Breakfast Live Online’s weekly webcast (Wednesdays at 12 Noon ET) and membership benefits (post your own broadband events); other events called out cover topics including AI, data centers, energy, digital equity, fiber, ISPs, and sustainability, with dates/locations provided for each conference.
• Jan 22, 2026

  Can rising power demand boost renewables above policy obstacles in 2026?

  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) set new July 4 construction deadlines and strict FEOC rules that curtail many Inflation Reduction Act tax credits and have immediate implications for project eligibility.

  • OBBBA actions and timelines: The OBBBA established a July 4 construction commencement deadline to qualify wind and solar projects for IRA production and investment tax credits; the FEOC rule went into effect Dec. 31, 2025 with Treasury guidance pending; the residential solar credit sunsetted at the end of 2025; commercial projects that commence construction by July 4 can qualify if placed in service by Dec. 31, 2030, while projects that do not commence construction by July 4 may still qualify if placed in service by Dec. 31, 2027.
  • Industry response and state actions: Developers (e.g., DSD Renewables) are triaging projects into mature / less-mature / at-risk buckets and cancelling or down-sizing projects that cannot meet deadlines; Treasury eliminated the 5% safe harbor test for >1.5 MW projects; states like Illinois (CRGA: 3 GW storage by 2030) and California (SB-254 transmission investment accelerator) are pursuing measures to speed transmission, interconnection and storage deployment; the Department of the Interior has issued stop-work orders and cancelled the environmental review for the 6.2-GW Esmeralda 7 project, and Dominion Energy has stated its 2.6 GW CVOW project will serve large data center demand.
• Jan 21, 2026

  CyrusOne Hones AI-Era Data Center Strategy for Power, Pace, and Reliability

  CyrusOne is shifting to a “power + land + interconnect” strategy to secure deliverable power and faster time-to-market for AI-era customers while reinforcing operational reliability after a high-profile outage.

  • Main action: CyrusOne has executed multiple powered-land and grid-adjacent deals: a July 30, 2025 agreement with Calpine for 190 MW at the DFW10 campus (targeting operation by Q4 2026), expanded that campus by 210 MW to 400 MW on Nov 3–4, 2025, and on Jan 13, 2026 partnered with Eolian to develop a 200-MW DFW7 campus at the Chisholm Grid (reusing a 100-MW BESS site) with construction begun April 2025 and capacity delivery targeted in 2026. The company also publicly responded to a Nov 28, 2025 cooling-related outage at a CyrusOne facility that disrupted CME Group trading and has since added redundancy and operational fixes.
  • Background and details: CyrusOne is combining deliverable power, land, and interconnect into integrated development packages, pursuing quiet permitting and staged fit-outs in Texas (filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for Waco/Whitney expansions), highlighted a planned Sangamon County project (local reporting ~$500 million), and strengthened operations with the hire of Robert Johnson as Chief Business Officer on Jan 14, 2026 to oversee U.S. operations, security, service delivery, and asset management.
• Jan 21, 2026

  Virginia proposes 20.78GW storage mandate as Trump, governors call for emergency PJM grid measures

  Virginia state delegate Richard C. ‘Rip’ Sullivan, Jr has introduced HB895 to raise mandatory energy storage procurement targets for Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia.

  • Main announcement: HB895 would require Appalachian Power to add 780MW short-duration by 2040 and 520MW long-duration by 2045, and Dominion Energy to add 16,000MW short-duration and 3,480MW long-duration by 2045; the bill is nearly identical to HB2537 (vetoed May 2025) but raises Dominion’s short-duration target from 5,220MW to 16,000MW within the same timeframe.
  • Background and related actions: The Trump administration and a bipartisan group of governors urged PJM (16 January) to hold an emergency procurement auction and to build more than US$15 billion of baseload generation; PJM responded by initiating a “Reliability Backstop Procurement” and directed immediate process discussions and deadlines to be considered at the 22 January Members Committee meeting. The bill and procurement push are motivated by rapidly rising demand in Virginia—driven largely by data centres—and recommendations from groups such as MAREC Action, NRDC, and Environment America.
• Jan 21, 2026

  Data centers could drive Michigan air pollution higher with climate law loophole: Science nonprofit

  The Union of Concerned Scientists has called on the Michigan Legislature to enact a CO2 Reduction Policy to close a legal loophole that exempts electricity exports from state clean-energy targets.

  • Main action: UCS released a report recommending a “CO2 Reduction Policy” that would cap fossil fuel burning for out-of-state sales and achieve net zero by 2050, with a phased target of 80% reductions for out-of-state sales by 2040 and 100% by 2045; the report projects electricity exports rising from “minimal” today to more than 56 gigawatt-hours annually and forecasts fossil fuel emissions from Michigan utilities could rise 26% between 2023 and 2050 if the loophole remains.
  • Context and details: Michigan law currently requires 100% clean energy for retail sales by 2040 but does not apply to electricity sold to other states (per Michigan Public Service Commission); UCS notes Michigan’s two largest utilities could see up to 22 gigawatts of load growth from data centers and that even 5 GW of new demand could, combined with electrification, double state energy consumption by 2050.
• Jan 20, 2026

  GSN Roundup: Blackstone and Willis Tower, JV’s Big Data Center Refi, and Prestige Closing

  Affinius Capital partnership is seeking a $925 million mortgage to refinance the second phase of the Gainesville Crossing Data Center Campus.

  • Deal specifics: The JV of Affinius and Corscale is pursuing a $925 million mortgage to refinance a fully leased, 482,000 sq ft building with 72 megawatts of capacity; the borrower prefers a floating-rate loan with a 2–3 year term, and Newmark is advising. The tenant is an undisclosed large cloud-computing provider on an initial 15-year lease; the building is part of a planned five-building campus totaling 306 MW.
  • Background & supporting facts: The 130-acre site was bought from Buchanan Partners in mid-2020 for $74.5 million after rezoning in late 2019; Corscale is the data-center arm of Patrinely and Affinius’ predecessor firm is USAA Real Estate, which helped acquire the site. Financial performance issues led Larry H. Miller Co. to close Prestige Financial Services amid an MLB expansion funding push (expansion fee expected to top $2 billion), and Blackstone is separately exploring options around a $1.32 billion securitized loan on Willis Tower.