Kansas Data Center News

Oct 4, 2025

Fears of massive battery fires spark local opposition to energy storage projects

Local governments across the United States have passed temporary moratoriums on development of large lithium-ion battery energy storage systems.

Scope and local actions: At least a few dozen localities have adopted temporary moratoriums or are considering bans; examples include Island Park, NY (moratorium passed in July), Maple Valley, WA (six-month moratorium approved in July), and Halstead, KS (voter referendum on Election Day). Opposition cites the Moss Landing, CA fire in January (indoor storage fire that forced evacuation of about 1,500 people) and specific proposed projects such as a 250-megawatt lithium-ion system in the Town of Ulster, NY (opposed by residents). The developer Terra-Gen says its design will prevent fire spread and “poses no credible, scientific-based threat to neighbors, the public or the environment.”
Background, deployment and rules: Developers added 4,908 megawatts of battery storage capacity in Q2 2025 (about three-quarters of that in Arizona, California and Texas). New York targets 6,000 MW by 2030 (about half large-scale). Research from BloombergNEF notes large projects commissioned or started since 2024 in Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Australia, Netherlands, Chile, Canada and the U.K. The federal budget preserved key tax credits for qualified storage projects that begin construction within the next eight years, and New York has adopted fire codes requiring modular enclosure design and minimum spacing to limit fire spread. Experts (e.g., Ofodike Ezekoye, UT Austin) say systems are maturing but not foolproof.

Oct 3, 2025

Entergy Will Power $4-Billion Google Data Center in Arkansas

Google announced the first phase of a $4-billion data center campus in West Memphis, Arkansas, to be powered by Entergy using solar and existing generation.

Main announcement: Google will build a $4-billion campus sited on 1,100 acres in West Memphis; Entergy Arkansas will power the facility and the contract (described as running “for decades”) includes investment in Cypress Solar — a 600-MW solar and 350-MW battery energy storage facility near Pine Bluff (Jefferson County). Google will cover all energy costs for the project and has committed $25 million to an Energy Impact Fund for regional energy efficiency.
Background and details: Entergy Corp. executives said there would be $1.1 billion in net benefits over the life of the contract for Entergy Arkansas customers and that the agreement is “designed to put downward pressure on electricity rates.” The campus may house up to five hyperscale data centers, could be operational within the next two years, and Google applied for an air quality/emissions permit for backup generation limited to rare grid outages. Google also maintains a corporate goal to run data centers on emissions-free energy by 2030 and to have over 10 GW of nuclear power by 2035.

Oct 2, 2025 · Google

Google is investing in Arkansas with a new data center, energy efficiency programs and more.

Google announced a new $4 billion investment in Arkansas through 2027, including its first state data center in West Memphis and programs to boost energy resilience and local AI talent.

Main announcement/action: Google will invest $4 billion (described as a two-year $4 billion investment) in Arkansas through 2027, building Google’s first data center in West Memphis, expanding cloud and AI infrastructure, and launching a $25 million Energy Impact Fund targeted at energy efficiency and affordability in Crittenden County.
Details and partnerships: Google will collaborate with Entergy to bring a new 600 MW solar project to the grid and implement programs to reduce power usage during peak hours; it will also provide no-cost Google AI courses and Career Certificates in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Commerce, starting with students at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas State University.

Oct 2, 2025

Hitachi Energy, Grid United Advance North Plains Connector to Link Eastern and Western Grids

Hitachi Energy and Grid United have formalized an Engineering Services Agreement (ESA) to advance the North Plains Connector (NPC) HVDC project.

Announcement details: The ESA (announced Oct. 2, 2025) tasks Hitachi Energy with early-stage engineering services for the ±525 kV, 3-GW, ~420-mile HVDC line between Colstrip, Montana and endpoints in Center and St. Anthony, North Dakota, including technical specifications for two HVDC converter stations, valve hall layouts, control-system architecture, harmonic mitigation studies, dynamic and steady-state modeling, and AC–DC interface definitions for integration with MISO, SPP, and WECC. Grid United will advance corridor refinement, land-rights acquisition, stakeholder engagement, environmental permitting support, and supply-chain sequencing for long-lead items; procurement timelines will be aligned with permitting and construction schedules.
Background and concrete project details: The NPC is a $3.2 billion project that received $700 million from DOE’s GRIP program (with a $2.8 billion recipient cost share); Grid United expects approvals in 2026, potential construction begin in 2028, and operation in 2032. An Astrapé/PNNL-reviewed evaluation estimated an ELCC of ~3,550 MW and quantified reliability benefits (~1,800 MW for WECC, 1,350 MW for SPP, 400 MW for MISO). The ESA is an enabling engineering step but does not constitute a final investment decision.

Sep 15, 2025 · Rest of World

Countries are struggling to meet the rising energy demands of data centers

Microsoft set up a data center in Colón, Querétaro, that has relied on gas-powered generators because it could not plug into Mexico’s transmission and distribution network; environmental filings say generators would supply 70% of the center’s energy for 12 hours/day between February and July 2025 and emit CO2 equivalent to about 54,000 average households.

Main action and specifics: Microsoft opened a data center in Colón (began operating early 2024) and received approval to use seven generators after filing that the grid would not be fully operative for Microsoft until mid-2027 due to “long construction times required in [Microsoft’s] contract with CFE.” Documents state the generators would supply 70% of the data center’s energy for 12 hours per day (Feb–Jul 2025) and produce annual CO2 emissions comparable to ~54,000 households.
Background and additional details: Mexico hosts ~150 data centers with Big Tech investing over $7 billion since 2020; the Mexican Association of Data Centers estimates 70 additional centers (over $18 billion in investment) over five years and national data centers will require 1.5 GW by 2030. The federal utility CFE has a monopoly on transmission/distribution, the government announced >$8 billion for transmission infrastructure to be completed by 2030 (focused on households), and investment in transmission/distribution fell by 17% and 37% respectively between 2018 and late 2024.

Sep 13, 2025

Big Tech's energy-hungry data centers could be bumped off grids during power emergencies

Policymakers and grid operators are proposing rules to allow utilities or grid operators to disconnect large data centers during power emergencies.

Main action: Several U.S. regions are considering or implementing rules that would let utilities or grid operators disconnect large data centers during power emergencies to avoid widespread blackouts; Texas passed a bill in June ordering standards for power emergencies, PJM (which serves 65 million people) has proposed that proposed data centers may not be guaranteed electricity during a power emergency, and the Indiana & Michigan Power and Google filed a power-supply contract for a proposed $2 billion Fort Wayne data center in which Google agreed to reduce electricity use when the grid is stressed (key contract details remain confidential).
Background and details: Grid operators such as Southwest Power Pool (serving 18 million people) and Monitoring Analytics warn data center load could overwhelm grids; data centers use backup diesel generators, the Data Center Coalition seeks flexible standards, and advocates like Dan Diorio recommend pairing mandatory actions with financial rewards for voluntary reductions. The surge in demand is linked to AI growth since late 2022 (ChatGPT), and regulators and governors have raised legal and investment concerns about the proposals.

Aug 13, 2025

50 States of Power Decarbonization Q2 2025: States Restrict Plant Retirements and Investigate Emerging Energy Sources

The NC Clean Energy Technology Center released its Q2 2025 edition of the “50 States of Power Decarbonization” quarterly report.

Main announcement: The Q2 2025 report found 48 states and Puerto Rico took 393 actions related to electric power decarbonization and resource planning during the quarter, and noted 317 introduced bills not yet passed. The report also summarizes planned capacity changes from recently filed or under‑review integrated resource plans: 118,262 MW solar, 98,317 MW natural gas, 50,117 MW wind, 47,258 MW storage, and 44,286 MW planned coal retirements.
Background and details: The report identifies three Q2 2025 trends: (1) lawmakers imposing conditions on electric generation facility retirements; (2) states researching effects of large load customers (e.g., data centers) on the grid; (3) legislators investigating advanced nuclear and geothermal. It highlights top policy developments in Connecticut, Arkansas, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Maine, and an Indiana executive order; media contact is Shannon Helm, NCCETC (shannon_helm@ncsu.edu).

Jul 31, 2025

We expect rapid electricity demand growth in Texas and the mid-Atlantic

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has announced forecasts of rapid electricity demand growth in Texas and the mid-Atlantic regions for 2025 and 2026.

ERCOT region (Texas and neighboring states) electricity demand expected to grow by 7% in 2025 and 14% in 2026, driven by new data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities; broader West South Central Census Division sales forecasted to grow 5% in 2025 and 9% in 2026.
PJM Interconnection region (13 states including Northern Virginia) electricity sales projected to increase by 3% in 2025 and 4% in 2026, with Northern Virginia noted for the highest concentration of data centers globally; forecasts incorporate monthly projections from ERCOT and PJM.

Jul 30, 2025

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.

May 21, 2025

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