Kentucky Data Center News

Jan 26, 2026

EPA moves toward changing particulate matter standard as manufacturers urge action

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to revisit and ask the court to vacate the Biden-era annual PM2.5 standard of nine micrograms per cubic meter.

Main action: The EPA filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit asking the court to vacate the March 2024 PM2.5 annual standard (lowered from 12 µg/m3 to 9 µg/m3). The agency said the Biden EPA took a “regulatory shortcut” and failed to adequately consider compliance costs; EPA urged vacatur before the initial nonattainment determinations due on Feb. 7 and states’ implementation plans due in April.
Background and details: Industry groups including NAM and 15 trade associations (e.g., SMA, Aluminum Association, American Cement Association) have pressed the Trump administration to revert the standard; EPA previously estimated the 2024 rule could prevent 4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 lost workdays, with monetized benefits of $22 billion to $46 billion and $590 million in estimated costs by 2032. A 2025 ACA report estimated 1 million metric tons of cement needed for AI data centers by 2028 and projects U.S. data centers rising from 5,426 to 6,000 by 2027.

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

Irate Sen. Rand Paul Ready to Strip YouTube's Legal Immunity over Controversial Maduro Video

Sen. Rand Paul has announced he no longer defends Google/YouTube’s legal immunity under Sec. 230 after receiving death threats tied to a YouTube video he calls defamatory and wrote about in a New York Post Op-Ed.

Main action: Sen. Rand Paul changed his position on Google/YouTube liability, citing death threats and labeling the video a “ludicrous accusation” spread by “paid trolls”; he wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Post describing these events.
Context and other details: The newsletter lists multiple telecom industry items: FCC policy positions (cable market consolidation and transition to all-IP), a Texas broadband grant tied to flood monitoring, a claimed U.S.-Australia subsea optical route (single longest continuous path), rising fiber deployment costs (FBA), and vendor moves including altafiber using Nokia 25G PON and AT&T Business expanding a 30-day offer.

Jan 16, 2026

Meta Builds a Nuclear Supply Chain for the AI Era

Meta has announced a package of multi-gigawatt nuclear agreements and related support to secure firm, long-duration power for its AI data center buildout.

Main announcement: Meta signed a set of deals that together could support up to 6.6 GW of new and existing clean power by 2035, including a 20-year PPA for more than 2,600 MW tied to three Vistra plants (Perry, Davis-Besse, Beaver Valley), an agreement with TerraPower to support up to eight Natrium plants (Meta funding for two Natrium units totaling up to 690 MW with delivery targeted as early as 2032, plus rights to energy from up to six additional units ~2.1 GW by 2035), and a deal with Oklo to enable a prepay-backed, scalable up-to-1.2 GW nuclear power campus in Pike County, Ohio.
Background and implementation details:DOE announced $2.7 billion to bolster domestic uranium enrichment over the next decade (including HALEU support); Oklo has a DOE Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for an Aurora fuel facility at Idaho National Laboratory; TerraPower’s initial two-unit site is expected to be identified “in the coming months”; many elements remain in early site-selection, licensing, fuel-qualification, and interconnection stages, with explicit timelines ranging from 2026 (Meta’s Prometheus data center) through 2032–2035 for advanced reactor deliveries.

Jan 16, 2026

Soluna Expands Texas Campus With 100 MW AI-Ready Data Center

Soluna Holdings has signed a co-development partnership with Metrobloks to build Project Kati 2 in Willacy County, Texas.

Partnership structure & project specifics: Soluna and Metrobloks intend to form a project company to own and operate Project Kati 2. Metrobloks will lead design, development, leasing, and day-to-day operations, while Soluna will provide site control, power entitlements, electrical equipment, and development expertise. The initial development for Kati 2 is a 100+ MW AI and HPC data center, as the first phase of a roadmap supporting more than 300 MW of total capacity. A target completion date has not been confirmed.
Background & related assets: Project Kati is a 166 MW wind-powered campus in Willacy County that broke ground in September 2025 and is being developed in two phases (Kati 1 expected to open later this year supporting Bitcoin hosting alongside AI/HPC; Kati 2 planned as dual-purpose for cryptomining and AI/HPC). The site has a non-binding letter of intent from a potential Neocloud tenant. Soluna’s broader portfolio includes the 25 MW Sophie data center, Project Dorothy 1A/1B (50 MW), Project Herdy (120 MW collocated with a 200 MW wind farm), and Project Annie (75 MW colocated with a 114 MW solar farm).

Jan 15, 2026

PJM Dials Back Near-Term Load Outlook but Maintains Steep Long-Term Growth Trajectory

PJM Interconnection issued its 2026 Long-Term Load Forecast on Jan. 14, 2026, trimming near-term peak-demand projections while reaffirming steep long-term growth driven by data centers and electrification.

Near-term adjustments: PJM reduced projected summer peak demand by 2,564 MW for 2026 (-1.6%), 4,414 MW for the 2028 summer peak used in the capacity auction (-2.6%), and 1,630 MW for the 2031 summer peak used in transmission planning (-0.8%); the 2026 update attributes near-term declines to large loads (-0.7%), economic activity (-0.5%), and EVs (-0.1%) and notes updated economic inputs from Moody’s Analytics (Sept 2025).
Long-term framework and scope: The report projects average annual summer peak growth of 3.6% (next decade) and roughly +85,000 MW over 15 years, formalizes a new “firm” vs “non-firm” vetting framework via the Load Adjustment Request Implementation document (published July 2025) that requires Electric Service Obligations or Construction Commitments for near-term (<=3 years) large loads, and reports adjustments across 15 transmission zones (14 influenced by data center development).

Jan 15, 2026

KY environmentalists, GOP lawmakers have shared focus this year: AI data centers

The GOP supermajority in Frankfort and Kentucky environmental groups are jointly focusing the 2026 legislative session on artificial intelligence and the impacts of proposed data centers in the commonwealth.

Main announcement/action: Kentucky lawmakers (GOP supermajority) and environmental advocates are prioritizing AI data-center policy this session to address power allocation, residential rate impacts, and water use; legislators plan policy changes and possible statewide tariffs such as Rep. Adam Moore’s proposed “Kentucky Ratepayer Protection Act” to force data centers to pay projected energy use, and the PSC is considering 15-year contracts at 80%+ projected usage for large data-center customers.
Background and details: Environmental groups (Sierra Club, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, KRC, KCC) are pushing local and state actions including a model data center siting ordinance (KRC, Jan. 7), opposing specific projects (e.g., land offers up to $8 million turned down), and urging protections after the PSC allowed LG&E/KU to spend “billions of dollars” on new natural gas plants tied to data-center forecasts; legislators are also considering a Nuclear Reactor Site Readiness Pilot Program and funding for nuclear site permits, while the Heritage Land Conservation Fund has had >$16 million swept since 2014 and received a $2 million stimulus last year.

Jan 9, 2026

Meta Strikes Deal With Irving’s Vistra to Purchase Nuclear Power for Meta’s AI ‘Supercluster’

Meta has signed 20-year power purchasing agreements (PPAs) with Vistra to procure 2,609 MW of zero-carbon nuclear energy to support Meta’s operations and its Prometheus AI supercluster in New Albany, Ohio.

Main announcement & deal details: Meta is purchasing 2,176 MW from operating units at Perry and Davis-Besse plus 433 MW of incremental output from equipment uprates at Perry (OH), Davis-Besse (OH), and Beaver Valley (PA) for a total of 2,609 MW; the PPAs are 20-year agreements, purchases begin in late 2026 and the full 2,609 MW will be online by 2034; Vistra will use the commitment to invest in uprates and pursue subsequent 20-year license extensions for the three plants.
Background and implementation details: Vistra acquired the plants in 2023, recently agreed to acquire Cogentrix Energy in a $4 billion deal; uprate projects span approximately nine years and are expected to support ~3,000 project-related jobs, increase state and local tax revenues (described as tens of millions of dollars annually), and benefit the PJM regional grid (PJM service area list provided in article).

Jan 2, 2026

State Broadband Bills of 2025: A Legislative Review

State legislatures across the United States enacted and considered broadband-related legislation in 2025; fewer than 140 of more than 600 proposed bills became law.

Main actions: States enacted laws prioritizing infrastructure and permitting reforms, pole and rights-of-way access, criminal penalties for theft/vandalism, state broadband funding, and data center incentives. Notable enacted measures include Hawaii H 934 (established a state Broadband Office and programs, enacted in June and backed by $400 million in combined funding), West Virginia SB 907 (expanded the Economic Development Project Fund to allow up to $25 million annually for broadband incentives and up to $125 million annually for broadband loan insurance) and West Virginia HB 2014 (signed in April; created microgrid districts with zoning/permitting exemptions and special property tax treatment for qualifying projects).
Additional details and timelines: States also raised criminal penalties (e.g., Oklahoma classified willful damage to a critical infrastructure facility as a Class D3 felony with fines up to $100,000 and prison up to 10 years; Louisiana authorized fines up to $50,000 and prison up to 20 years; California AB 476 increased penalties for knowingly buying illegally obtained scrap metal to $5,000). Other enacted programs include California SB 338 (a $2 million telehealth pilot), New Mexico SB 126 (Rural USF increased from $30 million to $40 million), and Oregon’s device support up to $100 in Lifeline-related assistance. At least 37 states passed data center incentives in 2025 and over 1,000 AI-focused bills were introduced nationwide, with ~38 states adopting or enacting roughly 100 AI measures in 2025.

Jan 1, 2026

What Kentucky’s 2026 General Assembly could mean for environment, energy issues

Louisville Public Media reports on what environmental advocates and lawmakers are expecting from Kentucky’s 2026 General Assembly regarding environment and energy issues, including fights over water protections, conservation funding, and resource-intensive data centers.

Main announcement/action: The article summarizes stakeholders’ priorities and concerns for the 2026 legislative session: data centers/AI-driven development will be a major focus, advocates are urging increased conservation funding (The Nature Conservancy report: Kentucky ~$2.4 million annual conservation funding vs. Indiana $11.5 million, a $9.1 million gap), and Gov. Beshear’s administration cited a need for $1.8 million annually for permit review staff under new water rules.
Background and concrete details: The piece documents recent policy changes and proposals: passage of Senate Bill 89 narrowing state water protections (aligned with the Trump administration/EPA proposals), calls for a PFAS working group and manufacturer disclosure, a legislatively ordered report on vehicle tires in streams, concern about possible budget cuts to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and Public Service Commission, and lawmakers’ comments about supporting coal and nuclear as part of energy diversification.

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