North Carolina Data Center News

May 7, 2026

50 States of Power Decarbonization Q1 2026: Lawmakers Tackle Cost Allocation and Ratepayer Protections for Large Load Additions

The NC Clean Energy Technology Center released the Q1 2026 edition of the 50 States of Power Decarbonization report.

Report release & key findings: The Q1 2026 report documents 509 actions taken by 49 states plus Puerto Rico during the quarter and notes more than 600 introduced bills not yet passed. It reports planned capacity additions of 58,276 MW solar, 54,952 MW natural gas, 30,297 MW storage, and 22,358 MW wind, and 30,967 MW of planned coal retirements.
Top developments & context: The report highlights top policy developments including the Arizona Corporation Commission repealing the state renewable energy standard, Florida requiring large load tariffs, a North Carolina task force report on large load growth, Virginia rejoining RGGI, and El Paso Electric proposing large load tariffs in New Mexico; the most active states in Q1 2026 were Virginia, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Arizona.

May 6, 2026

Corning to Build Three New Manufacturing Plants After $500 Million NVIDIA Investment

Corning announced it will build three new U.S. fiber manufacturing facilities as part of a financing and strategic deal with NVIDIA.

Deal terms & production impact: NVIDIA invested $500 million in Corning and secured rights to buy $2.7 billion more in Corning stock; Corning said the three new plants (in North Carolina and Texas) will boost domestic fiber production capacity by more than 50%, increase optical manufacturing by 10x, and employ more than 3,000 people.
Context & related commitments: The article references a Meta deal worth up to $6 billion (first facility from that deal broke ground March 31), the $42.45 billion BEAD program (which mandates U.S.-made fiber), and industry statements committing capacity to the Commerce Department and meeting Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements; Corning also raised guidance to $20 billion in annual sales by end-2026 and $35 billion by end-2030.

May 6, 2026

Data Center Jobs: Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Sales, Field Service and Facility Tech Jobs Available in Major Data Center Hotspots

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Pkaza, has posted the latest data center job listings on its jobs board.

Monthly job roundup: The post lists multiple open roles including Power Applications Engineer, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Power Systems Sales Implementation Engineer, Architect Design Manager (CSA), Electrical Project Manager, Commissioning Project Manager, MEP Superintendent, Director of Data Center Facility Operations, Project Executive (Owner’s Rep), EHS Director, Mechanical Commissioning Lead, Mechanical Controls Engineer, Director of Project Deliverables, and Senior Electrical Engineer across numerous U.S. locations (examples: Pittsburgh, PA; New Albany, OH; Raleigh, NC; Dallas, TX; Charlotte, NC; Chesterton, IN; Denver, CO; New York, NY; Totowa, NJ), with many roles offering remote or multi-city travel options.
Client and role context: Positions are with mission-critical data center developers, engineering design and commissioning firms, electrical contracting firms, general contractors, and digital infrastructure firms; job descriptions emphasize reliability, energy efficiency, sustainable design, and LEED expertise, and note career-growth opportunities, competitive salaries and benefits. Many listings reference travel requirements and alternative available locations for implementation timelines (immediate hiring/use by clients), but no specific salary or funding amounts are disclosed.

May 5, 2026

New Data Center Developments: May 2026

Data Center Knowledge published a monthly roundup highlighting global data center project announcements, regulatory moves, and investment commitments driven by hyperscale AI demand.

Main announcement: The roundup catalogs multiple concrete project actions including Aligned Data Centers’ Project Caprock (540 MW, 313-acre campus in Hale County, Texas; initial delivery Q1 2027), EdgeCore’s completion of $1.5 billion in financing for two Northern Virginia hyperscale centers, and Yondr Group energizing a 27 MW Toronto facility expected in mid-2026. It also notes major investment commitments such as Digital Realty’s near S$7 billion Singapore plan (S$4.3 billion for new data centers) and AWS increasing planned investment in Mississippi to $25 billion.
Context and details: The piece outlines parallel regulatory updates in U.S. states (Maine vetoed a moratorium; Wisconsin revised We Energies tariff rules; North Carolina advanced legislation to require hyperscalers to cover infrastructure costs), workforce and partnership initiatives (Equinix Foundation with ODATA, Cisco, Vertiv launching training in Brazil, cohorts mid-2026), and other regional projects and financings (TikTok €1 billion Finland site; Ark Data Centres >€600 million Barcelona project; Equinix land purchases in South Africa totaling ZAR 890 million).

May 4, 2026

North Carolina Targets Hyperscale Costs with Proposed AI Infrastructure Bill

Rep. Lindsey Prather has sponsored the Ratepayer and Resource Protection Act to require large data centers to bear the full cost of power, water, and related infrastructure and to limit their access to public incentives.

Main action: The bill mandates full cost recovery by utilities for large data centers (charging rates that cover the marginal cost of service including new generation, transmission, and substations), includes a “hold harmless” provision preventing rate impacts on other customers, makes data centers ineligible for state and local incentives (tax abatements and infrastructure subsidies), and sets a hyperscale threshold of 40 MW peak demand or >1 billion liters annual water use; it also requires on-site clean generation equal to at least 25% of projected peak demand (operational at launch) and excludes RECs and virtual PPAs for compliance.
Background and details: The bill is a proposed legislative action (not yet law) that shifts North Carolina from incentive-driven recruitment to a full cost model, adds mandatory closed-loop or reclaimed water use and annual public reporting of estimated/actual water use and cooling efficiency, allows the North Carolina Utilities Commission authority to increase the on-site generation percentage for reliability, and follows similar regulatory moves in Wisconsin and local actions (e.g., Durham moratorium proposals).

May 1, 2026

Data Centers and Communities: Why the Conversation Demands More Nuance

The Maine House advanced LD 307, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs, imposing a moratorium on AI data centers with loads of 20 MW or greater until Nov. 1, 2027, and creating the Maine Data Center Coordination Council.

Main action:LD 307 advanced by the Maine House (82–62) would enact a moratorium on AI data centers ≥20 MW until Nov. 1, 2027, and establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to evaluate impacts on ratepayers, grid reliability, natural resources, and local communities, with a final report due to the legislature by February 2027. The article notes no large-scale AI data centers currently operating in Maine, but projects have been announced in Sanford and Jay.
Background and related details: The piece cites industry examples and commitments: Meta’s $10 billion data center on 2,250 acres in Richland Parish, LA, with Entergy adding new generation and Meta committing to match usage with at least 1,500 MW of new renewables, a $1 million per year pledge to low-income ratepayer support (matched by Entergy Louisiana), and more than $200 million in local infrastructure improvements. The article also documents utility responses (e.g., AEP take-or-pay contracts), interconnection and transformer bottlenecks, permitting delays, and recommends early, transparent community engagement and clear communications from developers.

Apr 30, 2026

US administration ‘must make it easier to get things built,’ DOE chief of staff says

The US Department of Energy (DOE), represented by chief of staff Carl Coe, called for easing permitting and policy barriers to accelerate construction of energy projects—particularly battery energy storage systems (BESS)—in remarks at Wood Mackenzie’s Solar & Energy Storage Summit on 29 April in Colorado.

Main announcement: Carl Coe urged the DOE and other authorities to make it “easier to get things built,” prioritising faster permitting and policy changes to unblock projects such as BESS.
- Event: Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewables’ Solar & Energy Storage Summit
- Date: 29 April
- Location: Colorado, US
- Subject/agenda: US BESS deployment, permitting and market rules, grid procurement
Background and concrete details: The DOE has closed a US$26.5 billion loan package with subsidiaries of Southern Company (to develop/enhance >16 GW capacity, including ~6 GW nuclear uprates), announced plans for multi‑billion dollar loans for long‑lead nuclear items, previously cancelled over US$7 billion of wind/solar funding, and disbursed more than US$100 million of a US$1.52 billion loan guarantee for Palisades; meanwhile Wood Mackenzie forecasts ~500 GWh of new energy storage installs over the next five years and recorded 18.9 GW / 51 GWh in recent full‑year/Q1 totals.

Apr 29, 2026

Data Centers Face a New Constraint: Public Consent

Data Center Frontier reports that public consent has become a material constraint on US data center development.

Main development: State and local actions are escalating: Maine lawmakers advanced LD 307 (would have paused approvals for facilities ≥20 megawatts through Nov 1, 2027) and proposed a Maine Data Center Coordination Council to study AI-scale impacts; Governor Janet Mills vetoed the bill, but executive action and local freezes (e.g., Bangor’s proposed 180-day pause) are expected to proceed.
Additional facts & context: Local and county actions include Hood County/Granbury litigation and regulation efforts (county sought legal guidance from Ken Paxton), Huron County expanding a moratorium to three years, Stokes County rezoning litigation over roughly 1,845 acres, Aurora adopting stringent permitting and reporting rules, and a contested $6 billion data center approval in Festus tied to electoral backlash (four council members removed).

Apr 27, 2026

Small modular reactors and microreactors under development in the United States

The U.S. Department of Energy announced renewed support for SMR development, including a $900 million funding tender and selection of vendors for the Energy Reactor Pilot Program.

DOE actions: In March 2025 DOE reissued a tender for $900 million to promote SMR development and in June 2025 announced the Energy Reactor Pilot Program, selecting vendors (Aalo Atomics Inc.; Antares Nuclear, Inc.; Deep Fission Inc.; Last Energy Inc.; Oklo Inc.; Natura Resources LLC; Radiant Industries Inc.; Terrestrial Energy Inc.; Valar Atomics Inc.). Applicants are responsible for funding individual pilot reactor designs while the program aims to fast-track licensing and attract private funding.
Defense and implementation details: The Defense Innovation Unit and military services are advancing microreactor adoption: the Army launched the Janus Program (sites shortlisted at nine bases) and the Air Force plans a commercial microreactor at Eielson Air Force Base with Oklo, Inc. supplying a sodium-cooled Aurora design targeting 1 MW to 5 MW by 2027; the Department of the Navy is soliciting offers for on-site SMRs and microreactors.

Apr 23, 2026

Energy Policy Task Force Addresses Growing Electricity Demand in North Carolina

Governor Josh Stein established the Energy Policy Task Force to strengthen energy infrastructure and affordability in North Carolina.

Energy Policy Task Force established by Governor Josh Stein, co-chaired by NC DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson and Representative Kyle Hall, comprises 30 energy experts and bi-partisan policymakers; it is staffed by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC), the NC Office of the Governor, NC DEQ, and the NC Department of Commerce. The task force is required to submit an annual report to the Governor, General Assembly, North Carolina Utilities Commission, North Carolina Rural Electrification Authority, and the public; it released an interim report on Feb 15, 2026 and will provide a more detailed report on or before Feb 15, 2027.
The task force has two subcommittees—Load Growth Subcommittee and Technical Advisory Subcommittee—and has held meetings on Sept 30, 2025; Dec 2, 2025; Jan 22, 2026; Feb 3 & Feb 10, 2026; and Apr 8, 2026. Presenters and contributors included LBNL, SEPA, CESA, Indiana Office of Energy Development, Virginia State Corporation Commission, David Gardiner and Associates, and Microsoft (which discussed its “Community-First AI Infrastructure Plan”). The interim report contains nine preliminary recommendations (including large load tariffs, BYOC, interconnection reforms, and data center energy/water reporting); the Technical Advisory Subcommittee plans to release a technical modeling report within months.

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