North Carolina Data Center Intel

Recent North Carolina data center news

• May 15, 2026

  NC Tech Talk: AI Infrastructure Concerns Shift From GPU Growth to Efficiency

  At NC Tech’s Tech Fest, Vijay Ramanujam (Chief Information Officer, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services) warned that available grid energy is not keeping pace with computational demand from large AI deployments.

  • Main announcement/action: At NC Tech’s Tech Fest in Durham, North Carolina (this week), Ramanujam said the energy on the grid versus computational demand isn’t matching up, citing pressure from AI deployments spanning tens of thousands of GPUs and urging a shift toward infrastructure efficiency rather than brute-force hardware expansion.
  • Background and details: The discussion framed an industry shift away from counting GPUs and FLOPS toward utilization, tokens-per-watt metrics, software optimization, workload orchestration, and addressing inefficiencies such as communication overhead, networking latency, and GPU utilization imbalance.
• May 14, 2026

  Land and Expand: NVIDIA, IREN, Coatue, Microsoft, Switch, Cerebras, Core Scientific

  NVIDIA announced two major partnerships to accelerate industrial-scale AI infrastructure deployment with IREN and Corning Incorporated.

  • Main announcement: NVIDIA partnered with IREN to target deployment of up to 5 gigawatts of NVIDIA DSX-aligned AI infrastructure (focus on IREN’s 2-gigawatt Sweetwater campus in Texas) and separately partnered with Corning Incorporated to expand U.S. optical connectivity manufacturing (10x optical connectivity capacity increase; >50% domestic fiber production increase; construction of three new advanced manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas). The IREN deal includes a five-year right for IREN to sell NVIDIA up to 30 million ordinary shares at $70 per share (potential consideration up to $2.1 billion).
  • Background and details: The article details additional industry moves into powered land, gigawatt campuses, crypto-to-AI conversions, and domestic supply-chain expansion, including Coatue/Next Frontier & Fluidstack’s 430 MW Indiana campus backed by $5.7 billion in senior secured notes (first 65 MW online by July 2027), Digi Power X’s 10-year MSA with Cerebras for a 40 MW Columbiana, AL campus (initial contract ~$1.1 billion, potential $2.5 billion, Phase 1 ready-for-service targeted Dec. 15, 2026), CloudBurst’s Texas campus ($14.5 billion investment; 1.2 GW planned), and Core Scientific’s acquisitions and campus expansions (e.g., $421 million cash acquisition of Polaris DS LLC; Muskogee and Pecos expansions to ~1.5 GW gross power).
• May 11, 2026 · RMI

  A Fast-Path to Affordability: Understanding the Benefits of Energy-Only Resources in PJM

  RMI (authors Katie Siegner, Sarah Toth Kotwis, Abigail Weeks) commissioned Aurora Energy Research analysis and recommends PJM reform ERIS interconnection pathways to accelerate deployment of energy-only resources.

  • Main announcement/action: RMI highlights Aurora’s finding that deploying 10 GW of ERIS resources (5 GW solar + 5 GW wind) by 2028 could yield ~$10.9 billion in PJM ratepayer savings (billion, 2025$) over the next decade, and urges PJM to create a separate, fast ERIS study track with minimal network upgrade scope and clearly defined short timelines. The analysis assessed IRRs across four PJM zones (AEP, ComEd, Dominion, PPL) using a 9% hurdle rate and assumed no network upgrade costs beyond the point of interconnection for the primary scenarios.
  • Context and details: Aurora’s study modeled ERIS resources (wind and solar) with a 2028 commercial operation date, found ERIS projects are financially viable across most scenarios (central-case IRRs: solar ~9%–10.2%, wind ~9.2%–13.6%), noted ERIS uptake in PJM is currently low (PJM ~1% of MW online ERIS vs much higher elsewhere), and recommended that transmission planning (e.g., PJM’s RTEP) handle broader system upgrades while ERIS studies limit scope to point-of-interconnection impacts.
• May 8, 2026 · RMI

  Solving the Gridlock: America’s Electric Supply Chain Opportunity

  RMI (authors Ellie Garland and Ben Feshbach) publish policy recommendations for federal policymakers to strengthen the US grid supply chain and deploy newly available authorities and funding.

  • Main announcement / action: RMI recommends DOE and Congress use newly available tools — including $375 million appropriated to DOE’s Office of Electricity (Jan 2026) and a Defense Production Act (DPA) determination (Apr 2026) — to boost domestic grid manufacturing capacity, coordination, and competitiveness; the brief cites recent private investments such as Hitachi Energy’s $1 billion factory in Virginia and Siemens Energy’s target to add US transformer capacity by 2027.
  • Background and concrete details: The paper documents current supply constraints: domestic production met only 20% of US LPT demand in 2025, US grid equipment imports exceeded $30 billion in 2024, transformer prices have risen ~75% and cable costs have doubled since 2019; recommended interventions include near-term bottle‑neck relief, tax and loan incentives, DPA/anchor-buying strategies, workforce initiatives, and RD&D pilot programs.
• 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.