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New Jersey Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across New Jersey — updated daily.
Recent New Jersey data center news
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Responding to the climate impact of generative AI
MIT News explores ways experts at MIT and partner institutions are working to reduce generative AI’s carbon footprint.
- Main announcement/action: MIT researchers (including MIT Lincoln Laboratory, MITEI, CSAIL, and the FutureTech Research Project) describe and test interventions to cut AI’s operational and embodied carbon through algorithmic efficiency, hardware tuning (e.g., lowering GPU power to ~three-tenths), training-time optimizations (stopping early to avoid last 2–3 percentage points of accuracy), workload scheduling to match renewable supply, long-duration energy storage, and site selection (example: Meta’s Lulea data center in northern Sweden). The article cites IEA and Goldman Sachs projections: ~945 TWh data-center electricity demand by 2030, and an analysis that ~60% of the increased demand could be met by fossil fuels, adding ~220 million tons of CO2.
- Background and additional details: Researchers developed concepts and tools such as the negaflop (algorithmic savings), MIT/Princeton’s GenX planning tool, and the Net Climate Impact Score; studies show about half the electricity for training is used to gain the final 2–3 percentage points of accuracy, and software/tooling can avoid large fractions of wasted compute (example: avoiding ~80% of wasted training simulations). The article also notes embodied carbon in data-center construction (companies like Meta and Google exploring sustainable materials) and ongoing research into flexible, multi-tenant scheduling and long-duration storage to change the emission mix of data centers.
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Blackstone Energy to acquire Hill Top Energy Center for nearly $1bn
Blackstone Energy Transition Partners has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Hill Top Energy Center (620MW) in Greene County, Pennsylvania, from Ardian for nearly $1bn.
- Deal and asset details: The transaction is for the 620MW Hill Top Energy Center (completed in 2021), a combined cycle gas turbine plant in Greene County that will serve the PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland) market to meet rising electricity demand driven by data centres. Advisors: Santander and Houlihan Lokey acted as financial advisors to Blackstone Energy Transition Partners; Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor.
- Context and related commitments: The acquisition aligns with Blackstone’s July commitment to invest over $25bn in Pennsylvania’s digital and energy infrastructure and the firm’s statement that it aims to stimulate an additional $60bn of funding into the Commonwealth. The company previously agreed earlier this year to acquire the 774MW Potomac Energy Center in Loudoun County, Virginia.
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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.
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New Data Center Developments: September 2025
DataCenterKnowledge published a curated roundup of recent global data center project announcements and large power and financing deals.
- Key development summary: The roundup details multiple major projects and deals, including Equinix’s new partnerships with Radiant, ULC-Energy, and Stellaria for next-gen nuclear power and expanded solid-oxide fuel cell use with Bloom Energy; Caterpillar agreed with Joule Capital Partners to provide 4 GW of CHP power for a planned Utah campus (target launch sometime next year); Meta’s Hyperion Louisiana campus is expected to consume up to 5 GW; CoreWeave bought a 102-acre campus for $322 million; Vantage revealed plans to invest over $25 billion in a 1.4 GW / 1,200-acre Texas campus; EdgeConneX and Lambda are developing a 30+ MW dual-city AI data center in Chicago and Atlanta; Oracle / Elea / Rio de Janeiro target 1.5 GW by 2027 (expandable to 3.2 GW by 2032) for ‘Rio AI City’.
- Background and technical/financial details: The article frames projects against record-breaking demand and grid limitations; it notes energy and cooling approaches such as CHP and captured waste heat, solid-oxide fuel cells, high-voltage battery storage, and CDC Australia’s proposed 200 MW campus with a closed-loop zero-water primary cooling system. It also lists financing and deal figures: QTS announcing a $10 billion campus, STACK investing $1.66 billion in Johor, NEXTDC adding A$3.5 billion new debt within A$6.4 billion total facilities, and Keppel raising $4.9 billion this year toward a $150 billion funds target by 2030.
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Potential Energy: Is BESS the Answer to Data Centers’ Gridlocked Future?
De Gaulle Fleurance hosted a webinar on the evolving role of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Europe’s decarbonization efforts.
- Confirmed facts & project data: The webinar featured legal and energy experts from France, Belgium, Poland, and the UK; RTE projects renewable output could reach 320 TWh by 2035; battery capacity grew from <50 MW to 1.07 GW in five years, with >7 GW of projects holding grid access rights; the EU added 11.9 GW of BESS last year and the U.S. reported a 34% storage increase as of March 2024; identified vendors include ZincFive, Schneider Electric, Eaton, EPC Power, and Vertiv; U.S. states with SGIPs: California, New York, Maryland, New Jersey and other supportive states include Virginia, Oregon, Iowa, Texas.
- Costs, policies & planned initiatives: Reported average BESS cost $400–$600 per kWh (Exenell); U.S. is on track to install ~15 GW in 2025 (~25% increase over 2024) (projection); NESO’s connections reform is expected/hopecasting to unlock £40 billion ($53 billion) per year (anticipated); regulatory milestones cited include FERC Order No. 841 (2020) allowing batteries in wholesale markets and EU measures like VAT exemptions and tariff waivers; distinctions noted between confirmed deployments (installed GW) and planned/projection figures (15 GW in 2025, NESO investment expectations).
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A surprise contender for cooling computers: lasers
Sandia National Laboratories, in collaboration with Minnesota-based startup Maxwell Labs and the University of New Mexico, has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement to test laser-based photonic cooling technology for computer chips. This technology aims to regulate chip temperature, significantly reduce power consumption, and increase the efficiency of existing air and water cooling systems. The project focuses on creating micrometer-thin gallium arsenide-based components for this new cooling method, which could have transformative effects on data centers where energy costs are a growing concern.
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Request for Information on Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure on DOE Lands
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to explore opportunities for AI infrastructure development on its lands. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance AI capabilities in the U.S. and maintain leadership in the field. The RFI targets industry input on potential development approaches and operational models for AI data centers at select DOE sites, aiming for operational commencement by the end of 2027. Responses to this RFI are due by May 7, 2025.
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Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. Public Utility Commission Sets Hearing on AI Data Centers’ Impacts on Electricity
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced a hearing on April 24, 2025, to evaluate the impact of AI data centers on the state’s electricity infrastructure and economy. PUC Chairperson Stephen DeFrank emphasized the need to protect consumers while facilitating economic growth and technological advancement. The commission will investigate two major data center projects: Constellation Energy’s $1.6 billion restart of its nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island to provide carbon-free electricity for Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services’ $650 million data center purchase near a nuclear plant that will consume energy equivalent to 900,000 homes.
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AlphaGen Proposes 450 MW of Additional High-Reliability Generation Across PJM
AlphaGen, a power infrastructure management firm, submitted plans for 450 megawatts (MW) of additional electric generation at four existing power stations in Maryland, New Jersey, and Ohio. This submission was part of the PJM’s Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI), aimed at enhancing reliable electric generation infrastructure. The planned projects include a significant 300+ MW increase from natural gas-fueled units in New Jersey, capable of powering approximately 250,000 homes. This initiative reflects the rising demand for electricity driven by factors including electrification and the growth of data centers.
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The data center decade has arrived
The United States is anticipating a 30% surge in power demand by 2050, primarily driven by the expansion of data centers and the adoption of electric vehicles. Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR) reported a projected 15.83% rise in total annual energy consumption through 2035. The technology sector is entering an unprecedented capital expenditures cycle, with hyperscalers expected to spend over $50 billion annually by the decade’s end. Notably, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will host a significant data center facility totaling 2.2 GW by 2027.