New York Data Center Intel

Recent New York data center news

• Mar 4, 2026

  Tribes and environmentalists raise alarm over $2 billion Columbia River power line

  PowerBridge has proposed burying an 80-mile, high-voltage transmission cable under the Columbia River as the nearly $2 billion Cascade Renewable Transmission System.

  • Project details: PowerBridge proposes the Cascade Renewable Transmission System to bury a roughly 12-inch cable bundle for 80 miles along the Columbia River, buried 10 to 15 feet beneath the riverbed, to transmit 1,100 megawatts from The Dalles to a substation in Northwest Portland; the company says the method has been used near New York and New Jersey for nearly two decades.
  • Approvals and timeline: PowerBridge filed permit applications with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state agencies in Oregon and Washington; the article states construction is not expected to start until at least 2028 if reviews pass and funding is secured.
• Mar 2, 2026

  How America’s Power Regions Chose Their Futures and How That Has Played Out

  Aaron Larson assesses nearly 30 years of U.S. electricity market choices and evaluates organized RTO/ISO markets versus bilateral, vertically integrated regions.

  • Main assessment: The article reviews the historical arc from FERC Order 888 (April 24, 1996) and Order 2000 (~1999) through the formation and evolution of major operators (PJM, CAISO, ISO‑NE, NYISO, MISO, SPP, ERCOT). Key facts include PJM’s estimate of $2.8–$3.1 billion/year in customer benefits, a 2023 Brattle Group study estimating $362 million/year savings for South Carolina by joining PJM (or $187 million/year for a Southeast RTO), and the launch dates/timelines: CAISO (1998 under Assembly Bill 1890), PJM ISO (1997) and RTO (2001), MISO formation (2001) and energy market start (2005), Entergy integration (2013), SPP Integrated Marketplace (2014), ERCOT restructuring (1999), SEEM launch (November 2022), and Winter Storm Uri (February 2021).
  • Background and additional details: The article documents regional design differences (PJM evolutionary expansion; CAISO’s 2000–2001 crisis; ERCOT’s energy‑only market), highlights renewables integration and data center demand as drivers toward organized markets, and notes SEEM cleared 0.1% of regional annual demand in its first full year. The piece is an analytical assessment rather than a new policy announcement.
• Mar 2, 2026

  Striking a Balance When It Comes to Power

  POWER reports that commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses are increasingly adopting hybrid, decentralized power systems to secure reliable, resilient electricity.

  • Main announcement/action: Businesses and C&I operators are moving toward hybrid, decentralized power strategies—combining grid connection with on-site generation, energy storage, microgrids, and cogeneration—to improve reliability, resiliency, and cost efficiency. Example project details: Catholic Charities installed 17 solar projects totaling 1.3 MW (designed to generate 1.5 GWh annually and offset ~45% of on-site load), and Fluence installed a 2.75-MW battery energy storage system at Google’s St. Ghislain data center in 2022.
  • Background and other details: Industry experts (XL Batteries, Jacobs, Hitachi Energy, Budderfly, Alsym) emphasize supply-chain constraints (long transformer/switchgear lead times), the need for five-year planning and supplier coordination, interest in non-lithium/long-duration storage and 800‑V DC architectures (NVIDIA support by Hitachi Energy), and that thermal generation remains a near-term stabilizer while renewables and storage scale. Implementation notes: some projects are behind-the-meter to capture federal tax incentives; Fluence’s installation served as a proof-of-concept for wider use and was connected to the Belgian grid by Centrica Business Solutions.
• Feb 26, 2026

  $12B Amazon data center build will rely on surplus water

  Amazon has announced a $12 billion multi-site data center campus across Caddo and Bossier Parishes in Louisiana.

  • Project scope & funding: Amazon will invest $12 billion to develop interconnected campuses in Caddo and Bossier Parishes, including $400 million allocated for local water infrastructure (using only verified surplus water) and a $250,000 community fund for STEM and local projects. Construction is expected to start in the coming weeks; STACK Infrastructure will lead development and Southwestern Electric Power Company will be the local utility partner with Amazon paying 100% of new energy infrastructure expenses.
  • Context & related projects: The announcement follows other multibillion-dollar data center projects in Louisiana, including Jacobs starting phase one of a $10 billion Hut 8 project (Hut 8 expects operations to begin Q2 2027) and a $10 billion Meta data center near Monroe being built by Turner, DPR and Mortenson. The article is an announcement summarizing Amazon’s commitment and situating it within recent regional data center investments.
• Feb 26, 2026

  Meta Signs Solar PPA with MN8 Energy to Power U.S. Data Centers

  Meta has announced it has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with MN8 Energy to procure 80MW from a new solar project in Pennsylvania.

  • Main announcement: Meta will purchase 100% of the electricity generated by MN8 Energy’s Walker Solar plant in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, under an 80MW PPA; Walker Solar is under development and is targeted to begin operations by the end of 2026. This is the first joint project between Meta and MN8 Energy.
  • Background and deal context: MN8 Energy (founded 2017, New York-based) specializes in decarbonization projects, energy storage, and grid-scale power; the company was originally founded within Goldman Sachs Asset Management as Goldman Sachs Renewable Power and became independent in 2022. The article references a BloombergNEF report noting Meta signed over 10 GW of PPAs in 2025 and was the largest corporate clean energy offtaker that year.
• Feb 25, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - February 24, 2026

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) released a newsletter highlighting data center impacts, policy developments on Capitol Hill, and upcoming briefings and events.

  • Main announcement: EESI highlighted rising household energy costs driven in part by data center demand, noting electricity prices have risen by up to 267% since 2020 in high-concentration data center areas and that wildfires cost the United States up to $424 billion annually. The newsletter features the article “Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills,” a podcast on wildfire philanthropy, and announces briefings including “Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability” on Thursday, February 26 (3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online).

  • Background and other details: The newsletter summaries recent legislative actions and events: Senate Energy Committee advanced the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025 (S.714); House Committee approved the ACERO Act (H.R.390) to authorize NASA’s ACERO project; Senate Foreign Relations agreed to the Protecting Global Fisheries Act of 2026 (S.1369); House introduced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567). Events listed with dates/times/locations:

    • Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability — Feb 26, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy — Mar 3, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Russell Senate Office Building, Room 385 and online (Reception to follow)
    • Strategies to Lower Utility Bills Now for Households and Small Businesses — Mar 12, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • 2026 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum (EXPO 2026) — Jun 24, 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building Foyer and Gold Room and online
• Feb 24, 2026

  Cipher Digital Provides Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Business Update

  Cipher Digital (formerly Cipher Mining) announced a strategic rebrand and business update focusing on HPC data center development.

  • Main announcement: Cipher Digital rebranded from Cipher Mining and sold a 49% interest in three 40 MW joint-venture sites (Alborz, Bear, Chief) to Canaan Inc. for approximately $40 million (all-stock). The Company completed three high-yield bond offerings to fully finance construction at its two named HPC projects (Barber Lake and Black Pearl), raising aggregate proceeds of $3.73 billion. The financing includes $1.4 billion of senior secured notes at 7.125%, an additional $333 million at 7.125% (bringing Barber Lake financing to $1.73 billion), and $2.0 billion of senior secured notes at 6.125%.
  • Background and details: Cipher has 600 MW gross contracted HPC capacity via two leases (a 15-year 300 MW lease with AWS and a 10-year 300 MW lease with Fluidstack and Google). Both Barber Lake and Black Pearl developments are reported on schedule (Barber Lake: ~95% of long-lead equipment secured and design milestones achieved; Black Pearl: EPC activities underway). Financial highlights include Q4 2025 revenue of $60 million and Adjusted Net Loss of $55 million.
• Feb 22, 2026

  ESG Today: Week in Review

  New York lawmakers have passed a bill mandating greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure by large companies.

  • Main action: New York lawmakers passed a bill requiring GHG disclosure by large companies, establishing a statutory reporting obligation (announcement of legislative passage). Microsoft also announced it has achieved 100% renewable electricity, and the ECB fined Crédit Agricole €7.6 million for not meeting climate risk expectations.
  • Additional facts and context:ISO launched a new climate adaptation standard; France granted INEOS €300 million to decarbonize a chemical plant; notable capital raises include Lydian Energy $689 million (U.S. solar + battery storage), hummingbirds $59 million (nature-based carbon), Metafuels $24 million (synthetic SAF), and Utility Global $100 million (clean hydrogen). Google and Ormat signed a deal to power data centres from new geothermal projects; Shell and IAG led a capital raise for LanzaJet at roughly a $650 million valuation.
• Feb 21, 2026

  The Hidden Cost of America’s AI Boom: How Trump’s Pollution Rollbacks Are Clearing the Way for Coal-Fired Data Centers

  The Environmental Protection Agency finalized the repeal of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) under the Trump administration.

  • Main action: The EPA, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, finalized repeal of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) (originally implemented in 2012) to ease limits on mercury, arsenic and other hazardous pollutants; the administration explicitly framed the rollback as necessary to keep generation capacity online to power AI data centers. The EPA had previously estimated MATS would prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 asthma attacks annually.
  • Legal and political follow-up: A coalition of state attorneys general (New York, California, Illinois) and environmental groups (Sierra Club, Earthjustice) have signaled intent to sue and prepare litigation; Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to codify MATS into law (not expected to pass in the current Congress). The article reports the repeal is part of a broader deregulatory push including relaxed carbon and methane rules and streamlined permitting for fossil fuel infrastructure.
• Feb 20, 2026

  Columbia Gas Ohio Rates Surge 35% in 2026

  Columbia Gas Ohio announced a 35% hike to its default supply (Price to Compare, PTC) rates effective February 1, 2026.

  • Main announcement: Columbia Gas Ohio raised its default supply/PTC rate by 35% effective February 1, 2026, producing a utility PTC of $1.071 per ccf; a customer using 100 ccf would pay $107.10 in supply charges, with delivery charges and taxes noted as an additional $125, making a total bill more than $230. The release is an announcement by OHEnergyRatings.com warning residential customers about the rate increase.
  • Background and details: The firm cites an Arctic blast / Winter Storm Fern, higher spot and futures prices (spot average $9.03 per mmBTU, February NYMEX $7.460 per mmBTU, markets in New York/New England > $40 per mmBTU), and demand drivers including LNG exports and data centers. OHEnergyRatings.com recommends locking fixed-rate plans (examples: fixed rates up to 40% less than the $1.071/ccf PTC) for 6 months or longer to avoid further price spikes.