Oregon Data Center News

May 5, 2026

Peter Thiel Leads $140 Million Capital Raise for Panthalassa to Power AI Computing Using Ocean Waves

Panthalassa has announced it raised $140 million in a Series B round led by Peter Thiel to advance its ocean wave-powered AI computing technology.

Series B financing and purpose: Panthalassa raised $140 million in a Series B led by Peter Thiel (PayPal and Palantir co-founder); proceeds are earmarked to advance wave-energy technology, complete a pilot manufacturing facility near Portland, and accelerate deployment of the Ocean-3 series of nodes planned for the northern Pacific Ocean in 2026, targeting commercial deployments in 2027.
Technical background and investor participation: Panthalassa operates autonomous ocean nodes that capture wave energy to run AI computing onboard (data transmitted via low-Earth-orbit satellites); prototypes Ocean-1 and Ocean-2 were deployed in 2021 and 2024. The round includes new investors (e.g., John Doerr, TIME Ventures, SciFi Ventures, Fortescue Ventures, Hanwha Asset Management (USA)) and returning investors (e.g., Founders Fund, Gigascale Capital, Lowercarbon Capital).

Apr 30, 2026

VOICES: Detroit can lead the nation on climate justice — if we put people first

A Detroit environmental advocate has proposed expanding the city’s Office of Sustainability into an Office of Climate, Infrastructure, and Sustainability and creating a chief climate officer who reports directly to Mayor Mary Sheffield.

Main proposal: Expand Detroit’s existing Office of Sustainability into an Office of Climate, Infrastructure, and Sustainability led by a chief climate officer reporting directly to the mayor; establish a Climate Justice Community Advisory Board with one resident representative from each council district; direct departments with inspection/enforcement authority (Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental; Detroit Water & Sewerage Department; Detroit Police Department; Health Department) to prioritize enforcement against industrial polluters.
Context and implementation details: The author frames this as an opinion/agenda (not an official city announcement) informed by the Rise Higher Detroit survey and an Obama Foundation convening; recommends that many items could begin by mayoral executive order while others require partnership with City Council; calls for city land-use guardrails on data centers and an effective pause on city-owned land uses “until clear guardrails are in place for community benefit, energy demand, and rate impacts.”

Apr 24, 2026

Clean and green: Oregon Treasurer talks environmental investments

Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner reiterated the state’s climate-focused investment policies, including the Climate Resilience Investment Act (CRIA) passed in 2025.

Main announcement/action: Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner described the Climate Resilience Investment Act (CRIA, passed 2025) which requires continued fiduciary responsibility, directs the Treasury to pursue climate-positive investing, and mandates biennial transparency reporting (first report due January 2027). She also cited the state’s Net Zero plan (issued 2024) with targets to reduce portfolio emissions intensity by 60% by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050, and confirmed the Treasury doubled climate-positive real asset investments from $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion.
Background and details referenced: This segment reports on existing policy rather than announcing a new law (CRIA passed in 2025). Steiner and Sierra Club Oregon Director Damon Motz-Storey discussed implementation details and performance metrics: climate-positive investments returned 20% on average over the past five years versus 12% for carbon-intensive real assets; collaborators mentioned include the Sierra Club, Oregon Department of Energy, and a Portland company Panthalassa exploring wave-energy co-located servers for AI workloads.

Apr 22, 2026

Patented: Verizon’s Signal Spoof Detection at Base Stations and More North Texas Inventive Activity

Dallas-Fort Worth reported 171 patents granted for the week of March 24 and Verizon was granted a patent for detecting GPS/satellite signal spoofing at cellular base stations.

Main announcement: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (19100) 171 patents granted for the week of March 24, ranked No. 8 out of 250 U.S. metros; notable individual patent: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc. (U.S. Patent No. 12587857) for signal spoof detection at base stations using a comparison of a station’s known “true position” with a calculated “real time position” and generating an alert when the distance exceeds a threshold. Named inventors on the Verizon patent are Jerry Gamble, Jr. (Grapevine, TX) and Sumanth S. Mallya (Flower Mound, TX).
Background/details: The article is a patent roundup (Dallas Invents) listing utility and design patents connected to North Texas; it enumerates classification counts (G: Physics 53; H: Electricity 49; DESIGN: 31, etc.), top assignees (e.g., Texas Instruments Inc. 17; Traxxas L.P. 17; Samsung 8; Verizon 6) and highlights many granted patents across domains (telecom, AI/ML, medical devices, robotics, energy, networking). For each patent the report includes patent number, inventor(s), assignee, application file/date, and abstract (no speculative outcomes).

Apr 16, 2026

Data Center Protests Are Growing. How Should the Industry Respond?

Data Center Watch reports community opposition has halted and delayed numerous U.S. data center projects.

Main findings: Data Center Watch says $18 billion in projects have been halted and $46 billiondelayed over the past two years; the group has identified at least 142 activist groups across 24 states blocking or opposing data center construction. Key affected projects and values are cited throughout the article (examples listed below).
Context and examples: The article is a reporting/summary of recent project cancellations, postponements, and opposition rather than a new project announcement. Examples include Tract (two Arizona projects, $14 billion withdrawn), QTS & Compass (Prince William, VA, $24.7 billion, 2.4 GW, legal challenges), and Amazon proposals ($6 billion in King George, VA and other contested sites). The piece compiles project statuses, industry commentary, and technical/community concerns (power, water, health, jobs).

Apr 9, 2026

Tech giant Amazon settles nitrate pollution case linked to its Oregon data centers

Amazon has agreed to pay $20.5 million to settle allegations that its Oregon data centers contributed to nitrate groundwater pollution.

Settlement details: Amazon agreed to a $20.5 million settlement to resolve claims its data centers in Morrow County, Oregon exacerbated nitrate contamination; settlement funds will be administered by a court-appointed administrator and used to support clean water initiatives for affected households with private wells.
Background and case specifics: Plaintiffs’ attorney Steve Berman commented on the settlement; Amazon denies wrongdoing but internal figures in the article show its Oregon data centers consumed 284 million gallons of water in 2024, including 136 million gallons from the Port of Morrow. Litigation continues against other regional entities including the Port of Morrow, Portland General Electric, Lamb Weston, and Tillamook, and the company has ongoing expansion plans (a referenced planned “exascale” data center near Boardman).

Apr 1, 2026

Geothermal’s Rise a Hot Topic Worldwide

Rystad Energy forecasts near-term surge in geothermal investment to 2030.

Main announcement: Rystad Energy projects global investment in geothermal could reach nearly $9 billion by 2030, up from about $1.4 billion in 2020; the article reports multiple new commercial and pilot projects (e.g., Fervo Energy’s 500-MW Cape Station in Utah; the U.S. EIA notes the first large-scale commercial EGS in the U.S. is expected online in June). Include timelines and project scales where given.
Background and supporting details:Corporate deals and government support include Google’s long-term agreement with Ormat to supply up to 150 MW in Nevada (online 2028–2030), XGS Energy’s $1.2-billion, 150-MW project to power Meta in New Mexico (two phases operational by 2030), federal and state grants (e.g., $1.78 million tax credit for Vail on a $6-million library geothermal project; DOE / GEODE $165 million grant programs; an $8.6-million grant approved to expand a U.S. Northeast geothermal district heating network).

Mar 31, 2026

Amazon to Pay $20.5 Million in Settlement of Class Action Suit Over Pollution in Eastern Oregon

Amazon has agreed to a $20.5 million class-action settlement with Eastern Oregon residents over alleged contributions from its data-center operations to groundwater nitrate pollution.

$20.5 million settlement allocated into two primary funds after attorney fees: private well projects (to tap deeper, less contaminated aquifers) and public water-system projects (treatment and distribution); an additional $30,000 block is reserved for $5,000 one-time payments to the six plaintiffs. The settlement requires court approval and will release Amazon from liability related to alleged contamination in the LUBGWMA. Amazon denies the allegations and states it settled to avoid litigation burdens.
Background and other details: Amazon opened its first data center in Morrow County in 2011 and now operates 13 facilities in and around the Lower Umatilla Basin; regulators have documented rising nitrate levels since 1991. Plaintiffs allege data-center cooling-water discharges (tens of millions of gallons annually) accelerate nitrate movement into groundwater. Other defendants named include Lamb Weston, Threemile Canyon Farms, Madison Ranches, Port of Morrow, Portland General Electric, and Columbia River Processing; plaintiffs’ attorney Steve Berman said litigation will continue against those parties.

Mar 28, 2026

Ohio EPA considers new wastewater permits for data center as locals push back

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is considering a new general permit to allow data centers to discharge wastewater into surface waters.

Main action: The Ohio EPA proposes a new general wastewater permit for data centers that would authorize discharges into rivers and streams and speed approvals compared with the current requirement for individual permits, while the agency says it would limit any pollution increases to cases of critical community or economic need.
Background and context: Coverage cites multiple regional “megasite“ proposals including a $4 billion Amazon Data Services project in Wilmington, Ohio and a 2,080-acre, 400-gigawatt Maysville, KY project estimated at $1 billion; the article notes local government actions (e.g., Cincinnati City Council rulemaking, Mount Orab Village Council 180-day moratorium) and a recent Clinton County judge-ordered pause on Wilmington movement to allow more public input.

Mar 27, 2026 · IT Brief Asia

ZincFive named to TIME green tech list for third year

ZincFive has been named to TIME’s America’s Top GreenTech Companies 2026 list, ranking 142, marking its third consecutive year on the list.

Ranking details: ZincFive ranked 142 on TIME’s America’s Top GreenTech Companies 2026 list; the list evaluated more than 3,500 companies using environmental impact, financial strength, and innovation; ZincFive was one of two Oregon-headquartered companies included.
Company and product context: ZincFive, a privately held nickel-zinc battery maker based in Tualatin, Oregon, focuses on immediate power for data centres and in November announced BC 2 AI, an AI-optimised battery system for dual-mode operation designed to manage transient GPU cluster loads while providing outage protection; the company holds an international patent portfolio and has received awards from Edison Awards, CleanTech Breakthrough, and Power Technology Excellence Awards.

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