Pennsylvania Data Center News

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 14, 2026

Policymakers Consider Temporary Pause on AI Data Center Construction: What Stakeholders Need to Know

On March 25, 2026, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act.

Main announcement: The Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on March 25, 2026, would impose a nationwide halt on constructing or upgrading new or existing data centers with a power demand of 20 megawatts (MW) or more until “strong national safeguards” are in place; the Act also seeks to bar government subsidies, require union labor/prevailing wages, and give affected communities ability to approve or reject projects.
Background and related measures: Multiple state and local actions are cited including New York Senate Bill 9144 (prohibits permits for data centers capable of using 20 MW or more until new regulations), indefinite local moratoriums (e.g., Oldham County, KY), over 100 localities with moratoria, a reported $156 billion across 48 projects blocked or delayed in 2025, and the Port Washington, WI referendum requiring voter approval for tax-increment financing for projects with base value or project costs over $10 million; Virginia legislative action (Senate Bill 30) would end a sales/use tax exemption for certain data center equipment on January 1, 2027.

May 12, 2026

Why AI Data Center Projects Face Years of Delays After Approval

PJM Interconnection reported that AI infrastructure projects entering service in 2025 took an average of more than seven years to reach operational status, and that the primary bottlenecks have shifted downstream to transmission buildouts, substation capacity, permitting, and supply-chain constraints.

Main announcement / key facts: PJM data show projects spent more than three years reaching an Interconnection Service Agreement and another four years waiting to come online after approval (average >7 years to operation). PJM says it has processed more than 170,000 MW of generation requests since 2023, has about 30 GW left to process from transition cycles, received preliminary applications representing roughly 220 GW for the next cycle, and logged 95 large-load adjustment requests totaling about 54 GW; PJM’s 2026 forecast projects summer peak demand rising from ~154 GW (2025) to nearly 210 GW by 2036. Cycle 1 projects are expected to receive interconnection agreements within 1–2 years, depending on system impact; as of January 2026 PJM reported >21 GW in engineering procurement status and 8.2 GW under construction.
Background / causes and details: PJM attributes milestone change requests during construction/development chiefly to permitting (29%), other delays (28%) (including EPC procurement, equipment availability, construction, land ownership), and supply-chain delays (23%). Wood Mackenzie found transformer lead times rose from ~50 weeks (2021) to ~120 weeks (2024) and reports substation transformer lead times of ~140 weeks (2023), ~150 weeks (2025), and exceeding 160 weeks (2026); Wood Mackenzie projects the US data-center electrical equipment market will grow from roughly $20 billion today to $65 billion by 2030. A March 31 FERC filing from Constellation warned the restarted Three Mile Island Unit 1 may not be “fully deliverable” until required transmission upgrades are completed; Constellation has said the plant will supply power under a long-term agreement with Microsoft.

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

Episode for May 8, 2026

Pennsylvania is getting a federal grant to install a geothermal project at an existing natural gas site.

Federal grant for enhanced geothermal in Indiana County — The federal government awarded funding to install an enhanced geothermal project at an existing natural gas site in Indiana County, Pennsylvania; the project uses techniques such as fracking to access underground heat and is described as “enhanced” geothermal. (No dollar amount for the grant was specified in the article.)
Other local energy and conservation actions — Pennsylvania PUC advanced guidance intended to protect ratepayers from high electricity demand by large data centers; the Pittsburgh Energy Innovation Center (Hill District) installed a rooftop solar array covering >20% of the building’s electricity needs, estimated to be worth $50,000 annually over the next 25 years; a federal critical habitat designation was issued for four endangered freshwater mussel species affecting western Pennsylvania rivers and streams.

May 8, 2026

Interconnection Delays Push Texas Data Center Behind the Meter

BaRupOn acquired roughly 700 acres in Liberty County, Texas, then pivoted from planned chemical manufacturing to behind-the-meter energy generation and AI/data center infrastructure after discovering substantial grid interconnection costs and delayed utility availability.

Main action: BaRupOn shifted its Liberty County project from a ~25 MW methacrylate chemical manufacturing facility to an on-site power and AI infrastructure campus after identifying ~$35 million in grid interconnection costs and that substantial utility power would not be available until 2029; the company has permits for ~60 MW of on-site generation, signed gas supply agreements with Kinder Morgan, and is constructing a 200,000-square-foot data center on the site.
Background & other details: BaRupOn completed a feasibility study with NANO Nuclear Energy to explore advanced microreactors (conceptual, likely years away); it plans to scale long-term power toward >1 GW using additional gas, solar, and potential nuclear capacity, and executives note hyperscalers are now reconsidering behind-the-meter deployments as interconnection delays and upgrade costs rise.

May 7, 2026

Microsoft may shelve 2030 clean energy target as AI lifts power use, Bloomberg News reports

Microsoft is considering delaying or abandoning its 2030 goal to match its entire hourly electricity use with renewable energy purchases, according to Bloomberg News.

Main announcement: Microsoft is considering delaying or abandoning its 2030 hourly renewable matching goal; discussions are ongoing and no final decision has been made, per Bloomberg. Microsoft says it is still seeking opportunities to maintain the goal and pointed to a 1.2 gigawatts agreement with We Energies for solar and battery projects expected to start coming online in December 2028.
Background and details: The reconsideration is driven by an expensive, energy-intensive push for AI data centers (some expected to have multiple gigawatts of capacity); rivals Amazon and Alphabet are undertaking similar buildouts. The article notes increased deals for nuclear and demand for natural gas, and that Microsoft in 2024 agreed a power deal with Constellation Energy related to the Three Mile Island nuclear plant unit in Pennsylvania.

May 7, 2026

Bunkers, Mines, and Caverns: The World of Underground Data Centers

Data Center Knowledge reports underground facilities represent a small but growing niche in the global data center market.

Main announcement: The article documents operators converting retired mines and Cold War-era bunkers into commercial data centers, citing Iron Mountain’s Boyers, Pa. campus (>200 feet underground with a 35-acre underground lake) as a leading example; other highlighted sites include Lefdal Mine (Norway, fjord cooling, powered almost entirely by renewable hydroelectric energy) and Pionen (Bahnhof, ~100 feet beneath Stockholm).
Background and details: The piece summarizes expert commentary on drivers and constraints: natural ambient rock temperatures and physical security reduce cooling needs and PUE, while operational challenges include humidity control, ventilation, radon mitigation, complex logistics, limited vertical scalability, and the need for specialized engineering and permitting. Markets cited as attractive include Nordics, Singapore, and Switzerland.

May 6, 2026

Power Drives the AI Data Center Boom, but Connectivity Cannot be Overlooked

An analysis argues that data center operators must prioritize power and optical connectivity for AI.

Main point: The piece highlights power and optical connectivity as essential prerequisites for AI, citing Omdia’s forecast that global IT load power capacity will reach 314 GW by 2030 and noting the emergence of the “scale across“ concept (coined in 2025 by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang) which requires 800 Gbps+, low-latency optical links to operate multi-site AI clusters and gigawatt-scale training campuses.
Background/details: The article is commentary/analysis (not a formal project announcement). It documents current industry pressures: typical large colocation sites support 50–100 MW, hyperscaler clusters are being planned at gigawatt scale, regional power supply wait times of 2–5 years, and a shift toward remote rural builds (examples: Lancaster PA; Memphis; Columbus, Ohio; rural Georgia; New Mexico; Wyoming) that require long-haul fiber links sometimes up to ~1,000 km. It references trade shows and forums including Metro Connect (Florida), Nvidia’s GTC, OFC, and the Optica Executive Forum.

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.

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