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Rhode Island Data Center Intel

Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Rhode Island — updated daily.

Recent Rhode Island data center news

  • SOCAMM memory gains ground as AI data centers proliferate

    Samsung unveiled SOCAMM2, an LPDDR5-based memory module and new CAMM2 industry form factor designed specifically for AI data center platforms.

    • Main announcement: Samsung introduced SOCAMM2 (LPDDR5) as an industry-standard CAMM2 memory form factor offering up to 2× bandwidth vs DDR5 RDIMMs, 1.5–2.0× reported performance, and ~55% power consumption of comparable DDR5; modules are smaller due to stacked memory and can be used with or instead of DDR.
    • Background and timeline:Dell originally co-designed CAMM and handed the spec to JEDEC (which added ECC and enterprise features); SK Hynix has announced support (believed behind Micron and Samsung); full market launch is expected around Q2 2026 aligned with Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform launch.
  • Everything you needed to know about FLOPs

    Andy Patrizio explains FLOPs benchmarking, floating-point precisions, and how benchmarks are used in supercomputing and AI.

    • Main explanation: The article describes that the Top 500 list measures supercomputers in FP64 (double-precision, 64-bit) as a proxy for scientific computing; FP64 takes twice as long as FP32 and four times as long as FP16, and uses twice (vs FP32) or four times (vs FP16) the memory. The Top 500 is published every June and November. Addison Snell (CEO, Intersect 360) is quoted emphasizing 64-bit remains the de rigueur standard for scientific workloads.

    • Additional details and vendor/AI context: The article explains precision tiers—FP32 (single precision), FP16 (used for AI inferencing), bfloat16 (Google-originated, licensed to Intel/AMD/Nvidia; described as less precise than FP16 but faster), and FP8/FP4 (FP8 used for inference, some neural network training, and edge cases; FP8 only used on GPUs and not by Intel/AMD according to the article). It warns vendors sometimes advertise peta/exaFLOPs using lower-precision metrics (e.g., FP8) and advises readers to ask the precision behind advertised FLOP numbers.

  • State Broadband Bills of 2025: A Legislative Review

    State legislatures across the United States enacted and considered broadband-related legislation in 2025; fewer than 140 of more than 600 proposed bills became law.

    • Main actions: States enacted laws prioritizing infrastructure and permitting reforms, pole and rights-of-way access, criminal penalties for theft/vandalism, state broadband funding, and data center incentives. Notable enacted measures include Hawaii H 934 (established a state Broadband Office and programs, enacted in June and backed by $400 million in combined funding), West Virginia SB 907 (expanded the Economic Development Project Fund to allow up to $25 million annually for broadband incentives and up to $125 million annually for broadband loan insurance) and West Virginia HB 2014 (signed in April; created microgrid districts with zoning/permitting exemptions and special property tax treatment for qualifying projects).
    • Additional details and timelines: States also raised criminal penalties (e.g., Oklahoma classified willful damage to a critical infrastructure facility as a Class D3 felony with fines up to $100,000 and prison up to 10 years; Louisiana authorized fines up to $50,000 and prison up to 20 years; California AB 476 increased penalties for knowingly buying illegally obtained scrap metal to $5,000). Other enacted programs include California SB 338 (a $2 million telehealth pilot), New Mexico SB 126 (Rural USF increased from $30 million to $40 million), and Oregon’s device support up to $100 in Lifeline-related assistance. At least 37 states passed data center incentives in 2025 and over 1,000 AI-focused bills were introduced nationwide, with ~38 states adopting or enacting roughly 100 AI measures in 2025.
  • Climate Change Solutions - December 16, 2025

    The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) issues a Climate Change Solutions newsletter summarizing recent climate, energy, and environmental policy developments, briefings, and media coverage in the United States.

    • Newsletter content highlights articles on FEMA reform (FEMA Act, H.R.4669), ghost fishing gear in Hawaiʻi, and global green building standards (LEED, BREEAM), plus an EESI briefing on how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) changed 12 clean energy and efficiency tax incentives and how companies and consumers are adjusting.
    • Capitol Hill updates cover House passage or advancement of the Electric Supply Chain Act (H.R.3638), ePermit Act (H.R.4503), ESTUARIES Act (H.R.3962 / S.2063), and multiple PFAS bills (H.R.6668 / S.3457, H.R.6626 / S.3460, H.R.6667, S.3445, S.3446), as well as links to EESI legislative trackers, grid and industrial decarbonization briefings, and external media citations of EESI work on data centers, water use, and EERE investments.
  • Will Google throw gasoline on the AI chip arms race?

    Google released its 7th-generation TPU codenamed “Ironwood” and is reportedly preparing to sell TPUs to third parties; media reported Meta may consider purchasing about 100,000 units.

    • Main announcement: Google introduced Ironwood (7th-gen TPU) optimized for inference with massive memory scale and bandwidth; reports surfaced that Meta is considering a purchase of ~100,000 units and Google may seek additional external customers (reported last month, with follow-up reports a few weeks later).
    • Context and details: Analysts (Jack Gold of J.Gold & Associates, Alvin Nguyen of Forrester Research) say TPUs are targeted at inference workloads and complement Nvidia GPUs used for large language models; Google has previously provided TPUs to some external companies (mainly startups from ex-Googlers or Google-sponsored startups), and selling TPUs broadly would require building support and on-premises infrastructure capabilities that Google has limited experience with.
  • COP30 Dispatch - November 14, 2025

    The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) reports on COP30 progress and negotiations in Belém.

    • Main update: EESI summarizes negotiations and events at COP30 including Brazil hosting with Indigenous participation (Munduruku demonstration), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse attending as the sole U.S. federal official, the submission of 114 updated NDCs (72% of global GHG emissions), and an expected ~3,000 Indigenous attendees with about one third access to the Blue Zone; EESI also flags ~1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists present at COP30.
    • Additional details:Ministerial pairs were announced to lead week-two talks (Gambia/Germany on adaptation; Kenya/UK on finance; Egypt/Spain on mitigation; Mexico/Poland on just transition; Australia/India on technology; Chile/Sweden on gender); adaptation finance negotiations are stalled with calls for public, grant-based finance (Africa Group); Race to Resilience reports $4.2 billion in adaptation finance deployed and other resilience metrics; a Rapid Readout briefing is scheduled for November 25 to review final outcomes.
  • Climate Change Solutions - July 29, 2025

    The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) newsletter highlights recent climate change solutions, legislative updates, and upcoming events.

    • Innovative technologies such as AI-driven disaster resilience tools by U.S. National Laboratories and upgraded air filters to reduce wildfire smoke injuries are featured.
    • Legislative progress includes the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act passed by the House, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act advancing with job creation and solar capacity details, and the Fire Ready Nation Act advancing in the Senate to enhance wildfire forecasting.
    • Upcoming briefings focus on Ohio River restoration and the intersection of AI and climate policy.
    • The newsletter also provides links to recordings of the 28th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and related policy forums.
    • EESI President Daniel Bresette is quoted on energy and AI topics; contact details and social media links for EESI are provided.
  • Graycor hires construction vet to lead Southwest division

    Graycor Construction has appointed Brett Helm as general manager of its Southwest Division based in Phoenix.

    • Helm brings 30 years of industry experience to support the warehouse and distribution portfolio.
    • Focus areas include advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, data centers, and strategic portfolio growth.
    • Graycor highlights Phoenix’s advantage for data centers due to lower power costs and reduced natural disaster risks.
    • Key regional projects by Graycor include Elliot Gateway industrial park, Rinchem chemical warehouses, Mlily manufacturing and distribution facility, and SkyBridge Arizona cargo processing site.
      The appointment and focus confirm Graycor’s commitment to infrastructure growth in the Southwest region.
  • 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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