South Carolina Data Center Intel

Recent South Carolina data center news

• May 18, 2026

  NextEra Will Buy Dominion Energy in Largest-Ever Electric Utility Deal

  NextEra Energy has announced it will buy Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $67 billion.

  • Deal terms and governance: NextEra shareholders will own 74.5% of the combined company and Dominion investors 25.5%; the combined company will trade under NextEra on the NYSE as NEE, own 110 GW of generation capacity, and have a board consisting of 10 NextEra and 4 Dominion directors. The announcement was made on May 18; John Ketchum will serve as chairman and CEO and Robert Blue as president and CEO of regulated utilities.
  • Financial and operational details: The transaction value is about $67 billion; NextEra reported an enterprise value of about $303 billion (about one-third debt) and Dominion an enterprise value of about $111 billion (about $50 billion in debt). The companies highlighted commitments including bill credits, continued investments in generation, reliability and storm resiliency, and retention of dual headquarters in Juno Beach, Florida and Richmond, Virginia.
• May 18, 2026

  NextEra Acquires Dominion to Create U.S. Electricity Giant

  NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy announced a merger agreement to create the world’s largest regulated electric utility business.

  • Deal terms and scale: The agreement values Dominion equity at approximately $67 billion, with Dominion shareholders receiving 0.8138 shares of NextEra Energy per Dominion share; post-transaction ownership is NextEra ~74.5% and Dominion ~25.5%. The combined company will serve approximately 10 million utility customer accounts across Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina and will own 110 GW of generation across energy sources.
  • Operational profile and pipeline: The companies state the combined business will be #1 globally in renewables and battery storage, #1 in U.S. gas generation, and #2 in U.S. nuclear generation, and highlighted a 130 GW pipeline of large-load opportunities. The announcement cites rising electricity demand driven by datacenter buildout for AI, industrial and transport electrification as context for the transaction.
• May 17, 2026

  Reports Say NextEra in Talks to Acquire Dominion Energy

  NextEra Energy is reportedly in talks to acquire Dominion Energy.

  • Deal details and timing: The article reports a potential mostly-stock transaction valuing Dominion at about $66 billion, with analysts saying NextEra would offer about 0.8 of its own shares for each Dominion share plus some cash; the deal could be announced as soon as May 18. Analysts also estimate NextEra shareholders would own about three-quarters of the combined company.
  • Background and financial context: The report includes company valuations and finances: NextEra enterprise value ≈ $303 billion (≈1/3 debt); Dominion enterprise value ≈ $111 billion (≈$50 billion debt); NextEra market cap ≈ $195 billion, Southern Co. ≈ $104 billion; the article references related transactions and infrastructure investments (e.g., Duane Arnold restart investment > $800 million, Crossroads-Hobbs-Roadrunner transmission $291.6 million).
• 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 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 · RMI

  Solving the Gridlock: America’s Electric Supply Chain Opportunity

  RMI (authors Ellie Garland and Ben Feshbach) publish policy recommendations for federal policymakers to strengthen the US grid supply chain and deploy newly available authorities and funding.

  • Main announcement / action: RMI recommends DOE and Congress use newly available tools — including $375 million appropriated to DOE’s Office of Electricity (Jan 2026) and a Defense Production Act (DPA) determination (Apr 2026) — to boost domestic grid manufacturing capacity, coordination, and competitiveness; the brief cites recent private investments such as Hitachi Energy’s $1 billion factory in Virginia and Siemens Energy’s target to add US transformer capacity by 2027.
  • Background and concrete details: The paper documents current supply constraints: domestic production met only 20% of US LPT demand in 2025, US grid equipment imports exceeded $30 billion in 2024, transformer prices have risen ~75% and cable costs have doubled since 2019; recommended interventions include near-term bottle‑neck relief, tax and loan incentives, DPA/anchor-buying strategies, workforce initiatives, and RD&D pilot programs.
• May 7, 2026

  50 States of Power Decarbonization Q1 2026: Lawmakers Tackle Cost Allocation and Ratepayer Protections for Large Load Additions

  The NC Clean Energy Technology Center released the Q1 2026 edition of the 50 States of Power Decarbonization report.

  • Report release & key findings: The Q1 2026 report documents 509 actions taken by 49 states plus Puerto Rico during the quarter and notes more than 600 introduced bills not yet passed. It reports planned capacity additions of 58,276 MW solar, 54,952 MW natural gas, 30,297 MW storage, and 22,358 MW wind, and 30,967 MW of planned coal retirements.
  • Top developments & context: The report highlights top policy developments including the Arizona Corporation Commission repealing the state renewable energy standard, Florida requiring large load tariffs, a North Carolina task force report on large load growth, Virginia rejoining RGGI, and El Paso Electric proposing large load tariffs in New Mexico; the most active states in Q1 2026 were Virginia, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Arizona.
• 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.
• May 5, 2026

  IQ Fiber Launches Fiber-Optic Internet Service in Pinellas County, Florida

  IQ Fiber has launched 100 percent fiber-optic internet service in Pinellas County, Florida, covering St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo.

  • Launch: IQ Fiber launched 100% fiber-optic internet service in Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo); Investment: marks the beginning of a more than $100 million investment in the region; Jobs: expected to create more than 50 permanent jobs.
  • Background & footprint: Jacksonville-based company founded in 2021 with funding from SDC Capital Partners; current network serves Jacksonville and Gainesville (FL) and areas in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, and South Carolina; public comments quoted IQ Fiber CEO Ted Schremp and Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector.
• May 4, 2026

  AI’s Hidden Power Grid: Data Centers, Subsea Cables, and the New Infrastructure Arms Race

  DC BLOX general counsel Alan Poole discussed the role of digital infrastructure in enabling AI and the emerging debate over who should fund large grid upgrades to support AI-scale loads.

  • Main announcement/action: Alan Poole (general counsel, DC BLOX) outlined how AI demand has turned infrastructure demand into a “space race”, highlighted subsea cable landing stations (Myrtle Beach) as strategic hubs, and emphasized that site selection hinges on power, land, and connectivity.
  • Background and other details: The episode describes DC BLOX’s transparency-first development model, addresses community impacts, and frames an emerging regulatory debate about who should pay for massive grid upgrades needed for AI-scale loads; this is a podcast interview (no new financing or project contract announced in the content).