South Dakota Data Center Intel

Recent South Dakota data center news

• Jun 24, 2026

  Construction employment rises in 30 states over past year, AGC reports

  The Associated General Contractors of America reported that construction employment increased in 30 states and the District of Columbia between May 2025 and May 2026.

  • Main announcement: AGC reported state construction employment increased in 30 states and D.C. between May 2025 and May 2026; Texas added 18,700 jobs (2.1%), North Carolina added 13,600, Wisconsin added 9,000, and Wisconsin posted the largest percentage increase (6.2%); California recorded the largest annual decline at 13,100 jobs (−1.5%).
  • Monthly detail and risks: From April to May, construction employment increased in 23 states and D.C., declined in 22 states, and was unchanged in 5 states; monthly leaders included Texas (+3,600) and Wisconsin (+2,900). AGC officials Ken Simonson and Jeffrey D. Shoaf cautioned that opposition to data center projects and uncertainty over federal transportation funding pose threats to future construction job growth.
• Jun 10, 2026

  Thermal energy storage tech analysis: Rondo, Antora, Malta Inc, MGA, 1414, EnergyNest, Polar Night and Brenmiller

  Energy Storage News publishes a roundup of companies commercialising large-scale thermal energy storage technologies.

  • Main action: This is a sector roundup profiling multiple vendors and current deployments, highlighting Rondo Energy’s RHB, Antora Energy’s 50MW/5GWh commission at POET, Brenmiller’s 103MWh installed capacity and 4GWh manufacturing capacity, and Polar Night Energy’s planned 250MWh sand battery for Lahti Energia (projected as the largest sand battery). Include concrete project timelines: Antora’s POET installation expected to enter full operation later this year, and Polar Night’s Valkeakosk project runs 2025–2027.
  • Additional facts / scale: The article lists device specifications and applications for each company (e.g., Rondo RHB: 2MW–100MW outputs, 97–98% RTE, 40+ year life; MGA demo: 5MWh unit, 500kW thermal power; 195MWh Tronox project planned for operation in 2028). It is descriptive/analytical rather than a single new announcement, compiling existing deployments, planned projects, and technical specs.
• Jun 1, 2026 · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

  Targeted Pressure: How Chinese Manufacturing Competition Impacts US States

  The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has published a report finding Chinese industrial policy is reshaping global manufacturing and harming industries across every U.S. state.

  • Main finding & method: The ITIF report (June 1, 2026) analyzes one “national power industry” per state using County Business Patterns employment data, HS/SITC export proxies, and global market-share series to conclude that state-backed Chinese subsidies, export pushes, and overcapacity are driving down prices and pressuring U.S. producers in sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, aircraft, and fabricated metals.
  • Key facts, numbers, and timelines:China plans ~$150 billion in semiconductor investment through 2030 vs. $52 billion under the U.S. CHIPS funding; the report cites $63.3 billion Chinese semiconductor spending in H1 2025, TSMC’s $165 billion U.S. investment announcement, GE Appliances’ $490 million Appliance Park investment (2025), and state/national export shares and HS-code trade series used throughout the analyses.
• May 13, 2026

  AI Infrastructure’s Next Bottleneck May Be Public Acceptance

  Melissa Farney (Data Center Frontier) argues that AI data center expansion has become a first‑order political and permitting constraint, citing recent legislative and local actions including the “Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act” proposal and Maine’s LD 307 veto.

  • Main point: The article states that AI‑oriented data center growth is now a core political and permitting risk for operators, not just a siting or PR issue, citing industry forecasts such as JLL’s ~$710 billion North America capex projection to 2026 and project‑level impact estimates from Data Center Watch (approximately $18B blocked and $46B delayed, totalling $64B) and a New York Times compilation of $156B across 48 AI projects disrupted in 2025.
  • Key supporting facts & recent actions: Federal and state moves are already concrete: Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez unveiled the “Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act”; Maine’s LD 307 (would have paused data centers >20 MW through Nov 1, 2027) was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills; local utilities like the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) imposed a 12‑month moratorium on new water/sewer hookups in April 2026. The article also highlights New Jersey bill S731/A796 (require 85% of requested service for 10 years for very large loads) as an example of state-level cost‑allocation tools.
• May 4, 2026

  Bill to Increase Oversight of BEAD Broadband Grants Filed

  Senate Majority Leader John Thune introduced legislation requiring federal officials to develop tools to track Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grant recipients and to improve processing timelines for communications infrastructure applications.

  • Main action: The bill would require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information (Arielle Roth) to create tracking tools for BEAD grant recipients and to help executive agencies improve compliance with statutory deadlines for processing communications use applications.
  • Context and details: The measure was introduced in the Senate, referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, lists Sens. Ben Ray Luján and John Barrasso as co-sponsors, is in the early stages of the legislative process, and the text of the bill was not available at the time of publication.
• Apr 23, 2026

  What They Are Saying: Water Sector, Industry and Federal Partners Applaud EPA’s Newly Launched Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched the Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) 2.0 on April 16, 2026.

  • Main announcement: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced WRAP 2.0 as a national initiative to scale water reuse across industry, energy, and AI infrastructure; the plan was publicly launched on April 16, 2026 and is presented here as a first-time federal announcement (launch) with multiple stakeholder statements. The announcement includes cited implementation commitments such as AWS operating 22 reclaimed-water data centers today and plans to expand to nearly 100 U.S. locations by 2030, and Micron’s commitment to achieve 75% water conservation by 2030 through onsite reuse and restoration projects.
  • Background and partners / details: Multiple federal and industry partners (CEQ, Army Civil Works/Army Corps, NOAA, U.S. Chamber of Commerce) and sector groups (WateReuse Association, WEF, API, IDRA, trade associations, water technology companies) provided statements of support; the plan emphasizes industrial reuse, produced water evaluation (Permian region cited), regulatory collaboration, workforce development, and scaling reclaimed water infrastructure for data centers, agriculture, and energy. Implementation timelines referenced in statements include company-specific targets to 2030 and general commitments to interagency and industry collaboration; this article is a compilation of stakeholder reactions to the EPA launch (announcement), not a separate policy analysis.
• Apr 21, 2026

  EPA launches WRAP 2.0 to expand water reuse across industry and infrastructure

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) 2.0 to accelerate and expand water reuse across industrial, agricultural, and technology sectors.

  • Main announcement: WRAP 2.0 is an updated federal initiative that prioritizes water reuse for manufacturing, agriculture, microchip fabrication, data centers, and energy production, and outlines new federal commitments and collaborative efforts with state, local, and industry partners; the plan is presented as a voluntary, partnership-driven approach rather than a regulatory mandate.
  • Background and details: WRAP 2.0 builds on the original 2020 WRAP framework, was announced by EPA leadership (Administrator Lee Zeldin and Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi), and emphasizes supporting domestic manufacturing and agriculture while advancing water reuse for technology infrastructure and energy sectors.
• Apr 15, 2026

  Data Center Boom Meets Resistance in Maine: Lawmakers Pass a Yearlong Freeze

  The Maine Legislature approved sending a bill to Gov. Janet Mills that would impose a statewide moratorium on large data centers and create a special council to help towns vet potential projects.

  • Main action:Maine Legislature sent a bill to Gov. Janet Mills to institute a moratorium of more than a year on data centers above a certain size and to create a special council to assist municipalities in vetting projects; the bill was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Melanie Sachs and the governor had not responded publicly to whether she will sign it.
  • Background and details: The move follows intense community backlash and is part of broader activity in at least a dozen states where similar proposals have been introduced; related developments include an Ohio ballot effort that must gather more than 400,000 signatures by July 1 to attempt a statewide ban, failed or stalled bills in states such as Georgia and South Dakota, and commentary from stakeholders including the Data Center Coalition, Maine Broadband Coalition, GrowSmart Maine, and the Maine Policy Institute.
• Apr 4, 2026

  Benji Backer: Nature is Nonpartisan

  Benji Backer has launched Nature is Nonpartisan to create a culturally relevant, nonpartisan conservation movement and to reframe how environmental issues are discussed.

  • Main action: Nature is Nonpartisan has produced media projects (a six-episode YouTube series already filmed) and is launching campaigns including “Going Public” (a public-lands ownership/certificate campaign running until May 30) to mobilize Americans around public lands and conservation. The organization also helped craft an executive order establishing the “Make America Beautiful Again” Conservation Commission and continues policy engagement while positioning the movement as nonpartisan.
  • Background and complementary action: Benji Backer previously founded the American Conservation Coalition (ACC, ~100,000 conservative members referenced) and now aims to broaden outreach beyond a single political constituency. Meanwhile, Energy Right (founder Skyler Zunk, team of five) is doing local clean-energy education in rural Virginia — promoting community solar, agrovoltaics (sheep grazing under panels), and addressing local concerns around land use and permitting, including the need to power growing energy demand from data centers in Northern Virginia.
• Apr 2, 2026

  States Race to Win the Tech Economy in 2026 State of the State Addresses

  Broadband and technology were prioritized across nearly 30 governors’ 2026 State of the State addresses.

  • Main announcement: Governors across the country emphasized broadband expansion, AI policy and workforce development, and data center/energy planning; specific claims include Maine reporting “more than a quarter million homes and businesses” served, Wisconsin reporting 410,000 businesses and households with new or improved internet, Kansas connecting 117,000 households and businesses, and the Virgin Islands reporting a territory-wide internet program with over 50,000 users per month. The addresses also included concrete funding and contract figures: Maryland announced a $4 million AI workforce training investment, and South Dakota cited a $35 million Department of Defense contract for warhead production.
  • Background and other details: Governors described partnerships and policy actions: Maryland cited collaborations with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Microsoft, a South Korean biotech firm, and AstraZeneca for AI work; Iowa cited partnerships with Amazon Web Services and Google Public Sector to modernize state systems; several governors (Indiana, New York, Nebraska) debated who should shoulder data center energy costs or accelerate permitting; some states (New Hampshire, Delaware, South Carolina) signaled nuclear energy pathways and DOE engagement. Implementation timelines are those stated in addresses (2026) and referenced ongoing programs and contracts (e.g., South Dakota’s $35 million DoD contract already awarded).