Tennessee Data Center Intel

Recent Tennessee data center news

• Sep 8, 2026

  Data Centers Could Fuel a New ‘Gold Rush’ in Tennessee

  Craig Fuller argued that the Tennessee Valley could become a major hub for artificial intelligence data centers.

  • Fuller, CEO and owner of the Times Free Press, said the region’s access to electricity through the Tennessee Valley Authority gives it an advantage as technology companies invest in data centers and related infrastructure.
  • The piece is a commentary column dated Sept. 3 and referenced by Broadband Breakfast on Sept. 8, 2026; it does not announce a new project, deal, or investment.
• Sep 8, 2026

  Tool incorporates city priorities in picking energy project sites

  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has announced a new algorithm for selecting urban sites for utility-scale power generation or storage.

  • The tool combines grid infrastructure with zoning, noise regulations, historical and architectural significance, and other community factors to help utilities and project planners choose the type, location, and size of energy projects.
  • ORNL said the algorithm simulates 24-hour energy demand and power flow to model grid capacity and hourly voltage fluctuations; researcher Rodney Itiki said zoning and noise rules can reduce available sites by 20% to 30%.
  • Itiki said the approach could also be applied to critical materials mining, AI data centers, disaster response, and major events such as the FIFA World Cup or Olympics. The project was funded by DOE’s Integrated Energy Systems Office.
• Sep 1, 2026

  Mississippi Wealth          

  This article is an analysis and commentary piece about Mississippi’s wealth geography and investment patterns; it does not announce a new first-time corporate deal, but references ongoing regional investment trends.

  • Central Mississippi is said to be drawing billions into data centers and energy, while North Mississippi is building on advanced manufacturing, technology and logistics, and the Gulf Coast is growing in shipbuilding, defense, aerospace and maritime technology.
  • The piece highlights that Mississippi’s reported millionaire density may understate wealth held in farmland, timberland, mineral and royalty interests, and privately held family businesses; it also cites Oxford/Lafayette County as a growing magnet for affluent families and notes Tunica County now has five operating casinos after recent closures.
• Sep 1, 2026

  From side reaction to center stage: Bleach, salt water boost power in grid batteries

  The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has announced progress on a new seawater battery formulation for grid energy storage, developed with industry partner Coulomb Technology.

  • ORNL researchers found that adding 5% more bleach shifts the battery toward a chlorine-bleach reaction, more than doubling peak power and making voltage comparable with lithium-ion batteries.
  • The work was carried out with Coulomb Technology, which said the battery could serve longer-duration utility or large data center applications; the project was funded by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology Office through its Technology Commercialization Fund.
• Sep 1, 2026

  Coal Got an Order. Nuclear Got a Meeting

  Henri Francois argues that U.S. energy planning is being distorted by exaggerated data center load forecasts, while coal plants are being kept online through emergency orders and nuclear projects face long approval delays.

  • The commentary says the Department of Energy has issued more than 40 Section 202(c) emergency orders since May 2025, helping keep at least 4.4 GW of coal-fired generation from retirement; it also cites ERCOT’s 438 GW large-load queue, nearly 90% from data centers.
  • It highlights Centralia in Washington state as a 730 MW coal plant on its third consecutive 90-day order, and says TransAlta has asked FERC for $19.9 million to cover the first order; the piece also notes TVA’s 300 MW Clinch River SMR application and the NRC review timeline.
• Aug 29, 2026

  United States and Cameroon Announce $7 Billion in Investment and Trade Opportunities at Inaugural Economic and Commercial Dialogue

  The United States and Cameroon have announced approximately $7 billion in new and expanding investment and trade opportunities during the inaugural U.S.-Cameroon Bilateral Economic and Commercial Dialogue.

  • The announcement covers sectors including technology, critical minerals, infrastructure, energy, forestry, and logistics, and the two sides agreed to establish joint working groups and continue the Dialogue ahead of the next meeting in 2027, which the United States will host.
  • Specific projects mentioned include Tronox/Lion Rock‘s $500 million rutile project, ARM‘s planned $85 million cobalt-nickel-manganese project in Nkamouna, Hydromine‘s proposed $3.5 billion, 1,040-MW Grand Eweng Hydropower Project, and Cybastion‘s $75 million AI-powered data center and power plant in Douala.
• Aug 27, 2026

  The Janus Five: 20+ Commercial Nuclear Microreactors, Starting in 2028

  The U.S. Army has announced the Janus Program selections for more than 20 commercial nuclear microreactors across five military installations.

  • The Army selected BWXT Advanced Technologies for Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Radiant Industries for Fort Benning, Georgia; General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems for Fort Hood, Texas; Antares Nuclear for Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Westinghouse Government Services for Fort Drum, New York.
  • The five vendors may draw on up to $2.2 billion in Army investment through fiscal year 2031 under fixed-price, milestone-based OTA agreements negotiated through DIU; first project service is targeted for September 2028.
  • The article is a news report/commentary summarizing a first-time announcement and includes background on related Pentagon microreactor programs, including the Air Force’s ANPI and Project Pele.
  • Several vendor-specific details are provided, including Radiant’s up to $750 million award for 15 Kaleidos units, and Antares’ combined book of around $1 billion across programs.
• Aug 26, 2026

  Wavelength Services for AI Data Centers: A Buyer’s Guide

  Aureon is highlighting its long-haul transport route and positioning wavelength services as the preferred connectivity option for AI data centers.

  • Aureon says its Iowa Falls to Chicago route already provides 100Tb of live capacity, with a 400Tb scalable ceiling and an explored path toward 800Tb using its Infinite Capacity Engine technology.
  • The article also cites industry context: long-haul dark fiber demand doubled between 2024 and 2025, and Aureon says its route supports wavelength channels up to 800G, which is still described as new territory for the industry.
  • A quoted statement from George O’Neal, President and CEO of Aureon, says: “This deployment required a high level of coordination across networks, vendors, and timelines.”
• Aug 26, 2026

  AI helps design new materials that work in the real world

  MIT researchers have announced a new AI-based framework, CrysVCD, that improves the stability of generated crystal materials while preserving desired properties.

  • The approach uses a language model first to create chemically valid formulas, then a diffusion model to generate the crystal structure, achieving 68 percent mechanical stability and 85 percent metastability in fine-tuned tests.
  • The paper was published in Nature Computational Science today, and the researchers say the method can support materials for high thermal conductivity, including applications in semiconductor industry and data center cooling; the work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, MathWorks Engineering Fellowship, and U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
• Aug 21, 2026

  National laboratory research collaboration focuses on accelerated qualification of critical nuclear components

  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Idaho national laboratories have announced a collaboration to expand the domestic supply chain for industrial pressure vessels using wire arc additive manufacturing.

  • The labs will help industry develop wire arc 3D printing for pressure vessels by leveraging expertise in additive manufacturing, real-time accuracy monitoring, parts qualification, and nuclear material properties.
  • ORNL said the effort builds on a July demonstration of a small pressure vessel on the MedUSA platform, and the collaboration was announced on Aug. 19 at Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Days (M2IND) at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF).

  The announcement is a lab collaboration and event report, not a commercial deal, and it also links the work to broader applications in nuclear energy, chemical refining, oil and gas, defense, aerospace, and AI data centers.