Tennessee Data Center Intel

Recent Tennessee data center news

• Oct 6, 2025 · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

  Tip of the Iceberg: Understanding the Full Depth of Big Tech’s Contribution to US Innovation and Competitiveness

  The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) argues that U.S. “big tech” firms (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft) provide critical R&D, infrastructure, and national-security spillovers that policymakers must account for when designing regulation or antitrust policy.

  • Main announcement / action: ITIF presents an analysis claiming the five largest U.S. tech firms invested $227 billion in R&D in 2024 and over $250 billion in capital expenditures in 2024, financing frontier projects (AI, quantum, semiconductors), strategic infrastructure (hyperscale data centers, subsea cables), and long-term energy deals (e.g., Alphabet–Kairos Power agreement to deliver six or seven SMRs between 2030–2035; Amazon anchored a $500 million investment round in X-energy; Amazon committed $150 billion to data center expansion over 15 years). These are presented as concrete, long-horizon commitments that create private demand signals for nuclear and other clean-energy technologies and underpin U.S. competitiveness vs. China.
  • Background and other details: The report documents open-research spillovers (AlphaFold, GraphCast, TensorFlow/PyTorch), startup and talent ecosystem links (acquisitions like YouTube/Android; AWS/Google/Microsoft startup programs and cloud credits), and defense ties (cloud contracts such as JWCC up to $9B to 2028, Microsoft IVAS $22B program). It cites third-party estimates and examples with timelines and dollar figures and urges regulators to include these quantified spillovers in cost-benefit analyses rather than only tallying harms.
• Oct 3, 2025

  Entergy Will Power $4-Billion Google Data Center in Arkansas

  Google announced the first phase of a $4-billion data center campus in West Memphis, Arkansas, to be powered by Entergy using solar and existing generation.

  • Main announcement: Google will build a $4-billion campus sited on 1,100 acres in West Memphis; Entergy Arkansas will power the facility and the contract (described as running “for decades”) includes investment in Cypress Solar — a 600-MW solar and 350-MW battery energy storage facility near Pine Bluff (Jefferson County). Google will cover all energy costs for the project and has committed $25 million to an Energy Impact Fund for regional energy efficiency.
  • Background and details: Entergy Corp. executives said there would be $1.1 billion in net benefits over the life of the contract for Entergy Arkansas customers and that the agreement is “designed to put downward pressure on electricity rates.” The campus may house up to five hyperscale data centers, could be operational within the next two years, and Google applied for an air quality/emissions permit for backup generation limited to rare grid outages. Google also maintains a corporate goal to run data centers on emissions-free energy by 2030 and to have over 10 GW of nuclear power by 2035.
• Sep 15, 2025 · Rest of World

  Countries are struggling to meet the rising energy demands of data centers

  Microsoft set up a data center in Colón, Querétaro, that has relied on gas-powered generators because it could not plug into Mexico’s transmission and distribution network; environmental filings say generators would supply 70% of the center’s energy for 12 hours/day between February and July 2025 and emit CO2 equivalent to about 54,000 average households.

  • Main action and specifics: Microsoft opened a data center in Colón (began operating early 2024) and received approval to use seven generators after filing that the grid would not be fully operative for Microsoft until mid-2027 due to “long construction times required in [Microsoft’s] contract with CFE.” Documents state the generators would supply 70% of the data center’s energy for 12 hours per day (Feb–Jul 2025) and produce annual CO2 emissions comparable to ~54,000 households.
  • Background and additional details: Mexico hosts ~150 data centers with Big Tech investing over $7 billion since 2020; the Mexican Association of Data Centers estimates 70 additional centers (over $18 billion in investment) over five years and national data centers will require 1.5 GW by 2030. The federal utility CFE has a monopoly on transmission/distribution, the government announced >$8 billion for transmission infrastructure to be completed by 2030 (focused on households), and investment in transmission/distribution fell by 17% and 37% respectively between 2018 and late 2024.
• Sep 10, 2025

  Climate Change Solutions - September 9, 2025

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) published a newsletter highlighting recent climate solutions, Congressional activity, briefings, and an upcoming AI-and-energy event.

  • Main announcement: EESI summarizes new content and events including articles on passive and sustainable cooling, grid resilience to heat waves, and a new Nature4Communities tool from U.S. Nature4Climate; it also hosted a briefing with the Ohio River Basin Alliance as part of its Resilient and Healthy Rivers series. Key figures and policy items cited include $57.3 billion in FY2026 discretionary funding in H.R.4553 (Energy and Water appropriations), a noted reduction of $766.4 million from 2025 levels, an authorizing proposal of $10 million to DOE under H.R.4490 (Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act), and $30 million annually directed to local officials under H.R.5154 (REACT Act).
  • Background and upcoming actions: The newsletter catalogs Congressional bills and hearings, media coverage, and events; it also announces an EESI briefing on AI and energy.
    • Event: “Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Energy and the Environment”
      • Date: Thursday, September 25
      • Time: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
      • Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online (livecast/RSVP link provided)
    • Other details: Highlight notes available for the 28th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Forum and EXPO; a cited statistic: every $1 invested in transit generates $5 in economic returns.
• Sep 10, 2025

  ORNL wins 20 R&D 100 Awards

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced it set a new lab record by winning 20 R&D 100 Awards in the current global competition (ORNL led 17 winners and co-developed three more, with 29 ORNL finalist technologies).

  • Main announcement & highlights: ORNL reports 20 R&D 100 Awards (17 led, 3 co-developed) across energy, materials, manufacturing, computing and emerging technologies; notable technology metrics include rotary transformer motor tested on a 200-kW BorgWarner motor (92–95% efficiency, up to 15% efficiency improvement, up to 25% higher power density, validated over 53,000 cycles ≈ 10 years), LMHE engine with 15% weight reduction and >10% fuel-efficiency improvement, heat pump water heater with 30% improvement in first-hour hot water delivery, and BIPHASICS CO2 capture claiming up to 46% less solvent regeneration energy and 30% lower CO2 capture cost vs MEA.
  • Background, partners and technical details: The announcement lists commercial and research partners and commercialization steps (e.g., The Sexton Corporation commercializing the underwater X-ray system; collaboration with BorgWarner, GM, Cummins, Soteria Battery Innovation Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and academic partners). It documents technology specifics such as HyPoCap (surface area >4,000 m2/g; 610 F/g capacitance), E-GRIMS operating at ~800°C with >90% energy savings and completing graphitization in ~2 hours, Next-Gen Polyiso R-value 8.3 per inch (30% better), Future Foundries reducing production cycles by up to 68%, and simulation tools (DR-Weld, ExaDigiT, PRESTO, Simurgh) with stated performance claims and deployment partners. Funding sources and managing organization (UT-Battelle for DOE Office of Science) are also listed.
• Aug 19, 2025

  Meta, Silicon Ranch partner on solar farm for South Carolina data center

• Aug 18, 2025 · Google

  Our first advanced nuclear reactor project with Kairos Power and Tennessee Valley Authority

  The Google blog post announces a three-party power purchase agreement (PPA) enabling the first U.S. utility purchase of electricity from an advanced GEN IV reactor: Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Plant in Oak Ridge.

  • Agreement specifics:Google will procure clean energy attributes via Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) from Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Plant, enabling 50 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy on TVA’s grid to help power Google data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee and Jackson County, Alabama; the Hermes 2 plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2030.
  • Program context and scale-up: Google previously agreed with Kairos Power to unlock up to 500 MW through multiple small modular reactor deployments; the project includes workforce programs with the University of Tennessee and other local universities to grow local talent for plant operators and engineers.
• Aug 4, 2025 · Tech Xplore

  Medium-voltage circuit breaker unlocks electricity abundance, savings

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed and tested thyristor-based medium-voltage semiconductor circuit breakers that interrupt DC faults faster and at higher voltages than prior commercial options.

  • Confirmed actions: ORNL researchers at the GRID-C built and tested a prototype that can interrupt a current at 1,400 volts in less than 50 microseconds (reported as 4–6× faster than previous thyristor demonstrations) and tested series-connected breakers up to an 1,800-volt testing capacity; the work is published in the 2024 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE) (DOI: 10.1109/ECCE55643.2024.10860928).
  • Planned initiatives / deployment goals: The team plans to scale the series arrangement toward 10,000 volts to meet larger DC grid demands; the technical approach uses thyristors (chosen for being robust, efficient and inexpensive) and addresses voltage sharing and reaction-time challenges for series-connected breakers.
• Aug 4, 2025 · Google

  How we’re making data centers more flexible to benefit power grids

  Google has announced progress in implementing demand response capabilities in its data centers, including new agreements with Indiana Michigan Power and Tennessee Valley Authority to target machine learning workloads for energy demand flexibility.

  • Demand response agreements with I&M and TVA mark the first use of ML workload targeting to reduce power demand during grid events, building on prior success with Omaha Public Power District.
  • Flexible demand solutions are deployed in multiple regions (US, Belgium, Taiwan) to support grid reliability, reduce need for new infrastructure, and integrate with Google’s 24/7 carbon-free energy goals, with ongoing collaboration planned with utilities and industry partners.
• Aug 1, 2025

  Medium-voltage circuit breaker unlocks electricity abundance, savings

  The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced the development of medium-voltage semiconductor-based circuit breakers for direct current grids.

  • Developed circuit breakers interrupt current at 1,400 volts in less than 50 microseconds, four to six times faster than previous thyristor-based devices, with testing up to 1,800 volts and plans to scale to 10,000 volts.
  • The technology uses affordable thyristors and external circuits to enable fast, safe interruption of DC faults, supporting expanded use of DC grids for efficient, flexible power delivery in transportation, manufacturing, and data centers.